Intro to Film Prod. (1st Pd.)





FIRST PERIOD!!!

Lets get these scripts done so we can start
PRE-PRODUCTION!!!!



WRITE WRITE WRITE

 Scripts are due the last day of this month!!!






You have a test this FRIDAY over everything we've been doing this week in class and remember I will NOT be here next week but you will be reading out of your text Chapter 4 "From Script to Schedule". You will have a test over this chapter when I get back next Friday.


 CONGRATS ON GETTING THROUGH PRE-PRODUCTION! Next week we get into production. 

 This week in Intro to Film: 
Learning the following terms - 
General Production Slang
Abby Singer – Second-to-last shot of the day. Named for a crew member who would always alert his crew of the second-to-last shot of a setup, scene, or the day.

Apple or Apple Box – a solid wooden box that comes in standardized sizes (from largest to smallest): full, half, quarter, pancake

Back In – phrase meaning lunch and/or any break is over and work has begun again

C47 – a clothespin

Crafty – craft services area and/or person

Day Player – a crew member hired for only one day or a handful of days worth of work

Furnie Blanket – a furniture blanket or sound blanket

Gary Coleman – a small C-stand

Hot Points – yelled when carrying something with the potential to hit somebody like dolly track or a C-stand. Usually said when going through a narrow hallway, doorway or around a corner

Juicer – an electrician

Last Looks – phrase to call in hair/make-up to give a final touch-up to actors before a scene is filmed

Last Man – phrase that refers to the last person to get their food at lunch; usually used because lunch should not officially start until the last man has gone through

Magic Hour – the time right before sunrise/after sunset in which the sky is somewhat dark but still illuminated. Often lasts only 20 minutes despite its name

Martini – the last shot of the day

Pancake – a size of apple box; see “apple”

Picture’s Up – phrase to alert all on set that cameras are almost set to start rolling

Scripty – the script supervisor

Sides – a half-sized script that contains only the scenes being shot that day

Sparks – an electrician; see “juicer”

Stinger – an extension cord

Talent – actor(s) or actress(es)

Video Village – the area in which viewing monitors are placed for the director and other production personnel. Referred to by this name because of the propensity to fill with people, chairs, and overall “too many cooks in the kitchen”


Flying in – anytime you are bringing anything to set
We are also learning - 

Over/Under Stinger and Cord wrapping
C -Stand
Sand Bags
Apple Box
Tri Pod
Doorway Dolly 
Reflectors

DONT FORGET WE HAVE A TEST THIS FRIDAY!!! 
















LAST YEAR:
Pre Production
1.     What is one of the most important items you need to budget for?
2.     Name the 11 parts of filmmaking?
3.     What is location scouting AND what are some things to look for when scouting?
4.     What is a look book?
5.     What is Day out of Days mean?
6.     How many sections of a budget are there?
7.     Name each section
8.     What are the most important pages in a script?
9.     What are the five elements you need in those pages to hook the reader?
10. What is the ticking clock?
11. What is the Blake Snyder beat sheet?

Production
12. What is the number one rule on set?
13. What does UPM stand for?
14. What does G&E stand for?
15. What is the difference between FLAT pay and DAY pay?
16. What does the term last looks mean?
17. What is an Apple Box?
18. What is a call sheet?
19. What is a clothespin called on set?
20. What is a Gary Coleman?
21. What is the primary job for the 1st AC?
22. What is the script supervisors job?
23. What is a Gaffer?
24. Whose job is it to run the crew?
25. What is a Hot Set?
26. What is a stinger?
27. What is a tripod called on set?
28. Whose job is it to work the slate?
29. When it is time to shoot what are the FIVE commands the AD calls for?
30. What is a Prop?
31. What is MOS and what does it stand for?
32. What is Ambient Light?
33. What are the three different light sources that the Standard 3-Point Lighting Technique uses?
34. What can you use to soften a harsh light?
35. What are the TWO solutions for shooting in a room with windows, given that the exposure outside the window is much brighter than the exposure inside the room?
Post Production
36. What is ADR
37. What is the difference between a SCORE and a SOUNDTRACK?
38. What is the difference between Mono, Stereo and Surround Sound?
39. What does a Music Supervisor do?
40. What is a Voice Over?
41. What is the program that we use in class to edit with?
42. The person that is in charge of ingesting footage ON SET and preparing it for editing is called what?
43. What does an EDITOR do?
44. Who won the Academy Award for best film editing in 2014?
45. It is said that a film is made three different times, when it’s written, when its shot and when it’s ________________?
46. There are several editing stages in post production. What is the First stage called?
47. What is the first film to win an Academy Award?
48. What is the highest grossing film of all time?
49. What is your favorite movie?

50. What did you learn this year?
Many answers can be found here: http://www.mediacollege.com

 Food is one of the most important items to budget for.

 Generally each page in a script equals to one minute of screen time.

From story to distribution, filmmaking can be broken up into 11 different parts. What are they?

 When you head out on a location scout what are two things to keep in mind?

 Compiling different looks into a single source is called what?

 The amount of Days an actor is actually on set is called the Day out of Days. 

 What is the Unit Production Manager?

 Grip and Electric is an important part of filmmaking. Why? 

 Flat pay is being paid a flat fee no matter how many days you work, as day pay is based directly on the amount of days you are on set. 

 There are 8 sections of a budget they are:
Pre Production 
Production
Cast/Crew
Production Expenses
Post production
Marketing
Distribution
Miscellaneous

 What is the most expensive movie ever made?
What is the least expensive movie ever made?
What is the highest grossing film ever made?

 What are the most important pages in a script?

 Below is the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet. Learn it. 

What are the five elements you need in the first 10 pages to hook the reader?

- The Main Character
- Location
- Mood
- Genre
- Premise

Whats another word for the first problem


Why is the middle thought of has the hardest part to write? 


What are the two forces the main character will face on his/her path to reach their goal?

Is it is a good idea to only have one or two main characters in a movie?


The "ticking clock"...what is it? 


What is another word for The Perfect Ending? 


The peak, the highest point in the film...what is that called? 


What is an AV Script? And who is it for? Audio/Visual 

Why is the movie "Wings" important? 

Who is Rick Baker?

What does "Last Looks" mean?

What can an apple box be used for?

What is a call sheet?

Whats another word for a wooden clothespin?

What does AC stand for?

Who's job is it to pull focus?

The person on set who is in charge of continuity is whom?

The person who is in charge of lighting is whom?

If I am in charge of the crew and schedule who am I?

I am the person in charge of moving production equipment on set, who am I? 

What is the number one rule on set?

A Set currently be filmed on that has props and set dressing placed that should not be touched is called what?

What is a "Stinger"? 

What are "Sticks"?

When anything is moving on set what do you say? 

What is the primary job of the 2nd AC? 

Don't forget...

- Quiet on Set
- Sound
- Camera
- Slate/Marker
- Action

What is a Prop?

What is MOS? What does "MOS" stand for? 

What is ADR?

What is Foley?

What is Voice Over?

What's the difference between a score and a soundtrack?

A small microphone usually taped on the body underneath the clothes is called what?














Camera:

Here is your camera test...now lets see who uses it to study:



 Dont forget about your story. You all should be thinking of ideas over your Thanksgiving break. The cholo is waiting for you...

Camera Test

What is another word for Director of Photography? (HINT it starts with a “C”)

What does FPS stand for?

Explain Depth of Field?

How man Frames Per Second is the average movie shot at?

Explain aperture and F-Stop?

What is Three Point lighting? (make sure to name each of the lights and what they do)

What is the shutter?

When does the back light become a kicker?

Explain the Rule of Thirds…

What is ISO?


Depth of Field
Aperture
Three Point Lighting
Rule of Thirds
ISO
F Stop


Audio:
Check out the links below to start studying for Friday's test

 All Audio
Australia Audio

Remember the five audio elements:

 Dialogue
Music
Sound FX
Foley
Atmospheric

Sound Recordist
Boom Pole/Operator
Atmospheric (ambient) Sound 
Shotgun Mic
Shock Mount 
Foley

The two most common ways of recording audio on a film set are through a Lav Mic and a Shotgun Mic.

 Field Recorder
XLR
Single System 
ADR
Story:

Act I - The Beginning

In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth. He did this in the dark, which makes it even more impressive. As a scriptwriter you need to make an equally impressive start to your writing project if you want to create a masterpiece.
In Act I you begin with a main character whose life is about to be turned upside down, and who’s going to be pushed harder than ever before. Pushed so hard that his outlook on life will change forever.
The Ten Most Important Pages of Your Script
The first ten pages you write in your script are without doubt the most important. You need to grab the reader there and then or else they will put your script down and move onto the next script in the pile.
Elements of the First Ten Pages
In the first ten pages you will want to setup the following:
The Main Character
Exactly who is your main character? What are his strengths? What are his weaknesses? Does he live a jet setting lifestyle or does he life revolve around his desk job? Whatever sense of normality your main character has is about to be torn apart.
Location and Mood 
Where does your character reside and how are the conditions? Does he live on the peaceful beaches of Hawaii or the cold, dingy streets of Philadelphia? Imagine if Rocky had been set in Hawaii, the movie just wouldn’t have worked on the same level.
Genre
By the end of the first ten pages it should be clear if your movie is an action flick, a romantic comedy, horror or other.
The Premise
The premise is the basic story. For example you could describe Rocky as the ultimate underdog getting his one shot at glory against the boxing world heavyweight champion.
After the first 10 pages there are two more important plot points in Act I:
The Inciting Incident
So far the first ten pages have told the viewer of the main character’s life. Well now is the time his world is going to be thrown into chaos. A major problem occurs which the main character will have to resolve for their life to return back to normal. Your main character should have the motivation and will to achieve this goal by doing anything imaginable.
Plot Point I 
Nearing the end of Act I, around page 25, another huge event happens - Plot Point I. Thus far the story has been driving along and now is the time a tyre blows and sends the car careering off in another direction. The event will test your main character and challenge them to answer “how far will you go to achieve your goal?”

 ACT II:
Act II is the longest act in the script and you should make it seem as long as possible for your main character yet as short as possible for the reader. Your main character will come face to face with a whole variety of obstacles, the obstacles steadily growing bigger and tougher. Every time he takes a step on the path to reach his goal some force (inner or outer) will block his path, forcing the main character to think quicker and grow stronger if he wants to succeed.
For this reason it is a good idea to have only one or two main characters in a movie. Anymore and you risk having characters become undeveloped and the audience not really caring about them since they don’t appear to be in any big danger.
This act is all about conflict and confrontation, nothing should come easy to your main character.
The Midpoint
Act II can be the hardest act to write as a scriptwriter. When you begin a writing project you often have a clear mental picture of the beginning and end of the script, but it’s how you get there that proves difficult. Fortunately the midpoint of the script offers a lifeline to the scriptwriter. Here we have another turning point, often the introduction or death of a character which sharpens the focus of the main character on achieving his goal.
In Rocky II Rocky has been looking for a white collar job but has been unable to due to his lack of education. Going against Adrian’s wishes Rocky accepts a challenge to a rematch from Apollo Creed.
Plot Point II
Towards the end of Act II and the beginning of Act III we come to a crisis point, Plot Point II. Right now the main character in your script has had enough. They’re sick and tired of all the obstacles being thrown in their way. Their world is a dark place with only a small beam of light left. Plot Point II should:
1. Force the main character to take action in attempt to solve the problem created by the inciting incident.
2. Make the character (and audience) fully aware of the “ticking clock”. Time is running out for your main character to finish the job.
3. Focus the main character on their ultimate goal.
Think of Rocky II when Adrian emerges from her coma to tell Rocky to win the fight. He re-focuses on his training and becomes faster, tougher, and stronger.

ACT III

The clock has run out, it’s now or never for your main character. By now your main character sees the goal in front of them, but even closer to him are several more obstacles. These will be the biggest obstacles of all but your main character has come too far to turn around and head for home now.

Your character has to want to achieve to achieve their goal so badly that nothing will stop them. That does not mean to say that your story has to have a happy ending. Just a glimmer of hope or a torch being passed is equally satisfying, especially if you are expecting to write a sequel to this script.

Scriptwriting is all about solving your characters’ problems and resolving their story. However always be careful not to give your story the “yellow ribbon ending”. This is where all the loose threads in the story are tied up neatly, so neatly the ending seems false.

The Climax

The climax is the biggest scene in the movie, the final battle between right and wrong, good and evil. Your main character will save the day and resolve their problems in dramatic fashion. You have to make sure that it’s the main character who saves the day and not some Johnny Come Lately bailing him out, then your main character has achieved nothing.

In Dodgeball the Average Joes team beat the team from Globo-Gym only for White Goodman to reveal that Peter La Fleur had already sold him the gym, so the victory was all for nothing. La Fleur counters with the revelation that he placed all the money White had given him and bet on Average Joes to win. This leaves Peter La Fleur with another money to buy a controlling stake in Globo-Gym and take back ownership of Average Joes gym.

I hope this section on the three act structure of film scriptwriting has helped you greatly. Now go forth and get writing!




Second Test:


1.   What are the three stages of filmmaking?
2.   Name the first 6 parts of preproduction.
3.   What are Day out of Days?
4.   Whose job is it to fill out a call sheet?
5.   What does UPM stand for?
6.   If crew call time is 1pm what time is breakfast?
7.   What is the main thing an Executive Producer brings to a film?
8.   What is the job of the 1st AD?
9.   What does the 1st AC do on a film set?
10.                 What does G&E stand for?
11.                 What position would you like to do on a film set?








Watch the videos below for Fridays test.




TEST TOMORROW!

Remember

1. Generally speaking each page in a script represents one minute in a movie.

2. The most expensive movie ever made is Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End and the highest grossing film is Avatar.

3. When you are ready to find your locations for your movie you need to go on a Location Scout.
Preproduction
Sept 15 - Sept 19

 Three stages of filmmaking are Preproduction, Production and Post Production. 

 Remember the stages of preproduction are as followed:

 Story
Script
Money (Financing)
Cast
Crew
Locations (scouting)
Wardrobe
Art Department
Schedule (breakdown)
Set Construction
Script Read Through

 How much does it cost to make a movie?

 Day out of Days?

 Call Sheet?
There will be a test over the above info this FRIDAY Sept. 19

 Introduction to Film Production Syllabus

Course Description Introduction Film Production Topics include basic pre­production, production, terminology, post production, G&E, lighting, sound and camera.



Prerequisites NONE



This course requires NO previous knowledge or skills in pre­production, production, terminology, post production, G&E, lighting, sound, camera, script or computers.



Lab Materials Students will supply their own work gloves and gaff tape to be left in class. Students will have a minimum 8GB flash drive to backup their writing and editing sessions. A lab fee of $20 is required to be paid. An e­mail address is required for class/blog updates.



Course Goals SASIC is determined to prepare you with the knowledge and skill set you need to succeed in today’s dynamic work environment. The following workplace competencies and foundation skills have been designed into this course’s curriculum.



Common Workplace Competencies: Managing Resources: Time/Materials Exhibiting Interpersonal Skills: Work on teams Working with Information: Ingesting and Evaluating data/ Organize Information Applying Systems Knowledge: Understanding Systems Using Technology: Select equipment and tools / Apply technology to specific tasks Demonstrating Basic Skills: Reading / Arithmetic and mathematics / Listening Thinking Skills: Creative thinking / Decision making Qualities: Sociability



Instructor Information Instructor’s name: Mr. Calvo email: mr.calvo@me.com blog: http://www.theurbanfilmschool.blogspot.com



Academic Integrity Course Requirements and Grading Policy 



Final grades are based on a ten point grading system A = 100 ­ 90 B = 89 ­ 80 C = 79 ­ 70 D = 69 ­ 60 F = 59 ­ 0



Class Projects Each class will have a total of two (2) projects being completed by all students within each period. These projects will encompass all aspects of film production including Pre­production, Production, Post Production and Teamwork.



Make­up policy ‘Incomplete’ final grades are only appropriate if unusual circumstances cause a student to miss one or two major assignments/tests. An ‘incomplete’ may only be given if the student and the instructor discuss and agree to this option. The student is responsible for obtaining and finishing the missing work by the next scheduled semester.



Projects, Assignments, Portfolios, Internships, etc. Students will complete a written film resume of completed projects. 


Production opportunities will be available throughout the semester in the form of: Audio department collaboration (Open Mic Night, Urban Audio Lab), for hire work done by Machina Cinema and any film production put on by Mustache Films/Film Department.

Course Content Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to: 

1. Identify and define terminology associated with the recording and manipulation of film/video 

2. The ability to implement a basic skill set and knowledge within the field of pre­production including budget, DoD’s, location scouting, crew positions, casting and call sheets. 

3. The ability to implement a basic skill set and knowledge within the field of production including over/under, use of Dolly, use of tri­pod, use of crane, use of 3 point lighting and light gels. 

4. The ability to implement a basic skill set and knowledge within the field of post production 

5. Demonstrate proper use of film terminology 

6. Demonstrate the basic use of the editing program Final Cut Pro, including ingesting media, cataloging files, building a rough cut and editing, syncing audio and exporting media to different formats 

7. Demonstrate the basic use of items within the Grip and Electric department 

8. Demonstrate the basic use of shotgun microphones, wind shields, field recorders and boom poles 

9. Demonstrate the basic use of the DSLR Canon 5D rig 

10. Being able to work within a team environment


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