THE DIRECTOR’S FIVE STAGES OF PRE-PRODUCTION

THE DIRECTOR’S FIVE STAGES OF PRE-PRODUCTION

-Scriptwriting
-Production Design
-Script Analysis
-Cinematography
-Rehearsal

SCRIPTWRITING
-Dissect the script and come up with gameplan
-Write down ideas for images for each scene
-Look for connections to your own past experiences

PRODUCTION DESIGN
-Scriptwriting answers the WHAT questions of the story;
Production Design answers the WHERE AND HOW
-The Director begins the prep process by having conferences with his or her Production Designer, explaining each scene of the script as he or she sees it
-Break down the script, answering: How long will it take, and how much will it cost?
-TWO TYPES OF VISUAL DESIGNS – PICTORIAL AND SEQUENTIAL
—-PICTORIAL: Set design, costumes, props, make-up, and any elements that are layered on top of a location and must by built, manufactured or otherwise obtained
—-SEQUENTIAL: Skills of the writer, Production Designer, Director, DOP and Editor
-Once locations are secured, the Director develops an overview of the film

SCRIPT ANALYSIS
-After the Director is totally prepared , and the script is in great shape and the locations are locked NOW it’s time to work out the shot-by-shot plan for each scene and really prepare to start Directing a Film.
-SHOT PLAN Size of the action, size of the shot, choice of lens and camera angle: HOW DO THEY ALL DETERMINE THE NARRATIVE QUALITY OF THE SCENE?
-What is the Director trying to express?

CINEMATOGRAPHY
-DOP’s major responsibilities are lighting, exposing the film, and executing the framing and camera movement determined by the Production Designer, Director and DOP
-It’s a good idea to show the DOP a visual source, illustrating what they’re after stylistically

REHEARSAL TIME
-It is the Director’s job to create an environment in which the actors can connect with their impulses and find the unexpected and unpredictable in their work together
-Even in rehearsals, place the frame around the actor – because it always changes the way a scene plays

For the Director, art of learning the craft is having a good sense of what will work before the camera rolls.

DIRECTOR’S JOB To evaluate what portion of the event you want to feature, and from which vantage point.

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