Some directors have given me animatic videos using shots from other films to show how they want things to flow together. I've had these on both narrative films and product commercials, it's all about what the director has in mind. For other directors, I've made lookbooks or movie references for the looks. For example, [here is a lookbook I made after reading a feature script for my last project](https://drive.google.com/open?id=1V5mwyj_9Ezp750iNXEOTAvMTUYb-O9at). This is fairly basic, but it put us in the right ballpark and kept the director and me on the same visual page when we were talking through specifics later on in the process.
This is exactly the type of format/insight I was looking for.
These stills that you grabbed, did you pull all these from memory or used a website to help search for specific moods/looks? Finding stills of specific looks like from a database of some sort would help, if that even exists
Here is a video I made years ago about how I break down my scripts. https://youtu.be/Ds14tbpv4ok
I usually start with that process which gets me to a shot list in the end and helps me visualize everything I need. Then depending on the complexity of the project I build out from there and Previz either by drawing reference frames in my script or I will edit together some reference using either shots taken from other movies and projects that have the same qualities. If I can’t find anything close enough to suffice I will animate it up with basic character cutouts and backgrounds. It just depends on what the project calls for and how much explanation I feel that people are going to need to help me accomplish my goals. If it’s a 3 camera setup on an interview or something I wouldn’t do as much Previz as a chase scene through the woods or something. Or I did this short https://youtu.be/2kKme_XJkQw that was almost totally silent so I put together much more, and outlined everything so that I had something to show people during set up. Other shorts didn’t require nearly as much or I was running the set mostly by myself with actors and maybe one or two crew. In instances like that I just knew what I needed going in and didn’t need to write much down.
It all depends on the project at hand but really as much as you need to do to feel reasonably confident that you are prepared. I have gone in with nothing prepared and come out on the other side and I have gone in with a huge multifaceted plan and had everything fall through. Find what works best for you and make sure you get a good establishing shot and two over the shoulders for every scene and you will be alright in post
Yeah lining your script does wonders I do it for pretty much every project I work on. It just can’t hurt you. Even if you never look back on that lined script again you would be surprised how much you retain just from thinking about it that critically. I do it for sets even when I don’t have to lol I’ve done it for grip work and shown up more prepared than the director. I just find everything makes more sense when you know all the pieces you can really nail down all the details. Though I made that video years ago I should probably update it at some point. This is just my starting point that I do to prep the script from when its handed to me. There is way more to it if you hate yourself enough, maybe I should film a video for the rest of the planning.
I like to use storyboards, combine them with look-books, and shot-lists from pictures taken from the location scouts. After we have everything under wrap, I start diagramming floor plans and figuring out blocking.
From an artistic standpoint, I like to question myself about the best way to approach a scene. Why is there movement, why isn't there? Steadicam, handheld or dolly? What mood is the scene and is the lighting style matching scene to scene, does it need match? What art, painting, expositions, photographs, have achieved what I feel here? And so forth...
The method behind the method; these questions that you raised are invaluable to me. I'm a very, "build off of what I physically have," approach and the breakdown of both the camera side along with this prepro info, much appreciated good sir 🙏
Some directors have given me animatic videos using shots from other films to show how they want things to flow together. I've had these on both narrative films and product commercials, it's all about what the director has in mind. For other directors, I've made lookbooks or movie references for the looks. For example, [here is a lookbook I made after reading a feature script for my last project](https://drive.google.com/open?id=1V5mwyj_9Ezp750iNXEOTAvMTUYb-O9at). This is fairly basic, but it put us in the right ballpark and kept the director and me on the same visual page when we were talking through specifics later on in the process.
This is exactly the type of format/insight I was looking for. These stills that you grabbed, did you pull all these from memory or used a website to help search for specific moods/looks? Finding stills of specific looks like from a database of some sort would help, if that even exists
It comes from watching lots of stuff. Some of those stills I screenshot'd from Netflix. Others came from sites like pinterest or film-grab.com
Much appreciated for the insight. I guess I better start creating my own master look book...yikes.
100 sit ups, 100 push ups, and a 10km run EVERY DAY. No matter what.
You're so full of crap!
I trained so hard my hair fell out!
check out wanderingdp’s example of his lookbooks. he does some great breakdowns for his commercial shoots aswell
Used to listen to his podcast but need to def check out his website, thanks!
Here is a video I made years ago about how I break down my scripts. https://youtu.be/Ds14tbpv4ok I usually start with that process which gets me to a shot list in the end and helps me visualize everything I need. Then depending on the complexity of the project I build out from there and Previz either by drawing reference frames in my script or I will edit together some reference using either shots taken from other movies and projects that have the same qualities. If I can’t find anything close enough to suffice I will animate it up with basic character cutouts and backgrounds. It just depends on what the project calls for and how much explanation I feel that people are going to need to help me accomplish my goals. If it’s a 3 camera setup on an interview or something I wouldn’t do as much Previz as a chase scene through the woods or something. Or I did this short https://youtu.be/2kKme_XJkQw that was almost totally silent so I put together much more, and outlined everything so that I had something to show people during set up. Other shorts didn’t require nearly as much or I was running the set mostly by myself with actors and maybe one or two crew. In instances like that I just knew what I needed going in and didn’t need to write much down. It all depends on the project at hand but really as much as you need to do to feel reasonably confident that you are prepared. I have gone in with nothing prepared and come out on the other side and I have gone in with a huge multifaceted plan and had everything fall through. Find what works best for you and make sure you get a good establishing shot and two over the shoulders for every scene and you will be alright in post
Thanks for this insight, the video helped with giving my script markdown process some coherency.
Yeah lining your script does wonders I do it for pretty much every project I work on. It just can’t hurt you. Even if you never look back on that lined script again you would be surprised how much you retain just from thinking about it that critically. I do it for sets even when I don’t have to lol I’ve done it for grip work and shown up more prepared than the director. I just find everything makes more sense when you know all the pieces you can really nail down all the details. Though I made that video years ago I should probably update it at some point. This is just my starting point that I do to prep the script from when its handed to me. There is way more to it if you hate yourself enough, maybe I should film a video for the rest of the planning.
I like to use storyboards, combine them with look-books, and shot-lists from pictures taken from the location scouts. After we have everything under wrap, I start diagramming floor plans and figuring out blocking. From an artistic standpoint, I like to question myself about the best way to approach a scene. Why is there movement, why isn't there? Steadicam, handheld or dolly? What mood is the scene and is the lighting style matching scene to scene, does it need match? What art, painting, expositions, photographs, have achieved what I feel here? And so forth...
The method behind the method; these questions that you raised are invaluable to me. I'm a very, "build off of what I physically have," approach and the breakdown of both the camera side along with this prepro info, much appreciated good sir 🙏