The first step when it comes to filmmaking is visualisation. There needs to be an idea for a story / a visualisation for a piece before any further steps can be taken.
Once there is a visualisation for the piece, the production design then needs to be considered.
Once the production design has been considered, storyboarding can begin.
In higher budget (than student) films, these storyboards are then developed into more animated versions. This can be seen in Wes Anderson's storyboarding for The Grand Budapest Hotel. Anderson's initial drawings for the storyboard were very vague and simple, however, they were still able to communicate is ideas for his production. These simple drawings were then made more realistic by a storyboard artist, this helped to bring the images to life and therefore give a clearer idea of what the film would visually look like. [1]
The production cycle can then commence. This typically has 5 phases and usually occurs simultaneously with the visualisation process.
Phase One // Scriptwriting
The first step in screenwriting is having an idea. This idea can be gained from anywhere from personal experience to newspaper articles. Research then needs to be conducted into the idea in order to build upon it and make for a more natural and realistic production. Research should include creating character profiles in order to create a real personality for the characters. Potential locations should also be scouted out in order to get a better visual idea for the film. It is also good to start thinking of music and sound design - "visualisation isn't just images; sound and music are also part of the process because they elicit images". [2]
Phase Two // Production Design
The production design answers the "where" and "how" questions. In order to come up with the production design for a project, the first thing that needs to be done is to break down the script. This allows the director to pick out the dramatic and visual elements of the script whilst also figuring out the best way to economically shoot the film. Once the script has been broken down, the director can see what locations are needed, what props are needed, what set design would produce the best look for the scene, what costumes are needed and the general design of the film.
Phase Three // Script Analysis
Once the production design has been decided, the director then usually works with a storyboard artist in order to produce a storyboard which will help visually plan out the production. In order to create this storyboard, the script has to be analysed. When deciding on the type of shots to be used in the shot list / storyboard, the director needs to ask themselves certain questions in order to make sure the 'photographic qualities of a shot determine the narrative effect of the scene.' [2] The questions are:
1. Where is the camera positioned? - Whose point of view is being expressed?
2. What is the size of the shot? - What distance are we from the subject of the scene?
3. What is our angle of view? - What is our relationship to the subject?
4. Are we cutting or moving the camera? - Are we comparing points of view?
These questions help to decide which shot types should be used. Once these shot types have been decided, the action can be drawn up into a storyboard.
Phase Four // Cinematography
The cinematographer's main responsibilities include: lighting, exposing the film and executing the camera movement and framing. Often, directors provide cinematographers with visual sources such as photographs to demonstrate the way in which they want the film to be shot.
Phase Five // Rehearsal
Once the whole visual look of the film has all been planned out and the shot list and storyboards are ready, rehearsals can begin. The director blocks out the action with the actors and ensures they understand how the stage directions in the screenplay translate to the desired actions. The director needs to be able to confidently convey their ideas to the actors and also be able to motivate them in order to achieve the best work from the actors. Once rehearsals are complete, the production itself is ready to begin. Scenes are often filmed all in one location first before moving to the next locations, it is often not shot in chronological order for financial / practicality reasons.
Once the production is completed, post production can begin. The storyboards are often used by the editor as well to ensure continuity.
What have I learnt?
This text book helped me to realise how crucial each and every stage of production is from the beginning idea for the film (the concept) to the final product and how important it is to carry on visualising the product throughout the entirety of the project.
Before this unit, I had a very rough and simple idea of what a director's role was. I thought the director merely told people what to do. Although this is still part of the role, there is a lot more work involved than I first realised. I thought the director was mainly involved in the production side of projects, however, they are arguably more involved in the pre production side. A lot of work has to go into the pre production of a film before the production can even begin. The director needs to break down the script and analyse it before they can begin to consider the visual aspect of the production. The director is also largely involved in the production design and finding cast, location, props, costume etc.
This book also helped to me realise the importance of storyboarding. Due to having quite a creative and vivid imagination, I am often able to work from visual ideas that I have in my head. However, it is almost impossible to create an entire film by yourself as an individual, and therefore you need a clear method of demonstrating the visual aspect of production in order to communicate your ideas to others (such as the crew members and editors). Storyboarding helps to visualise the product during each stage of the production cycle. The storyboard is formed / used in pre production when breaking down the script, used during production to set up the camera and block the actors' actions and also used in post production by the editors in order to piece together the product in the correct order whilst maintaining continuity. Having a strong visualisation for your product ultimately improves the quality of the final product.
[1] Seitz, M.Z. (2015) The Wes Anderson Collection: The grand Budapest hotel. United States: Harry N. Abrams.
[2] Katz, S.D. (1991) Film directing shot by shot: Visualizing from concept to screen. Seattle, WA, United States: Michael Wiese Productions in conjunction with Focal Press.
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