Major Project - Introduction to the Unit

Introduction to the Unit

Having spent the last few months working on the pre-production unit, I have decided to continue work on the 'Condemned' short film production. The developments made in the first term (as well as the Christmas break), I feel, have been sufficient enough to continue working on this production. The actors we brought in were still more than satisfied with playing their roles in the film and the locations we had arranged with were still available for shooting.

For this unit, my roles as screenwriter and producer will not change, though my role as screenwriter will take a bit of a backseat in the latter stages of this unit. My role as the sound editor on the other hand will be prioritised more heavily in these latter stages and my role as producer will shift focus as we enter the production and post-production phases.

It was agreed by myself, Josh and Troy that we would continue to work on the film heading into the new term as we felt we had progressed far enough to create the film without any major concerns, as aforementioned. Their roles as Director and Director of Photography respectively will not change.

Understanding our roles

In order to do my job, I must also gain an understanding of the roles of those I am working with as this will enable myself to better prepare for what is to come over the course of this production. Below are the people I will be working alongside, with a description of what their role involves going into the production phase:

Josh Bayly - Director (and sequence editor)

As I mentioned earlier, our group has not changed since the first term. Going into this term, however, our agreed roles will take on different challenges. For Josh, this will be putting his vision of my screenplay into action. During the shoot week, Josh will see himself in the drivers seat and the creative force of the production and will be challenged with putting all his preparation into action.

As a director, his role does not finish at the production stage. As we will all play our own part in the editing stage, it made sense that it would be the director that takes control of the sequence editing. While a director in the industry is unlikely to take on editing as well as their own role, it is expected of them to contribute to applying their vision to edit and ensuring it is carried out appropriately.

Using creative skillset as a guide, I explored the different ways in which a director can be responsible for the films final outcome:

"Directors are responsible for creatively translating the film's written script into actual images and sounds on the screen."

This point is relatively straight forward and is something that I already knew going into my research into the role. However, it is vital that Josh understands the importance of creativity when expressing his vision through film.

"During pre-production, Directors make crucial decisions, such as selecting the right cast, crew and locations for the film. They then direct rehearsals and the performances of the actors once the film is in production."

Having already served the first point in securing our cast, it is vital that Josh is able to direct a rehearsal before as well as during the shoot. The first rehearsal will be used to gain an understanding of the actors chemistry together as well as being able to read facial expressions and emotions.

"During post production, Directors work closely with Editors through the many technical processes of editing, to reach the final cut or version of the film."

I mentioned this point earlier about how directors carry their role forward into the post-production phase. As Josh will also carry the role as sequence editor, this should not be an issue.

"At all stages, Directors are responsible for motivating the team to produce the best possible results. Directors must also always be aware of the constraints of the film's budget and schedule and manage the expectations of the film's financiers."

To ensure that this happens, Josh will be working very closely with both myself and Troy to ensure that we are all just as passionate about his vision as he is. I will be on hand to ensure that he does not ask too much of the film in terms of budget. As we will be budgeting the film ourselves, however, this should not be a major issue.

Troy Smith - Director of Photography (and colour/grading editor)

With a clear understanding on how to use a camera to a high standard of finish, Troy has stuck with his chosen role as our Director of Photography (I will refer to the role as DoP from here onwards). Weeks of shot composition planning, colouring and test shoots will finally be taken into action this term for Troy; another thing he will be able to work on is his efficiency in setting up and taking down equipment. While it is Josh's vision that Troy will be working from, it will be his lighting, shot choice and decision making (in regards to camera) that will play a vital role in what the audience will see in the final film.

Again, his role does not finish at the production phase, partly due to the fact that he will also be playing a role in the edit itself. Using the creative skillset website once again, I researched into the key roles of being a DoP:

"During post production, DoPs attend the digital grading of the film."

This is the point I was just making. A DoP must ensure that their camera work is being utilised to the best of its ability and this carries forward into the grading. It is for this reason that we felt it was up to Troy to grade and colour the edit as a part of his role. This isn't uncommon on smaller productions such as ours.

"On smaller films, DoPs often also operate the camera during the shoot. At the end of each shooting day, DoPs prepare for the following day's work and check that all special requirements (cranes, Steadicams, remote heads, long or wide lenses, etc.) have been ordered. They also usually view the rushes (raw footage) with the Director."

For our production, Troys role as the DoP coincides with the role as camera operator. Troy will be working closely with myself (as well as the director) in ensuring that he has all of the equipment he will require on this shoot.

http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/758_director
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/759_director_of_photography