Blocking for Directors: Mastering Space

Description
Shot syntax. Covering a scene. Thinking in terms of sequences. The master shot sequence.
Montage. Pacing. Jump Scares. Tension. The one-take master. Steadicam, handheld, the static
shot. Working with a dolly, working with a crane, working with a drone. Rehearsing on set. Blocking
to the light. Block-shooting. Continuity. Eye-line and screen direction, Cutting-styles. Leadership
styles.
Hands on exercises: we will block several scenes in class.
Day 1: SATURDAY
 INTRODUCTION TO BLOCKING
 Order from Chaos
 The Call Sheet
 The Purpose of Blocking: priorities
 ELEMENTS OF SHOT SYNTAX
 Shot Sizes, Framing Choices, Focal Lengths, Screen Direction
 Master shot sequence, Shot/Reverse Shot
 ‘The Line’ what it is and when to break it.
 Building tension. Foreshadowing. The Jump Scare.
 EXERCISE A: TWO PEOPLE TALKING
 EXERCISE B: THREE PEOPLE TALKING
 The split look, eyelines and screen direction

DAY 2: SUNDAY
 EXERCISE FEEDBACK, TIPS & TRICKS
 Use of a steadicam/crane/drone
 Working with cars, PMP, Trailers, Greenscreen
 VFX Work
 Directing styles
 EXERCISE C: MULTICAM 2-CHARACTER ACTION
 EXERCISE D: MULTICAM TABLE CONVERSATION
 ADVANCED TOPICS
 The Opening Shot
 The Jump Scare
 Building Tension
 Original approaches: Examples

Directing Actors
Day 1 : Pre-production with Actors
 What makes a great screen performance?
 The Director/Actor Relationship
 Actors’ tools and training
 Preparing to meet actors.
 What is a Character?
 The Director in Casting
 The Script Read
 Planning Rehearsal – What to Rehearse and Why.
 Rehearsal Tools
 Directing The Character
Seeing the process of working with actors from casting, through rehearsal to filming scenes was
excellent. Chris’s passion for directing was un-questionable and his enthusiasm was inspiring.
Gary Simposon

Day 2 : Staging and the Actors on Set

 Staging the Scene and Blocking the Action
 How the camera affects performance.
 Business and endowment
 Keeping performances dynamic and the actors engaged.
 Keeping the set as a creative environment.
 What to ask for in a new take.
 Maintaining Continuity – Emotional and Physical
 Director’s Foundation Certificate
Week 1: The Director and the Script
The script is the blueprint for a movie; it is the director’s job is to interpret the screenplay and then
bring it to life. Students will first discover how a good director translates the written word into the
visual elements on the screen.
 Analysing the script
 Discovering the true story
 Identifying key moments
 Finding additional visual elements
Week 2: The Grammar of Directing
Directors use a wide variety of shots and lenses to compose their scenes and create a vocabulary of
cinematic techniques. It is especially important for directors to learn the do’s and do not’s of the
grammar of directing.
 Camera placement and technique
 Framing and composition
 Storyboarding and previsualization as directing tools
Week 3: The Director and the Rehearsal
One of a director’s biggest challenges is to effectively communicate his/her vision with the cast.
Therefore, it is crucial for directors to learn how to run a rehearsal in addition to creating mood and
tension on-screen by inspiring the actors. In addition, this class involves working with and directing
real actors.
 Working with actors
 Creating characters for the screen
 Tools for communicating with actors
 Rehearsal process and staging
Week 4: Directing the Shoot
It is the director’s job to oversee the production on set or location. Using professional camera,
lighting and sound equipment this class will involve shooting with a plan to having enough material to
then produce and edit for the final class.
• Shot lists and scheduling
• The director’s focus on set
• Preparing to shoot
• Good communication while under pressure
• Making decisions and staying flexible
• Shooting for the edit
Week 5: Directing the Edit
In the edit, the audiovisual material collected during the shoot is organised to tell the story in the best
way. It is especially important for the director to thoroughly understand the editing process.
 Time scale and project management explained
 Viewing rushes and making decisions
 Working with sound and music
 View an edit from last week’s rushes

Director’s Foundation Certificate LA

COURSE CONTENT
Week 1: The Director And The Script
The script is the blueprint for a movie. The director’s job is to read and interpret the screenplay.
Discover how a good director translates the written word into the visual elements on the screen. A
screenplay will be sent out to all students to read before the class and single scene will be work-
shopped in Week 1. The instructor will talk about the over all story, how to break down a scene and
discover the key events. He will discuss how to identify issues such as the 3 types of conflict in a
scene.
 Analyzing and reading the script.
 Looking for the truth – what is this script really about?
 3 types of conflict in a scene explained.
 Identifying key moments.
 Finding additional visual elements including discovering your theme and best way to show it visually.
 Discovering the hero’s journey.
 Identify what each character wants and how this defines the conflict.
 Written Assignment for next week: Summarize the hero’s journey in the story and identify some of
the story elements discussed.
Week 2: The Grammar Of Directing
Directors use a variety of shots and lenses to compose their scenes and create a vocabulary of
cinematic techniques and processes. Directors must learn the do’s and don’ts of film grammar.
 Using the camera with intention to tell the story.
 Demonstration of camera placement and lenses.
 Framing and composition – when to use subjective or objective.
 Approaching your coverage – the evolving master shot, shot size and focal length for coverage.
 How does a director communicates his vision, floor plan, storyboards, lookbook and shot lists?
 What is the 180 line? Understanding crossing the line with intention.
 Written Assignment for next week: Take the scene and do your own story boards, floor plan and
shot list.
Week 3: The Director and the Rehearsal
Students will be sent a reading assignment that discusses directing tools for actors before class to
review.
 Casting and how to handle and identify the best actors in casting.
 Director’s role as a storyteller and how to get the results you want in performances from actors and
how best to create characters for screen.
 Exercises to discover the subtext.
 How to run a rehearsal and create mood and tension by inspiring the actors and using the tool of
staging.
 We will do a table read first. Then students will adjust the performances.
 Creating characters for the screen – going over Objective, action, subtext, destination, inner
monologue, inner object, expectation, preceding moment, back story, biography.
 Written Assignment for next week: Write a report on your thoughts on the tools and how you
could use them for the characters in the scene.
Guests: 2 actors to join “Table Read Rehearsal.”
Week 4: Directing The Actor
Put into practice the tools we have learned the previous week. The job of the director is to know the
result you are looking for and have a vision of the film through the eyes of the audience. The director
needs to know the emotional experience they want the audience to have. We will use the tools from
the reading assignment to get the performance you want from the actors.
 How to identify and understand an actor’s needs.
 The Director’s focus on set.
 Preparing to shoot.
 Working with AD on shooting schedule.
 Good communication under pressure.
 Making decisions and staying flexible.
 Shooting for the edit.
 Demonstration of how to block the scene for camera with actors.
 Students will get a chance to try blocking based on their storyboards and floor plans prepared
 Written Assignment for next week: Watch “A Fish Called Wanda.”
Guests: 2 actors to join “Directing the Actor”
Week 5: Understanding The Editing Process through the analysis of a completed sequence.
 Function of the director in the editing room.
 What does the director need to understand about editing?
 Sequence analysis on “A Fish Called Wanda.”
 Discuss all the elements we have worked on the previous weeks and how they come to play in the
sequence in “A Fish Called Wanda.”
 Importance of music and sound design and how to pick the right composer.
Day One: Let’s prepare to direct?
This day deals with all the important preplanning necessary to shoot
and deliver a great film.
SESSION 1 – Pre-production (2 ½ hrs)
The 4 Key questions:
Why do you want to direct a film?
What is the director’s vision?
Who do you make the film for: yourself or an audience?
Indentifying your target audience.
The relationships of a director
Working with the script-writer.
Pro’s and con’s of writing yourself as a director.
Working with the Producer.
The advantages and limitations of the budget.
Choosing your crew.
How much does a director need to know about technique?
Who is more important, your cameraman, your actors or your catering?
Choosing locations.
Making shotlists (story boards) before shooting (or not making shotlists).
SESSION 2 – Rehearsals & the structure of a shooting day (3 hrs)
Working with actors
Pro’s and con’s of rehearsals.
Rehearsal example with actor volunteers: the value of subtext.
What to do if an actor refuses to do what the director wants.
The paperwork
The importance of a good call sheet and why that is important for a director.
What needs to happen before the first shot?
How do you instruct the crew (cast) when the day starts? Run through or not?
The Shoot
How long should the first set-up take?
Over schedule happens in the morning. How do you make your day?
How many set-ups a day?
Lunch and after lunch issues.
Morning versus afternoon.
Wrap.
Day Two: Let’s shoot and edit the film
This day features many useful tips and demonstrations of shooting on
the set, and following through into post-production.
SESSION 3 – Shooting
Filmmaking is top sport. It requires the communcication skills of an Attilla the Hun with a cellphone –
combined with science and artistry. It’s the most glamourous job in the film industry. Heighten your
chances of success. This session will include useful exercises designed to take you to your most
productive level.
The Director and the camera
Difference between one take and many takes.
Interrupt or don’t interrupt a take that goes wrong?
Making coverage shots or not?
What is a good shot, what is a wrong shot?
Difference between cinema shot and tv.
 The Director and the actors
What is good acting?
The filmmaking love triangle: actor – camera – director.
The Director on the set
The psychological dominance of the director.
The loneliness of the director.
How to keep focus on telling the story during multiple shooting days.
How to schedule watching rushes
The Director and technology
Special equipment, advantages and disadvantages.
Stunts and Sp Fx.
Re-shoot and pick-ups.
SESSION 4 – Post-Production & Release (3 hrs)
Learn how scommercially and artistically successful films are really made in post-production.
The Director and the story
re-writing the script during editing.
The Director and the editor
Editors cut versus directors cut.
Saving a film via Voice Over or non-narative cutting.
The Director and Sound
Working with a composer.
ADR and final mix.
The Director and getting the movie out there
Test screenings, pro’s and con’s.
Promoting the film as a director.
Is there such a thing as bad publicity?
The Director and the Premiere.
Festivals
Press & reviews.
Winning Awards and accolades
A flop is an orphan, a hit has many parents. Where is the director?

Basic Cinematography
What will it cover?
Day 1: Aesthetics (Sept 29th)
 Attributes of the visual image
 Framing
 Lighting
 Lighting set-ups and variations
 Three-point setup
 Creating the look
 Day 2: Film (Sept 30th)
 Film camera
 Film stock
 Lenses
 Filters
 Contrast
 Light ratios
 Light meters
Day 3: Digital (Sept 31st)
 Digital cameras
 Comparison of film and digital cameras
 HD and SD formats
 Digital exposure
 Digital signal
 Timecode

Description
About Breaking into the Film Industry
If you want to work in the film industry as a writer, director, producer or crew, your chances of
success will succeed if you make a plan of attack for breaking into the film industry. Learn how to
identify particular areas of interest to you, and how to find and approach the people who can help
and hire you.
 What will it cover?
 Creating a showreel
 Presenting yourself: CV’s and query letters
 How to break in as a writer, a director or producer
 Getting jobs in a film crew: sound, camera, art department, post-production etc.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the class, you will be able to identify key areas of focus and put together a
personalised plan for breaking into the film industry which supports your particular aspirations,
including networking and career development opportunities.
How will you be taught?
This class is taught lecture-style with opportunities for students to ask the tutor questions.
Who should attend?
Breaking into the Film Industry is suitable for anyone with aspirations of working in film, including
students, career-changers, hobbyists and those new to filmmaking.

What they’re saying?

Just wanted to drop a quick e-mail to say how brilliant I found the Breaking into Film class. I watched
the whole thing on Google Hangout (great idea, saved me the evening dash to London) and made
so many notes. Really beneficial to my ‘muddle’ towards filmmaking, definitely took a lot away from
it.

Day 1: SATURDAY
 CINEMATOGRAPHY SPEAK
 Mood/ Palette/ Hard vs. Soft light
 High key vs. low key.
 Punchy vs. muted.
 Available light, justified light, stylized light
 ABOUT THE LENS
 Focus, Aperture, Focal Length, Depth of Field, Sharpness
 Filtration: color, diffusion, polarization
 INTRODUCTION TO CINEMATOGRAPHY
 Your closest collaborator
 Their crew / their gear/ the time
 Learning the language
 ABOUT THE LIGHT
 Understanding Physical qualities of light
 Artistic qualities of light and how to achieve them
 IMAGE ACQUISITION
 Shutter speed/angle, sensitivity, gain, resolution/grain
 Codecs and Color Spaces what does it all mean?
 Monitoring: Read a waveform, a vectorscope, false color monitoring, peaking.
 The importance of testing.
 Data Management.
 SPECIAL TECHNIQUES
 Working with cars
 Day for Night, Night for Day, Dry for Wet, Miniatures, Greenscreen, tracking, 2D vs. 3D VDX
 Near future tech: 3D acquisition, VR acquisition, the light-field camera.

DAY 2: SUNDAY
 Lighting Exercise: The Medium Shot
 3 point lighting Key/Fill/Back
 Metering
 Contrast ratios
 High key and low key
 Atmosphere (smoke, fan)
 Carving soft light
 Lighting Exercise: The Close-Up
 soft light vs. hard light
 Rembrandt key light
 hair light / kicker
 same side fill
 eye light
 louvering
 hard marks, stepping into the light
 on key vs. off key
 Lighting Exercise: Tabletop
 lighting for texture / bokeh
 controlling light
 visual interest
 Color grading on the DaVinci
 Work with some of our shots and tweak them, showing the possibilities.

The Essentials of Lighting for Film

The course covers:

 Working with available light
 Using Tungsten lights and daylight together
 Hard & soft lighting
 3 & 4 point lighting set-ups
 Diffusion & flagging to control light
 Creating a cinematic look
 Q&A