characters’ wardrobe.
941 SET OPERATIONS
94101 STANDBY PAINTER 0
94102 STANDBY LABOR - STUDIO 0
94103 CRAFT SERVICE PERSON 0
94104 FIRST AID PERSON 0
Page 6
The Entertainment Partners Services Group, EP Budgeting
Below-the-line costs
These cover all the technical costs to make the fi lm. Below-the-line costs have to be worked out on a weekly or daily basis. Paying people
On a no-budget or a student short, the bottom line is to at least pay capped expenses, provide food during the shoot and a copy of the fi nished fi lm. To avoid any misunderstanding, the producer needs to negotiate with cast and crew early on, to make sure everyone involved is clear about what is expected before fi lming starts.
If you are lucky enough to have some funding, you will need to consider how much you can pay people within the limitations of your budget. A good starting point is to consider paying at least a fair minimum wage.
The reality is that producing fi lms on a limited budget means that every situation is different and the producer will need to negotiate within the context of the production fi nance. In some cases the producer will need to be fully up to speed on employment law and how it applies to the project. For more infomation, see: www.bectu.org.uk, www.equity.org.uk and www.fi a-actors.com.
Budget
The costs attached to the production should be worked out on a weekly or daily basis. At the top of each page will be the following headings: Amount (days or weeks) Units (how many days or weeks is the equipment or person hired for?) Rate (the daily or weekly cost of the person or equipment hire). Dev
e lo p m e n t > Pr e -p ro d u c ti o n > P ro ducti o n /p rin c ipal ph o to g raph y Job:01071 Title:BFM-Producing 2ND Proof Page:113 096-127_482_chapter4_C1.indd 113 096-127_482_chapter4_C1.indd 113 8/13/08 2:53:08 PM8/13/08 2:53:08 PM
Job:01071 Title:BFM-Producing 096-127_482_chapter4_C1.indd 114 096-127_482_chapter4_C1.indd 114 8/13/08 2:51:43 PM8/13/08 2:51:43 PM P ro d u c in g d ra m a Pre-production Student drama ±
Producing a short drama with little money, limited access to equipment and complex availability of cast and crew is the world of the student producer. The following identifi es the key areas a student producer will need to consider when budgeting for a production:
Camera, sound and lighting
• equipment Cast and crew
•
Post-production and any transfers • Tapes/stock • Art department • Catering/food • Location fees •
Transport and travel •
Hiring of any specialist equipment •
that cannot be provided by the college or university
Additional insurance •
Offi ce or running costs, such as •
copying, telephone and postage Publicity costs – this will cover DVD •
copies, fi lm-festival entry fees and publicity packs.
A drama budget can be complex. When a producer is costing different elements there may be various issues which arise that can affect the budget and/or schedule.
Technical equipment
±
There is a vast range of equipment available to the production team and choices will need to be made. Camera hire companies provide these services. The use of specialist equipment will invariably mean extra crew and additional expense. You will need to check with the hire company what insurance cover will be needed. For further information, see: www.theknowledgeonline.com.
Location
±
Location choice can affect the schedule as well as the budget. So remember, appropriate access will need to be negotiated and confi rmed. Shooting in the winter when it’s cold, wet and daylight hours are restricted may mean less exterior shooting time and may also mean that the crew need more food and drink. Other issues to consider include access to adequate facilities, such as electricity, as well as the need to consider health and safety.
Cast
±
The cast will need to be kept warm and dry when not fi lming on-set. The bigger the cast, the more time and expense required to prepare, rehearse and move equipment. The more people involved in a scene, the more time it will take to shoot. Working with children brings its own set of issues as discussed in Chapter Two: The Basics.
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Equipment hire
Camera hire companies will be able to supply the equipment and services required for a shoot.
Factors that can infl uence the budget and the schedule:
Set building · Set dressing · Art direction ·
Special effects, such as wind/rain · machines Stunts · Choreography · Costumes · Special props · Starting point/tips D ev e lo p m e n t > Pr e -p ro d u c ti o n > P ro ducti o n /p rin c ipal ph o to g raph y Job:01071 Title:BFM-Producing 1ST Proof Page:115 096-127_482_chapter4.indd 115 096-127_482_chapter4.indd 115 7/24/08 2:43:50 PM7/24/08 2:43:50 PM
Job:01071 Title:BFM-Producing 096-127_482_chapter4.indd 116 096-127_482_chapter4.indd 116 7/23/08 12:29:03 PM7/23/08 12:29:03 PM P ro d u c in g d ra m a Pre-production Script breakdown ±
As well as preparing and managing the budget, the producer will be overseeing the script breakdown. A script breakdown is an analysis of all the components involved in all the scenes in the script. It will list locations, props, actors, extras, costumes and any special effects. This enables the producer to cost every item in the fi lm and to work out the most effective shooting schedule. The breakdown can be used to organise the location shoots. Identifying
individual scenes for specifi c locations will help to estimate the time needed to complete the production and to create a shooting schedule.
Most fi lms shoot out of script order as it is cost- and time-effective to group and shoot all the scenes that take place in a specifi c location. This is obviously preferable to shooting one scene in a location, and then having to move the crew, cast and equipment to another location, only to return to the original location for the next scene within the same day.
Obviously a feature-length fi lm shot over several weeks or months will have a far more complicated breakdown and production boards than a short fi lm.
Casting and fi nding actors
±
Finding the right actors for the project is crucial to the fi lm and can often be integral to the funding and fi nanciers. For a fee, professional drama producers bring on board casting directors who are knowledgeable about up-and-coming actors and have good relationships with agents. The producer will need to organise and manage this process and often provides creative support to the director throughout the decision-making process. As a producer you will have to organise advertising the roles, setting up casting calls, auditions and any call backs. The starting point is to draw up an advert, which will need to include the following:
Information about the role •
– including age and any key physical characteristics
A synopsis of the story, dates/location •
for the shoot, format and running length. Full contact details for the production •
team or company
Audition dates and details •
Any payment details if relevant. •
Places to fi nd actors
Places for fi nd actors include: www.shootingpeople.com • www.talentcircle.com • www.pcrnewsletter.com •
Remember, while some have open access, others will require a membership fee.
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Script Breakdown Sheet
Date_______________
_________________ __________________ ___________________
Production Company Production Title/No Breakdown Page No
_________________ __________________ ___________________
Scene No Scene Name Int/Ext: Interior or Exterior.
____________________________________________ ___________________ Description:One line of description of what happens in the scene. Day/Night:
As indicated on the script.
____________________________________________ ___________________ Page Count: Pages are divided into ‘ t sections.
This is NOT the page number the score is on.
Stunts:A fight or fall, for example. These should be performed by trained experts.
Cast:
Anyone with a speaking role.
Extras/Silent Bits
Extras:
Non-speaking members of the cast who fill the scene.
Special Effects:
Fireworks or firearms, for example. Props
:
Any props handled by the character, as indicated in the script.
Vehicles/Animals:
For example, a car that a character drives in a shot.
Wardrobe:
Special costumes or wardrobe det ils.
Make-up/Hair:
Any special make-up, such as wounds or materials to age character. Sound Effects/Music a ths’ or eigh18 e se s. g : h. n s,
Script breakdown sheet The script breakdown provides details of all of the components
involved in each scene of the script. Dev
e lo p m e n t > Pr e -p ro d u c ti o n > P ro d u c ti o n /p ri n c ip a l p h o to g ra p h y Job:01071 Title:BFM-Producing 3RD Proof Page:117 096-127_482_chapter4_C2.indd 117 096-127_482_chapter4_C2.indd 117 8/20/08 2:35:44 PM8/20/08 2:35:44 PM
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Another key part of planning a shoot is the preparation of the shooting schedule. This outlines the order that the scenes in the script are going to be shot, maximising time, money and resources. Once the script has been broken down and transferred to the production board, the schedule can be created. The producer’s starting point is to build the schedule around key or fi xed dates. These might be:
Availability of the key actors •
(they may have other fi lming commitments that they are already contracted to) Availability of key locations •
Any night shoots •
Union regulations on length •
of days/night shoots Any special effects •
Any stunts. •
Remember, as mentioned earlier, when working out a shooting schedule it is a good idea to identify the locations and then group all the scenes that take place in the location together. Plan to shoot exteriors fi rst then move inside to interiors.
Work out the length of each working day. A 10-hour day with breaks is an average shooting day.
Try to work out what can be shot in a day. Aim to shoot around two pages per day. However, half a page of complicated action may take a day to shoot in itself. In contrast, a dialogue scene between two characters sitting at a table will tend to take less time to shoot. The more complicated the scene, the longer it will take to rehearse, set up and shoot. It is possible to use scheduling and budgeting software that links into Final Draft. For more information, see www.entertainmentpartners.com.
Pre-production
Points to consider when creating a shooting schedule:
Every time the camera is moved ·
within a scene the lighting may need to be changed
Some fi lm equipment is very heavy ·
to transport
Lighting a large space is more ·
complex. Apart from needing more lights you will need more time for crew to set up and to clear up Start with an easy day. This is ·
especially benefi cial for your actors Be realistic about what you can ·
achieve in a day
Starting point/tips
Producer pre-production checklist: Organise crew and contracts ·
Set up an insurance package ·
Set up auditions and rehearsals ·
Negotiate actors’ contracts ·
Research post-production facilities ·
Research and fi nalise locations. ·
Ensure licences and contracts ·
are signed and relevant security arrangements are in place Organise transportation ·
Negotiate cast contracts ·
Oversee and distribute relevant ·
paperwork – eg call sheets Organise stock
·
Organise catering ·
Oversee risk assessments ·
Professional tips
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Continuity stills are used in order to record how a scene looks at the beginning and end of a scene. These can then be referred to if it needs to be re-shot at a later date.
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CO-OPERATION IN A SHARED WORKPLACE