Directions - Directors Workshop

MY NOTES from the workshop

Directors Workshop 11/01/19

Onset:

• The first thing you do is is a RECCE of the location this is to spot any last minute health and safety problems. Also, you need to see how your story is going to look. (This would be done during pre-production)
• The second thing to do is talk to the cast to make sure they know where they are in the story (if not shooting chronologically) - are they happy? ETC
• Thirdly, talk to your DP/Crew. Making sure they’re ok, are they happy?
• After that, you need to block out the actors and cameras. This is when you would run through the scene before any recording starts so you know where your actors should go during the scene.
• Lastly, you can either rehearse the scene before shooting however if you’re pressed for time some cases you can just go into the shot.

A director would normally take up to 3 takes for each shot.

Perspective:

• Where you choose to tell your story from. Where do you want the audience to see this story from? Where to place the camera?
• You are choosing the perspective. This is the most exciting part of being a director.
• Great directing, choosing the right perspective - means you can communicate drama - without hearing a word.

Shot reverse shot:

• This is one of the main creative building blocks of any drama.

Inside or out?

Your key question regarding perspective is whether you place your audience inside the space. Or whether you use an over the shoulder two shot frame (outside of the space)

What effect do these two approaches have on the audience?

• OUTSIDE the space the audience is very much an observer.
• INSIDE the space the view can be more involved… Another character.

Shifting perspective & Holding the perspective 

Where you PLACE characters in a scene, the framing, ALL contribute to the PERSPECTIVE within your story.

The “CHEAT”

• To PLACE your audience INSIDE the space between characters ofter involves you having to move actors OUT of the way, in effect to CHEAT the action…

Our Task:

In today's workshop, we learnt about perspective and how the director can change the perspective whenever they feel the story would benefit more for it. We Looked at the scene from Good Will Hunting and it was the scene when Robin Williams character and Will are sat on a bench. They are discussing very deep and personal things and it's meant to be a key moment in the films because its when Will begins to change or he realises his potential. However, rather than showing us Will's reaction the director personally hold the camera on Robin Williams, which is not what the normal conventions apply, but that's what's good about directing it's whatever you want.

Here is the clip from Good Will Hunting.


We were given a script and our first task was to try and film inside the perspective. So, whilst I was helping film the others in the group I was thinking of ways I can film differently inside the perspective. I remembered one of my favourite TV shows Peep Show, which films as a POV (point of view). This meant it would look different to rest and would stand out. The way I blocked the scene was by thinking differently, I knew that where ever my actors where that's where the camera would be placed so I had to think carefully about where they went. I decied to have Aodhan looking through the bag and Ewan coming up to hinm like a normal conversation would look, but the way the camera moves with the edits i've done makes it look the first person which would be inside the perpective.

The second task we had to do the opposite which would be filming outside the perspective. I decided to do a shot-reverse-shot whilst tracking back. So what I did was film 3 angles one tracking back focusing on Rueban from over the shoulder of Ewan and vise versa with Ewan. I then filmed one with either characters on each side tracking backwards just so i had the 3 basic angles. 

In conclusion, I'm now starting to get an idea of how I'm wanting my film to look because I want the audience to watch what's happening so I would be looking to stay outside the perspective so the audience can see what's happening to both characters as this is their first major change in charter for the both of them.