Production

My favorite part of the circus.

The Shoot Day

All manner of ways it can go down, but here’s the ideal norm:

  • Safety meeting, every day. Often includes a general run through of the day.

    • Fire safety, covid safety, bathrooms, smoking area, do not enter zones, etc.

  • Blocking rehearsal #1 with:

    • Actors, director, DP, AD

    • Marking rehearsal/ Crew rehearsal with ACs, grip & electric, Second team, PAs, camera operators

    • What shots will we need?

    • What order will we shoot them in?

    • Standard:

      • Wide

      • Medium

      • Close up

      • FLIP THE WORLD

      • Medium

      • Close up

  • Actors go to wardrobe (costume), hair & make up

  • Lighting and camera take over

    • Lighting first

    • Furniture moves

    • Camera takes position (lay track, multiple positions placed)

    • Working with Second team and the trappings of second team rehearsals

  • Lighting and camera take over

  • First team comes in

    • Ideally rehearse, but often straight to shooting, which first includes last looks

      • Often drives me nuts because AD is trying to get it moving asap, but I am getting my first look at it with first team..

      • Quiet on the set, Roll sound,“Speeding,” Camera, “set” and… ACTION… CUT

    • Tweaks, adjustments. Ideally tiny, but often it is not: Problems with blocking, camera moves, boom shadows, hair and makeup: Kat Dennings eyelashes.

Actors

  • How/When to talk to actors.

    • Feel out directors first

    • Don’t let your work hinder their performance

    • Off camera activity (phones!)

    • Gauge how much they have coming at them at any time. Also gauge their ability to take in information (same goes for directors)

  • People don’t treat actors the same as others. You can see how they get detached. An actor’s attention can feel like sunshine. It can be addictive. Resist your own cravings for attention.

  • Pay attention to everyone, but especially your actors.

    • A lot comes at them and they dictate much of how your project will be.

    • Some actors can’t handle a large load of lines. Some are unprepared. Some get too in their head. Sometimes you have to scrap planned shots.

  • Some actors – these tend to be the more experienced – have a feel for finding their light. Some actors don't. It's important to get a sense of that so you can adjust as a shoot goes on. There's no reason to be battling the current.

    • I tend, much to the chagrin of my ACs, to not make my actors hit strict marks if I don’t have to.

On Set Challenges 

  • Actors don’t know their lines well enough, so planned shots have to be scrapped.

Stepping Up a Level

  • Being intimidated by crew, being intimidated by equipment.

    • Ultimately, you are still navigating humans and if you can have a decent handle on your theoretical approaches, that is what you need. Techno crane, huge lights, etc.

    • Navigating problematic people/ coworkers.

      • Trust that over the long haul, your work ethic will speak for itself and slimy people will be exposed.

      • In the Vault. Big step up for me. Big set, darker look, challenging shots, coverage and talented director.

        • In the Vault, Day one, Toby (producer I love) came up and expressed concern about a lighting style. The gaffer bristled and I just said, “Let’s kill it” and moved on. It’s a marathon. Choose your battles.

        • In the Vault, big dialogue scene wasn’t working and I wasn’t sure why. I started to get nervous and, what’s worse, I could sense that the director was, too. I was struggling to find the look, then I figured it out. It clicked for me with one simple shot.

  • Lean on others. Include them. Sometimes people will try to dominate.

    • Problematic Gaffer making a scene in front of crew. I pulled him aside.

      • I was called about him and had to really decide how to reply.

      • He left the industry.

Leading a Team

  • Story of Line Producer vs Me

    • Stood up for G&E, then they dedicated to me in a way I hadn’t experienced before

  • Meditation

    • That moment between something happening and your reaction. Meditation stretches that moment out.

  • 10 10 10 rule (I’m new to this)

    • Will you care about this in 10 years? 10 months? 10 days?

      • If not, let it go.

      • Perspective is key. Always.

  • Blowing up at someone has almost entirely negative effects

    • Train yourself to stay calm

    • Play the long game

Health

  • There is no filmmaking tool more valuable and more important than your brain. Your brain is part of your physical self. Take care of your most important tool.

  • Age.

    • I am capable of entirely different things at my age now, for both better and worse.

    • If you are young, take advantage. Sleep on floors, take the rougher jobs. The older you get, the less energy and desire (and, I would argue, ability) you will have for more barebones jobs.

  • Hours

    • Count on 13 hours on set

      • Doesn’t include driving either way

      • Doesn’t include wind down

      • Doesn’t include morning meals or wake up time (Maya needs 2 hours before humans. I am starting to agree)

  • Marathon, not a sprint

  • HYDRATE

  • Sleep

    • Lack of sleep:

      • reduces a person’s attention

      • Reduces learning and processing

      • Hinders working memory, which is necessary to remember things for immediate use

      • It diminishes placekeeping, which includes the ability to carry out instructions. Motor skills, keeping rhythm, and even some types of speech are worsened without proper sleep

      • Hinders cognitive flexibility, reducing the ability to adapt and thrive in uncertain or changing circumstances

      • Creativity is a part of cognition that is harmed by sleep problems. Connecting loosely associated ideas is a hallmark of creativity, and this ability is strengthened by good sleep18. NREM sleep provides an opportunity for information to be restructured and reorganized19 in the brain, while new ideas and links between thoughts often emerge during REM sleep20. These processes enable insight, a core element of innovation and creative problem-solving.

      • Alters how emotional information is understood. When learning something new, analyzing a problem, or making a decision, recognizing the emotional context is often important. However, insufficient sleep — which frequently affects mood16 — impedes the ability to properly process this emotional component of information. This can lead to blow ups or inappropriate reactions (Play by Play clip of final kiss. I got angry, then teared up because we slightly altered the shots)


  • Nutrition

    • Same as sleep. It all affects your energy, cognitive abilities, etc.

    • On set temptations. They want you to keep moving right now, I want to keep moving three weeks from now. Sugar, Caffeine, etc. are all short terms solutions with negative long term effects

    • Vegetarians don’t have it great

    • Some people meal prep

  • My habits

    • Hokas

    • Limited caffeine and Mushroom coffee

    • “Healthy” energy boosts like green tea, etc.

    • Avoid sugar

    • Light on carbs

    • Healthy protein (chicken, fish, etc)