De Last Post

DE LAST OF THE POSTES

     I probably should have gone the route of writing this blog post in the beginning of the week before my sanity packed up a suitcase and left in the middle of the night, but it just sent me  a postcard from the happy recess of my mind so here it goes before I forget.  

     Just like everyone else probably I must reflect on the past year in Fiction Field 2, it had and has its ups and had and has its down, but one thing is for sure...I learned a lot. I learned a lot about production, myself, and other people. Highlights include the workshop with David Scalafile and the Sound Workshop in the Field with Jeff Pullman, and of course the Beautiful Stopover City!

     This was the first semester where I was actually given a taste and an idea of the what the actual industry is like outside of work in the way of making film and television, and i'm happy to say I was excited and optimistic by what I saw. I definitely have a batter of understanding of what i want to do outside of college and what I need to be doing now to get there. 

     Going off that tangent, there is a lot that I know nothing about and there is a lot that I need to learn and fast. I am always over my head but slowly I feel like I am swimming up to the surface and hopefully my next film will go a lot smoother and more stress free than this one. I am so thankful for everyone who helped out on this project and their experience and dedication, I only wish that our in class group was bigger so we didn't have to rely on so many outside sources, as most of them had to take time out of their extremely busy schedules to help us, thank you to all you lovely people!

     To this semester and to this class I say Adios! And in some ways just good riddance, I can't wait to leave the inexperience of this semester behind on my part and now tackle bigger issues that I need to work on to be the best filmmaker I can be.  

Producing for Dummies

I'd like to state for the record that producing is not actually for dummies. Nor is this an attack on you, Diana. If anything, the dummy in this situation is me. I found myself sitting in my room this afternoon, and the question popped into my head: "What exactly do movie producers do?" So, I did my research and actually found that it's a whole lot more than what I originally thought.

A producer's job begins in preproduction. Psh, I knew that. What I didn't know is that the producer is the person who pretty much gets the project off the ground. First, he (or she, of course) needs to find material for his next project from either a script or a book. Then he needs to get a script in good enough shape to attract the attention of a possible director (and even a studio if a studio wasn't the one who started the project). After that, the producer's job in preproduction is pretty much done. HAH! Yeah, right.

Once the producer has a workable script and a choice of director, all he needs to do is secure financing for the film, choose a director and other members of the creative team, work with the director to cast actors, determine shooting locations and budget, decide on a cinematographer, hire the rest of the production team (including other producers), develop a shooting schedule, and create a detailed plan of action for the entirety of production. PHEW! That's one demanding job! Oh wait, the producer isn't even close to being done.

Time to begin shooting! Now it comes to the actual production; the fun part! Or at least it's fun for some people. Sorry, producer, you're on the clock. Production is when the producer offers creative suggestions to the director, handles any and all problems with the actors and creative staff, monitors the production timetable and budget, and reviews the film shot each day. Essentially, the producer has to watch over everything. If something goes wrong, the producer better find a solution, and fast.

And now it finally reaches postproduction, the time for most people to relax and wait to see what they've worked so hard on for so many months. Postproduction is really only horrible for the editors, sound, and special effects guys, right? Wrong. Believe it or not, the producer's job still isn't done. To begin the final step, the producer sits down with the director over a nice cup of tea and decides the order and selection of scenes that will appear in the final cut of the film. After that, he reviews each cut of the film until it's satisfactory. NOW all the producer's got to do is secure a distributor for the film and review the distributor's advertising campaign. After this, and only after this, is the producer's job finally complete.

Never before today did I truly appreciate the work of producers. I honestly believed they were just the piggybanks of the production team. I know it's difficult to believe, but I was wrong. Oh so wrong. Here's to you, producers!

Going A Little More In Depth: Production Designer

Last semester I had the privilege to be a producer for a student film called "Black Butterfly". I really enjoyed that position. I was able to use my organizational skills, creativity, and passion to create an awesome film. I have decided to go out into the world and learn another position to gain more experience and knowledge. I have been thinking about working as a Production Design. I feel that I have a keen eye for designing, decoration and layouts. So I have done a little research and decided to share it with you all!

Production designers are responsible for the visual concept of a film, television or theatre production. They realise a design style for sets, locations, graphics, props, lighting, camera angles and costumes, while working closely with the director and producer.

Once the concept is decided, designers usually appoint and manage an art department, which includes a design and construction team. They often form a strong partnership with a particular director with whom they may work on many productions.

Designers tend to specialise in either film, television or theatre, although there may be some overlap. In the theatre, production designers are also called stage or set designers.

Typical work activities

Most production designers work as freelancers and so an important part of their work is marketing their skills and experience, making contacts and briefing agents. First tasks usually include clarifying the brief and agreeing a suitable fee and timescale, which is sometimes done by an agent. After this, work activities might then include:

-reading scripts to identify factors indicating a particular visual style;

-considering the production brief, which may be written or oral;

-meeting the producer and director to discuss concepts and production requirements;

-researching art history, background politics, historical information and producing design ideas;

-planning and monitoring the design budget;

-providing scale drawings or models for studio or theatre sets;

-producing design ideas for costumes, wigs, props, special effects, make-up and graphics;

-identifying and assessing potential studios and locations;

-sourcing appropriate materials and researching effects;

-presenting ideas to others involved in the production, such as actors and camera operators;

-researching, estimating and preparing a property list;

-hiring and managing an art department team or teams (depending on the size of the production);

-instructing the set construction company, scenic artists and special effects specialists, and monitoring    their work;

-liaising with the costume designer and the director of photography, as well as the props, lighting and sound directors;

-attending progress meetings, rehearsals and filming to advise on visual presentation.

I will definitely have to study these people and their work!

http://www.imdb.com/list/ls009611969/

Burn one bridge you burn them all

So I'm going to try and stay positive in this post since now we know, big brother is watching! By the way Hello, Big Brother! Weather's lovely here in Ithaca! Anyways, moving on.

I'd like to point out the qualities in people that I like to work with. Perhaps one day that can be useful to not only me, when it comes to hiring people but also in terms of who I am.

Adults: I love working with adults because they have things to do. They're always busy and hard to get as actors. They've always got something to do at 4pm and they can't do anything for you past then! I like this because it keeps me on track, I might have dedicated my whole week/weekend/day etc. to my shoot but they have lives too. This gets things done quickly for me and keeps me on track enough for me to also be an adult and get my own things done!

Good Friends: I love people who as soon as you call for help, they jump at the chance even if they live 2 hours away. I like working with friends as long as they're not distracting. I think it helps in their commitment if they know me more personally. I'm not just a director or a producer to them, I am Lucy, their friend.

Honest people: I like working with people who say they're going to show up at a certain time, and surprise! They do! They stay through the whole shoot, if they find themselves borred, they don't leave the shoot and go eat tocos with their friends they seek out someone on the shoot who looks like they're struggling and stressed and they ask them "Is there anything I can do."

Not emotionally attached: Never count on two people's relationship to last through your shoot. Even if they've been together for 12 years and your shoot is only three days out of their lives. I love the people who DONT bring in their emotional ties to the crew/set. When you can turn the sad face off and do what is asked of you, I'm in debt to you.

Talented people: This of course goes with out saying. I enjoy working with people who know what they're doing. However, it's not my first priority. I'm more intrigued by people who are honest and committed.

Reliable ones: I love the reliable ones. The one's who send you a Facebook message years after you worked with them saying, "Hey I found something you might be interested in doing, here's the information let me know if you need help with money!" and "Hey, I know you're cleaning houses on the side for money, someone came in to work the other day saying something about needing his rental home cleaned, I gave him your number, I hope that's ok!"

The brave ones: I like the people who show up to set to help and hang out with you after the shoot. You loose an actor last minute or you didn't have time to plan for back up, you ask your friend, "Would you be willing to step in as our bad guy?" and they say "Well, I'm not a very good actor but sure I'll try." It works especially well when they wind up being a genius bad guy!

Guerrilla filmmakers: I love guerrilla film makers in the sense that they're so eager to work! They love to just make films so instead of going through what we (really should) do, Pre-production, they just get up out of bed and they make a film! Even if it means they had to steal a few things from their job to make it.

Loyal people: I love the ones who drank all night long, got in a huge fight with their ex/boyfriend, got home at 4am, tried to sleep for a few hours, called you at 7am and asked you where the location is and an hour later they show up to the shoot dressed in their finest, not emotionally derailed, there on time and ready to work.

Non-credited, don't care: I try to make sure everyone that works with me is credited. However, I love the ones who you ask to be your DP and if we can use their brand new camera on set and even though they're the producer of another set that's shooting that day, they say "heck yes"! Sorry I couldn't give them class credit for the project, but they got money out of it for winning the film festival.

Cry on demand: I've worked with a couple of people who know how to cry on demand. It's truly incredible especially when everyone around them is laughing and goofing off like fools. As you're reading this tell me if you can cry on demand! It's hard right?! I give them props...sometimes literally! *Pun intended*

Make up!: I love make up artist. It may take a long time to get them to get things done but when you can give them the time, their work is phenomenal! The same can be said if they're a set decorator or many other film spots!

Sorry I can't be there: I like it when people I have assigned as extras actually call me in a timely mannor and tell me they can't be there instead of just not showing up. Then when I ask them again the next time if they would be available for another shoot, they say " I owe you one, I'll be there!"

Home owners: I love working with home owners who let you borrow their whole house, let you move all their stuff into one tiny room and sleep on the couch with their dog while you finish up production. In fact they help you move all their stuff into that tiny room. Then they go out side and smoke with your producer! People like that should win nobel prizes!


Got to work at 10 am, no problem: I like when a main actress/or finds out the shoot was not on the day they thought it was and even though they have to work 10 minutes after the shoot, they don't bail on you they get there on time and I wrap them early!

The ones who want to work with you!: I like the folks who will come up to you one day and say "Lets work together on the final project!" It may not be realistic but hey that's awesome they WANT to work with YOU! I'm flattered.

Sympathetic people: When you're a surprise stand in on set and you're going to be covered in fake puke, the make up artist makes sure you're comfortable and that your shirt doesn't get wet. It's always good to keep your people happy!

The Chillest: The assistant directors that you come up to the day before the shoot and say "Ok, so here's the news: Our set designer quit, our location house burnt down, our props master threw out all the props, we have no audio." and they say calmly "Alright! Cool! We'll figure it out. No worries, man!" Such a joy!

People with Kids: Oh boy so your writer changed his mind at the last minute, He wants the kid playing on the floor watching tv while his mom's cheating on her husband on the couch! Great where are we going to find a kid!!!!???? You're lighting intern says "I could bring my 2 year old daughter she'd love it, oh and I'll bring the toys too!"

Sound people: They're one of a kind. I can't hear what they hear and it was so hard to find a good one! Especially one who isn't taken already! Good sound is hard to find!

The rays of sunshine: So everyone's ticked cause it's 30 degrees and we ran out of hand warmers 3 hours ago. Your actress says, "Hey everyone, there's a bright side!" and all of us laugh! I'm glad those people exist.

Inventive: I love the people who can make things happen when there's no budget. The set decorator who figures out how to make police riot shields out of tote box tops, gaffers tape, mailbox letters, a saw, sand paper, and a door handle on the back!

The big ones: The producers with big intense scary looking faces with folded arms and a can-do atitude. Low and behold he's holding a rubber duckling!

The DP: Sure (s)he's always cranky and maybe his/her but crack hangs out but (s)he's the best one for the job, no one can beat him/her and (s)he's there!! Just don't stand in his light or way!

To be honest I could go on and on. I sometimes wonder what if I was in charge of hiring people? Would I be good enough? I probably wouldn't hire them based on their looks or any other physical boundary but by their experience and their personality. I'd probably hire my friends and people who I'm told by reasonable sources that they're the best! I'd give anyone a chance! But only if they know they're quite replaceable!

This is why we don't burn bridges, because when you burn one bridge you burn a lot of them. For every student, intern, kraft services person, lower ranked person on your set, that you don't keep happy, you're got an army of people behind them who wont come asking you for a job. On the oposite side of the spectrum, for every employer in the industry (even if they're just a friend or group member in film school) you've got a sea of people in front and behind them who will take their word for it, you are or you're not cut out for the job. I'll take a good lesson in the people I've worked with, and try to reflect those qualities in me as they were in them. The same can be said for the one's I fired or never worked with again. I can learn from their mistakes, not just my own.

I happen to know the consequences of my actions, and I hope that they will only make things better in my future! I'm thankful that no matter the circumstances,  I will always own up to my mistakes and never blame someone else for my problems or force people to help me. I am human and even if I lose my job because I've made a mistake, I will always find another one. This I've learned from working with so many people, especially my old school where we had a lot of people who had lost their jobs, they didn't just give up. Besides, who wants to work with a company that threatens your job for silly human errors that really wont effect the system that much. Always know your priorities. What's more important to you, your job or your career, your play time or your future, your family or your employer, your heart or your paycheck, your career or your life? Think about it!

Have a nice day, enjoy the weather while it lasts!


-Lucy Lynne' Hall