Lecture Notes with Prof. John Klein PDF

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All power point notes from each lecture, organized by subject. With John Klein....

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Digital Cinema Production I Intro to Production What is Filmmaking? -

Filmmaking is… o Art and science o Creative and technical o Personal and universal o Requires careful planning and spontaneity o Springs from a single vision and is dependent on teamwork and collaboration o A product and an art form

The Stages of Production -

The five stages of filmmaking o Development  Research  The ideation process  Pitching  Screenwriting  Perfecting o Pre-Production  Planning  Designing  Storyboarding  Location scouting  Casting  Crew o Production  Shoot the damn movie! o Post-Production  Editing  Sound design  Score  Color  VFX o Distribution and Exhibition  Put the movie out into the world: theaters, DVD, HBO, Netflix, Redbox, Vimeo, YouTube, a local bar…

Crew Roles -

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Producer o You do everything. o Grunt work – delegate to other people or do it themselves o Runs the production department o Meritocracy? Democracy?  Do the people with the power deserve it?  A film set is, at the end of the day, a very collaborative dictatorship  There is a set hierarchy in place – due to union regulations and creative decisionmaking – that allows power to rest at every level, but you do what your boss tells you  The exception to this is always safety: if someone asks you to do something unsafe, push back. As a PA, this can be intimidating! Production Department o Casting Director  Works with Director and Producer to Cast the film o Unit Production Manager (UPM)  Coordinates, facilitates and oversees preparation of the “production unit”

Offset logistics, day to day production decisions, locations, budget, schedules and personnel st o 1 Assistant Director (1st AD)  Pre-Production  Works with UPM to organize crew, secure equipment  Break down script  Stripboard (production board) and shooting schedule  Production  Assists the director with on-set details  Makes call sheets and paperwork for unions  Runs the set  Calls cues (except action) nd o 2 Assistant Director (2nd AD)  Assists the 1st AD with on-set details  Works on call sheets and Production Reports  Distributes paperwork  Keeps track of the “Talent” o Sometimes a 2nd 2nd or 3rd AD alleviates the burden on the 2nd AD o Script Supervisor  Maintains a daily log of shots covered and their relation to the script  Chief continuity person  On-set liaison to post-production staff o Key Production Assistant (PA)  Chief on-set location assistant for 1st AD  Management of walkies  Traffic control and lockdowns  Production staff equipment (chairs, tables, garbage cans, etc.)  Assists with everything and anything needed o Location manager  Works with UPM to secure locations  Is the liaison with property owners and crew  Is the liaison with location and local authorities o Other jobs: Production Accountant, Publicist Art Department o Art Director  Develops, coordinates, facilitates, and oversees the overall design of the production  Acts as a supervisor to the makeup, hair, and wardrobe departments, and as a consultant to the camera, production design, special effects, and compositing departments  Works with production designer on budget o Production Designer  Develops, coordinates, facilitates, and oversees the design of the sets 

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Supervises the work of the construction crew, set decorating crew, and property department in conjunction with the director and DP o Key Makeup  Applies and maintains the cast’s makeup o Key Hairdresser  Dresses and maintains the cast’s hair o Costume Designer  Design, obtain, assemble, and maintain the costumes for a production o Set Costumer  Helps to assemble and maintain the costumes  Manages and facilitates the use of the costumes during production o Property Master (Props)  Works in coordination with the art director, production designer, and DP to gather, maintain, and manage all the props for a production  Maintains continuity with props o Set Decorator  Dress and decorates sets  Resets after each take  Maintains continuity with set dressing and props o Other Art roles: builder, carpenter, painter, etc. o All of these coordinates with script supervisor on continuity! Camera Department o Director of Photography (DP)  Large and in charge: Camera and lighting supervisor on the production  Responsible for the overall look of the film and for coordinating with the script supervisor on all image continuity issues o Camera Operator (Cam-op)  On big productions, separate job from DP st o 1 Assistant Camera (1st AC)  Focus marketing and pulling  Loading media/film into the camera  Setting functions such as F-stop, frame rate and shutter o 2nd Assistant Camera (2nd AC)  Slating  Putting down focus marks  Labeling, logging, safekeeping of media/footage o Other camera department jobs:  Continuity Stills, Production Stills, Documentary Videographer, Second Unit Photography  Steadicam Operator, Jib Operator, Gimbal Operator, Drone Operator  Digital Imaging Technician, Digital Loader Lighting Department – Electrical o Gaffer  Lighting Designer (under the DP) 

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Chief Electrician who supervises set lighting and lighting crew in accordance with the DP o Best-Boy/Girl Electric  Chief assistant to the gaffer  Assists in lighting sets (on smaller shoots)  Sets up electrical systems-power distribution  Oversees Electrical gear and Electrical set-safety o Electrics  Lights sets  Shape light on the light itself Lighting Department – Grip o Key Grip  Works with the gaffer in cutting lights to creating shadow effects for the set lighting  Supervises camera cranes, dollies, platforms, and rigging according to the DP and/or Gaffer o Best-Boy/Girl Grip  Chief assistant to the Key Grip  Aids in rigging, cutting light, carrying out camera movements  Rigging Set safety o Grips  Aids in rigging, cutting light, carrying out camera movements  Lay Dolly Track  Tie knots, use clamps, c-stands, flags, frames o Dolly Grip  Responsible for operating the camera dolly  Leveling and maintaining dolly track o Other jobs: Construction Foreman, Construction Grips, Set Builders, Carpenters Sound Department o Mixer/Recordist  On-set/on-location sound engineer responsible for the recording of production sound  Controls sync-related on-set mixing and playback  Assists in post recording elements sometimes o Boom Operator  Works under the supervision of the mixer/recordist n the recording of production sound  Holding mic booms, placing mics, monitoring for sound issues  Staying out of the shot while capturing good sound o Sound Utility/Assistant  Liaison between the mixer/recordist and the script supervisor for labeling and reporting  Can help set additional set mics and lavaliere mics Post-Production – Editorial 

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Post-Production Supervisor  Oversees the post-production process and schedule  Is the Liaison from the post team to the director and producers o Editor (aka a #BOSS)  Works under the supervision of the director and executive producer to assemble the films o Assistant Editor  Works as an assistant to the editor, helping him/her with by logging and capturing footage  Organizing and managing media in coordination with the script supervisor’s log  Maintaining backups  Assisting with outputs Post-Production – Compositing o Lead Compositor/Visual Effects Supervisor  Works under the supervision of the director, DP, and art director and in coordination with the editor to design and implement compositing effects  Supervises compositing work o Compositors  Digital scrubbing and cleaning  Implementation of composite shots Post-Production – Sound/Music o Sound Designer  Working in conjunction with the director, is responsible for the ideation and creation of the overall soundtrack of the film  Supervises the mix of music, dialogue, ADR, foley, and sound effects  Sonic mise-en-scene o Sound Editor  Working in conjunction with Sound Designer  Edits dialogue, effects (FX), and foley o Foley Artist  Creates sound effects to accompany specific visual objects, movements, and sound sources, usually related to an action on-screen related to a character such as footsteps or clothing movement o Mixing Engineer  Under the supervision of the sound designer, mixes the overall soundtrack into its final mixes for a variety of output formats  Prepares final mixes for mastering  Masters audio o Composer  Writes original music to be heard in the film, both diegetic and non-diegetic  Supervises the recording of music o

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Set Basics -

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What Comes First? o As a DP, your assistant director (the 1st AD) will generally always follow this procedure:  Block (before makeup)  Light (makeup)  Rehearse  Tweak  Shoot Shoot Basics “Back to one.” ----------------------------------------------- 1 st AD “Roll sound.” ------------------------------------------------- 1st AD “Sound speeding.” ------------------------------------------ Sound mixer “Roll camera.” ----------------------------------------------- 1st AD “Camera speeding.” ---------------------------------------- Camera operator Slate: “Scene 24 Apple, Take One, marker.” --------- 2nd AC “Action.” ------------------------------------------------------ 1 st AD, all keys …scene… ------------------------------------------------------ Director “Cut.” ---------------------------------------------------------- Director “That’s a cut.” ----------------------------------------------- 1 st AD, all keys Always remember to echo. What is the producer’s role during a shoot? o It’s important to be confident and be the anchor 0 even if you have to fake it o You must create a mood to be productive, not ridden with anxiety o Sometimes you’re a cheerleader; it’s good to let people know they are doing a great job! o Be emotional support when needed o Develop a good relationship with the crew. Avoid a “management vs. labor” type of relationship; this is sometimes easy to fall into on larger sets

The Lens The Camera -

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The Image What physical things do we need to create an image that can be seen clearly and recorded by a camera? o Light! o Objects for light to bounce off of o A way of capturing it (camera) o A lens What do Lenses do? o Focus the light  Put specific light rays on a plane o Angle of View  Bend the light so it can be seen by the viewer o Exposure  Let light in

Focal Length -

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Wide angle (anything under 33mm) o Distorted/”Bowed” image o Wide depth of field o Large field of view o Distort and expand the space Normal (22-55mm) o “How the eye sees” – everything looks relatively natural in perspective Telephoto (anything 85mm and over) o Compressed space o Shallow depth of field o Tunnel vision o Magnifies the subject o Compress space and direct your attention

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A wide-angle lens, assuming all other elements are constant, will have a much wider depth of field than a telephoto lens.

Types of Lenses -

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Zoom lenses have a variable focal length, usually by a certain factor (i.e. 10x, 20x). The range is specified in mm (i.e. 24-105mm, 70-200mm). Prime lenses, however, have only one fixed focal length (25mm, 55mm, 135mm, etc.) o Much better quality Phone cameras are technically wide-angle prime lenses. The “zoom” you do on them is digital, not optical, so your resolution is reduced when you zoom because you are cropping the image rather than switching lenses

Focus -

Depth of field o The distance between the nearest point to camera and the furthest point that are both in “acceptable focus.” The main subject is at the plane of critical focus, but your depth of field extends beyond that in both directions (toward and away from the camera).

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Rack Focus

Changing the subject in focus during a shot Why does this matter? o Lenses affect our field of view: the extent of the observable world that the lens can see o Lenses also can affect our perception of the subject by distorting them or distancing us from them (or vice versa)! o Remember: it’s how you make the audience FEEL… o

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Exposure -

What is Exposure? o The total amount of light that falls on the photographic medium (film or image sensor) during the process of recording an image o Measured in stops or exposure value (EV) – a stop is a full step up or down in exposure, equivalent to double or half the amount of light

Waveform Monitor -

Digitally, a waveform monitor measures the IRE levels of the image (the electrical output of each pixel and line of the image based on luminance. This waveform combines the brightness of red, green, and blue IRE levels – which can be shown individually in a parade – to show overexposed and underexposed areas of the image

Exposure Factors -

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Amount of light outside the camera – environmental Filtration (ND filters) The Exposure Triangle: o Aperture – lens setting dictating the size of the opening allowing light in through the lens o ISO/Film speed – camera or film stock setting detailing the sensitivity of the medium to light o Shutter – camera setting that controls the amount of light allowed in the camera based on time/angle Change one and you must compensate with the others!

Aperture -

Higher f-number = smaller aperture size = less light comes in Each subsequent stop lets in half as much light as the one before it This is similar to the pupil of your eye Smaller aperture # (larger opening) = shallower depth of field Larger aperture # (smaller opening) = deeper depth of field

ISO -

Refers to the “speed” of the emulsion of the film stock, rated by the International Standards Organization (ISO) Measures sensitivity to light – how long it takes for light to make an image on the sensor or film The higher the number, the “faster” the film (i.e. 1600 ISO is more sensitive than 100 ISO) The higher the ISO, the more grain/noise is present in the image Every camera has a “native ISO”

Shutter Speed -

You can speed up or slow down your shutter speed and create different effects and control your exposure! Slow shutter speed: o Exposing the frame longer means letting in more light… but this will cause motion blur

Controlling Exposure Via Stops -

Each of these things – ISO, shutter speed, and aperture – can be measured in stops (doubling or halving the amount of light). If you change one, you must change another to compensate and maintain proper exposure but note how the image will change!

Color Temperature -

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One of the primary functions on a camera is white balance. We measure lighting by its color temperature in degrees Kelvin (K) Two main temperatures we deal with in cinema: o Tungsten – 3200K (standard bulbs) o Daylight – 5500/5600K (HMIs, LEDs) Other lights: o Candlelight – 1900K o Household bulb – 2000/2500K o Tungsten bulb – 3200K (Tungsten/Indoor) o Late Afternoon – 4500K o Sunlight Noon – 5500/5600K (Daylight/Outdoor) o Overcast sky – 7000K o Blue skylight – 10,000/20,000K

Composition Cinematic Storytelling -

Cinema is all about using a visual language to form a narrative Visual techniques that have developed over a century express and emphasize character, plot, and especially emotion These techniques also serve to heighten the illusion of depth: we’re watching something threedimensional on a 2D medium (a screen) Every framing decision you make needs to be a conscious choice about these elements

Shot Sizes/Types -

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EST – establishing shot LS – long shot or full shot MLS – medium longshot/ “Cowboy”/ “Plain American” MS – medium shot Close-ups – your special effects! o MCU – medium close-up o CU – close-up o ECU or XCU – extreme close-up Tight two-sot o 50/50 (can be profile, straight on, angled) Dirty single vs. clean single

Camera Angle -

How we perceive the characters! Low angle vs. high angle vs. eye height Profile vs. straight on God’s eye view Point of view (POV) Canted/Dutch angle

Creating Depth -

Film and Video: a 2D medium o We experience life in three dimensions: height, width, and depth. Film, obviously, only has height and width of the screen it’s shown on (even in 3D films)

Your job as a cinematographer and filmmaker is to bring three-dimensional DEPTH to an image, using:  Foreground and background  Framing within frames  Linear design and vanishing point  Shallow or wide depth of field Foreground and Background o Where is the subject in relation to the camera? Close = foreground; far away = background o Hitchcock’s rule: “The size of an object in the frame should equal its importance in the story at that moment.” Framing within a Frame o In these kinds of shots, your subject is placed in the image and another object or set piece is placed around them, containing them within it o

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James Bond Clip -

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Casino Royale Opening Scene (2006) o https://youtu.be/I4fTKmbtu8E What is the scene about? o Introducing James Bond, a secret agent in the process of being promoted to “00” status o He is a man of two sides:  A suave, cool, collected, confident man who loves his country… and his job  A live wire, a “blunt instrument” whose tendency to shoot first and think later is troublesome o Which side will prevail? How do the visuals tell the story? o Your job is to take the creative and meld it with the technical!

Rules of Attention Rule of Thirds -

A frame should be divided into nine equal parts, or into thirds horizontally and vertically (like a tic-tac-toe board)

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Important compositional elements should be placed where the lines intersect; this makes images more dynamic than simply centering the image Was used as early as 1797 in paintings… Works for all shot types

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The “Golden Ratio” -

A number, signified by the Greek symbol Phi and equivalent to 1.61803399… A ratio that divides a frame into a series of rectangles that proportionally relate to the next larger rectangles in an endless sequence

The Fibonacci Sequence A sequence characterized by the fact that every number after the first two is the sum of the two preceding ones: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 510, etc. which leads to…

The Golden Spiral -

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The idea isn’t entirely unlike the Rule of Thirds; in fact, the grids come close to meeting up The Rule of Thirds is a kind of approximation of this ratio, but without diagonals or spirals to enhance the composition The Golden Ratio is sometimes also referred to as the Divine Proportion because it exists throughout life in various forms (honeybees, plants, chromosomes)

As visual artists, our goal is to control and direct the eye of the viewer around the image For one reason or another, the Golden Ratio creates balanced compositions that guide us a more pleasing way through the frame, or denote who has the power in the scene This also works with diagonals and other shapes

Film Language Conceptualizing a Scene -

You should always be asking yourself questions about a shot, scene, or film before you begin working through how to shoot it With composition, for example, I start with these: 1. What is the scene about? 2. How many people do I want in the shot? 3. What information needs to be conveyed? 4. How should the audience feel about the subject? 5. What is the “arc” of the scene? How do the shots progress?

Based on this composition, the lighting, the screen direction, etc… … what can you tell me about these characters’ emotional situation?

Emotion/Genre -

What type of emotion in the audience mean...