Today, we quickly went through the process of making a shot list with Patrick. It’s a way to start seriously thinking about how to “shoot for the edit”. For this first assignment we’re clearly covering our ass regarding coverage by doing every dialogue line from about 5 camera angles… so a detailed shot list isn’t crucial. But I think that for those who feel up to it, we should definitely, on paper or at least mentally, write down a camera angle for each line before the day of the production. It would help prioritize and refine certain shots over others on the day of, and decrease the likelihood of continuity errors and wasted time.

This reminds me of Patrick’s last lecture (on Tuesday 29th), which was not about a specific task (such as the process of making a shot list), but about the art of being a producer/director: I call it “the art of balancing intuition and planning”…..:

Instinct, gut feelings, intuitions, are the heart of the filmmaker. To me, they represent the few moments we’re in tune with the quiet messages our body senses and emits. When we engage in the creative side of filmmaking, or better yet, engage in all of filmmaking with creativity on our side, we come to life. In the end, that’s what it is, directing (any activity) is simply about being alive 24/7…
Thought, plans, plan Bs, agreements, lists, and schedules are the legs of the director. All these forms of planning give us the organizational legs we need so that when things become shaky (and shit will happen, that’s one thing you can be sure of), we have the extra support to remain focused on the creative side of the production. The lights pop a breaker, there is an actor missing, the battery is out, …but you know where that breaker is, you know what the number is and you’ve got a back-up lead and an extra battery, etc, in short, you’ve planned it all.

Now, if you delegate well, the voodoo of a good balance between intuition and planning will give you a situation like this: 1. The catastrophy happens, 2. but decisions were made before it happened to control it, 3. and you’ve got the mind-set to get your crew to respond quick and right, 4. so you remain focused on what matters on the shot: your creative input.

Thursday:

Came home at 11pm for the 3rd time this week. I think this email to a friend encapsulates the mood:

“Hey Donna,
It sounds like it’s unfortunately falling smack in the middle of our production week. And believe me, it’s Production week with a capital P.
If I could, I would have liked to go shoot this video with you, everything brings some kind to experience…
But because of the way BDFI works (every class contributes to the development of one project), we all have a full production to put together every 7 weeks.
And right now, being the end of production time….it’s rush time….Plus, we work on each other’s productions, so everyone works on about 4-5 projects at the same time, with a production-project including: pitch, original script, location scouting, improvs for character development, script-rewrites, call for auditions, script-rewrites, casting auditions, script-rewrites, call-backs, editing assignments, lighting assignments, rehearsals, final drafts, and finally on location shoots…and then post…So, with my work and 5 production projects going at the same time, I can’t make it.

I hope you can find someone to work with you.”