With Regard To Continuity, When Is It Considered Okay To Cross â€å“the Lineã¢â‚¬â With The Camera?

Script supervisor is one of the few positions where you shouldn’t scrimp. Right at present you may be thinking “our script knows its job and doesn’t need a supervisor or a director.” If so, you’re missing the point.

Another terms for the role of script supervisor is continuity supervisor, which, although used less often, is a more than accurate definition of the role. The script supervisor is the person who takes copious notes on the set, which volition detect their way to the editor and then that post-production runs smoothly. At least, that’s the primary definition of the chore. In reality, theÂÂscript supervisor’s task is to save the director’southward ass, and that chore begins not during product, merely very early on in pre-production. And it ends when the film is completed. Then, practise you need a script supervisor for your production? The short answer is “yeah,” but nosotros know that’s not good enough, then here’s the more detailed respond that should help you make the right choice:

Robert Moon, who has worked on more xl projects and is currently the script supervisor for MADtv, explains that, “While there are actually many disparate duties a script supervisor performs, the about important ane is to work equally the on-set editor to ensure the project can exist cut with a minimum of mistakes. He or she is the firewall against eye line mismatches, jumped dialogue, and continuity errors from every section. She is oft the merely advocate for post-production during principal photography and makes sure the editing team gets the cloth information technology needs in a way that is easily understandable and digestible.”

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Script supervisor Robert Moon at work

Pre-Production

When you begin to make your opus, one of your earliest hires should exist your script supervisor. Your script supervisor is going to exist your details-person; she’due south also going to be your eyes and ears while you’re doing that whole “big picture” thing. A good director will work closely with the script supervisor from the early stages of pre-production through the final wrap.

A script that’s properly prepared in pre-production will go a long manner toward a smooth product run. Have your script supervisor sit in on all product meetings and read-throughs of the script. A goodÂÂscript supervisor volition catch continuity issues in pre-production, and that volition save time â€Â" and money â€Â" during the product phase. YourÂÂscript supervisor will also be an important collaborator for shot scheduling and script timing. Although each script supervisor has their ain methods and each script will have different needs, there are some basics that are true of near every script.

First, theÂÂscript supervisor will need a copy of the script to practise breakdowns, including:

• Day/night breakdowns
• Timeline synopses
• Continuity
• Specialty breakdowns (pregnancy, weapons, injuries, etc. every bit needed depending on the script).

The longer your script supervisor has the script, the more breakdowns she’ll exist able to practise and that will relieve a lot of endeavor during principle photography. The assistant directors will also piece of work closely with the continuity supervisor. Together, they work on shot lists, schedules and breakdowns.

Robert explains “An enormous amount of work goes into prepping and breaking downward a script during pre-production, and I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this prep piece of work. Without it, a script supervisor absolutely cannot properly guard against continuity errors once the cameras start rolling.”

Principle Photography

You lot should e'er have a script supervisor on set up, even if you’re shooting a commercial with no words. Robert explains, “During and immediately after each setup, I write notes to the editor describing the shot, what was covered in each take, noting any bug with dialogue, audio, continuity, etc., and how long the takes were.

Yous should always accept a script supervisor on gear up, even if you’re shooting a commercial with no words.

“At the end of each day, I generate multiple reports that get sent to producers, the studio, post-production, the 2nd AD, etc. There is an Editor’s Log, a Production Study, a Coverage Written report, the facing and lined script pages, a Timecode Log and more. In my Production Report, I list every setup we completed, the camera and sound rolls used, the screen fourth dimension that was fully or partially credited, the time differential between the estimated running time and the actual running time, our first shot, wrap time, etc.”

We asked Andra Hayes, a script supervisor with 28 years of experience and more than 120 projects to her name, what she and other professionals exercise during a shoot twenty-four hour period â€Â" and this is the short answer: “The duties during production can exist overwhelming. We assign the slate numbers, time each take, tape what the shot was, what the photographic camera saw, what happened during the take, whether it was good or non, complete or incomplete, if the director liked it or not, if information technology is the take to use in editing, what dialogue was said or non said, what dialogue was changed. Nosotros keep track of photographic camera rolls and sound rolls for each accept. Nosotros fill up out the edit log which is a summary of everything shot, and the daily report keeps track of the total number of scenes shot every day, in total or in part, the pages shot, the full screen time, the number of prepare ups shot. Nosotros keep track of what wardrobe each character wore and how they wore it in each scene. We keep rails of the props that were used and how it was handled in each scene, hair and makeup for each scene, set up dressing, lighting, and track the continuity throughout the film. Nosotros keep track of what was shot and make sure everything that needs to be shot is shot. We watch for matching and continuity for motion and action. We refer to the script as to what is supposed to be shot. We record changes that are fabricated as we shoot. We help to make sure things volition menstruum and piece of work in editing. We grab problems, errors and mistakes so they can be corrected in the field. We follow the story and brand sure information technology is adhered to and that at that place are no conflicting situations. Nosotros offering ideas, suggestions and options. We are the Producer’due south and Director’s optics and ears, the Editor’s abet. Nosotros are the condom valves on set. We do all or whatsoever of the higher up as needed on sets…and more.”

All of these details  ensure that, if a scene is to be continued or re-shot, all of the aspects of the shot can exist replicated. Remember, movies scenes aren’t shot in sequence. A continuation of a scene could be weeks or even months away and everything has to flow smoothly.

Post-Product

Although theÂÂscript supervisor’s job is unremarkably finished effectually the time that the moving-picture show goes into post-production, the editor or audio editor could take questions that only the script supervisor can answer. However, if theÂÂscript supervisor took proper notes and the editor can understand them, there will be no need for a text or call during mail service. Andra explains that “if you do your job well in the first 2 stages of production, you may not hear a thing during this stage of filmmaking. Your notes will be so good they will never need to call you.” Any skilful continuity supervisor volition of course make himself available during post, just in case there is a communications outcome.

What makes a great script supervisor?

But there’southward more to this job than just the technical aspects and organizational skills: Although a continuity supervisor is i of the almost important crewmembers on the set up, they are likewise the 1 that faces the near resentment, which is something that a script supervisor is going to have to piece of work with. Throughout society, people don’t like being told what to do and that resentment is amplified on a movie set.

Maybe it’s considering the position is almost exclusively held by women â€Â" the term “script girl” was derogatively created for the role decades ago. According to the Los Angeles script supervisor union, IATSE Local 871, 94% of its members are female. This is the reverse of what you’ll find in most positions on a prepare.

The reason behind this disparity is that, in the olden days of filmmaking, the job required a lot of autograph in order for the script supervisor to keep up and since information technology was more often than not women who learned shorthand â€Â" primarily to get jobs as secretaries â€Â" information technology was by and large women who were hired.

Robert tells us that the sexism is fairly obvious to him, stating that, ”In that location accept been shoots where men have come up up to me to limited how relieved they were to finally see a male script supervisor, followed by horrifically sexist remarks about female script supervisors… The recurring theme is their obvious resentfulness at a woman pointing out their mistakes.”

A huge part of theÂÂscript supervisor’south job is to tell people what they’re doing wrong. Ego boosting, subtlety and tact are very important tools in the script supervisor’s tool box.

Technology changes the game

Andra explains that “The function itself hasn’t changed. We still take edit notes and watch for continuity issues. What has inverse is that there are more directors that don’t know what to do with usa or choose not to utilise us. But that is them, non us. They don’t realize we are department heads there to aid them in making a fabled projection. They cutting the wrong corners, don’t listen to onset advice, and ignore the experience of the department. The directors that practise understand our part apply the states and let united states of america assistance them make a great project. The affair that has inverse is the equipment used, the equipment of other departments, the medium used.”

She goes on to explicate, “For other departments, we take to keep up on their technology and so we tin get together what nosotros demand to pass on to the Editor. For our department, some script supervisors work on proficient ol’ pencil and paper, others piece of work digital. They take laptops, iPads, script supervising software or self-made digital forms, video capture, digital photos.” These new technologies all assist in speeding up the process of making movies and eliminate mistakes, ultimately saving the production a lot of costs in the long run.

Script supervision is a very important aspect of filmmaking and shouldn’t be taken as lightly as it is, so if y'all want to relieve your production a lot of coin, you really should hire a script supervisor for the job!

John McCabe is a Los Angeles based screenwriter and director and owns Never Say Cut Media. He can be reached at john@neversaycut.com

Source: https://www.videomaker.com/article/c10/18830-the-role-of-a-script-supervisor-and-why-you-need-one-on-your-next-production

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