The Five Essential Steps in Digital Video: a DV moviemaker's tricks of the trade

Five Essential Steps in Digital Video: A DV Moviemaker’s Tricks of the Trade......Page 2
Copyright © 2002 by Que Corporation......Page 3
CONTENTS AT A GLANCE......Page 4
CONTENTS......Page 6
INTRODUCTION REMAKING MOVIES: THE DV PHILOSOPHY......Page 30
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK AND DVD......Page 32
STEP I: DEVELOPMENT: HUNTING AND GATHERING......Page 34
CHAPTER 1 WHO DOES WHAT: JOB DESCRIPTIONS......Page 38
PRODUCER......Page 40
WRITER......Page 42
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY......Page 43
DISTRIBUTOR......Page 44
CONSIDER THIS......Page 45
YOU NEED IT WHEN?......Page 48
BUYING EQUIPMENT......Page 55
CHAPTER 3 I MEAN BUSINESS......Page 64
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO AN ATTORNEY......Page 65
FORMING A PRODUCTION COMPANY......Page 68
INSURANCE......Page 75
SEE AND BE SEEN......Page 76
CHAPTER 4 DON’T TREAD ON ME: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND OTHER THORNY ISSUES......Page 80
PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS......Page 81
COPYRIGHTS......Page 82
PEOPLE: PRIVATE AND PUBLIC......Page 84
CHAPTER 5 WHO’S BUYING WHAT: SURVEYING THE MARKET......Page 88
MARKET SEGMENTS......Page 89
ASPECT RATIOS, FILMLOOK, AND TAPE-TO-FILM: PLANNING AHEAD......Page 94
ASPECT RATIOS......Page 95
TAPE-TO-FILM......Page 97
CHAPTER 6 WHAT DO YOU GOT AND WHAT CAN YOU GET?......Page 100
BORROWING COOL STUFF......Page 101
FINANCING......Page 102
BUSINESS PLANS......Page 107
PRELIMINARY BUDGETING: IF MONEY WERE NO OBJECT…......Page 113
CHAPTER 7 SEARCHING FOR A SCRIPT......Page 116
LIFE STORY RELEASES......Page 117
OPTIONING A BOOK, STORY, SCRIPT, OR OTHER PROPERTY......Page 118
SPEC SCRIPTS......Page 122
THE GREAT ORIGINAL IDEA......Page 123
HIRING A WRITER: WHAT TO ASK FOR AND WHAT TO EXPECT......Page 124
CHAPTER 8 WRITING A SCRIPT YOURSELF......Page 126
WHAT MAKES A GOOD SCRIPT?......Page 127
SHOW, DON’T TELL......Page 130
SCREENWRITING PHASES......Page 131
FORMAT......Page 151
CHECKLISTS......Page 154
DEVELOPMENT PERSONNEL CHECKLIST......Page 155
DV CAMERA KIT PURCHASE CHECKLIST......Page 156
CONTRACTS YOU MAY NEED......Page 157
BANK CHECKLIST......Page 158
STEP II: PREPRODUCTION: PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS......Page 160
PREPARING YOUR SCRIPT......Page 162
SCRIPT ANALYSIS......Page 164
CHAPTER 10 PRODUCTION DESIGN......Page 172
BLOCKING......Page 173
FRAMING......Page 175
LIGHTING......Page 187
PROPS, SETS, AND SET DRESSING......Page 190
HAIR, MAKEUP, AND WARDROBE......Page 191
STUNTS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS......Page 192
CHAPTER 11 SCRIPT BREAKDOWN......Page 194
THE JOY OF COLORED PENCILS......Page 195
BREAKDOWN SHEETS......Page 197
GENERATING LISTS......Page 199
CHAPTER 12 LOCKING THE SCHEDULE......Page 208
SCHEDULE AS LOGIC PROBLEM......Page 209
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK: REALISM IN SCHEDULING......Page 212
GETTING IT ALL TOGETHER......Page 218
GENERATING CALLSHEETS......Page 222
MONEY: HOW MUCH YOU NEED VERSUS HOW MUCH YOU GOT......Page 224
PLANNING THE MONEY FLOW......Page 225
ASSESSING THE POSSIBILITIES......Page 228
LEARNING TO HUNKER: MULTIPURPOSE LOCATIONS......Page 234
PERMITS......Page 235
CHAPTER 15 BUILD THE ENSEMBLE......Page 238
POSTPRODUCTION......Page 245
MAKING CONTACT......Page 246
JUDGING RÉSUMÉS, HEADSHOTS, AND REELS......Page 247
INTERVIEWS AND AUDITIONS......Page 249
HIRING AND FIRING: COMPENSATION AND CONTRACTS......Page 251
BUILDING THE ENSEMBLE......Page 254
DESTROYING THE “MAGINOT LINE” BETWEEN CAST AND CREW......Page 256
CHAPTER 16 STORYBOARDS, SHOOTING SCRIPTS, SHOT LISTS, AND REHEARSALS......Page 258
STORYBOARDS......Page 259
SHOOTING SCRIPTS......Page 260
REHEARSAL......Page 262
PREPRODUCTION CONTRACTS AND RELEASES......Page 264
STEP III: PRODUCTION: ACTION!......Page 266
GETTING COVERAGE......Page 268
SETIQUETTE......Page 270
STARTING THE SHOOT DAY......Page 273
BLOCK, LIGHT, REHEARSE, AND SHOOT......Page 274
ENDING THE SHOOT DAY......Page 280
CHAPTER 18 MAKING VIDEO DIGITAL......Page 282
DV FORMATS......Page 295
PLAYING YOUR VIDEO......Page 298
CHAPTER 19 THE DV CAMERA......Page 304
VIEWFINDER......Page 306
FOCUS......Page 307
EXPOSURE......Page 309
CONTRAST......Page 312
COLOR TEMPERATURE......Page 314
IMAGE STABILIZATION......Page 317
AUDIO......Page 318
MULTICAMERA SHOOTING......Page 320
MONITORS......Page 322
POWER SUPPLIES......Page 329
TAPE STOCK......Page 332
FILTERS......Page 334
CAMERA MOUNTS......Page 339
TECHNIQUES......Page 344
CHECKLIST......Page 345
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIGHT......Page 346
TOOLS......Page 353
CONTROLLING COLOR TEMPERATURE......Page 365
CONTROLLING LIGHT AND SHADOW......Page 366
EXPENDABLES CHECKLIST......Page 381
GELS AND DIFFUSION CHECKLIST......Page 382
ELECTRICAL LIGHTING EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST......Page 383
CHAPTER 21 LIGHTING TECHNIQUES......Page 388
SEPARATING THE SUBJECT......Page 390
LIGHTING FOR MOVEMENT......Page 392
COMMON PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS......Page 393
LIGHTING GUIDELINES......Page 399
CHAPTER 22 RIGGING......Page 404
STANDS, MAFERS, AND OTHER GRIP EQUIPMENT......Page 406
DOLLIES AND JIBS......Page 414
SASH CORD, SANDBAGS, AND C-47S......Page 420
CAR MOUNTS......Page 424
GAFFER’S TAPE AND SNOT TAPE: OTHER HANDY TOOLS......Page 430
MAKING THE MOVE......Page 431
WATTS, VOLTS, AND AMPS: HOW MUCH POWER?......Page 432
STINGERS, CHEATERS, AND OTHER ELECTRICAL DOODADS......Page 438
INVERTERS......Page 442
OTHER RIGGING EQUIPMENT......Page 443
EXPANDABLES CHECKLIST......Page 445
RIGGING EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST......Page 447
CHAPTER 23 CAPTURING THE SOUND......Page 450
CREW......Page 451
AUDIO ISSUES FOR DV......Page 454
MICROPHONES......Page 456
MIC MOUNTS......Page 460
MIXERS......Page 463
BOOMS......Page 465
HEADPHONES......Page 467
CABLES......Page 468
WIRELESS......Page 469
AUDIO ON THE DV SET......Page 474
LOCATION AUDIO TRICKS......Page 483
OTHER AUDIO GEAR......Page 485
EXPENDABLES......Page 486
PAPERWORK......Page 487
CHAPTER 24 RENTING GEAR......Page 488
MAKING CONTACT......Page 489
WHAT TO GET, HOW TO GET IT, AND WHEN......Page 490
MANAGING THE GEAR......Page 494
DROP OFF......Page 495
PROPS......Page 496
SETS......Page 500
SET DRESSING......Page 502
EXPENDABLES AND TRICKS......Page 503
EVERY DAY IS A GOOD HAIR DAY......Page 504
STRAIGHT MAKEUP......Page 505
SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKEUP......Page 507
KEEPING TRACK OF WARDROBE......Page 512
EXPENDABLES......Page 513
STUNTS......Page 514
SPECIAL EFFECTS......Page 517
ATMOSPHERICS......Page 521
MATTES AND MINIATURES......Page 525
CGI......Page 527
STEP IV: POSTPRODUCTION: DIRECTING THE MOVIE......Page 530
CHAPTER 28 POSTPRODUCTION SYSTEMS: THINGS TO CONSIDER......Page 534
VIDEO SOFTWARE......Page 536
THE COMPUTER......Page 537
DV ON THE COMPUTER......Page 539
AUDIO SOFTWARE......Page 545
AUDIO HARDWARE......Page 547
BEST PRACTICES......Page 550
CHAPTER 29 CUTTING PICTURE......Page 552
WORKING WITH AN EDITOR......Page 553
EDITING YOURSELF......Page 556
ORGANIZING THE MATERIAL......Page 559
WORKING ORDER......Page 562
DIGITAL VISUAL EFFECTS......Page 576
POLISH......Page 578
WHAT TO DO WHEN IT’S JUST NOT WORKING......Page 580
CHAPTER 30 POST-AUDIO......Page 588
WORKING WITH A SOUND DESIGNER OR POST-AUDIO TECH......Page 589
SOUND DESIGN......Page 592
POST-AUDIO FOR DV......Page 598
DIALOGUE......Page 601
EFFECTS......Page 612
MUSIC......Page 618
MIXING......Page 632
CHAPTER 31 FINISHING......Page 640
VIDEO SWEETENING......Page 641
VIDEOTAPE-TO-FILM......Page 646
DUPLICATION......Page 649
STEP V: SELLING: HOW TO KEEP YOUR SHIRT......Page 652
SELF-DISTRIBUTION......Page 656
FINDING A DISTRIBUTOR......Page 659
BUYERS AND HOW TO RESEARCH THEM......Page 669
LITERAL NEGOTIATING......Page 670
CHAPTER 33 FESTIVALS AND MARKETS......Page 672
FESTIVALS......Page 673
PLANNING A FESTIVAL STRATEGY......Page 677
MARKETS......Page 678
CHAPTER 34 WHAT YOU SELL: THE SHAPE OF DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS......Page 682
TERRITORY......Page 683
LICENSING PERIOD......Page 684
MEDIA......Page 685
CONSIDERATION......Page 686
EXPENSES......Page 689
ACCOUNTING......Page 690
WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS......Page 691
COPYRIGHT......Page 692
REMEDIES......Page 693
OTHER RIGHTS......Page 696
DV......Page 698
MOVIEMAKING......Page 700
MARKET TRENDS AND THE BUSINESS......Page 702
MARKETS......Page 704
CABLE AND NETWORK BROADCASTERS......Page 705
UNIONS......Page 707
GRANTMAKING INFORMATION......Page 708
GRANTMAKERS......Page 709
BUSINESS AND LEGAL......Page 712
501(C)(3) SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION......Page 714
PRESS CONTACTS......Page 715
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY......Page 716
SCREENPLAYS AND SCREENWRITING......Page 717
PREPRODUCTION......Page 718
PRODUCTION......Page 720
LIGHTING......Page 724
PROPS AND PROPMAKING......Page 725
SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKEUP......Page 726
SPECIAL EFFECTS......Page 728
SPECIAL EFFECTS SUPPLIERS......Page 729
EDITING PICTURE......Page 731
EDITING SOUND......Page 734
FINISHING......Page 737
FESTIVALS......Page 738
DISTRIBUTION......Page 740
APPENDIX A BUSINESS FORMS AND LICENSING AGREEMENTS......Page 742
SCRIPT BREAKDOWN SHEET......Page 745
BUDGET SHEETS......Page 746
PRODUCTION SCHEDULE ESTIMATING......Page 759
LOCATION SCOUTING......Page 761
AUDITION SHEETS......Page 763
ACTOR INFORMATION SHEET......Page 764
CALLSHEET......Page 765
CAMERA LOG......Page 767
LIFE STORY CONSENT AND RELEASE AGREEMENT......Page 768
LOCATION RELEASE......Page 772
PERSONAL RELEASE......Page 774
TECHNICAL SERVICES CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT......Page 776
ACTOR SERVICES AGREEMENT......Page 782
AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT......Page 788
MASTER RECORDING LICENSE AGREEMENT......Page 789
SYNC RIGHTS AGREEMENT......Page 794
MASTER RECORDING AND SYNC RIGHTS AGREEMENT......Page 798
SOUNDTRACK LICENSING AGREEMENT......Page 803
EXHIBIT A—CREDIT SHEET......Page 809
I N D E X......Page 810
ABOUT THE DVD......Page 844
SOFTWARE......Page 845
TEMPLATES......Page 846
VIDEO......Page 848