Second Commandment

#2: "Thou shalt not let the reader get lost"
Whatascript: 
The answer may be obvious, but why is this second commandment important?

Formatman: 
When you hear the reader say these lines from the TV series Chuck about your screenplay: 
- Where am I? Is this a bathroom? 
- No! This is hell! 
Then you know the reader got lost and you blew it. Your movie script just got closer to get tossed to the pile of "Pass".

Whatascript: 
How do you avoid this dreadful perspective?

Formatman: 
By using 2 elements of screenplay format, master and secondary scene headings (also called sluglines).

Screenplay format first element: master headings
Whatascript: 
Formatman, let's first talk about master scene heading. What is it? 

Formatman: 
In screenplay format, a master scene heading, also called primary slug line, is a one line of text in a screenplay that comes before the description of a scene. 
It gives a framework for the whole scene. 
It is as if everything that happens in the whole scene - what is seen, what is heard and where it all happens - is filmed in a single continuous shot, a master shot. Therefore the name of master scene heading. 

Whatascript: 
How does this screenplay format element look like? 

Formatman: 
    EXT. DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - DAY
 
    INT. PARIS AIRPORT - NIGHT
 
Whatascript: 
It seems they are 3 parts... 

FormatMan: 
Correct. In screenplay format, a master heading is made of:
the camera location,
the scene location and
the time
1. Camera location
Whatascript: 
Let's talk about the first part, camera location. 

Formatman: 
Well, you have basically 2 choices:

INT. (for Interior) - the scene takes place inside a building
or 
EXT. (for Exterior) - the scene takes place outside a building
It is usually clear where you are and therefore which one you need to use. 

Whatascript: 
Why is that important? 

Formatman: 
It tells the production crew if they will be shooting on stage or on location. That impacts the budget. 

Whatascript: 
Can you give us some examples? 

Formatman: 
From Dead Poets Society, written by Tom Schulman: 
1. On stage shooting:
    INT. WELTON ACADEMY HALLWAY - DAY   
    INT. CHURCH ENTRANCE - DAY
    INT. DORMATORY - DAY
2. On location shooting:
    EXT. SCHOOL GROUNDS - DAY   
    EXT. ROAD - NIGHT
    EXT. RIVER - DAY
Whatascript: 
Is it possible to combine INT. and EXT.? 

Formatman 
Yes. In some cases, screenwriters use INT./EXT. or EXT./INT. when a scene takes place both inside and outside. The first term used indicates where the scene starts. 3 examples: 

1) From "The Cider House Rules", written by John Irving: 
    INT./EXT. ORPHANAGE - DAY

    Faces in the windows; the orphans watch Hazel walking across 
    the snowy lawn with her new parents.
   
2) From "American History X", written by David McKenna: 
    INT./EXT. BEDROOM - DEREK'S POV
    
    He looks through the blinds and stares at the UNMARKED
    CAR. Danny throws his backpack on the bed and exits.
    
3) From "Ali", written by Stephen J. Rivele & Christopher Wilkinson and Eric Roth & Michael Mann - with this time an EXT./INT. camera location: 
    EXT./INT. THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES STATION, HOUSTON -
    LOBBY - CHAUNCEY ESKRIDGE - DAY
    
    waits at the curb as Ali and Herbert pull up and get out of
    a car...move through the crowd...reporters shouting
    questions at him we don't hear, go up the steps, into the
    lobby, joining other recruits and M.P.'s.
    

The 10 commandments of screenplay format

Screenplay format - what it is and why it's important

Whatascript:
Formatman, let's first talk about what screenplay formatting is.

Formatman: 
Telling a story for the movie industry needs to comply with some generally agreed upon standards and forms.

This is like a written language that screenwriters use to let others know (reader, producer, director, actor) what their story is about. 

Whatascript: 
Why is it so important to comply with these standards?

Formatman:
Because they are the rules of the game.
Using your "own" standards will just not fly - it's like using your baseball bat in a basketball game. It does not belong there.

Applying the standards of screenplay format allows you to fully communicate with the people you want to reach (the reader to start with) with nothing in the way - and nothing of your story getting lost "in translation".

Besides not following these standards is usually a sign of an amateur screenwriter, a big reason for a reader to stop reading your screenplay after a few pages.

So if you want your story to be read, just follow the standards. They have proven to work.

In other words, use your creativity in your story, not in the script format.

Whatascript: 
When reading produced screenplays I noticed some small variations in screenplay formatting. 
How do you explain them?

Formatman:
2 reasons:

• In one case that's because the standards of script format evolve with the time. Things which were in use then, are no more used now (e.g. "cut to" which was used at the end of each scene to go to the next scene. Now it is just implied).


• In the other case, that's because some successful screenwriters kind of earned a "licence" to make some slight changes. But that's them. Until you have reached the same status, just follow the standards.

Whatascript: 
I heard people talking about spec and shooting screenplays. What are they? and is there a difference in how their format look like?

Formatman:
"Spec screenplay" stands for speculative screenplay. What it means is that a screenwriter writes a screenplay on his own initiative in the hope that someone will option it and eventually purchase it.

Once the screenplay has been purchased, possibly revised and is ready for production, a new version is issued with scene numbers next to the scene headings (called master scene headings). This version is called shooting script.

These scene numbers together with revision pages, are the main differences between the two forms of screenplays in terms of formatting.

---

The 10 commandments

What a script!: 
The whole town talks about the 10 commandments of screenplay format.
What do they cover?

Formatman: 
The basics to ensure a reader does not toss your screenplay because of poor formatting. Think of:

• how to create a first positive impression,
• how to write scene headings, action, dialogue, extension etc,
• how to go about specific situations (e.g. phone conversations, montage, foreign languages)
• how to enhance the reader's and potentially actor's experience

What a script!: 
What are these commandments?

Formatman: 

The 10 commandments of screenplay format

1  Thou shalt honor the reader and not cheat 2  Thou shalt not let the reader get lost 3  Thou shalt not slow down the reader 4  Thou shalt create dialogues that are music to the ears of the reader 5  Thou shalt direct without using camera directions 6  Thou shalt cut to the chase 7  Thou shalt leave room for the actor 8  Thou shalt use montage, flashback and other special effects with moderation 9  Thou shalt not lose the reader in translation 10  Thou shalt phone home.

Dolly Grips

Movie Crew

Dolly Grips In cinematography, the dolly grip is the individual who operates the camera dolly. He/she places, levels, and moves the dolly track, then pushes and pulls the dolly and usually a camera operator and camera assistant as riders. If the dolly has a moveable vertical axis, such as a hydraulically actuated arm, then the dolly grip also operates the up and down of the camera simultaneously to tracking. This type of dolly shot is known as a compound move. A dolly grip must work closely with the camera crew to perfect these complex movements during rehearsals. Focusing the lens is critical to capturing a sharp image, so a dolly grip must hit his/her marks in concert with a camera assistant who pulls focus. It is a skill that experience can hone to a point, but the best dolly grips are known for their "touch" and that makes them highly sought-after talents. The dolly grip is also employed when the camera is operated in handheld mode (on the operator's shoulders or literally in their hands). While the camera operator is moving with the camera, the dolly grip is responsible for the operator's safety, helping them to "blindly" negotiate their way through sometimes-complicated environments. The dolly grip silently directs the operator (through gentle touches, nudges, pulls and pushes) away from walls and other obstacles that the operator cannot see while concentrating on the image in the camera viewfinder. The same is true when the camera is operated with a Steadicam or similar body-mounted stabilization tool. Although dolly grips are hired by and under a key grip, they are paid the same as (or more than) a best boy grip, who is the second in command. Dolly grips may also push a wheeled platform holding the microphone and boom operator.

Key Grips

Movie Crew

Key Grips In American and Canadian film-making, the key grip is the chief grip on the set. Like a foreman, the key grip directs a crew of grips, some with specialized skills such as dolly grips, crane operators, camera car operators, etc. Additionally, the key grip is often the safety monitor of the film set, responsible for safety of all personnel in the presence of theatrical ballistics, pyrotechnics, stunts, and any other potentially dangerous situations and devices operated by other departments. In the U.S. and Canada, grips are lighting and rigging technicians in the film and video industries. They make up their own department on a film set and are led by a key grip. Grips have two main functions. The first is to work closely with the camera department, especially if the camera is mounted to a dolly, crane or other unusual position. Some grips may specialize in operating camera dollies or camera cranes. The second is to work closely with the electrical department to put in the lighting set-ups necessary for a shot. In the U.K. and Australia, grips do not get involved at all in lighting. In the so-called "British System", adopted throughout Europe and the British Commonwealth, a grip is solely responsible for camera mounting and support. The term 'grip' dates back to the early era of the circus. It carried on from there to vaudeville and on to today's film sound stages and sets. Some have suggested the name comes from the 1930s-40s slang term for a tool bag or "grip" that these technicians use to carry their tools to work.

Director of Photography

Movie Crew

Director of Photography A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera (the art and science of which is known as cinematography). The title is generally equivalent to director of photography (DP or DoP), used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image. The cinematographer is sometimes also the camera operator. The term cinematographer has been a point of contention for some time now; some professionals insist that it only applies when the director of photography and camera operator are the same person, although this is far from being uniformly the case. To most, cinematographer and director of photography are interchangeable terms. Responsibilities The English system of camera department hierarchy sometimes firmly separates the duties of the director of photography from that of the camera operator to the point that the DP often has no say whatsoever over more purely operating-based visual elements such as framing. In this case, the DP is often credited as a lighting camera operator. This system means that the director consults the lighting camera operator for lighting and filtration and the operator for framing and lens choices. In the American system, which is more widely adopted, the rest of the camera department is subordinate to the DP, who, along with the director, has the final word on all decisions related to both lighting and framing. The cinematographer typically selects the film stock, lens, filters, etc. to realize the scene in accordance with the intentions of the director. Relations between the cinematographer and director vary; in some instances the director will allow the cinematographer complete independence; in others, the director allows little to none, even going so far as to specify aperture and shutter angle. Such a level of involvement is not common once the director and cinematographer have become comfortable with each other. The director will typically convey to the cinematographer what he wants from a scene visually, and allow the cinematographer latitude in achieving that effect. On some shoots, a director may assume the duties of the cinematographer, especially when shooting nude scenes or in other physically intimate settings where the director wishes to have as few people as possible present. Some of the crew who work under or closely with the cinematographer includes: Camera operator Focus puller (1st assistant cameraman) Clapper loader (2nd assistant cameraman) Second unit Assistant camera trainee (camera production assistant) Gaffer, best boy, and electricians (also called Set Lighting Technicians, Lamp Operators or nicknamed "sparks" or "juicers") Key grip, best boy grip, dolly grip, grips Production designer and art director Costume designer Color timer or colorist In some countries, cinematography is a unionized field. ASC, ACS and BSC Major international organizations involved in the advancement of cinematography include the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) and the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC). These bodies are neither labor unions nor guilds, but are instead educational, cultural and professional organizations. There are other similar organizations in many countries, including Argentina, Canada, Germany, Italy and Spain.

2nd AC / Second Assistant Camera

Movie Crew

2nd AC / Second Assistant Camera A clapper loader, second assistant camera (2nd AC) or simply loader, is part of a film crew, whose main functions are that of operating the clapperboard (slate) at the beginning of each take, loading the raw film stock into camera magazines, marking the actors as necessary, and maintaining all records and paperwork for the camera department. The name "clapper loader" tends to be used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, while second assistant camera tends to be favored in the United States, but the job is essentially the same whichever title is used. The specific responsibilities and division of labor within the department will almost always vary depending on the circumstances of the shoot. Responsibility The clapper loader typically has a very high responsibility level on any given set, because they are more or less the only person on set who directly and physically oversees the state of the undeveloped negative. The loader is the only person who actually handles the negative between the manufacturer and the laboratory, and thus can easily render an entire day's work useless if the film is handled improperly. Additionally, the loader usually is in charge of keeping all records with regard to the film stock from when it is received until when it is sent out to the lab; if this information is poorly communicated or missing, this too can destroy an expensive shoot. Furthermore, the loader usually has much else to do in addition to these tasks. Duties A full description of the job duties includes the following (although different shoots may often not always require all of these): Generally assisting the rest of the camera crew (focus puller, camera operator, director of photography) Utilizing the camera trainee, film loader, and/or camera runner if one has been brought onto the production Keeping inventory of all equipment, film, and expendables Requesting film stock as needed Securing the equipment Checking loading materials and spaces to prevent light leaks Cleaning and keeping clean the magazines and the loading environment Organizing and cleaning the equipment space Maintaining and cleaning the equipment Loading and unloading of film stock from and to the magazines Labeling of equipment, boxes, magazines, and storage spaces Marking actors and props Marking and operating the clapperboard properly Keeping meticulous and accurate camera notes Writing negative report sheets in detail Interfacing with continuity in order to note which takes to print Charging of batteries for camera and accessories Preparation of film to be sent to the lab Keeping records of time, per Diems, and expenses for the entire camera crew Liaising regularly with production, rental houses, editing, laboratories, and unions Recordkeeping of all camera-related paperwork, including negative reports, daily stock reports, film inventory reports, lab orders, rental contracts, and expendable orders Ensuring that all instructions from the director of photography are passed along properly to labs and post houses Relaying reports from the lab about the rushes to the director of photography And last but not least, keeping the camera crew well supplied with coffee, tea, water, or whatever other refreshments may be on hand On top of all of that, it is expected that a decent assistant will be able to anticipate a good part of those demands before they become demands.

1st AC / First Assistant Camera

Movie Crew

1st AC / First Assistant Camera In cinematography, a focus puller or first assistant camera (1 AC) is the member of a film crew responsible for keeping the camera's focus right during a shoot. Often this requires pulling the focus with a follow focus device during the take without looking through the camera (the camera operator is doing that), to compensate for camera or subject movement. The depth of field may sometimes be very small, as little as 1/4 or 1/8th of an inch (3–6 mm) in extreme circumstances. Most people on the set will agree that the focus puller's job is among the most technically difficult during production. To accurately focus on the subject, it is common to measure the distance (usually with a tape measure or, more recently, with electronic tape measures using lasers) between the camera and the subject being focused before the take. Specifically the measurement is from subject to film plane or image sensor, most movie cameras have a small stud even with the film plane where the focus puller will attach his tape measure. Professional 1st ACs have many tricks for pulling focus in difficult situations, such as when accurate measurement is impossible. The 1st AC is also responsible for maintaining the camera including keeping the lens and film gate clean during filming. They are also responsible for placing filters in the matte box in front of the lens and for being aware of lens flares.