DIRECTING THE INDIE FILM DIRECTING THE CREW Sonia & Miriam Albert-Sobrino

Bibliography | Taken and adapted from

Gill, Liz. Running the Show: The Essential Guide to Being a First Assistant Director. Waltham, MA: Focal, 2012. Print.
Elkins, David E. The Camera Assistant's Manual. Burlington, MA: Focal, 2005. Print.
DIRECTING THE INDIE FILM DIRECTING THE CREW PAGE 01 Sonia & Miriam Albert-Sobrino

UNIVERSAL GUIDELINES FOR ANY SET OUT OF LINE BEHAVIOR FOR CREW

• Show up a bit early for the call • Inappropriate sexual jokes

• Be polite. Say “please” and ”thanks”
• Let people do their job
• Be humble
• Ask questions about assignments if in doubt
• Watch what’s going on in your department
• Make your superior look good
• Don’t embarrass anyone
• Don’t be a hero
• Listen very carefully before you leap
• Learn and use coworker’s names
• Work hard and willingly
THE A TO Z GUIDE TO FILM SET ETIQUETTE
http://www.theblackandblue.com/2011/12/13/a-z-etiquette/
• Always follow up. Always double check. Always try your hardest. Always ask questions.
Always be respectful.
• When busy, be brief. Say only what’s needed.
• When driving other crew and/or equipment, be gentle and aware of all laws, but get
there as quickly as you legally can.
• Assuming outlets are free to use is how batteries get unplugged and breakers get tripped.
Before you plug anything into an outlet, ask an electrician if it’s OK.
• While waiting in line for your lunch break, let your superiors go in front of you. When
making stops at the craft services table, offer to bring stuff back for other crew.
• Unless it’s your department’s gear or they’ve tasked you to help, don’t touch
it. Seriously — if it’s not yours, don’t touch it
• Yell “HOT POINTS!” whenever carrying something long and pointy around corners or
through doorways (i.e. dolly track, camera sticks, C-stands)
• On your first day of a shoot, take the time to introduce yourself to anyone and everyone
— including talent, if the situation permits. It makes working with them a lot more friendly
and fun.
• Standing around will make you look useless, confused, lost, and also lazy. There’s always
something to be done.
• Stingers, C-47’s, sticks, babies, high-hats, Gary Coleman, video village, apple box, sharps,
and horseback. Unsure what any of that means? It helps to learn film production slang to
be able to communicate effectively.
• When you mess up, apologize and find a solution. It’s never worth dwelling on.
• Smartphones are an important piece of the toolkit for many on set, but they also still
have that annoying problem all cell phones have — noise. Turning off your phone is best,
but silence it at least — even vibrate makes noise.
• Video Village: The monitor where the director, producer, and script supervisor stand can
get very crowded very quick. The harsh truth is that, besides your curiosity to watch the
take, you probably don’t need to be there — so don’t be.
• Bright shirts may bring out the color in your eye, but vivid clothing also can affect the
lighting of a scene. Avoid wearing certain colors like white, yellow, and light grays that
can unintentionally bounce light into a scene.
• Political, religious or racial jokes and slurs
• Compromising safety on location
• Alcohol or drug use
• Negative criticism of anything or anybody
• Badmouthing other production companies, equipment houses, and crews
• Loud talking on the set
• Replacing yourself on a job without warning
• Not saying anything when seeing something dangerous
PERSONALITY PROBLEMS
Working on a set is hard and very tiring. Even when tired, avoid having a bad attitude or
creating a bad working environment. It’s a contagious behavior. Be kind, understanding,
and respect every one.
Proactive behavior is key. Take responsibility of your own actions, and be helpful on finding
solutions to potential problems. Be the solution-maker not the trouble-maker.
EQUIPMENT
Equipment is expensive and even when insured it is important to take good care of it as
processing a claim on theft, lost ,or damage can take long.
Follow these guidelines to protect your gear:
• Never leave your gear unattended. That means also inside the trunk of your car or
inside the ”camera truck” overnight
• Keep a low profile, specially when carrying very expensive gear
• Backup your files and store separately
• Check your camera insurance
• Inventory your gear before travelling, take record of the gear’s registration numbers
• Consider adding a GPS locator or RFID tags
• Avoid extreme temperature changes or exposing your gear to extreme temperatures
(i.e. car trunks)
LOCATION ETIQUETTE
Treat the location better than if it were your own house. Be careful not to damage walls,
floors or any other. Even if you have an insurance, avoid any dent, scratch or breaking
anything. You might want to film there again in the future or other filmmakers might want to
do the same.
Cover floors, and ask people whose homes you are using to put their valuables away. Your
crew is probably very honest, but bystanders may not be.
Avoid leaving equipment or gear all over the place. The messier you are, the higher the
chances of losing stuff. Be tidy and organized.
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YOU’VE GOT e-mail

Writing an e-mail is part of everyone’s life, unfortunately not everyone is good at it. Here are some suggestions to help you communicate better via electronic mail:
1. State who you are. That includes having an email address that is easy to recognize. Avoid hard to spell words or those with additional connotations: SugarCandy@ | candycnt112@ |
Rachmaninoff@ (Unless you are Sergei Rachmaninoff)
2. Subject. Include a subject that is clear, indicates the urgency of the email, is honest and on point. Make sure is specific enough. Typing just class or assignment is too broad. Use instead:
[Directing Class] Absent March 1st.
3. Keep it simple. Paragraphs should be under three lines. If you need to write a long email, the more paragraphs the better. Go right to the point and avoid unnecessary information.
4. Use proper grammar and complete sentences.
5. Closing. Include your contact info and position. Avoid fancy quotes, links to personal non professional related websites.

TIPS ON HOW TO EMAIL by James Hamblin [The Atlantic]

[NO SIGNOFF]
Best? Cheers? Thanks?
None of the above. You can write your name if it feels too naked or abrupt not to have something down there. But it shouldn’t, and it wouldn’t if it were the norm.

[NO GREETING]
Don’t waste time considering if “Dear,” or “Hey” or “[name]!” is appropriate. Just get right into it. Write the recipient’s name if you must. But most people already know their names. Like they
already know your name.
Greetings and closings are relics of the handwritten missive that persist only as matters of, ostensibly, formality. Foregoing them can seem curt or impolite. But it’s the opposite. Long, formal
emails are impolite.

[BREVITY SIGNALS RESPECT. THREE SENTENCES OR FEWER]

An email is an imposition on a person’s time. Writing to someone is saying I know you have a finite amount of time and attention today, and in life, and I’m going to take some of it.
Undue formality only wastes more of that time. And it wastes the writer’s time in worrying about exactly how formal to be.
Rarely does an email require more than three sentences. If it does, consider calling or getting together in person. Social interaction is healthy, and more time spent in the inbox isn’t likely to be.

[DON’T LET THE INBOX BECOME A TO-DO LIST]

Remember always that newness does not signal priority.
Aspiring to inbox zero—an empty inbox, perfectly clean and organized and contained—is for most people some mythical idea. The world seems to be conspiring to keep it from happening. And
obsessing over it can be totally counterproductive if it means you give priority to emails that don’t deserve your attention at the moment.
But inbox zero is totally possible if you add emails to a to-do list, along with all other worldly tasks, that you can keep prioritized according to what you really need to get done. What you really
want out of any given day, week, or lifetime. Which is rarely to be beholden to the whims of an inbox.

[CHECK ONLY TWO OR THREE TIMES A DAY]

If your job allows, obviously. (And most do, if you insist on it.)
I used to check more like 100 times. Many American workers spend a total of six hours a day in their inbox, according to one calculation (which seems high to me). Others have put it closer to
two hours, though that doesn’t factor in the time lost during switching tasks. Every time you check your email, you lose an additional 30 seconds or so that it takes to refocus your attention on
whatever you were doing.

INTERACTING with HUMANS

The same rules to writing an email apply to interacting to people face to face.
1. If it is the first time you meet them. State who you are and greet them following the standard way of meeting people (hand shake is usually the best way but PLEASE WASH YOUR
HANDS).
2. Keep it simple. Avoid sharing information is not needed and if you are in a public space remember what are you talking about and who could be listening. Apply the principles of The
Hawthorne effect to every daily life interaction.
3. Closing. Thank them for listening to you and refer to a follow up email if you think is needed.
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THE FILM’S CREW ON SET [ORGANIZATION CHART]

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

PRODUCER

UNIT PRODUCTION Assistant UPM

MANAGER Production Secretary

1st Assistant Director

FILM Production Assistant
DIRECTOR 2nd Assistant Director

HEAD DEPARTMENTS

CINEMATOGRAPHER SOUND MIXER PRODUCTION DESIGNER POST

Camera Operator GAFFER KEY GRIP Boom Operator ART DIRECTOR SUPERVISOR

First Assistant Best Boy Best Boy Set Decorator VFX

Camera
Property
Second Assistant Electrics Grips
Camera Costume

Loader/ Digital Hair and Make-up

Imaging Technician
SFX
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THE DIRECTOR’S CREW

An ASSISTANT DIRECTOR is very different from an ASSISTANT TO the director

FIRST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SECOND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

- Creates and manages the schedule - Creates the call sheets during the shoot
- Runs the set - Liaises with all the departments
- Executes the director’s vision within the parameters of the production’s resources - Facilitates communication between the office and the set
- Makes sure the day’s work is complete - Supervises cast getting through make up, hair, wardrobe to set
- Directs the background’s action - Alert office about injuries or equipment malfunction
- Supervises crowd control
- Maintains communication between the director and the crew WALKIE-TALKIES PRACTICES
Assistant Director Liz Gill states that the First Assistant Director’s currency is Time. Additionally, CHANNEL 1 is the main channel and it is the voice of the First Assistant. No one talks on that
it is widely agreed that the job of the first AD is to anticipate problems and find solutions to
channel unless is to ask someone to go to another channel (“Mike on channel 4, please|” or
them proactively. ”Mike go to channel 4, please”).
CHANNEL 2 is the AD’s overflow channel for longer “conversations”.
CHANNEL 3 is for Electricians.
FIRST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR’S COMMON PHRASES AND PRACTICES
CHANNEL 4 is for Camera Crew.
CHANNEL 5 is for Locations.
| LOCKING IT UP | Securing the set to the degree that no one talks or move during the set
CHANNEL 6 is for Transport.
| HOLDING TRAFFIC | Holding a road for filming
To get someone on walkie say “Name, come in please”. The reply to that should be “Go For
| RELEASE TRAFFIC | Refers to both cars and pedestrians
Name”. Usually conversations over the walkie are closed with “Back To 1”.
| HOLD THE ROLL | If sound is still rolling but camera isn’t
| AFS [After False Start] | On slate when AD or Director cut before calling action
| WALKIE CHECK | Proper response to this should be | GOOD CHECK |
| ON A ROLL | When it’s easier to film the action a few times within the same take, rather than
| ROGER |
cutting, resetting and going again.
| OVER |
| SILENT ROLL | Specially useful with kids or animals or in documentaries
| 10-1 | To go to the bathroom
| QUIET PLEASE | Even when shooting MOD
| 10-2 | To go to the bathroom
| TURNING AROUND | Changing to the other direction of the scene
| 10-4 | Understood the message
| SETTLE | Used when instructing someone to get into their position
| 20 | Location, as in, “what’s your 20?”
| CROSSING | When disturbing the view to acknowledge the cast and crew
| COPY | Used to show that a message was heard AND understood
| FLASHING | Taking a photograph with a flash
| “EYES ON…” | Said when a person or object is spotted. Can be a question, “Does anyone
| IT’S THE ABBY | Second to last shot of the day
have eyes on the camera tape?” or a statement, “I’ve got eyes on Steve.”
| THE MARTINI or THE GUINNESS | The last shot of the day
| FLYING IN | Said when a person or object is on the way to set
| STAND BY | Used to let another person know that one is too busy to respond at the moment

CALLING THE SHOTS

1. ” Waiting on… “ (lighting, talent…)

2. “Last Looks” or “Final Checks”
3. “Picture is up; quiet on the set!” or “Lock it up”
4. “Turnover” or “ Roll Camera” or “Roll Sound” (Sound recordist will respond with a “Sound Speed” or “Speed”)
5. CLAPPER LOADS SLATE
6. ”Background Action”
7. “Action”
8. “Cut”
9. If the take is good, the First AD calls “Check the Gate” so the Camera Operator confirms that there was not malfunctioning during the take: “CLEAR GATE”.
10. If an additional take is necessary the First AD calls: ”Reset” or “Back to one” or “Going On”. “Moving on” is used to call the next shot.
DIRECTING THE INDIE FILM DIRECTING THE CREW PAGE 05 Sonia & Miriam Albert-Sobrino

THE CAMERA CREW

The Camera crew includes the CAMERA DEPARTMENT and the GRIP & LIGHTING DEPARTMENTS

CINEMATOGRAPHER

The DP is the head of all technical departments on a film crew and is responsible for establishing how the script is translated into visual images based on the Director’s request. The DP decides
which camera, lenses, and film stock will be used for the production. The DP hires or recommends the Camera Operator and often also hires or recommends the 1st AC. In some cases, mostly on
nonunion productions, the DP acts as Camera Operator, so that position will not be a part of the film crew.

CAMERA OPERATOR

The next person in line in the camera department is the Camera Operator. In the United States, the Camera Operator works closely with the DP to determine the composition for each shot as
instructed by the Director.
The primary job of the Camera Operator is to make smooth pan and tilt moves to maintain the composition of the subject. The Camera Operator keeps the action within the frame lines to tell the
story. Sometimes the Camera Operator decides the placement of the camera and also chooses the lens for each shot.

FIRST ASSISTANT CAMERA SECOND ASSISTANT CAMERA

This person usually preps the camera package alone or with the second assistant. It’s the main The Second Assistant prepares the camera package with the First Assistant. The role of this
care taker of the camera and also pulls focus. person is usually associated with the clapper and the loader/DIT.

Different type of marks for actors

Useful reading: Elkins, David E. The Camera Assistant's Manual. Burlington, MA: Focal, 2005. Print.
DIRECTING THE INDIE FILM DIRECTING THE CREW PAGE 06 Sonia & Miriam Albert-Sobrino

MORE ON THE CAMERA ASSISTANT THE SLATE

There are two assistants to the camera operator: The main purpose of the slate is to help synchronizing video and sound.

• | First Assistant Camera | Usually the Focus Puller. The main tasks of the 1st AC are: SLATING
• Knows and understands motion pictures cameras.
• Reads the script so understands what it needs to be done to tell the story
- Make the slate BIG in the frame. Write legible & large.
• Works with the DP and/or Camera Operator to choose the camera equipment.
- The slate goes into frame when the AD calls “Roll sound!” and sound recordist confirms
• Recommends the 2nd AC
“Rolling!”
• Works with the 2nd AC to prepare a list of expendables
- Just before hitting the slate, say SCENE NUMBER, TAKE and call out “MARK!” or
• Preps the camera package
“MARKER!” This tells whoever is syncing that the next loud noise they hear is the slate.
• Cares for and maintains all camera equipment during production
• Mounts the camera head onto the tripod, dolly, or other support
• Unpacks, assembles and warms up the camera MUTE SLATE [MOS (Mit Out Sound)]
• Does not leave the camera unattended
• Keeps all parts of the camera clean and free from dirt
• Before each shot ensures the camera is level and balanced
• Makes sure no lights are kicking into the lens causing a flare
• Places lenses, filters…
• Checks that lenses and filters clean before filming
• Sets the T-stop on the lens
• Measures the distances to subjects during rehearsals and marks the lens or
focusing marking disk
• Checks the depth of field for each shot
• Follows/racks focus and makes zoom lens changes
• Adjusts the shutter speed, t-stop and frame rate
• Gives the 2nd AC footage readings from the camera after each take
• “Checks the gate”
• Supervises transportation of the camera between filming locations
• Views dailies with the DP and Director

• | Second Assistant Camera | Usually the Clapper. Main tasks are:

• Reads the script so understands what it needs to be done to tell the story
• Prepares list of expendables with 1st AC
• Prepares the camera package along with the 1st AC
• Cleans the camera truck and/or camera room
• Loads and unloads film – Works with or as DIT
• Works with Script Supervisor to obtain the scene and take number
• Records all the information on the slate
• Records all the information on the camera reports 1.
• Marks the positions of actors during rehearsals 2.
• Assists in changing lenses, filters, and so on
• Works with the 1st AC to move the camera to each new position
• At the end of the shooting day, helps the 1st AC pack away all camera 3.
equipment
4.
5.
Useful reading: Elkins, David E. The Camera Assistant's Manual. Burlington, MA: Focal, 2005.
Print.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Avoid using the letters “I” & “O”
Soft sticks: Use “soft sticks” when doing close ups, generally when the slate is close to
the actor’s face. Make sure to call: “SOFT STICKS” so the editor knows that the
waveform will be smaller.
Second sticks: Call ”second sticks” when the first clap wasn’t visible or wrongly done,
aka as false clap.
Be creative when reading the scene, specially if it has a letter.
“Tail Slate” is used when slating at the beginning of the take was not possible (i.e.
Silent Roll). Place the slate upside done in front of the camera and call “Tail Slate”
before clapping so the editor understand what’s happening.
DIRECTING THE INDIE FILM DIRECTING THE CREW PAGE 07 Sonia & Miriam Albert-Sobrino

Progress on the set is measured in SETUPS. Gear should to be staged neatly. Like items kept together,
Feature films shoot 2 to 3 script pages a day which is around 10 to 15 setups . STAGING everything easily accessible. When finished with a piece of gear it
SETUPS A television single-camera show films 4 to 8 pages a day which is typically 20 to 30 should be returned to the staging area, but not returned to the truck
FILM GEAR
setups. until wrap.
Box, Harry C. Set Lighting Technician's Handbook: Film Lighting Equipment, Practice, and Electrical For more info go to: http://howtofilmschool.com/101-grip-electric-
Distribution. Amsterdam: Focal, 2003. Print. tips-to-live-by/

FILMING A DEAL [ A deal is a SCENE]

1. One direction of the action

STAGING A. MST COVERAGE 2. Wider shots > Close ups

OF GEAR
B. SEGMENT COVERAGE 3. “Turning around”

4. Other direction of the action

SETUP

1 | BLOCKING | The planning, or staging, of a scene in terms of position and camera movement in combination with placement and movement of the camera
[Kuhn, Annette, and Guy Westwell. A Dictionary of Film Studies. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2012.]

During blocking the set is usually cleared so the First Team (actors and directors) can work without distraction. Once the scene is ready to show, the AD calls a “MARKING REHEARSAL”
and that’s when all key crew pile into the set and watch. The 2nd AC marks the actors position and grips and electricians take note of the set and how to make the lighting design
possible.

2 | LIGHTING OF THE SCENE | Basic lighting, nothing major, just a a pre-light of the scene occurs while the First Team is still on set. Then, First Team is sent to make up; in that moment, the
Second Team enters and stand-ins are used instead of the main actors for major lighting setups and to rehearse camera shots.

3 | FINAL REHEARSAL | First team is called back in, first AD calls for rehearsal “QUIET PLEASE, REHEARSAL’S UP. REHEARSAL’S UP”.

4 | TWEAK |

5 | SHOOT | Always stay clear of the actor’s eyelines during rehearsals and takes.