The Final Cut

What is the role of the final edit in the post-production process?  How is it different from the assembly and rough cuts?

    The role of the final edit in the post-production process is to account for feedback and to create a clearer, more interesting, and more dramatic story. A primary way to achieve this is by cutting out redundancies in the film. Having redundant aspects of your film can bore the audience and often should be avoided. This can take the form of cutting out dialogue that only repeats information and doesn't add anything to the story or by cutting out dialogue when the actor is exhibiting behavior that conveys the same info, adding subtext and making them feel more interesting and relatable.

    The final edit is different from the assembly and the rough cut because in the final edit is when you add the finishing touches to the film and are ready to exhibit the film. The final edit is the step where you add all transitions, the finalized music, and titles to the cut. Once the final edit is done, the film is ready to be shown to audiences and you can exhibit it.

Script Supervisor

What is the role of the script supervisor in a film production?  What are their responsibilities?

    In a film production, the role of a script supervisor is to maintain the continuity of a scene between takes and shots and take notes. The responsibilities of a script supervisor (or scripty) is to take notes on everything that is in a scene, i.e., props, costuming, actors and their body language,  and everything that can be heard. This is important as they can identify any continuity errors and correct them, preventing them from appearing in the final project. They also take notes on which take of a shot is the one that the director likes and if an actor who's speaking is visible on camera.

What to Call Out

In your own words, write a paragraph on what needs to be called on set before what and explain why it is so important.  Refer to the Production Process slides if needed.

    There are multiple things that need to be called out and what is needed is dependent on the crew. It's incredibly important to make these call-outs as it ensures every department is on the same page and gives the actors time to settle, which will overall improve the efficiency and organization on set. Being more organized means more time saved and more money saved. The first thing that is said is "lock it up" by the AD, which tells every department to be ready for a take. Next, they call out "picture is up," which means that the next run through of the scene will be filmed, and the PA's call it out as well. They then say "roll sound," which is also repeated by the PAs. This is followed by "sound speed" by the sound mixer after they roll sound. The AD then calls out "roll camera" which is followed by the camera operating rolling the camera and responding with "camera speed." After this, the 2nd AC is positioned and calls out the roll, shot, and take before calling "marker" and clapping the slate. The camera operator refocuses the camera before calling set and finally the director calls out "action!"

How to Read a Call Sheet

After watching the video, how can understanding and effectively using a call sheet contribute to better communication and organization on a film set?

    Understanding and effectively using a call sheet contributes to better communication and organization on a film set because it provides important information in an easier to read document. Call sheets include locations, who's needed when, weather, what's being shot, and important instructions and reminders. This covers most everything you need to know for each day by day schedule and by providing a call sheet, the cast and crew are able to go into a shoot knowing what they need to know without much hassle. By including locations, it ensures that people know where to go and, in an emergency, where the nearest hospital is. It includes a call time so people know where and when they need to be present. And by having a list of the shots for the day, it gives everyone an idea and plan for how the shoot will go. Call sheets make sure people know what's happening which will prevent confusion and miscommunications that may cost a lot of time.

Shots vs Setups

What is the main difference between a shot vs. a setup?   What is the most important thing to keep in mind when you're going to shoot a scene?

    A shot is an uninterrupted group of frames for any period of time. Each cut moves from one shot to another one. A setup is the placement and angles of the lights and camera on set and each setup takes time to adjust everything. The main difference between a shot and a setup is that a setup can remain the same over multiple shots, maybe with minimal changes. The most important thing to keep in mind when shooting a scene is to shoot the shots by order of setup rather than the by order of shots. This is because there can be multiple shots that have the same setup but aren't in order. Thus, to save time, you should shoot all of those shots consecutively even though they aren't chronological as that means you'll have to move your setup less. Additionally, you should shoot similar shot with similar setups after one another as the small changes in setup will be much quicker than going back and forth—which is called a turnaround.

Coverage

In your own words explain what coverage is.  Why is it so important when you are shooting?

    Coverage is essentially getting shots from different angles and of different objects in order to make a more interesting cut. This includes triangle coverage—which is a master shot and two singles—insert shots, and cutaways. Insert shots make an object seen with in the master shot the subject, which can be very important to have when the object has a role or impacts the story of the scene. A cutaway typically shows what a character is seeing and it's something that is off screen. Getting good coverage is so important when you're shooting because it, as the name implies, covers your bases when it comes time to edit. By getting coverage of a scene, it gives the editor much more flexibility and leeway to create an interesting scene that makes sense and conveys what you want it to. Not having enough coverage may lead to vital details being missed, the scene feeling uncomfortable to the audience, or the scene just being boring.

Shot Lists

What is a shot list? Why is it so important?

    A shot list is an extensive plan on every shot that you expect to need for your project. It's essentially a written version of the cut of the film before shooting. In order to create a shot list, you must read through your script scene by scene and write down which shots you think are needed for each scene. This includes the type of shot and angle, which are often abbreviated, e.g., WS for wide shot, CU for close up, and MS for medium shot. Camera movements are also included, that being dollying, trucking, panning, and tilting. Additionally, terms are used to describe other types of compositional elements. For instance, a dirty shot is one with something in the foreground, such as an OTS. The opposite of a dirty shot is a clean shot, which has nothing in the foreground obscuring the subject.

    A shot list is so important because it plans out the entire cut of the movie, which ensures you get every shot you need. This will save time—which is money—as you're less likely to have to revisit scenes to shoot something you missed and you can schedule out for each shot and scene, which will make the process run smoother.