Directing: Set Time Management (page 2)

Talent can be a very expensive part of your budget. Make sure you schedule your talent call to include time for makeup and wardrobe, if needed, and rehearsal/walk-through time. While the talent does not have to show up as early as the crew, nor stay as late, you have to leave enough time so that, while the crew is setting up the first shot, you can be working with the talent, walking them through their blocking and making sure they know the tone, style and delivery you are looking for in their performances.

As with the crew, it is a good idea to give the talent an idea of where the day's shoot is going and remind them where their characters are coming from in the context of the story. The setup plans you used with the crew can be just as helpful with the talent. If the talent knows precisely what you expect of them, they will more likely deliver a good performance. Don't be so rigid in your planning that you do not allow talent to contribute ideas and small rewrites of lines, but keep the changes to a minimum and make sure the talent always knows what to expect, including where they are going and what they are doing in each setup.

You do not want to have anyone standing around before or after a shot, so plan your day in such a way that, while the talent is getting ready for the next shot, you are working with the crew. Then while the crew is setting up, you are working with the talent to prepare them for their performance.

Always be prepared to make small changes to the talent's performance and the technical aspects of the shot. Again, try to balance the time spent with both talent and crew, so that one group is not standing around waiting for the other to get ready.

It is the little things that sometimes destroy the efficient workings of a set. Take, for instance, food. You might want to start out your day with a well-catered breakfast. Breakfast isn't very expensive and a fed crew is a happy crew. As long as the coffeepot is full and the fruit and pastries are abundant, the crew and cast will perform. Never release your crew and cast for lunch. Cater the meal. You will waste valuable time waiting for stragglers. You will also create a sense of community if the talent and crew eat together.

Another major set time-saver is an efficient script supervisor. Make sure you always have someone on staff who will watch the script, take notes delineating good and bad shots and keep track of continuity (so that each take looks the same in terms of sets and props). A good script supervisor will enable you to concentrate on the technical aspects and the cast. As the director, you shouldn't have to try to keep track of everything, because this takes time; time away from your crew and cast. It also costs time when everyone stands around while you take care of the little stuff.

Finally, a well-run, efficient set is a happy set. If everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing and why, there will be no quibbling, no hesitation and no second-guessing. True professionals take their craft seriously but also like to have fun. If you take the uncertainty of a poorly-planned shoot away, you will create a fun, productive atmosphere in which to work. Plan accordingly, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. And, as a great side benefit, you'll save some bucks!

Contributing editor Robert G. Nulph, Ph.D. is an independent video/film producer/director and teaches video production courses at the college level.

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