First Time Director : How to Make Your Breakthrough Movie

by Bettman, Gil

• ISBN13: 9780941188777
• ISBN10: 0941188779
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-11-01
• Publisher: Ingram Pub Services

Summary

Directing is a high wire act. For first time directors the pressures can be magnified a hundred fold, since they usually have only one shot to make a splash in the independent film community. This book teaches first time directors how to make the most of their first opportunity using straight forward, results-orientated instructions. 'First Time Director' also contains a Foreword by Robert Zemekis, Oscar Winning Director of Forrest Gump, Cast Away, What Lies Beneath, Contact, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Back to the Future I, II, III.

Author Biography

Gil Bettman is an Associate Professor in the School of Film and Television at Chapman University in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Foreword, by Robert Zemeckis	xv
PART ONE - BEFORE THE BATTLE
Chapter 1. Preproduction	3	(20)
Soaking Up the Atmosphere	3	(2)
Decisions! Decisions!	5	(1)
Work, Work, Work!	6	(5)
Producer and Director - 'Til Death Do Them Part	11	(7)
Crewing Up	18	(3)
Summary Points	21	(2)
Chapter 2. Content Is Everything	23	(30)
Casting and Scripting	23	(3)
A Few Examples from the World According to Bob	26	(1)
Perfecting Your Script - Getting the Audience into the Movie	27	(2)
The Hero	29	(4)
The Heroic Quest	33	(3)
Attaining Perfection in Casting	36	(2)
How Do You Define Perfection? Casting Your Leads	38	(1)
Casting Your Supporting Roles	39	(1)
Content and the Producer - Sometimes They Come from Different Planets	40	(3)
How to Be Almost Producer-Proof Write the Script	43	(3)
How to Be Producer-Proof Write the Script and Raise the Money	46	(3)
Summary Points	49	(4)
PART TWO - VISUAL DESIGN
Chapter 3. Camera Blocking	53	(26)
Why Move Your Camera?	53	(1)
When Do You Move Your Camera?	54	(2)
Externally and Internally Generated Camera Moves	56	(7)
Moving Establishing Shots	63	(1)
Those Who Break Bob's Rule and Why They Do It	64	(9)
Now That You Know the Rules, It Gets Really Complicated	73	(5)
Summary Points	78	(1)
Chapter 4. The Good Moving Master	79	(34)
The Four Tasks of a Good Moving Master	79	(13)
Task 1 - Shows the Audience Everything It Needs to See in a Scene	79	(3)
Task 4 - Picks Up Some Coverage	82	(4)
Task 3 - Generates Eye Candy	86	(5)
Task 2 - Concentrates the Audience's Attention on the Center of the Drama	91
How Zemeckis Shoots a Moving Master Following the Dictates of the Four
Tasks	92	(18)
Summary Points	110	(3)
Chapter 5. Lenses - Why Force Perspective?	113	(24)
Lens Selection As a Joint Responsibility between Director and Cinematographer	113	(3)
The Basics of Perspective	116	(2)
Extreme Telephoto and Extreme Wide-Angle versus Normal Perspective	118	(3)
Lenses - Field of Vision and Depth of Field	121	(1)
General Applications of Different Lenses	122	(3)
Forced Perspective Made Easy	125	(2)
How Lenses Affect Movement	127	(6)
Summary Points	133	(4)
PART THREE - PERFORMANCE
Chapter 6. Directing Actors - It Takes Erudition and Intuition	137	(52)
Breaking Down the Script	141	(1)
The Spine of the Film - The Spine of the Characters	141	(4)
The Actor's Objective -An Overview	145	(7)
How Objectives Work- Get-from or Do-to Objectives + Conflict = Reality	152	(6)
Physicalization of the Objective	158	(3)
Identifying the Most-Playable Objective	161	(3)
Ultraplayable Objectives	164	(3)
Adjustments	167	(6)
"The More Adjustments, the Better" - How Come?	173	(4)
All Adjustments Are Gerunds or Adverbs	177	(1)
Improvisation	178	(3)
Script Breakdown - Layout	181	(5)
Summary Points	186	(3)
Chapter 7. Rehearsal	189	(26)
Preparation	189	(3)
Credibility versus Interpretation	192	(2)
Objectives and Adjustments in Rehearsal	194	(6)
Physicalization As a Rehearsal Tool	200	(2)
Improvisation As a Rehearsal Tool	202	(3)
Making Weak Actors Believable and Good Actors Great - Improv As a Versatile Tool for Rehearsal	205	(2)
Preparation Is Everything	207	(3)
Summary Points	210	(5)
PART FOUR - SET POLITICS
Chapter 8. On the Set	215	(42)
Getting Ahead by Getting Along	215	(4)
Successful Collaboration	219	(1)
Collaborating with the 1st AD	220	(3)
The First Walk-Through for Camera	223	(1)
Collaborating with the Cinematographer	224	(5)
Making Your Stars Shine during Production - Off the Set	229	(8)
During Production - On the Set	237	(7)
On the Set in Front of the Camera and Crew Collaborating with Your Lead Actors During the First Walk-Through for Camera	244	(5)
Taming the Actors Who Chew the Scenery	249	(1)
Collaborating with Yourself	250	(3)
Summary Points	253	(4)
PART FIVE - POSTPRODUCTION
Chapter 9. To the Answer Print and Beyond	257	(50)
Collaborating with Your Editor	257	(4)
Reshoots	261	(2)
Inserts	263	(10)
Post Sound - An Overview	273	(2)
Spotting the Picture for Sound Effects and ADR	275	(5)
On the ADR Stage	280	(3)
Hiring a Composer	283	(1)
Working with the Composer	284	(3)
Sound Mixing or Rerecording	287	(3)
Promotion	290	(4)
To the Answer Print and the Sweet Hereafter	294	(1)
Signing with a Manager/Agent	294	(4)
Signing with a Publicist	298	(1)
Coping with Success or the Lack Thereof Summary Points	298	(9)
About the Author	307