Voice Vision A Creative Approach to Narrative Filmmaking 3rd Edition by Mick Hurbis Cherrier 9780415739986 0415739985

Part I ■ Developing Your Film on Paper

Chapter 1: From Idea to Cinematic Story

Finding an Idea

From an Idea to a Story

Narrative Basics I: Essential Story Elements

The Central Character

The Dramatic Situation: Conflict, Action, and the Central Question

Story Dynamism: Action, Change, and Development

The Stakes

Resolution and Meaning

Story Essentials in Practice

Making Specific Choices

Narrative Basics II: Goal and Conflict-Driven Stories

Narrative Basics III: Other Dramatic Story Concepts

A Final Note on Essential Dramatic Principles

Ideas within Limitations

Story Scale and Film Length

Production Time

Financial Resources

Equipment, Location, Props, and Other Resources

Cast and Crew

Keep It Manageable

Chapter 2: The Screenplay

Stages of Script Development

Concept

Treatment

Author’s Draft to Final Draft

Shooting Script

Formatting the Author’s Draft Screenplay

Elements of an Author’s Draft Script

Screenplay Language and Style

Visual Writing, Character, and Action

Working with Dialogue: Revealing Emotions, Not Announcing Them

Reworking and Rewriting

Chapter 3: The Visual Language and Aesthetics of Cinema

Shots, Sequences, and Scenes

The Frame and Composition

Dimensions of the Frame

Shot Composition and the Graphic Qualities of the Frame

Shot Size

Camera Angles

The Moving Frame

Camera Moves

The Moving Frame and Perspective

Motivation and the Moving Camera

Rate of Motion

Slow Motion

Fast Motion

Conclusion

Chapter 4: Organizing Cinematic time and Space

Single-Camera Production and the Continuity System

Principles of Continuity Style

Continuity of Mise-en-Scène

Continuity of Sound

Continuity of Performance, Actions, and Placement

Spatial Continuity and the 180° Principle

20mm/30° Rule

Cutting on Action

Scene Strategies: Putting Continuity to Use

Two-Person and Person/Object Interactions

Changing the Line of Action

Creating Visual Point of View

Group Interactions

Moving a Person through Space

Moving People through Space: Following or Converging

Parallel Action Sequence

Cheating on Film

Style Outside the Continuity System

Jump Cut Technique

Long Take Technique

Chapter 5: From Screenplay to Visual Plan

Three Tools for Previsualization

The Shooting Script

Overhead Diagrams

Storyboards

It’s Only on Paper, Not Written in Stone

The Director and Previsualizing: A Method

The Big Picture

The Details: How to Cover Scenes

Back to the Big Picture

Previsualization and Collaboration

Director and Cinematographer

Director and Actors

Director and Production Team

The Shot List: From Visual Plan to Production Plan

Creating a Shot List

Day-to-Day Production Scheduling

Part II ■ Preparing for Production

Chapter 6: Preparing for Production

Line Producing and the Creative Process

How Much is Enough?

Production Design

Locations and Set Dressing

Location Scouting

The Location Technical Survey

Wardrobe and Props

The Script Breakdown

Budgeting Your Film

Shooting Days: Film Length, Scale, and Shooting Ratio

Workflow and Budgeting

Department Structure

Equipment and Facilities

Supplies, Materials, and Expendables

Location Expenses

Personnel (Cast and Crew)

Legal and Insurance

Hidden Costs and Contingency

Feature-Film Budgets

Summary: Preproduction Paperwork

Chapter 7: The Cast and Crew

The Production Crew

Production Department Structure

Departments and Department Heads: The Creative Core

The Producing Team

The Director, Assistant Director, and Script Supervisor

The Camera and Electric Departments

The Art Department

The Sound Department

The Appropriate Crew Size

Crew Meetings and Communication

Being a Crewmember

On-Camera Talent

Finding an Actor

Auditions

Callbacks

Releases, Minors, and Unions

Actors Unions

Working with Actors I: Before the Camera Rolls

The Actor as Creative Collaborator

Rehearsals

Working with Trained Actors

Working with Nonactors

Working with Extras

The Contact Sheet

Part III ■ Tools and Techniques: Production

Chapter 8: The Digital Video System

Film: A Mechanical and Photochemical Medium

Video: An Electronic Medium

Analog versus Digital Video

Video Formats

Broadcast Standards

Scanning and Frame Rate

Aspect Ratio

Resolution

Color Encoding: Rec. 709 and Rec. 2020

Timecode

Other Broadcast Standards Worldwide

DCI Standards for Theatrical Projection

A Final Note on Video Standards

Chapter 9: The Digital Video Camera

Digital Video Camera Essentials: Exterior

The Body

Function Buttons and Switches

The Lens

Servo Zoom Control

Viewfinders and LCD Viewscreens

Media Bay

Video, Audio, Data-In and Out

DC Power

Digital Video Camera Essentials: Interior

The Image Sensor

Analog-to-Digital Converter

The Digital Signal Processor

Compression and Codecs

Chroma Subsampling

Data Rate

Camera Settings

Format Settings

Image Control Settings

Digital Video Cameras Today

The Camcorder

DSLRs and Mirrorless Cameras

Hybrid Large Sensor Cameras

Action Cams

The Ultra High End: D-Cinema, UHD, and Beyond

How Much Camera Do You Actually Need?

The Future

Chapter 10: The Camera Lens

Basic Lens Optics

Focal Length

Prime and Zoom Lenses

Crop Factor: Focal Length and Sensor Size

Lens Perspective

Focus

Selective Focus

Methods for Finding Focus

Aperture

F-stops and T-stops

Aperture and Exposure Control

Lens Speed

Automatic versus Manual Lens Functions

Depth of Field

Controlling Depth of Field

DOF Range Distribution

Circle of Confusion

Chapter 11: Camera Support

The Handheld Camera

Shoulder Mounts

The Tripod

Tripod Head

Tripod Legs

The Dolly

Sliders

Jib Arms

Stabilizing Systems

Jerry-Rigged or Improvised Support Systems

Drones

Aesthetic and Practical Considerations

Camera Moves versus Camera Adjustments

Chapter 12: Basics of Exposure

Image Exposure

Elements of Exposure

Finding Exposures with In-Camera Meters

The Run ‘n’ Gun Exposure Method

The Gray Card Exposure Method

Zoom versus Spot Meter Function

Which Exposure?

More Metering Options

Black, White, and Middle Gray: A Waveform Monitor Introduction

Zebras

Using Field Monitors

Chapter 13: Basics of Light and Lighting

The Fundamental Objectives of Lighting

The Fundamental Sources of Light

Three Essential Properties of Light

Intensity

Quality

Color Temperature

Light and Directionality

Fundamental Lighting Setups and Principles

Key Light

Fill Light

Backlight

Set Lights

Specials and Practicals

Three-Point Lighting

Lighting Order and Exposures

Lighting Ratios

Background-to-Subject Ratio

Exterior Lighting

Location Scouting and Scheduling

Check the Weather

Subject and Camera Positions

Sun Plus Bounced Light

Shade Plus Bounced Light

Diffusing Sunlight

Dusk-for-Night

Shooting at Night

Magic Hour

Altering Light with Gels and Filters

Lighting Gels

Camera Filters

Basic Lighting and Grip Equipment

Lighting Units

Basic Grip Gear

Chapter 14: Lighting and Exposure: Beyond the Basics

Contrast Range and Dynamic Range

Contrast Range

Dynamic Range

Video Gamma

Gamma Options

Dynamic Range versus Useable Dynamic Range

Advanced Exposure Tools

Handheld Light Meters

The Waveform Monitor

Putting Dynamic Range, Exposures, and Lighting to Work

Reflectance and Exposure Range

Camera Tests

Don’t Forget What It’s All About

Lighting Approaches and Styles

Naturalism and Lighting

Stylized Lighting

Not an Either/or Choice

Finding the Appropriate Lighting Strategy

The Overall Look

Visual Research

Other Considerations

A Final Word on Cinematography

Chapter 15: Sound for Production

What is Production Audio?

Understanding Sound

Frequency (Pitch)

Amplitude (Loudness)

Quality (Timbre)

Velocity

Production Sound

Location Audio: Sync Sound, Wild Sound, and Ambient Sound

Location Acoustics

Double-System and Single-System Recording

Why Double-System for Narrative Projects?

The Slate in Double-System Recording

Digital Sound Recording

The Basic Signal Path

Digital Audio: Quality Matters

Sampling, Bit Depth, and File Formats

Production Sound Tools

The Digital Sound Recorder

Sound Recording Direct to Camera

Portable Field Mixers

Microphones

Dynamic, Condenser, and Electret Condenser

Microphone Frequency Response

Microphone Directionality

The XLR Connector

Wireless and On-Board Microphones

What’s Really Important

Chapter 16: Location Sound Techniques

The Sound Team

Sound Preproduction

Recording Technique

Setting Levels

Reference Tone and Calibration

Manual versus Automatic Functions

Headphone Monitoring

Microphone Technique

Selecting the Right Microphone

Balance, Consistency, and Being On-Axis

Booms and Boom Technique

Using Lavaliere Mics

Miking and Perspective

Using Multiple Microphones

Ambient Sound and Audio Continuity

Miscellaneous Recording Challenges

Chapter 17: On-Set Procedures

Walking Onto the Set

Who Does What, When

Dressing the Set

Loading In

Prepping the Gear and Rough Setup

Tech Rehearsal

Setup

Final Run-Throughs

Shooting a Take

Slate Protocol

Evaluating the Take

Additional Shooting Procedures

Time Management

The Script Supervisor’s Report

Data Management

File-Based Media Management on the Set

The Data Wrangler’s Kit

The Data Backup Process

Data Organization

After the Shoot

Striking the Set

That’s a Wrap!

The Director and Actors On the Set

Tech Rehearsals

Setup

Run-throughs

Takes

Flexibility and Opportunities

Chapter 18: Set Etiquette and Production Safety

Set Etiquette: Respect, Courtesy, and Good Work

Food and Breaks

Courtesy on Public Locations

Respect and Protect the Locations, Props, and Costumes

Respect Your Equipment

Production Safety and Security

Prepare for Safety

Production Insurance

Common Sense

Locations and Permits

Rest and Health

Weather

Risky Locations

Picture Vehicles and Drones

Weapons and Violence

Fire and Open Flames

Water

Physical Stunts

Security

Electricity and Safety

How Much Electricity?

Electrical Loads and Time

Lighting and Grip Safety Tips

Part IV ■ Tools and Techniques: Postproduction

Chapter 19: Postproduction Overview: Workflow and the Editing Stages

The Postproduction Team

Technical Workflow: From Start to Finish

Low-Budget Workflows

Format Workflow: Codecs and Containers

LUTs and Workflow

High-End Workflow

Any Film Can Distribute as a DCP

The Editing Stages

Edit Process Overview

Viewing Dailies

First Assembly Edit

Rough Cuts

Fresh Eyes and Review Screenings

Cutting Dialogue

The Fine Cut and Picture Lock

Finishing

Mastering

Chapter 20: Digital Editing Fundamentals

Too Much of a Good Thing?

How to Approach Surplus Technology

The Basic NLE System

The Hardware Setup

The Software Interface

Editing Essentials I: Getting Started

Setting Up Your NLE Project

Importing Video and Audio Assets

Syncing Footage

Organizing Your Footage

Using Bins to Organize

Editing Essentials II: Making Simple Edits

Basic Edit Types

Basic Cutting

Think!

Chapter 21: The Art and Technique of Editing

The Golden Rule of Postproduction

Why We Edit I: Narrative Order and Emphasis

Editing for Story Order

Editing for Dramatic Emphasis

Fundamental Image-to-Image Transitions

The Cut

The Dissolve

The Fade

Why We Edit II: Extra-Narrative Considerations

Temporal Editing: Condensing and Expanding Time

Timing, Rhythm, and Pace

Associative Editing

Emotion

Chapter 22: The Sound Design in Film

Sound Design Overview

Sound Design I: Sounds, Sync, and Source

Movie Sounds: Speech, Sound Effects, Ambience, and Music

Synchronous, Nonsynchronous, and Postsynchronous Audio

Source

Sound Design II: The Sound Elements in Detail

Speech

Sound Effects—Hard and Soft

Ambient Sound, Room Tone, and Walla

Music

Common Music Pitfalls

Sound Design Strategies

From Realism to Stylized Approaches

Chapter 23: Cutting Sound and Working with Multiple Tracks

Working with Multiple Tracks

Building Your Essential Audio Tracks

Refining Your Sound Design

Tweaking Sound and Using Workspaces

Sound Track Labels by Type

Basic Sound Design: Analysis of a Simple Scene

Dialogue Tracks

Room Tone Track

Sound Effects Track

Ambience Track

Music Track

The Sound Mix

The Sound Mixing Steps

Step 1: Final Sound Selection, Placement, and Splitting Tracks

Step 2: Audio Sweetening

Step 3: Creating Audio Transitions

Step 4: Audio Level Balancing

Step 5: The Mix Down

Advanced Sound Mixing Programs

Why Go Pro?

Chapter 24: Grading, Mastering, and Distribution

Color Correction versus Color Grading

Basic Color Correction in Your NLE

Adjusting Luminance Values

Adjusting Chrominance Values

The Color Workspace and Tools

Grading Log Footage From Scratch

Applying LUTs to Log Footage

Advice from the Color Grading Trenches

Titles and Credits

Mastering and Distribution Copies

Output Formats for Distribution

DVD and Blu-Ray

Distributing Your Film

Self-Distribution

Distributors

Film Festivals

Traditional Theatrical

Crowdsource Theatrical

Digital: Video Hosting/Sharing

Digital: Video on Demand

Recommended Readings

Recommended Filmmaking Apps For Mobile Devices

Bibliography

Filmography

Photo And Illustration Credits