http://hollywoodformortals.com Latest info on articles and tips from Hollywood For Mortals, where we teach you how to make great movies at home, not just home movies. en-us http://www.hollywoodformortals.com/images/logo_for_facebook.jpg http://hollywoodformortals.com 200 200 http://www.hollywoodformortals.com/tips.php?id=1 http://www.hollywoodformortals.com/article.php?id=11

• A young farmer on a distant planet joins a rebellion to save the galaxy from the evil ruling empire.


• A young girl from Kansas gets transported to a magical land and tries to get home before being captured by an wicked witch.


• Two women, having killed a rapist, go on the run to the border, but a past incident forces them to take the long route, with the law closing in.

You get the idea.

If you sent a finished screenplay to a producer, this is the first thing that would happen to it. A script reader would prepare a report of the script, starting with this one line. I think it's a good way to work with ideas from their conception. It makes you come up with one clear idea. Naturally a finished script, even a short one, will have a lot more than that to the story, but in a good script, everything will revolve around and support that one main storyline.

Every script has ONE main character. Only one. In the case of Thelma & Louise, it was about both of them as one ‘character' (the one on the run from the law). The main character does not have to be a person. In Robert Altman's
"Nashville," the city of Nashville is the main character.

Every script has ONE main action. Only one. Of course, lots of things happen in a story, but they all revolve around the one goal of the main character. Save the Galaxy; Get home; Get across the border. Notice how none of these characters started out the story working toward these goals - but that's the topic of another discussion.

Once you have five story ideas - loglines. Make a list of all the things (and people) you have to work with. If you live in Alaska, scenes on a tropical beach might not be in the budget, but the glacier would make a beautiful setting. Who is available to work on/be in your movie? We wrote a fight scene in our flick because Mukhya knew a Karate master in town, and he was willing to come with another black-belt and work with us on some kick-ass (literally) moves. We did a shot on a boat because we had one available to us. I would have rewritten the restaurant scene if we hadn't gotten the Thai place to let us in when they were closed. If your logline is really strong, you'll be able to plug any locations, characters, and situations you want into it. Thelma and Louise could be on the run to Canada from Anchorage with the roads blocked by snowstorms. Anything's possible.

Ok, you have 15 minutes to brainstorm five loglines. Ready. Set. Go!

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Any good ideas?]]> http://www.hollywoodformortals.com/article.php?id=10
You should dedicate one page per scene in your film, and a scene is basically the portion of action that is shot in a single location at a single time, such as The Kitchen, or The Office on Day 1 Afternoon, or Day 3 Morning. Let's look at our breakdown page.

1. Basic information about the production
   
   
   
   1. Date - can be good if things are going to change
   
   
   2. Production Company - business stuff
   
   
   3. Production Title - the name of the flick
   
   
   4. Breakdown Sheet Number - very useful if there is more than one scene sharing a sheet (make sure to give example later)
   
   
   5. Page Count - down to the eighth of a page, because 1/8 is roughly one inch of the page
   
   


2. Basic information about the scene
   
   
   
   1. Scene Number - in the script, could be more than one scene in a sequence [ex. Script has girl getting ready for date inter-cut with guy walking up to house. Put all the guy-walking-up-to-house scenes together on one breakdown page; they all have the same elements
   
   
   2. Scene Name - the location as it appears in the scene header
   
   
   3. Int. or Ext. - are we inside or outside??
   
   
   4. Description - short phrase that identifies the scene (usually one main action) and makes it easier to remember
   
   
   5. Day or Night - is the sun involved or not?? Notice the colour code. Use coloured paper, or stick-on tabs


3. Elements of the scene - the colours and shapes correspond with the notation in the script
   
   
   
   1. Cast - Red
   
   
   2. Stunts - Orange [anything that could even possibly be dangerous, or will take a bit of working out]
   
   
   3. Extras/Atmosphere - background people
   
   
   4. Extras/Silent bits - people who don't say anything, but factor into the scene
   
   
   5. Special Effects
   
   
   6. Props - things the actors use, as opposed to set dressing which consists of objects that are not touched by actors]
   
   
   7. Vehicle/Animals - not cars you use for crew/equipment, but those that appear in the film, called 'picture cars'.
   
   
   8. Wardrobe - something specifically called for in the script
   
   
   9. Make-up/Hair - specifically from the script
   
   
   10. Sound Effects/Music - include if it will impact the shoot (a character sings on screen and you want them to lip sync to a track previously recorded)
   
   
   11. Special Equipment - out of the ordinary stuff you have to have to get the scene
   
   
   12. Production Notes - anything you need to remember for the shoot


4. Rearrange the pages into groups based upon their colour (D/N/I/E) and begin to work through them, putting together scenes that have the same elements. If you only have your friend's car for one day, you want to make sure you shoot it out!

Another nice thing about breaking down the script in this way, is that as you gather the elements together for your shoot, if something becomes undoable, or you get a better idea, you can incorporate it into the script and change the breakdown pages to match. That way, you're always up-to-date.

I can't say enough about pre production. The more prepared you are, the better the shoot will go and the more time you'll have to be creative. Doesn't that sound like just about anything you do? And the less you leave to chance, the more shoot-able your script will be because you'll be able to make changes to your characters and your story before you start to shoot. It sucks to have a scene shot, then find out that you'll have to change it to match a new rewrite that was based on a location or an actor or a car you couldn't get.

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Tell me your stories of how a breakdown helped you or could have helped you.]]> http://www.hollywoodformortals.com/article.php?id=9
Be creative with this part of the process. This is your chance to envision your film as it will look on the screen. Don't be scared by it and take your time with this part of the process. Again, the more prepared you are before you hit the set, the more time and energy you'll have to change your mind when unexpected things pop up. Make pictures of every shot you can think of for each scene. I like to put each on a 3x5 card, then spread them out on the floor. That way, I can move them around into any order I want, and imagine the best way to tell my story visually. Hey, if it weren't visual, we'd be writing a book. You can also use some visual shorthand to help you visualize how you might transition from shot to shot. Do you want to cut from one picture to another, or do you want to pan the camera?

Also, don't underestimate scenes that seem really simple, like two people talking. Do you want to show each of them in 'over-the-shoulder shots', 'clean' or 'dirty', thus cutting them off from one another, or do you want to have a 'two-shot' where we see them sitting together? Are their eye-lines close to the camera, which makes them seem more sympathetic, or do you want them looking far away from the lens, which is more alienating. As you watch well-shot movies, look for the ways directors show people and get a sense of how different shots make you feel about the characters.

When your storyboard is finished and you're happy with how the scenes look as picture sequences, it's time to translate them into a grocery list of sorts that you can take with you to set, called a SHOT LIST. Here's a list of different shots from small to large:

• ECU (extreme close up): one very small part of a person (eyes, mouth, hand, foot, etc)


• CU (close up): usually just the person's head or the object you're shooting


• MS (medium shot): the person's upper body and face, or the object with a little bit of room around it


• LS (long shot)or WS (wide shot): the person's entire body, or the object with it's surrounding area


• EWS (extra wide shot): the entire area of the scene.

When you get to set, you can change your mind about shots as much as you want, and this way, you have a mind to change.

These tools: breakdown, storyboard, shot list will make sure you're as prepared as you can be for shoot day. BE PREPARED!

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How has being prepared worked for you?
Any stories of when you were sorry that you prepared?
Or maybe stories when you thought you would have been better off if you hadn't?]]> http://www.hollywoodformortals.com/article.php?id=13
I find that my editor is sometimes brilliant at suggesting changes for both the words and the visuals, and really improves on my ideas. Other times, she is off on a tangent and misses my point. I don't have to use her suggestions if I don't think she is right, but it is insurance against having to ask everyone for their time again.

With my Just Another Pretty Face, four people helped re-write the lines even though it was just 2 minutes long. Every suggestion was an improvement even though it was good before they started.

My official editor, Mo Hicks, re-wrote the first few lines in a way that really grabbed attention. She also told me that that the visuals weren't going to work because they were too frivolous and didn't really fit the seriousness of the topic. People wouldn't know whether to laugh or take it seriously. As it happened, I had written the project for the stockstock festival and had to use their stock footage, so I went with the film clips that I had. However, she was correct -- not all of the audience understood that I was serious, and lots of people wished that I would re-do it with more appropriate footage. Take a look now.

What did you think?]]> http://www.hollywoodformortals.com/article.php?id=12
Possible things to do before production begins:

• script editing -- you just think your writing doesn't need it, but it does.


• scout locations and acquire them -- assure the owners of locations that it will take a lot longer than they think and that you will need quiet.


• acquire 'actors'


• acquire a director


• acquire production crew --you can do it by yourselves but it makes it easier to have a crew


• get releases from the actors and location owners


• storyboard


• buy or borrow needed equipment -- at the minimum you will need storage medium e.g. video tape


• gather up odds and ends like clothes pins and duct tape


• arrange craft services --usually just buying treats (healthy snacks keep people working longer than a lot of sugar, which will get them high, then make them *crash!*) and bringing coffee/yogi tea

During production:

• everyone in the right place at the right time


• everything in the right place at the right time


• last minute shopping because something was forgotten


• last minute casting because someone didn't show or an extra is needed

During post production:

• keeping the editor on track


• help acquire music and Foley's.

Distribution:

• festivals


• YouTube


• other Web sites --Vimeo, Hollywood for Mortals, etc

Am I missing anything? Write your comments and let me know.]]> http://www.hollywoodformortals.com/article.php?id=6
These spices can be too expensive when buying in little cans or jars. Try to find a bulk source for everything but especially cardamon.

This is an Ayurvedic recipe that is said to be good for the liver, nerves, bones, digestion,and a bunch of other stuff that I can't remember right now -- it is basically a good general tonic.

I have a large recipe that I cook for a long time to get as much out the spices that I can. I put a lid on and try not to boil too much water out of the pan because it makes my house too damp. Juneau is already damp enough. I make a big recipe because I get lots of help drinking it from my friends.

1 gallon of water
20 ~2 inch cinnamon sticks
1 T black peppercorn
1/2 cup whole green cardamon (not decortated). Then I crush the shells. shells go in also
2 T cloves
sliced fresh ginger to taste (optional ingredient but I wouldn't leave it out)

I cook it for hours till there is a strong spicey flavor. Then I put one black tea bags in for 3 minutes. You can store the tea in the refrigerator this way. When you are ready to drink it, pour in pan with plenty of milk. Bring to scald and add honey to taste. Milk needs to be scalded to reduce mucus creating quality. Don't skip the black tea for health reasons. The spices are good for you according to Auruvedic medicine and the small amount of caffeine opens your capillaries to expedite the qualities to your body.

There is a quicker way to make yogi tea where you use less water and cook it for just 20 minutes, I'm told you need to let the cloves dance in the boiling water before the other spices when you do it this way. Otherwise, the clove flavor is too strong.

Here's to drinking lots and lots of yogi tea, Mukhya ]]> http://www.hollywoodformortals.com/news.php?id=1
It all started one night when Mukhya was down from Juneau, visiting Jeff in Los Angeles. He had borrowed some lights from a friend, and they were playing around with them. He showed her some things he'd learned at film school and on the set, and she said that she got more out of that couple of hours than from countless books. Why was it so effective? We actually looked at light situations instead of just reading about it. We decided to embark on a tutorial project, to show on video different aspects of the filmmaking experience as if you are right there on set, looking at each light, listening to the microphones with the mixer, working with the actors on their lines, even working with the director during pre production on shots, etc. We shot a short film in Juneau in October, and got a lot of shots of us shooting. We'll be putting up snippets and short lessons regularly on the site. Stop by often to see what's up. And if you have suggestions about things you'd like to see, let us know.

Here's the deal: While it's always great to work with top-of-the-line equipment, and it really makes a difference in the look of a film, there is no reason why anybody's home equipment shouldn't be good enough to make an entertaining film. The secret is understanding the limitations of the equipment (and your situation - money, willing participants, etc.) and working with them, not against them. We'll look into how to make cheap, effective lighting equipment, use a variety of sound techniques in production and in the edit, work with non actors and get amazing performances from them, not to mention how to write a script that is compelling AND doable with the resources available.

Most of all, we're hoping to get people involved with each other. We encourage you to comment on the articles, and participate in the online film fests. Stop by the classified section and place an add to get rid of something, or answer an ad for the deal of a lifetime. One man's junk is another man's treasure! All the articles have comments sections, so give us your feedback, start discussions, and post links to your films so we can see what you've been working on.

-Mukhya & Jeff ]]>