notes on-filmmaking

Notes on Filmmaking

…from transmedia consultant Chester Elijah Branch, Rian Johnson,

and others.

The audio is from an interview with Rian Johnson. The screenwriter for… Breaking Bad

The audio is from an interview with Rian Johnson. The screenwriter for… Breaking Bad Brick

The audio is from an interview with Rian Johnson. The screenwriter for… Breaking Bad Brick and most notably Looper

He’s gong to be sharing his insights into Writing and Directing

He starts talking about DCP.

The digital looked good.

Then I saw a print struck directly off

the negative.

It was beautiful. Then I saw a print struck directly off

the negative.

It was beautiful.

The release print was one

generation down

Then I saw a print struck directly off

the negative.

It was beautiful.

The release print was one

generation down

My favorite format was a few

generations down.

Then I saw a print struck directly off

the negative.

Side by Side

For more on this, check out the movie Side by Side. It goes into greater detail about this ‘debate.’

The digital film debate bores me.

So that ends that. Moving on to ‘indie’

filmmaking.

REMEMBER SHORT FILMS CAN LEAD TO FEATURES

When I tried to make a feature, I spent all my time

thinking about money.

When I tried to make a feature, I spent all my time

thinking about money.

It detracts from the entire creative process

When I tried to make a feature, I spent all my time

thinking about money.

Take note. This is the trap most indie

filmmakers fall into.

It detracts from the entire creative process

When I tried to make a feature, I spent all my time

thinking about money.

Take note. This is the trap most indie

filmmakers fall into.

It detracts from the entire creative process

I went back to making short

films, like when I was in college.

When I tried to make a feature, I spent all my time

thinking about money.

Take note. This is the trap most indie

filmmakers fall into.

It detracts from the entire creative process

I went back to making short

films, like when I was in college.

Writers and directors: Focus on

doing this.

The screenwriting process

I use notebooks and sketch out

ideas

The screenwriting process

I use notebooks and sketch out

ideas

This is a good way to avoid

distractions on the internet.

The screenwriting process

I use notebooks and sketch out

ideas

This is a good way to avoid

distractions on the internet.

‘Writing is 3% talent and 97% not being distracted by

the internet.’ - @AdvicetoWriters

The screenwriting process

Structuring comes first.

Dialogue is the last 10% of the

process.

The less you depend on

dialogue the better

The screenwriting process

Structuring comes first.

Dialogue is the last 10% of the

process.

The less you depend on

dialogue the better

Dialogue should only be, at the

max, 3 lines per person.

The screenwriting process

Structuring comes first.

Dialogue is the last 10% of the

process.

The less you depend on

dialogue the better

Dialogue should only be, at the

max, 3 lines per person.

"The more dialogue I

took away, the better the

scenes got" - Paul Haggis

The screenwriting process

I use notebooks and sketch out

ideas.

The screenwriting process

I use notebooks and sketch out

ideas.

This is a good way to avoid

distractions on the internet.

The screenwriting process

I use notebooks and sketch out

ideas.

This is a good way to avoid

distractions on the internet.

Neustadter Has had a similar problem with the

internet.

The screenwriting process

One day I can write 60 pages. The next day, I

wind up spending 8 hours on Facebook.

He wrote 500 Days of Summer and The Pink Panther 2.

The screenwriting process

I use notebooks and sketch out

visuals too.

I also, unfortunately, procrastinate

The screenwriting process

I use notebooks and sketch out

visuals too.

I also, unfortunately, procrastinate

The best writers get up in the morning and write for four hours.

The screenwriting process

I use notebooks and sketch out

visuals too.

I also, unfortunately, procrastinate

The best writers get up in the morning and write for four hours.

Take note of what he’s saying here. If you just write one page

a day, you’ll have a feature script in 3 months.

LOOPER was on the Blacklist

We rehearsed over and over again.

We rehearsed over and over again.

Rehearsal with actors helps the scenes feel

more natural

We rehearsed over and over again.

This is more important than spending your little energy

on fight/chase scenes and fx.

Rehearsal with actors helps the scenes feel

more natural

We rehearsed over and over again.

This is more important than spending your little energy

on fight/chase scenes and fx. This is why you have a 2nd Unit DP. More on

that later.

Rehearsal with actors helps the scenes feel

more natural

For more on outsourcing Spfx check this out…

Rian Johnson will talk a little about this but go here for more on atomic fiction and there use of the Amazon Cloud.

Storyboarding

It helps you see the big picture.

Storyboarding

It helps you see the big picture.

It also helps you communicate it

to your DP.

Storyboarding

It helps you see the big picture.

It also helps you communicate it

to your DP.

Overhead diagrams are

the best forms of

storyboarding.

Storyboarding

It helps you see the big picture.

It also helps you communicate it

to your DP.

Overhead diagrams are

the best forms of

storyboarding.

It keeps continuity as

you write your shot list.

Storyboarding

It helps you see the big picture.

Honestly, if you can work out the logistics of each scene with overhead diagrams and a clean shot list, you’ll be gold when you walk on the set.

Storyboarding

It helps you see the big picture.

There will be occasional bumps in the road.

Storyboarding

It helps you see the big picture.

There will be occasional bumps in the road.

But listening to why changes are happening, and leaning into the change, could improve the scene.

The first thing you do is talk with the

actors.

The first thing you do is talk with the

actors.

At the end of the day, what the actors are doing in front of the

camera is all that matters.

The first thing you do is talk with the

actors.

At the end of the day, what the actors are doing in front of the

camera is all that matters.

Some great movies only have, basically,

2-4 locations. But they also have good acting.

The first thing you do is talk with the

actors.

At the end of the day, what the actors are doing in front of the

camera is all that matters.

My Dinner With Andre

The first thing you do is talk with the

actors.

At the end of the day, what the actors are doing in front of the

camera is all that matters.

My Dinner With Andre Cast Away 12 Angry Men

The first thing you do is talk with the

actors.

At the end of the day, what the actors are doing in front of the

camera is all that matters.

My Dinner With Andre Cast Away 12 Angry Men Lifeboat

The first thing you do is talk with the

actors.

At the end of the day, what the actors are doing in front of the

camera is all that matters.

My Dinner With Andre Cast Away 12 Angry Men Lifeboat Rear Window The Breakfast Club

The first thing you do is talk with the

actors.

At the end of the day, what the actors are doing in front of the

camera is all that matters.

My Dinner With Andre Cast Away 12 Angry Men Lifeboat Rear Window The Breakfast Club Buried Source Code

The first thing you do is talk with the

actors.

At the end of the day, what the actors are doing in front of the

camera is all that matters.

The first thing you do is talk with the

actors.

At the end of the day, what the actors are doing in front of the

camera is all that matters.

This is why, for the sake of time, many

indie directors employ 2nd Unit DPs

You do end up needing to have someone shoot

things simultaneously.

You do end up needing to have someone shoot

things simultaneously.

For more on the 2nd Unit DP go here. and here for

filmmaking iPhone apps

Rian cut out 45 minutes of

extended scene material.

Rian cut out 45 minutes of

extended scene material.

Rian cut out 45 minutes of

extended scene material.

All in all, The more

scenes you can keep

between 1-2 pages, the

better.

Rian cut out 45 minutes of

extended scene material.

All in all, The more

scenes you can keep

between 1-2 pages, the

better.

The next slide shows the best method for

writing scene structure.

Temp-score really helps develop the

tone.

Temp-score really helps develop the

tone.

I’ll use temp stuff in the rough cut.

Temp-score really helps develop the

tone.

It helps to start talks about score early on in the script

phase. I’ll use temp stuff in the rough cut.

I came up with all these rules of the

sci-fi world.

I came up with all these rules of the

sci-fi world.

I felt like if I had to explain it… it

would be one of the movies where everyone is always

spouting off exposition.

I came up with all these rules of the

sci-fi world.

I felt like if I had to explain it… it

would be one of the movies where everyone is always

spouting off exposition.

Inception much?

I came up with all these rules of the

sci-fi world.

I felt like if I had to explain it… it

would be one of the movies where everyone is always

spouting off exposition.

Inception much?

Do you think how the sci-fi world works takes

away from audience interpretation?

I came up with all these rules of the

sci-fi world.

I felt like if I had to explain it… it

would be one of the movies where everyone is always

spouting off exposition.

Inception much?

Do you think how the sci-fi world works takes

away from audience interpretation?

Story-wise, just provide all the info you need to know.

I wanted the first viewing of the film to be from Young Joe’s POV, so linear would

not work.

Using year markers helped a lot with

the non-linear narrative confusion.

I wanted the first viewing of the film to be from Young Joe’s POV, so linear would

not work.

Using year markers helped a lot with

the non-linear narrative confusion.

I wanted the first viewing of the film to be from Young Joe’s POV, so linear would

not work.

The voice-overs were more about

EMOTIONAL impact.

Using year markers helped a lot with

the non-linear narrative confusion.

I wanted the first viewing of the film to be from Young Joe’s POV, so linear would

not work.

The voice-overs were more about

EMOTIONAL impact.

“To write good dialogue, pay as much attention to feelings as words.” – D.

Swain

Using year markers helped a lot with

the non-linear narrative confusion.

I wanted the first viewing of the film to be from Young Joe’s POV, so linear would

not work.

The voice-overs were more about

EMOTIONAL impact.

“To write good dialogue, pay as much attention to feelings as words.” – D.

Swain

Aside from this purpose ‘avoid voice-overs’ -

Patricia Cooper

I tossed out the back 60 pages and

borrowed from the movie Witness.

I borrowed from Casablanca to get

Young Joe’s character arc.

I tossed out the back 60 pages and

borrowed from the movie Witness.

I borrowed from Casablanca to get

Young Joe’s character arc.

I tossed out the back 60 pages and

borrowed from the movie Witness.

Take note here on how sci-fi writers will borrow from

very straight-forward drama.

I borrowed from Casablanca to get

Young Joe’s character arc.

I tossed out the back 60 pages and

borrowed from the movie Witness.

Take note here on how sci-fi writers will borrow from

very straight-forward drama.

“If you want to write sci-

fi, read everything but sci-fi” – Michael Moorcock

I guess the trick is not to think about storytelling as making as many film references as possible.

You have to be driven by a genuine

desire to say something.

I guess the trick is not to think about storytelling as making as many film references as possible.

You have to be driven by a genuine

desire to say something.

I guess the trick is not to think about storytelling as making as many film references as possible.

‘Most screenwriters who

don’t make it… don’t have

anything to say.’- D. Goddard

You have to be driven by a genuine

desire to say something.

I guess the trick is not to think about storytelling as making as many film references as possible.

“have something to say

and say it as clearly as you can” – M. Arnold

‘Most screenwriters who

don’t make it… don’t have

anything to say.’- D. Goddard

You have to be driven by a genuine

desire to say something.

I guess the trick is not to think about storytelling as making as many film references as possible.

“have something to say

and say it as clearly as you can” – M. Arnold

‘Most screenwriters who

don’t make it… don’t have

anything to say.’- D. Goddard

“I can teach you to write better but I can’t teach

you how to have something to say” – A.

Patchett

About Me

I'm a transmedia story consultant. I consult

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video game developers, and film festivals. I've also guest lectured at several universities.

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