Creation Phases | On the Set



This is where all the action begins and the first part of hell breaking loose. Our relatively small productions consisted of maybe twenty people at a time - that is the the director, photographer, soundman/recorder, lighting technician, boom man (the guy that carries the microphone), the producer, several production assistants, several lighting crew, and the actors. Imagine all these people having to work in a coordinated fashion, while also having to eat, rest, drink, and be driven from one filming location to another. Twenty people is difficult - what happens when you have over a hundred people on set?!?

But even though, the set is probably the most exciting part of the filmmaking process - this is where you actually put the ideas to pictures and onto film or video. It is also the most fun if your in an indie production (like ours were) where you actually shoot on location and not in a convenient little studio.

Basic onset behaviour usually includes these typical stages:
1Arrival on location
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
2Disappointment (it looked better when we were here last week)
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
3Frustration (I can't set up lighting in this place)
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
4Setting up the camera, grip, lighting and sound
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
5Small skirmishes between the producer, lighting crew, camera crew, sound crew, and sometimes even the actors
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
6Finalizing equipment setup
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
7Final rehersals
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
8Lighting/Camera/Grip/Food is not good - correction of setup
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
9Shooting - Take 1, 2, 3,...,n (n usually greater than 5)
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
10Major skirmishes (why can't you camera/lighting/grip/actors do this thing right?!
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
11Shooting - Take n, n+1, n+2,...,2n
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
12Finally a good take - wrap it
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
13realize the continuity girl forgot to write down what happened
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members
14Shoot continuity girl
No breakdown check needed, still an hour behind schedule and everyone is broken down
15Next shot - go to top of list
Check breakdown, realize were an hour behind schedule - instill hysteria in crew members


In High-School one of the projects I eventually had my exam on was as a photographer for a relatively large scale film (in our standards) - we shot at something like seven different outdoors locations, including at night in a little wooded patch!

The scene looked something like this - the lighting guy was running around like a lunatic trying to set up some sort of decent lighting for the scene. I was helping him to climb up trees where he eventually placed his equipment. The directress was psychologically coaxing the actors and telling them that soon this would all be over (we finished at four AM), and the rest of the crew were more or less asleep or walking around like zombies crashing into things. It got so hysterical that I actually fell asleep during a take!!!

But then, like I mentioned that is part of the fun and excitement. And it makes good stories for the grandchildren (?)

It's hard to pinpoint films where the onset stage was of major importance - without this stage - there would be no films. These following ones have, in my opinion, a little edge regarding the amount of work done during the onset shooting:




Creation Phases
These are the stages that bring a film from idea to existence
Artistic Elements
These are the words of the cinematic language
From the idea to the script Mise en Scene
From the script to the storyboard Acting and Directing
On the set Photography and Lighting
Mayhem (also known as post production) Sound and Music
- Editing



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This page last modified on - Friday, August 14, 1998.