Section I — Presentation of the Movie
The purpose of this section is to give the thesis film’s producer, director,
production designer and cinematographer an opportunity to present the film to
the faculty – uninterrupted. We will start the prep with the director addressing
any notes addressed or not addressed after concept prep. After that, both
cinematographer and production designer will do their presentations.
Let images speak for themselves in both cases.
Address the Cassavetes experience, and also if any information regarding the
crew drills exercises: please share with us any findings, what you learned.
Producer will do the final presentation, showing the temp strip board and a brief
resume of it.
Students will make presentations to the faculty in the following order:
1. The Producer will introduce the title of the film, and the crew positions held by every student in Director’s Prep. This should be done quickly, and without formality; it’s intended to give the faculty an orientation to who is doing what.
2. The Director will present a outcomes of concept prep, and what has changed/has been achieved. Then a quick visual pitch of the story to the faculty. The Pitch should be in story order and be supported by visual slide, which illustrate the essence of the directors vision for each moment of the pitch. The director will also present their casting choices, with audition videos ideally, exercise and only as last resource with stills.
Remember that these are images that you have found and or created for visually illustrating your pitch of the story. The images are meant be representational of “key story beats” to illustrate and evoke the feeling of the moment in your story.
The most important thing is that you TELL the story as a storytelling, using the images as background support for your PITCH.
3. The Production Designer will continue to present a brief visual illustration of the major design aspects as it relates to the world and characters of the film.
The presentation will begin with the world in which the story takes place. The presentation should include:
- Photos representing the locale of the story.
- Photos of every actual location the action will occur.
- Photos of any key elements (such as picture vehicles).
After locations, the Production Designer will present photos and/or actual examples of key props/set dressings and the wardrobe for the main characters, with a focus on how the wardrobe helps illustrate the history, emotional construction and objectives of each main character. The presentation should include:
- Photos or illustrations of the characters wardrobe/hair/makeup.
- Any particularly relevant props and/or set dressing.
The Production Designer’s presentation should emphasize how the design of the world will illustrate – or serve – the overall expression of the story and its main characters (who they are and what they want).
4. The Cinematographer will present a three-to-four minute illustration of the “Cinematographic Plan” of the film. To show found and/or created photos and videos (including the Cassavetes workshop scene), the Cinematographer will demonstrate how color, light, shadow and visual language will illustrate the story. The presentation should include:
- Visual References: Present an illustration of the visual plan for the film. You may also include movie clips (website link), paintings, stills, artwork, AC articles, anything that visually echoes the story’s look/visual mood. These references should reflect lighting ideas, contrast ratios, color, camera movement and shot design.
- Mood: In writing, identify the emotional intent of the film and be prepared to explain the visual elements you plan on incorporating in your cinematography that support the emotional intent of the director. Describe any changes in mood and how you plan to support, enhance, underscore visually.
- Format: Please describe your format choice/s. Please delineate your reasons behind each format choice. This applies to both framing formats (16×9(spherical), 2.4:1(widescreen) and digital capture formats (4k, 2k, DSLR, RED Lake, Etc.). Note any camera systems utilized other than RED should be a colored storyboard to indicate VFX and be prepared to discuss the story-based reasonings of this additional camera system.
- Color Temperature Plan: Describe all the different lighting environments and the scene(s) that are set within that environment. For each of these major environments, write a brief description of how you plan to balance the scene/sequence’s color temperature.
- Exposure/Filtration Plan: Outline a general exposure plan for each major lighting environment within you story. Note proposed shooting stops, expected footcandle readings at middle grey, expected ISO setting and contrast ratios you are aiming for associated with each environment. Also indicate any filtration you intend to use and the reasons why.
- Specific Production Challenges: Describe any major lighting, rigging, power, location and/or camera challenges that need larger development and be prepared to explain how you propose to overcome these challenges.
5. The Producer will return with a three-minute presentation going through the Production board scene by scene in shooting order with the planned CALL and WRAP times for each shooting day including the plan for the use of any overtime.
As the producer goes through each day they should discuss all pre- production accomplishments and challenges related to each scene, with a plan for how the team will meet each challenge.
The Producer should focus on all concerns that any objective person
would have about the production (e.g., a difficult location, an exotic
animal, a dangerous activity, etc.). The goal is to anticipate the faculty’s
concerns and address them before the Q&A begins.
