Summary
Learn from a top Script Supervisor who's worked on CAPTAIN AMERICA and FURIOUS 7!
2-Part Comprehensive Class: You will reverse engineer a shot list from a well-known film and create a shot list for a scripted scene!
PLEASE NOTE: Although this exclusive Stage 32 class is no longer live and the teacher is not available on email, we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.
Whether you’re a director, a cinematographer, an assistant director, a script supervisor, or an editor, understanding the power of cinematic shots and implementing a visual plan is key to making a memorable film project. This doesn’t just mean how you want the film to ultimately look, but what exactly you need to film in production to create the stellar storytelling visuals that edit seamlessly together. The last thing you want as a filmmaker is to be forced to compromise your visual story because you didn’t get that one shot you needed. Yet this is incredibly common and one of the reasons for reshoots, delays in a film’s release, less than stellar edited scene construction, and ultimately going over budget in post. Having a full understanding of shot coverage and what constitutes the bare visual minimum, as well as what will take your scenes from basic to unforgettable, is essential to making a compelling movie.
No matter what project you’re working on, shot coverage is a vital aspect of making your project. As you start producing more involved and complex shoots, coverage needs to be a lot more intricate — and planned. If your film or television series contains more than just basic dialogue scenes—if you are working with action scenes, non-verbal scenes, or scenes with a lot of characters—forming your visual plan becomes a lot more challenging and even more important. Not only must you ensure you’re getting the footage you need, but you also need to employ visual diversity so your vision can stand out. This is no easy feat, but mastering advanced coverage will improve your relationships with your editors and actors, make post-production a smooth experience, and boost your skill and reputation as a filmmaker.
Brenda Wachel is an accomplished and sought-after script supervisor with over 30 years of experience and credits on some of the biggest films of all time, including JURASSIC PARK 3, OCTOBER SKY, BRIGHT, COLLATERAL, FURIOUS 7, and CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER. She has worked with countless directors like Paul Haggis, Joe Johnston, Michael Mann, David Ayer, Tim Robbins, and Terry Gilliam and continues to serve as script supervisor for projects like Amazon’s just released Jennifer Lopez’s THIS IS ME … NOW: A LOVE STORY, and Apple TV’s upcoming historical drama CHIEF OF WAR. Brenda has overseen shot coverage on countless films and television shows and knows how this process can save or destroy a project - and she's going to help teach you exclusively through Stage 32.
In this intensive two-part class Brenda will dive into the intricacies and strategies of shot coverage and give you a series of tools and strategies you can use to best shoot and cover your project, no matter how involved it may be. Brenda will review strategies for shooting basic scenes like standard dialogue scenes and interior car scenes and will dig into how to capture complex scenes like action sequences, non-verbal scenes, and transitions. Brenda will also go through how to put together an effective shot list ahead of time and will teach you how to pivot and adapt in the moment as plans change on set. She will then dive into what you can do to expand beyond basic coverage, like employing visual diversity, having multiple masters, and the power of the insert. Brenda’s lessons will be accompanied by live demonstrations and exercises, including reverse engineering shot lists of notable film scenes and creating shot lists from a scripted scene. Brenda’s deep dive and nuts-and-bolts approach to shot coverage will leave you with a thorough understanding of how to best get the footage you need for your next project and work effectively with your team while doing so.
PLUS! You will receive the following handouts:
- Understanding the “meaning” of camera angles handout
- Shot list of a scene from a famous movie
PRAISE FOR BRENDA:
"Thanks to Brenda, I now understand the importance of a well-crafted shot list. Her insights are invaluable!" - Maria L.
"Brenda’s deep dive into shot coverage was eye-opening. I feel much more confident in planning my scenes." - Jake R.
"Working with Brenda has been a game-changer. Can't recommend her enough." - Samantha K.
What You'll Learn
Session 1: The Basic Language of Shots & Creating a Shot List
The Basic Language of Shots
- Masters
- The Power of the Close Up
- Handheld & Stabilized Angles
A Review of Basic Coverage
- Standard dialogue scenes
- Walk and Talk Scenes
- Interior Car Scenes
Getting Coverage for Complex Scenes
- Action Sequences
- Non Verbal Scenes
- Transitions
Creating a Shot List
- Point of View of the Scene
- Visualizing with Blocking
- Opening the Scene
- Necessary coverage to tell the story
- Ending the Scene
Live Exercise — Reverse Engineering Simple Scene Coverage: Breaking down the shot by shot coverage of a simple famous scene
Assignment: Watch a film clip and create a shot list, including every shot in the edited scene
Handouts: The Language of Shots — Understanding the “meaning” of camera angles
Session 2: Advanced Shot Coverage Techniques
Exercise — Reverse Engineering a Complex Scene’s Coverage: Breaking down the shot by shot coverage of a complex scene
Advancing Beyond Basic Coverage
- Creating Visual Diversity
- Long Scenes and the Use of Multiple Masters
- Covering Table Scenes
- Moving Shots
- Effective Inserts & Details
Implementing the Coverage Plan on the Set
- The Inner Circle
- The 180 Degree Rule
- How to Pivot With Unexpected Changes
The Coverage Plan & the Edit
- Planning Screen Direction
- Filming Choices when unforced errors appear
- Actors and Coverage
Some Tools for Creating Shot Lists
- Shot Deck
- Overhead diagrams
- Storyboards
- Scene references
Handout — Shot list of a scene from a famous movie
PLEASE NOTE: Although this exclusive Stage 32 class is no longer live and the teacher is not available on email, we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.
Who Should Attend
Filmmakers, screenwriters, actors and cineamatographers who want to better understand shot coverage for their feature film or TV series
Executive
Brenda Wachel is an accomplished feature film script supervisor, having worked with critically acclaimed directors across the globe. Some notable films include “October Sky”, “Jurassic Park 3”, “Hidalgo, The Next Three Days, I Am Sam, Bright, Collateral, Captain America”, “Plane”, and the upcoming Apple series “Chief of War”. In addition to her credits as a Script Supervisor, she writes, directs, and produces branding ads for her own company, and is preparing to film her own narrative short film. She believes in giving back and has become a guest speaker and mentor for young filmmakers at universities. When not working on films, you can find her making friends with the neighborhood animals, cooking Italian dinners, and always searching and learning something new.
Testimonials
"Thanks to Brenda, I now understand the importance of a well-crafted shot list. Her insights are invaluable!" - Maria L.
"Brenda’s deep dive into shot coverage was eye-opening. I feel much more confident in planning my scenes." - Jake R.
"Working with Brenda has been a game-changer. Can't recommend her enough." - Samantha K.