Hello everybody, I recently had a discussion with some filmmakers from Europe. None of them seemed to use a formal checklist or systematic approach when it comes to scene breakdown, blocking, and shotlisting.
I started to wonder if I'm actually the only one that I use a checklist that I put together borrowing methods from Coppola, Kasdan and Badham.
Which method are you using?
I use my own method but it really depends on the complexity of the project and scenes. Would you share your list/method here with us?
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I created a platform called Filmatick. www.filmatick.com
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Everyone is different. I personally think planning results in a better outcome. These are in my opinion the best tools around for shot lists + blocking.
https://www.hollywoodcamerawork.com/shot-designer.htmlhttps://www.shotlister.com/
Here in the USA, the bigger the budget/Talent, the more planning. We have union crew workers making a lot of $$ per hour. Beancounter suits want a plan from crew call to wrap.
Maybe in Europe, crew rates are cheaper, and more freedom to "wing it" on-set?
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Crew rates can actually be significantly more expensive overseas, at least in places such as Australia and I believe the UK, largely due to stricter overtime and turn around rules (triple time on 14th hour etc/ 2.5x rate for broken turn around + potential night loadings etc). There aren’t the unions preventing people from shooting indie films at non union rates though, so whilst a movie like Thor Ragnarok will have highly paid crews, there’s also people working for much lower rates on the indie films. I think it depends largely on the project in question and how much stunt work/VFX is being done etc. Also, previs is very expensive. You have to be on a large budget to afford a company like The Third Floor, so again that’s going to have an impact. So in short, I imagine a Bond film or Harry Potter is going to have previs all over it, but on a million dollar film very unlikely.
See Stage 32 resources.