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The Fall 2010 Film Shoot Index

This year, fall quarter is loaded with production. We've got five narrative short films shooting this quarter, in addition to a documentary. Overwhelming, yes, but here's a quick rundown of what's shooting when, who's shooting what, and what it's all about. Watch out for crew petitions emails soon after you get to school.

To start, here are websites for the student groups sponsoring these projects:
Studio 22: www.studio22nu.com
Inspire Media: www.inspirefilms.org

And now the shoots:

Studio 22 Fall $3K Grants

*Jack-o-lanterns
Director: Andrew Van Beek
Producer: Lara Kubilius, Jacqueline Reyno
http://www.jackolanternsmovie.com

Shoot dates: 4th Weekend

Description: Kevin is forced to take his brother, Alex, trick-or-treating after their father neglects to take him. As they go through Halloween night, Kevin struggles to assume responsibility for his brother in his father’s absence. When Kevin falters, he is forced to face the terrifying consequences at the town bonfire.


*Red Daisy
Director: Jingyang Cheng
Producers: Andrew Glor, Rachel Pologe

Shoot dates: 3rd and 4th Weekends

Description: A young teenage girl resorts to the Internet in the hope of finding the love she so desperately needs, only to be confronted in the end with a nightmare she may never overcome.

Studio 22 Fall $1k Grant

*Jane and Goldie
Director: Ursula Ellis
Producers: Byron Austin Ashley, Laura Edelman

Shoot dates: 3rd Weekend

Description: When Jane Hunter goes to visit her childhood best friend, she does not know what to anticipate or how to react to what she finds in this day-in-the-life drama about friendship, change, and enduring love.


Studio 22 Special Projects Grant

*Red Martian Turtle
Director: Ted Pacult
Producers: Matt Pacult, Katherine Walczak

Shoot dates: 1st Weekend and other dates.

Description: You can consider this as being similar to a music video. Take away the music and add a voice over story. The narrative is influenced by and is similar to Brad Neely’s work. This project integrates digital cinematography and 2D animation.


NUWFA Grant

*King
Director: Hannah Wells
Producer: Dana Pavisich
http://www.thekingfilm.com/

Shoot dates: 4th and 5th weekends, as well as winter quarter.

Description: Josiah, an eight year old boy, grows up in an unusual household consisting of himself, his mother, and his father. Their house, enclosed by cornfields, is entirely cut off from the outside world, allowing them to live independent of time, money, or want. Josiah's active imagination leads him to many adventures in his world, but eventually, Josiah must leave the only place he has ever known.


Inspire Grant

*Pine Ridge Project
Director: Jac Reyno
Executive Producer: Matt Litwiller

Shoot dates: Shooting throughout fall quarter.

Description: The Pine Ridge Project is a documentary seeking to explore what the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of South Dakota is like today; concentrating on the political and
cultural issues currently plaguing the Reservation. The reservation lies within two of the poorest counties in the nation. The poverty rates, living standards, and low life expectancy are comparable to any third world country. Unemployment is common considering the limited commercial business and dependence on government employment. The people who live on the reservation live with these facts everyday and are seeking to improve their lives while helping their community. Education and awareness are important to aid the people in creating positive change in pursuit of prosperity.

Dear Film Community (and you new freshmen, in particular),

Welcome to the 5th Annual Fall Edition of the URSA Quarterly. This blog is used as a forum for expressing concerns and celebration for our Northwestern Film community in addition to welcoming and enlightening new majors on the ways of NU film. In writing this journal, it is our intent to continue on with this update.

URSA (the Undergraduate Radio/Television/Film Student Association) continued as a 10 person council in the past year and continued offering important events and discussion for our film community. These achievements include

*Hosting the second annual Film Clubs 101, a collaborative information session featuring all the film clubs at NU. An essential event to meet the who’s who in NU student film and receive a brief introduction to the incredibly diverse film groups Northwestern has to offer. Coming this year on (most likely) Monday, September 21st.

*The fourth annual FRESHMAN FILM CAMP. BBQ, Max Cola, blood, miniDV tapes and oodles of freshman bonding. It was the same Battle Royale brutality, except we gave it an Ancient Roman twist with the help of headmaster Alex Wayne (RTVF ’09). Who knows what the theme will be this year? Look out for FFC ’09 on Saturday, September 26th. If you’re a freshman, you need to be there.

*The fourth annual FILM PROM. Returning to the old favorite venue of 2 years ago (the classy Best Western Evanston), music, dancing, and debauchery ensued on one of the most fun nights of the year. A tradition to keep up for years to come (so long as none of us plans to run for president).

*An increased voice and presence in curriculum decisions, including a vastly increased number of RTVF 360 Advanced Screenwriting course offerings and further perfection of cross-class collaboration projects.

*Fostered greater communication and support between film groups on campus.

*Attended faculty meetings to provide feedback on behalf of the film community.

*Worked to improve undergraduate-alumni relations and start a more open and easily-accessible dialogue between the two groups.

*Held meetings in Schwarm's cramped living room while dining on his bakery delights.

In the coming year, we hope to continue to better both our RTVF curriculum as well as forge an even greater connection and support system between extracurricular film groups, including introducing as many new students to our community as express the faintest desire.

To our new students, get excited (or, rather, keep getting excited) as your introduction to our lovely film community will begin in just a few weeks. Good luck making it here, and we'll see you at New Student Week! (or wildcat welcome, or whatever the hell they're calling it)

-Andrew Van Beek, URSA Co-President

PS. I've updated the time sensitive entries below with information pertaining to this year's shoots and student groups. For the rest of the new student welcoming posts, continue to read the Fall '08 posts, which would have been the same as this year's anyway.

The Fall 2009 Film Shoot Index

This year, fall quarter was loaded with production. We've got five narrative short films shooting this quarter, in addition to a documentary. Overwhelming, yes, but here's a quick rundown of what's shooting when, who's shooting what, and what it's all about. Watch out for crew petitions emails soon after you get to school.

Studio 22 Fall $3K Grants

*Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Crafts
Director: Talia Alberts
Producer: Andrew Glor, Matt Schmuttenmaer

Shoot dates: 4th and 5th weekends

Description: In 1983, Abner Setty, a young boy who dreams of extraterrestrial life forms, begins a quest to communicate with beings in the night sky. He finally believes that he’s made contact when a colorful visitor falls into the backyard, but who or what exactly is this visitor? Now, Abner must go about convincing those around him that he has succeeded in his quest to find aliens.


*Running Fox
Directors: Pat Bishop and Chris Poole
Producers: Erica Hart, Russell Yaffe

Shoot dates: 1st and 2nd weekends

Description: An irreverent comedy about Henry, a fearless eleven year old boy with a Native American/Serial Killer mentor who is caught at school with a human bone. Henry takes it upon himself to stop the pedophile gripping his town in fear. Spouting facts about the violent colonization of the Native Americans, Henry commits multiple felonies in the name of good, as he learns an important lesson about individualism.


Studio 22 Special Projects Grant

*Digital Decay
Director: Kate Kennard
Producer: Ryan Luong

Shoot dates: 4th Weekend

Description: DIGITAL DECAY is an experimental short that delves into cinema's progression towards an increasingly digital medium. The film seeks to be visually stunning and enjoyable to watch, similar to music videos. As alluded to before, the film will feature almost every medium of film (digital and analog) and a variety of techniques in editing, animation, and production. There's no script, just an astronaut, and a whole lot of room for having fun.

NUWFA Grant

*Judecca
Directors: Aaron Michnowski, Katy Witmer
Producers: Morgan Greenwald, Chris Gonzalez

Shoot dates: 2nd and 3rd weekends

Description: Disarmed and abandoned in the unharvested fields of Judecca, Sam finds himself drawn into the sickly outpost of the damned and decrepit with little hope of escape. Pitted against the ruthless town deputies, Sam discovers he is in good company with old friend Jude, who beseeches him to liberate them all by taking down Judecca's figurehead of justice. What Sam discovers however isn't an opportunity to become a hero, but a difficult decision between friend and fate. Dante's Inferno as a western.

Inspire Grant

*Western Divided
Director: Julian Slatev
Executive Producer: Chris Gonzalez

Shoot dates: Shooting all throughout the fall.
Description: Western Divided seeks to examine the claim brought up in a recent Chicago Tribune article that Chicago is the most segregated big city in America. Using Western Avenue, the city’s longest street, as a starting point, we will look at various neighborhoods (from West Englewood, a community made up of 97.8% African Americans with a median income of under $27,000 to Beverly, an Irish American neighborhood a mere 6 minute drive down Western with a median income of nearly $67,000) and how they are affected by segregation on many levels. Through interviews with leading experts and Chicago residents alike, Western Divided hopes to look at the causes of, and solutions to, this increasingly significant problem.

Directing Class Projects

*The Third Position
Director: Olivia Mascheroni
Producers: Dana Pavisich, Hannah Vanderpool

Shoot dates: 8th Weekend

Description: Third Position is the story of a bitchy, self-righteous, tomboy ballerina who is on top of the world, and then comes tumbling down when she tears up her knee. Unable to dance, Iris becomes depressed and unsure of how to define herself around the people who are closest to her.
It is a story of finding yourself.

*The Muse
Director: Rachel Field
Producer: Hannah Vanderpool

Shoot dates: 6th and 7th weekends

Description: "The Muse" tells the tale of Claire, a hairstylist with some 'unconventional' methods who is starting her first day on the job at a new salon. With her scissors (and a little bit of added magic), Claire succeeds in transforming each of her coworkers and clients into strong and beautiful women - inside and out.

Dear Film Community,

Welcome to the 4th annual “fall addition” of the URSA Quarterly. This forum has been used in the past as a means of expressing advice, frustrations, new ideas and tasty campus eateries. This addition proves to keep in line with past themes and still offers the most up-to-date information about Northwestern University’s film scene.

URSA has completed its third full year as an active 10-person council and is starting to build upon the hopes of becoming a dynasty that offers one-of-a-kind programming for the film community.

URSA had several accomplishments this past school year that we’re very proud of, including:

*The first ever Film Clubs 101, a collaborative information session featuring all the film clubs at NU. An essential event to meet the who’s who in NU student film. Coming this year on Sunday, September 21st.

*The second annual FRESHMAN FILM CAMP. BBQ, Max Cola, blood, miniDV tapes and oodles of freshman bonding. It was the same Battle Royale brutality, except we gave it an Irish twist with the help of headmaster Paul Kruse (RTVF ’08). Who knows what the theme will be this year? Look out for FFC ’08 on Saturday, September 27th. If you’re a freshman, you need to be there.

*The third annual FILM PROM. Even though it might have veered from the initial intent of having a tacky formal, this year’s prom was pretty sweet. Loads of food at a classy establishment aka the total opposite of the previous two years. It looks like this tradition is catching on.

*Advocating for the return of (after a very brief hiatus) the one-quarter directing class. Since the class was added to the course calendar mid-year last year, it seems as though it will be a mainstay course for aspiring directors in their sophomore/junior year.

*Promoting more class collaboration. If all goes well, some sweet shorts will be made this fall with class collaboration by the Senior Directing Sequence, Advanced Cinematography class, and Sound Design class. A return of super high-quality class projects!

*Fostered greater communication and support between film groups on campus.

*Attended faculty meetings to provide feedback on behalf of the film community.

*Worked to improve undergraduate-alumni relations and start a more open and easily-accessible dialogue between the two groups.

*Held meetings and enjoyed radio, television and film while sitting on Sarah Hayden’s futon.


This year we hope to sharpen our current programming and make it the best that it can be. We plan to help offer you an exceptional film experience by facilitating the communication of film student groups, advocating for curriculum improvements, and establishing better connections between our students and the film industry.



Articles by:

Sarah Hayden, class of 2008
Mark Kendall, class of 2009
Kate K., class of 2010
Olivia Mascheroni, class of 2010
Alex Schwarm, class of 2009
Anthony Williams, class of 2008

Get involved. EARLY.

You’re coming to film school, so let’s make some films. The RTVF community is a family like none other, and we want you to be a part of it. Learning by doing is the best way for a film student to learn, so why not jump right into production!? There are 4 or so films filming within the first 5 weeks of fall quarter and we definitely need your help. It’s also a great opportunity to meet upperclassmen and make good impressions. Love to make movies? Come join us. Afraid that you don’t know anything about making a movie? Come learn; that’s why you’re here.

Film Terms To Know

Here's a guide of some common terms and phrases you'll hear – get a grasp on these and you'll sound like an old pro. Updated for 2008 so you also don't sound soooo last year.

190 - The first production class you will take. A new combination of what used to be 180 (freshman year) and 280 (sophomore year). Photoshop. Video projects on NICE miniDV cameras. Final Cut Pro. General Mac procedures. Fisk lab. All wonderful things you will come to know and love.

220 - The first film class freshmen have to take. A touch of theory, but mostly learning to think filmically and analyze things in terms of mise-en-scene, lighting choices, motifs, etc. If you're a girl, you may even develop a crush on Professor Scott Curtis.

230 - Theory class you'll take in the spring. Often touted as an extremely enjoyable class, mostly because of Professor Jeffrey Sconce. You'll learn about hegemony, and a bunch of other awesome things I've completely forgotten. You'll also watch crazy things like "Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” "Wonder Showzen" and “Gummo.”

260 - Basic Screenwriting. The first screenwriting class you can take, which offers introductory-but-indispensable stuff like story structure, screenplay format, character creation, etc. A must-take for any serious filmmaker, as well as a prerequisite into any of the 360 classes, which are genre screenwriting classes (like Action or Comedy or Docudrama or Neo-Noir). Updated from last year, this class now counts toward the major instead of just being an elective; now there’s even more of an incentive to take it!

A&O Films - Part of A&O, which is responsible for a lot of concerts on campus. A&O Films, pretty obviously, is responsible for weekend screenings of movies, and we're talking big blockbusters before they are available on DVD. Good experience booking films - for more information, contact Tyler Baum (tylerbaum2007@u.northwestern).

Block Cinema – It's the building where some of your classes, like 220, will most likely be held, but it is also an organization that shows rare and out-of-print films Wed – Fri. You can volunteer to sell tickets or project the films, and then you can see everything for free as well as gain insider info to advanced screenings and the like. Block also hosts great events like film festivals, celebrity speakers, film premieres, and many more. (For more info on volunteering, email Christine Kim (christinekim2012@u.northwestern.edu)*Editor's Note: Block rules.

The Cage – The first thing you see when you walk in Louis Hall, The Cage is where all of Northwestern's film equipment is kept. Be kind to Brian Perkinson (cage overseer) and all of its employees for a better chance of getting good equipment and NOT losing your fifty-dollar deposit. Also a great place to hang out and meet up. All. Day. Long.

CRC – The Communications Residential College.  CRC is a haven for film majors and film enthusiasts alike.  There's film equipment, Final Cut Pro on the computers, screening rooms (with Blu-ray [omg]), and generally likeable kids.  Oh, and Guitar Hero ALL NIGHT LONG. If you don't live there, immediately meet someone who does. And use them unmercilessly.

CWMP – Creative Writing for the Media Program. A very selective writing program for RTVF, Theater, Performance Studies and Comm Studies that you apply to in your sophomore year. Writing plays, full length screenplays, TV scripts, etc. The bomb.com.

Film Camp – A freshmen retreat at the beginning of the year that will undoubtedly be a highlight of your young lives. You'll go up to Illinois Beach State Park, cookout, and spend the day filming a remake of Battle Royale. This important piece of Japanese cinema will be screened beforehand, but you will basically pick names out of a hat and then kill each other off with the weapons URSA provides you. AMAZING. Plus you get T-SHIRTS and will mingle with film upperclassmen, who can teach you a thing or two about a thing or two.  COMING THIS YEAR ON SEPTEMBER 26^th.  Sign up for it during New Student Week.

Film Clubs 101 - An informational session presenting you with all the information you could possibly need about every single film group on campus. Basically, the live re-enactment of this guide. Currently scheduled for Sunday of New Student Week - absolutely don't miss it if you want to be in the know about this year!

Film Prom – Now in its fifth year, Film Prom is one of URSA's crowning achievements, if only for the hilarity that is bound to ensue. Basically, this is a formal for our major and often for non-majors who wish to be film majors. We get together, dance riotously, vote for our Film Prom King and Queen, and then break up to go to afterparties where more riotous dancing will occur.  Proud to support voter fraud for three straight years!!!

Inspire Films - An interdisciplinary film group that strives to promote the fusion of filmmaking with social issues on campus through speakers, a spring symposium about media ethics, and funding an annual grant for a student film that deals with social issues. This year's project, Western Divided, is a documentary which seeks to examine the claim brought up in a recent Chicago Tribune article that Chicago is the most segregated big city in America..  For more info, contact Andrew Glor (andrewglor2007@u.northwestern.edu).

Niteskool – a music/film organization, but as far as RTVF is concerned, a huge $12,000+ music video shoot over one weekend in April. Out of control and ridiculous every single time. Three years ago was zombies. Two years ago we built a town. Last year we covered a bikini model in paint.  This year could be anything.

NorthwesternUniversity Women Filmmakers Alliance (NUWFA) – An organization for promoting and being proud of women in the filmmaking profession. Brings in speakers, gives out grants, is generally great. You do NOT have to be a woman to join or attend events or get grants. You just also have to be generally great, which you probably are. For more info, contact Ace Cordova, NUWFA Co-President, at (AliciaCordova2007@u.northwestern.edu).

NSTV – Northwestern Sketch Television. A group that puts together a 90 minute sketch comedy video over the course of the year (think Saturday Night Live, but not terrible). Petitions are at the beginning of the year to be a writer, actor, or to be on the crew. Once you're here, you're family. We're talking NSTV retreats, parties, and from what I can gather through facebook pictures, quite a lot of pizza. A lot of work for a big payoff and a cult-like group of friends. Nice. For more info, contact Dan Siegel, one of this year's Directors (danielsiegel2010@u.northwestern.edu).

NU Channel 1 – Northwestern's TV station. A lot of original programming (and ALWAYS looking for more, which is a great opportunity to make whatever you want and have it go on air) and also shows events like The Titanic Players improv shows, speakers, old Studio 22, Niteskool, and NSTV stuff. For more info, contact Josie Chai (josiechai488@gmail) or Robin Berkovitz (robinberkovitz2007@u.northwestern).

Petitions – Basically, a film student's "audition." When someone is making a film, they hold petitions (interviews) for students to come in and talk to the filmmakers. They're looking for a crew and you're looking for experience, so you show up, say what you're interested in doing and a couple days later, you find out what your job is. TOTALLY RELAXED AND NOT SCARY, so petition for crews the first few weeks of school. Note: also referred to as "petishes" by the cool kids.

Pitching – The process of asking a group for money for your film. For Studio 22, the pitch process involves talking to each of the ten representatives for five minutes about different aspects of your film, including script, budget, on-set experience, etc. Basically, you need to know the shit out of any project you pitch before you do so, lest you look like an idiot.

Studio 22 – It is basically a student-run production company on campus. Every year, the School of Communications and private donors provide Studio 22 with over $20,000, most of which is then funneled back to us students through grants to make films. Pitches are every single quarter, which allotments ranging from $500 to $3000 to one $7500 grant. For more info, contact Andrew Van Beek (AndrewVan2007@u.northwestern.edu) or Chris Simonson (christophersimonson2007@u.northwestern.edu), co-presidents.

URSA – The Undergraduate RTVF Student Association. We bring you this quarterly, this informational website/livejournal, film camp, film prom, and more. URSA is your liaison to the faculty. Any suggestions or problems you have can go to URSA and will most definitely be heard by the faculty. Co-chairs are Andrew Van Beek and Kate Kennard, and the two representatives for each grade will be decided at the beginning of the school year. Every RTVF major is technically a member of URSA and we are the only student group focused on making change. If you're interested in being a representative for your grade, contact Andy or Kate for more information -(AndrewVan2007@u.northwestern.edu) or (kate.kennard@gmail).

Sometimes it’s just better to cut the crap and get straight to the point. The new URSA co-chair, Kate K., keeps up with her predecessor, Sarah Hayden, by putting it to you bluntly.

Dear Freshmen Bitches (kidding, but not, or am I?),

Fuck you guys for picking this school. What the fuck is wrong with you? Haven’t you heard of NYU or USC? No, but seriously, in all seriousness, with the utmost sincerity, I tell you this.
This is where you can blossom as a filmmaker or not. It’s really your decision. I’m not going to sugar coat it for you. Film school is not about a single class you take, a single professor you have, or even the actual films you make. Film school is about growing as filmmaker.

My point is this: this is fucking film school. Go out on a limb. Do what you want to do. There is no one way to become a great filmmaker. You have to do it for yourself. No one is going to teach you how to be great. No professor at Northwestern, not Sconce or Curtis, or Bleich or anyone is going to hold your hand and tell you how to make or write the best film ever. No upperclassman. Not me or Alex Schwarm or Erica Hart or Russell Yaffe or anyone is going to give you the answers. Film school is about tools. It’s not about answers.

Take everything with a grain of salt. Don’t buy into anyone 100 percent. Take what you believe and see what they have to say and add them together or don’t listen at all. Seriously, don’t listen at all if you don’t want. This is art we’re talking about. Don’t let anyone tell you how to make your art. Make your films.

And by god, please make your films in classes too. That’s what they’re for. Go all out for a class project. I haven’t made anything I’m especially proud of for class, but I’ve experimented. Experiment in 190! Just because it’s the first production class doesn’t mean it’s a throw-away. Here’s what’s great about Northwestern, there are pretty much no rules, no structure, no guidelines for your projects. So nothing is a throw-away project. There is something to learn in every project. Make your projects for yourself and for your class.

Extracurricular films are not the only answer.

The thing about Northwestern Film is that the curriculum is totally open. There are no rules. Northwestern isn’t USC teaching you how to make a super commercial film and Northwestern isn’t NYU telling you that you have to make the artsiest black and white piece of shit. Northwestern wants you to be you. So figure out who that is and make a piece that reflects your discovery.

Treat film the way it deserves to be treated. She’s a little over a hundred, and she’s come a long way in that time. But there are still stories to tell and possibilities that haven’t been explored yet. Film’s got a lot of growing left to do, and so do you.

Let the year begin!

Kate K.
Class of 2010

(names have been abbreviated to protect the google-able)

Don’t freak out if you don’t get involved in fall quarter.

You’re at college. It can be daunting. It can be exciting. You might want to try several different things, and that’s fine. The undergraduate RTVF community is pretty focused on production, but maybe that’s not your thing. Most student film groups have rolling admission to their clubs. You can get involved in the winter, or even the spring. Freshman year should be a fun time to try new things, so go out and live a bit. But always remember... eventually you’ll catch the fever for production and will be on set nearly every weekend.

The Art of Compromise

We all want to make the movie we've been dreaming of since we were five, but there comes a point when you have to realize that what you really want and what you can really do are not always the same.

Being involved in Studio 22 is great thing. It's important if you want to learn about film. And if you want to get a chance to get some money, gather a big crew, and make one of your scripts come to life, then it's also important to be involved.

But what happens when you want to be at the helm of the movie, call action, make important phone calls, and lose a lot of sleep? You have to pitch a movie to the board. There are a million different approaches to pitching a movie, and I'm not going to go into that here (there are four million different people who can give you advice on that), but rather I'll talk about what to pitch. As frequently as a solar eclipse, a director will pitch a script written by someone else, but generally if you want to direct a movie at NU, chances are you have to write as well.

So how do you choose to what to write? Well, I don't want to go too far into what to write, what to pitch, blah blah blah, but the best advice is to write what you know. Embrace what you love and run with it. The only piece of advice I can give is to make sure you have a story that you want to invest a whole lot of energy and time and other people's time into. Nobody wants to be stuck with a project they didn't actually care about and just wanted a grant. You don't have to pitch every quarter; in fact, that can be detriment. Wait until you have something you're passionate about and your enthusiasm will sell that project.

Suppose you get an idea and are starting to piece together your masterpiece script. You want to make 'Amadeus' meets 'Ghostbusters.' That's a great start. But before you get too far into writing there's one more piece of the puzzle you need to consider and that's THE SET EXPERIENCE. If you want to make a film about a giant robot chasing a reality television celebrity, it can happen. If you want to make a film about a little girl covered in blood chasing a man through woods at night into a cult of people covered in blood that can happen too. But the thing to keep in mind is that there is a cost for making such visions come true.

When writing a script, the thing to keep in mind is that you are going to have to make it happen. So if there's a part in the script where a horse drawn carriage jumps the Grand Canyon while being chased by UFOs and a fireworks show is going on, that's going to be hell for everyone involved to make a reality. Okay, that example was a little over the top. Suppose you want to do the chase scene through the forest at night mentioned earlier, that's damn difficult too. I'll list a couple things, that may slip your mind, but make a seemingly easy idea very difficult.

1. Nighttime Exteriors are hard. They require a lot of lights and generators. That means there is fivefold as much equipment for the crew to set up. Also, since it is night you will be keeping the crew up late. Not a great idea if you have daylight shots in the morning. Turnaround between wrapping one day and call time the next day is also a factor on set.

2. Shooting in the woods is hard. Even if there's a trail, it is hard as hell to get equipment out into the forest. Not only is it physically taxing, but the shoot moves slower because it takes so long to get the equipment to the shooting location. Also, it's very easy to lose equipment in the woods.

3. Nights can get cold. Sometimes unseasonly cold weather can blow through. It's rough to keep everyone moving when the weather sucks. But rain can also happen, or snow, or anything you wouldn't want on your set. Exterior shots can be difficult and once the sun goes down the weather can get worse even quicker.

4. Using children is difficult. Especially with the long hours on set. Most child actors are wonderful, but its a lot to put them through and its tough to keep in mind they're children.

5. Blood effects are sticky, messy, uncomfortable, and time consuming. Use them sparingly.

I've found that when I'm given restrictions, the final product ends up better. So when crafting a script, sometimes it's a good thing to keep in mind the ordeal of the actual production. The puzzle of making the set experience one that is feasible while making it exactly what you thought is a challenge. But it is one that should not be ignored. That is where compromise comes in. There are half a million compromises that come in to play when drafting a script. One of the biggest compromises should be set experience versus vision. That's a tough one, but an important one. But another important one is challenge versus laziness. A compromise should never be made because the element being removed is too much work. The point of making a film is to challenge yourself and everyone involved. If you aren't pushing the limits then why make the movie? The biggest compromises of script should come from making the distinction between pushing the envelope and crossing the line.



Anthony Williams
Class of 2008

A Guide to Film Set Jobs

I'm no expert at all of the jobs on a film set, but here's a cursory example of what to expect - and aspire to - on films sets, should you choose to frequent them.

Crew Heads

*Director - Is in charge creatively. In student film, usually has written the script, but usually not in the real world. The go-to person for pretty much everyone on set. So, pretty much, big pressure, but big payoff.

*Producer - Is in charge of the budget. Takes care of insurance, set logistics, getting donations, getting grants. The go-to person for tax-exempt forms and how much money your department can spend and whether or not you can spend it. Organization and accessibility are key.

*Director of Photography - The cinematographer. In charge of camera team, works with the director to come up with the shot lists and shooting schedule. Physically makes the movie.

*Editor - The post-production guru. In charge of assistant editors, making sure the footage is logged, and then puts it all in order for narrative consumption. Long hours in Louis/Fisk finishing everything up.

*Casting Director - Organizes auditions, advertises audtions online in Chicago and on campus, works with the director to choose the cast. Works to recruit extras.

*Production Designer - Gets everything needed to dress the set. Props, bedding, stuff on the walls, stuff in cars, stuff in bags, stuff in classrooms. When you learn what mise-en-scene is, the PD is in charge of putting everything besides the actors in the frame.

*1st Assistant Director - In a word, hardass. 1st AD (kindly) rides both the director's and the DP's ass to make sure that everything stays on schedule. You will hate this person if they don't take a stand and you're there until 3 am, you will love this person if they get you out 3 hours early. Contributes to the shooting schedule; this person knows what's up on set at all times.

*Sound Designer - Works with the director to come up with a sound scheme. Often the same job as sound recordist, but on bigger films, the jobs are split. Makes sure everything gets recorded, and fixes it later if things aren't recorded. Works with the editor in post to mix the sound. Can make or break a movie.

*Colorist/On-line Editor – A wiz at the Avid DS. Color-corrects the film to make it look beautiful. Finalizes the film in HD and puts it off to tape. aka Computer Guru.

*Blood Effects Coordinator - If there is blood in the shot, this person organizes it. Talks to professional stunt people, gets permits for squibs (little fake blood explosions) if necessary, mixes and places the blood.

*Costume Designer - Works with the director to come up with color schemes and choose what clothes the actors and extras will wear. Trips to thrift shops almost always necessary. Keeps extra costumes around "just in case" and makes sure everything is accounted for at the end of the day. Usually does make-up too, unless you can also find someone who's good at make-up.

*Locations Manager - Scouts and secures all of the locations for the shoot. Without this, there is no movie. Smoothes things over with apartment/house/business owners in case anything bad happens, and smooth-talks to get the location in the first place.

*Unit Production Manager - Schedules. Everything. Cars and drivers, pick-ups, drop-offs, parking, load-in, load-out, call times and wrap times. Organization, once again, is totally clutch.

*Gaffer - Lighting guru. Works with the director and the DP to create lighting schemes. Organizes the key grip, grips, and best boy to make sure all the lights get set up in the right place with the right intensity and color.

*Associate Producer - Helps the producer take care of the nitty gritty during pre-production as well as on set. Fills out some paper work, sends emails, applies for/picks up donations. On set, takes care of last minute things that have been overlooked - maybe picking up utensils or buying extra table cloths for a shot. Beloved for saving the day a lot.

Directing Team

*Director
*1st AD

*2nd Assistant Director - Helps keep film on schedule by taking care of the oft-overlooked things. Like how the rest of the crew is doing. Also key in scheduling, motivating, and wrangling extras. High on morale.

*Script Supervisor/Continuity - Not for the faint of heart. Script Sup is for the detail-oriented: you have to remember literally everything that is in the shot. What the actress' hair looked like, how full the soda bottle was, whether the actor said "butt" or "ass" in the last take, whether the shoes were tied or untied. Hard to do perfectly (seriously, find me a student film without continuity errors) but if you can come pretty close, you will have done your job. Big time commitment, but way important. A small digital camera on hand is a must.

Producing Team

*Producer
*AP
*Locations Manager
*UPM

*Production Assistant - Helps both the producers and the APs. Another stepping stone to AP, which is a stepping stone to Producer. A lot of work in pre-production. Biggest job: securing food donations. Good food donations can make even the worst set a little bit happier.

Camera Team

*DP

*1st Assistant Camera - DP's right-hand (wo)man. Contributes creatively to shots and framing, loads film, takes focus measurements.

*2nd Assistant Camera - DP's left-hand (wo)man. Keeps camera logs (on smaller shoots), operates the slate, and takes care of the camera like it is a fragile baby.


Grip/Electric Team

*Gaffer

*Best Boy - The electrician. Knows the wattage of the lights and where things can be plugged in and when things are going to explode. Keeps everything technical up and running.

*Key Grip - The king o' the grips. Gets the orders from the Gaffer and gets the grips organized into whatever factions are necessary. Knows where the lights need to be and how to put them up.

*Dolly Grip - The master of pushing, pulling, and stopping the dolly (a moving camera mount apparatus used for tracking shots). Also trickier than it looks and requires arm strength and focus.

*Grip - The backbone of student film. Move equipment, set up equipment, take down equipment. Guard equipment. There's some standing around, but everyone's gotta be a grip at some point. Plus, grip team usually become friends and start a lot of inside jokes.

Design Team

*Prod Designer
*Costume Designer

*Art Crew - On the Prod Design team. Pre-production includes picking up props, maybe building some stuff. On set, dressing the set and helping to set up all of the stuff in the background.

Sound Team

*Sound Designer

*Boom Operator - Holds the boom (the big sound pole), which is trickier than it looks. Arm muscles key, patience key.

*Sound Recordist - Makes sure everything that needs to be recorded, is recorded. Knows when to be taking sound. In charge of keeping sound equipment organized and in working order.

Casting Team

*Casting Director

*Casting Assistant - Helps out at casting sessions. Runs the front desk where all the actors sign in, help film the auditions for later perusals, organize script copies, run lines during auditions, offer input in casting decisions.

Edit Team

*Editor

*Assistant Editor - Logs the footage for the editor. Sticks around during post and offers advice when needed. A necessary - though sometimes a little boring - step to getting editor position.

Doc Team

*Video Documentarian - Makes a documentary about the film being made. If done right, the vid doc can create a really great keepsake, maybe even a better movie than the one you're working on. Keeps morale up and can catch great moments behind-the-scenes.

*Photo Documentarian - The job that launched a thousand facebook photos. Takes productions stills that will be used in festival submissions and, yes, as keepsakes.