The Production of 'Evol.'

[shirt]

Well, currently for school I am working on three 20 minute 'dramas' (actually comedies.)
I am the Asst. Director/Script Supervisor/Art Director for one, a camera operator/camera asst. for another, and just a fill in/ p.a. for the final one.

Well, as you can probally tell, the major one I am working on is the asst. director one, which is entitled 'Evol' (love spelt backwards.)

Overall, the film has been SHIAT. I mean, overall the production quality has suffered. Not because of the crew, as we have almost all worked together before/ and or we are all experienced at our positions.

Not because of the script. It is simple, yet somewhat difficult.

The real this film is going so bad is because of the Producer. The guy is a set nazi. Overall, I work with the guy all the time, in fact I am co-producing another project with him which is going extremely well. It's just that he really has strange fetish for time. Time is everything for him, yet we are students and this is costing us thousands of dollars to make... meaning it really shouldn't be rushed.

It's got to the point that everyone on the crew hates him. He schedules massive amounts of work that could never be done by a unexperienced crew. We shoot 3 locations a day, sometimes 30 + shots. Most of these shots envolving dollying, racking, etc with some degree of difficulty.

Anyways, overall... just a question. How would you go about resolving this. I mean that film is really suffering because it is being rushed. It's even got to the point were him and I got into a huge arguement the other day in front of professional actors on set. It is terrible. So, what would you guys do? The director, DoP, and I are going tomorrow to talk to our Executive Producer about him and get advice. I mean, our careers somewhat depend on this film. This is the only chance we'll get to shoot on Negative film and not reversal, yet the film is going to look like crap. HELP!

------------------

[Mods]

Star Wars was shot in what, a month? 2 months? I can't remember.

Your film is only 20 minutes long, so yes, it doesn't need to be rushed, but I'd tell him you only need to do a scene a day. Or, 5 minutes worth of footage, at LEAST a week. I don't know.

Mods

------------------
Mark "Mods" Lovegrove
Anarchy Pictures

[eddie]

sounds like a big deal.
Are you not following a predefined shot list?
I would get together with the core crew, and
decide on a deadline that the film must be shot by.
You know what shots and scenes need to be taken, so then organise the time you have left to shoot these scenes.
There is no reason one person should decide on a shooting schedule. Its a group thing to decide on that is dependant upon person availablity, locations, equipment, props, and deadlines - not one persons whim.
Why should this be unreasonable, so long as the shot list and schedule is given enough thought.
It sounds to me like you need to collectivley decide on a shooting schedule.
Confront him with it, collectivley convince him of what you want to do and why and stick
to it.
Either that or revolt and overthrow your uncompromising master.

------------------

[shirt]

I like the whole 'idea' of revolting. Him and I have very short fuses, so it can be quite amusing for the crew on set.

I mean, the guy is set, and really shouldn't be. I honestly think he has a watch transplanted into his brain which causes him to just think about time.

Anyways, I guess the director is dealing with him as we speak and going to talk him out of a few hectic upcoming days. I mean who really cares if we add a day or two on to the shoot schedule. We have a predfined shot list, unfortunaltely it's hard to explain to him what is important and what's not important. I mean, for those here who have worked with film... you know how much rehersal a crew and actors need when you are doing dollies with rack focusing. Some the shots we are doing involve precise measurements, etc. Especially when shooting on film with only a ASA of 250. The depth of field is so small. Ah well. I guess, I'll just wait and see.

------------------

[Chump]

Why not set his hair on fire.


He'll be so interested in a courtcase/police action/crying to mummy that time on the movie will take a back seat.


In fact, film yourself doing it - it'd be a laugh.


------------------