Cinematography-Theory-And-Practice

THE SHOT LISTThe shot list serves a number of functions. It lets the DP and theassistant director better plan the day, including possibly sending offsome electricians and grips to pre-rig another location. It also helpsthe DP in determining what film stock should be used, what additionalequipment should be prepped, and how much time is reasonablyallowable to light and set the shot within the constraints of whatneeds to be done that day. Even if the shot list doesn’t get followedstep by step, it will often at the very least provide a clue as to whatstyle of shooting the director wants to employ: is it a few simpleshots for each scene or detailed and elaborate coverage or perhaps afew “bravura” shots that emphasize style and movement?In addition, it is very helpful in serving as a reminder for the director,the DP, the assistant director, and the continuity person so thatno shots or special coverage are missed. One of the gravest productionerrors a director can make is to wrap a set or location withoutgetting everything needed. Reshoots are expensive, and there isalways the possibility that the location or the actors will not be availableto correct this mistake. Although all these people assist in this, itis the director’s fundamental responsibility to “get the shots.” Thisis far more important than being stylish, doing fancy moves, and soon. None of these matter if scenes are not completed and usable. InHD, the absolute most basic rule is to never leave a location until youhave checked the footage for problems, performance and continuity.Even if not a formal shot list, some directors will charge the scriptsupervisor with keeping a list of “must haves.” This is especiallyuseful for cutaways or inserts that might easily be forgotten. It is alsohelpful for “owed” shots. “We owe a POV shot from the window,”is a way of saying that there is a shot that is part of this scene that weare not shooting now but we have to pick it up while at this location.THE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHYThe DP is primarily responsible for giving the director what shewants and also accomplishing the photographic style they haveagreed on. Every director has a different style of working: some willbe very specific about a certain look they want and exact framing,while others want to focus on working closely with the actors andstaging the scenes and leave it to the DP to decide on exact framing,camera moves and the lighting style, filtration, and so on.Figure 15.2. A crew working on asubway station set. A greenscreenhas been rigged so that the backgroundcan be replaced in post. Thecrew also shot scenes in the actualsubway station — see Figure 15.13.(Photo courtesy of Michael Gallart.)set operations289