For all filmmakers watching…this is 1000% accurate. I’ve worked several Hollywood productions. Every detail mentioned here you can do even on a small / no budget. This is fundamental.
Absolutely agree. Although I haven't worked on H'wood productions yet, it's necessary for these concepts and practices to be well understood by everyone at every level. I've had a freshly minted director btch and moan because they simply could not understand why lighting and cam setups take so long-when the real issue was they blew the shooting schedule on day 1. :c/
@@dh1163 i’m new to the game. And I’m watching this video as a way to try to wrap my head around the entire process. It’s a relief to read comments that confirm this information is accurate. I can’t imagine blowing huge amounts of time due to a lack of experience coupled with a lack of knowledge about an efficient process.
I got to see many commercials and tv shows being filmed in Sydney, and yeah, seeing 50+ people standing around to film simple things was an eye opener.
@@aldunlop4622 You don't "need" 50 people but the more specialized the role, the less there is for errors. IF you just have a skeleton crew wearing many hats, it can be done but the quality will suffer. That said, great cinema is a subjective topic at best. Just look at some of the greatest cult classics like Clerks, some of Tarantino's earlier work, etc. A huge crew isn't always necessary.
Bloody madness: Just for those who don't know - HARRY C. BOX (minute 8.47) is one of the most important gaffers of all time! He solely laid the groundwork for almost everything that concerns modern day gaffer and rigging work. His phenomenal - fun to read - book "Set Lightning's Technician Handbook" has been adopted by the whole of film and TV industry, including unions, as a standard work on how to use lightning and rigging equipment and safty on set! Salute.
I worked as a set lighting technician for 42 years beginning in 1980. Local 728 was handing out the Lighting Technicians Handbook for free for a while and that's how I got my copy. The funny thing is that I don't remember ever seeing Harry until this video. I no longer work in the industry because of the 4 year global scam that affected our industry so severely. Safe and effective, LOL.
I'm currently working security for a movie set for a production that Kevin Costner is doing here in Southern Utah for the movie Horizon An American Saga. This is my first experience with the motion picture industry outside of going to the theater to watch a movie. It's been very educational, to say the least. I was positioned on a hill overlooking the set during the first day of shooting to guard a motorcycle trail from people riding onto the set. For over 2 hours that morning, it looked like ants on an anthill with everyone doing their different jobs. Then I heard someone yell, "background," and the action began. A minute and 3 seconds later, I heard, "cut," and the ants came out of hiding again. One of the drivers told me that they were spending over $70,000 an hour when production was going full steam ahead. I've always been fascinated by the behind the scenes of the making of a big production like this. I feel very blessed to have been a small part of this project!!
It's always interesting to see the person they use for Tom Cruise's lighting stand in. Very much about the scene being lit to hide and show off features of the face. The dolly grip is so often the unsung hero of the camera doing the big moves and their timing has to be perfect. In big filmmaking there are so many unsung heroes
I worked at the casino in Sydney in IT for about 5 years and across the street was a cafe all the staff used to go to for coffees, sometimes lunch, I even had most of my business meetings with external suppliers and what not there. Next to it was this plaza I guess you'd call it and they filmed a lot of tv commercials there. That whole area was like a mini Hollywood with a lot of tv and advertising production companies, so they used to film locally. I got sit outside the cafe and watch them film maybe 100 productions, sometimes tv shows, or ads and I found it very fascinating. There were usually 50 of more crew, camera and production vehicles etc. I really enjoyed watching the process, got to meet many of the production people and actors and have a chat about what their jobs were, what they did etc. They in turn used to ask me about managing all the behind-the-scenes IT that went into making a large casino function.
This video is pure gold, it's amazing how so much valuable information can be condensed in here. And just as a detail, what an opportunity lost to call the boom operator "boomer".
Nicely done! Unless you're actually in the business, most people have no idea of how many scenes/shots it takes just to show a person simply walking through a door and into another room or office.
This brought back so many memories. I've worked on over 200 shows as a principle actor, second team, photo double and even stunts and bg actor.. every job is important. I remember working on American Reunion in Covington Georgia. Allison Hannigan sprained her ankle and me and some of the other bg actors prepared a way to cross out of camera to get a chair off camera for her to sit in so she could rest her ankle. I've seen the director use bg to even cover or block view of things in the background that shouldn't be seen for instance we were shooting a period piece for The Vampire Diaries and they used a couple of bg actors stand in front of a modern phone box or a car they couldn't get moved. It's so fascinating
I achieved a degree in Photography in 1976. The lens lead me all over the world and I obediently followed. I wrapped up my career as a scientific photographer on a research vessel. An ideal life but my dream was to be part of a creative effort such as this. Life is much too short to achieve all one wishes.
Ibwish i knewvhow it feels to follow one's calling and get surprised by places it takes you, while earning your living from it (i'd guess not bare minimum). You're a very lucky and well-positioned photography master, many would seriously envy (including myself, an unemployed, failed musician - turned - machinist).
@@dannydetonator A machinist? One who is comfortable with math and geometry? Now I'm jealous. I just bought a second hand round column mill. I am trying to satisfy my curiosity about your trade. I have had a life long curiosity and appreciation of mechanical things. I believe photographers must be comfortable in many areas. We must be accurate in our concepts and the use of our tools of the trade as well as being creative in our vision. A successful combination of the geek and the artist is sometimes hard to find manifested in many people. Just look at the contraptions a commercial photographer will have to create to solve the problems of lighting a product. Maybe you need to satisfy your innate desire for accuracy with something like macro- photography and image stacking. Conceive, create and machine items to solve those problems. Combine your creative juices and have fun. There is a lot of people in other industries who use elements of imaging in their occupations and they believe they know about photography but are mislead in the concepts of the reality of photography in general. It has to be easy, just push the button right? Light dissipates to the square of the distance and when the distance is great this is not much of a problem. When this distance is small, ohhh geeze getting light even on a microscopic level requires understanding and precision. When the light is close lighting becomes difficult. Also we live in a world where technology is changing rapidly. We had to wait on sensor technology and inkjet printers to mature enough for grandma could have a photo in her purse. When that happened digital in general exploded and another chapter in photography was written. What an exciting time to be a photographer! Pick your niche and interest and go for it. You have to learn why and your mind, I know requires this anyway. Dive deep into the why. You know why your lathe chatters. Learn why the sensors crushes the lower tones and clips the highlights. Without that knowledge it's hard to imagine what the sensors sees vs what your eyes see. Learn about color management. So much from the well in which to drink. And by golly TH-cam and the wonderful people who have the skill and are willing to share what they know is an asset as we have never seen before. Time to tinker, satisfy curiosity and learn. Photography is addictive. Beware!
As a young filmmaker trying to get into Hollywood, these tips are extremely helpful. Thank you so much for sharing all this information with us, and helping us learn to become more professional with our own productions.
I had to stop watching after five minutes because it was so accurate it started to stress me out. Maybe you cover this, but the reason there are so many people there apparently lurking is because the director or DP can change everything in an instant and then you better be prepared to change direction on a dime - instantaneously. No excuses allowed and failure is not an option.
Awesome!- Most in the audience have very little knowledge, let alone awareness, of all the relentless hard work, that film makers put in during each film shoot! Thank you!
This is so fun! I was a 2nd AD on four seasons of Castle--seeing all my old co-workers in these shots was a happy surprise. What was the connection that got you guys all this great BTS footage?
This has to be one of the best-kept filmmaking secrets channels on TH-cam. this channel is so helpful and educational! I truly look forward to whatever you guys post. such a help to young filmmakers like me out A TON!
I love the detals in the video. I think you missed an opportunity to talk about sound. Often the boom operator needs to know the blocking and even the dialogue to follow with the boom. The boom op also has to be very careful where he stands not to block light, yet still be able to whip that pole from one actor to the other and not cause shadows.The boom op can also have his own blocking marked so he knows where he needs to/can stand. He's almost like another actor on selt who has to avoid being seen and stay out of everyone's way.
I thought the exact same thing. I also thought about other sound related items on a set. A good example is the comms going on (most likely on headsets these days) between team members within a department.
Very well done and this is a master class in short time. !!! Please do another version but smaller sets . For indie films ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉 thank you so much for this .
This is by a country mile the best explanation of how this is done professionally, and for everyone ou see here there are many more behind the production. Thank you.
I am not a film maker or an actor at all but I have watched many movies (and a few t.v shows many years ago when I watched t.v.) and I have had a curiosity of how they were made and watched some interviews with actors and directors and they mentioned blocking so I wanted to know more about that and how movies were made and I sort of knew about lighting and all that so this was very helpful. Thank you
Absolutely correct - but doesn’t have time to touch on all the problems that can crop up in this and any other field. Ron Howard in his “Master Class” points out “Everything goes wrong” - you just have to ride with it.
I also used to think you didn't need all that, and spent years making and helping others (with the same mindset) make utter garbage, then briefly got into Hollywood North, working on Supergirl and The Flash as a PA, and that opened my eyes to how ignorant I was about filmmaking; despite decades watching BTS of my favorite movies/show, religiously watching every filmmaking TH-cam channel I could get my eyes on and lessons from my own indie experiences.
Thank you for sharing that. The film industry is one of the few that spends billions of dollars to create a façade of how it actually works to make it appear glamorous. It’s a disservice to aspiring filmmakers because it’s not glamorous- it’s a very complex, methodical, almost militaristic process. Hollywood filmmaking is an assembly line that stamps out content. Everybody plays a role and in order for the system to run smoothly, there has to be a process. This is that process.
@@FilmSkillssoul destroying and I feel more indies need to break the mould of Hollywood nonsense. Have yet to see any decent content this year from Hollywood except for Oppenheimer. Polishing turds as we editors call it.
If you've ever wondered why the first films of indie filmmakers were so wildly original/memorable..but then afterwards when they went 'Hollywood' their films became completely soulless/no originality? Now you know why. This video shows the 'sausage factory' at it's worst. The only thing you really need to learn is at 4:50 Getting the 'Bing' logo as product placement...because as we all know: Everyone uses Bing.
Not really ... everybody has a role, and everybody knows the limits of their role and when and where it bumps up against the other roles. This makes a simple thing, simple in the end.
Fascinating look at the complexity of film/tv production, including little details like how product placement is worked in. What's really mind-blowing is the thought that this is happening for the hundreds of thousands of hours of content that fills TV and movie theaters. Of course, since taking the Universal tour in the early '80's, all this stuff is in the back of my mind when I watch shows/movies. Even if this is really just to plug your online school. ;)
It's like a commercial building project. You see people standing around, waiting. A process just as costly as filming a scene and is many cases much more expensive. The BIM engineer created the structure or "script" which is used to create the materials list and schedule that break out each and every step. Framers, pipefitters, electricians, and inspectors and engineers who all work in unison while others are working, some are waiting and planning.
This intro to movie making is an excellent presentation into the complexity and challenges of video productions. It makes you appreciate the work and dedication of the writers, crew and actors. Well done, look forward to watching more.
I was once the tow-car driver for a well-known TV series. It took four days to record a scene that was 36-seconds. It consisted of the two main characters having an argument, one getting in the car (a brand-new BMW - 495 miles on the clock when I picked it up) and telling a third person what was said. The ‘star’ kept forgetting his lines. No one was surprised. I got the BMW on the Tuesday, drove the route with the stand-in (who knew all his lines) on Wednesday, and the following day there were eight takes before the star decided he’d had enough. Friday required just three takes before we all realised the star’s tone of voice made the takes unusable. I argued with the star on the Friday. I was replaced the following week, so I have no idea if the scene was repeated.
@@tilersun I wrote a book which included this experience. The slushpile reader said I couldn't mention the name of the show, or even hint at it as I would be liable to be sued, the star being famous for his willingness to brief a solicitor. One bit she was especially shocked by was the pathetic conduct of the star. I went through a bit about what he mustn't do when in motion, one bit of which was not to brake. He asked what would happen if he did brake. I said I don't know. He undid his seatbelt, sort of threw the buckle at me, although it was pulled away and, into my face said, "I'm used to working with professionals." I wasn't to take that from this bloke, and said, "Perhaps it because I don't know what happens if someone is stupid enough to stamp on the brakes is because I'm used to working with professionals." That went down about as well as you'd expect. He stomped off. One of the sound guys said, "That's filming over for the day." The chef said later, "Good. He deserves it," so I assume he was just as abrupt with others.
@@WritewheelUK Surely you could have at least guessed what would happen if you braked? eg "It's never been done, but I assume if you braked then object A would verb B, and object C would verb D....." etc etc
Amazing how complicated it is to shoot a scene and the number of people and disciplines involved. It as also fun seeing the crew working on a scene for the TV series Castle. :)
Having spent some 46-years in the business, forty of which were in HOLLYWOOD, I have to say that filming a movie or TV episodic today has become too complex with too much staging... it's because of the ultra fast-paced commercials, that has trained audiences to accept the fast editing style that has become the "New Normal" of telling a story. Scenes have way too much coverage, one and two second shots, it's all about the imagery rather than good writing and acting. The photography aspect of production has been reduced to just get everything in focus, and anything else can be added or corrected in post by someone with a mouse and a laptop! I've worked on TV shows where the DP is setting up the shots, whilst the director just wants to deal with the actors and nothing else. Unlike many of the young crews today who have never worked or even seen a roll of film, I've seen the changes in both technology and on-set production. Too many people huddled around video village, too much rehearshal that severely limits any spontanaity... the camera with all the latest crane configurations just keeps moving all the time... "Less is more" -the best shots are reaction shots, no dialogue just good tight close-ups. I'm third generation now retired, and I've worked on so many iconic movies and TV shows both in England and the US, have met so many iconic legends both behind-the-camera and in front of it, in short I was blessed and so lucky. I saw what was coming, mediocrity and style over substance. I don't envy crews today, especially with the ever-growing threat of AI, and the studios getting cheaper and meaner with all those that work so hard to make them richer!
I've noticed that the camera guys on tv shows shake the camera on purpose to make it look realistic but it looks like crap. "The Office" is a classic example. I see it on unscripted shows too. Why haven't professional cameras gotten smaller like consumer cameras? I mean the main body of the camera, not the manual focus section.They shoot in the same resolution.
From the comments this video is spot on. I would suggest to bring intelligent outside the industry people to study the production for process improvements.
The film industry has been around for decades and has evolved into what it is now. No outside expert will be able to improve the process, especially since a movie set doesn't work like a standard company in a way that could utilize the resources of a consultant.
I know of fellow Professors that still show this exact video as part of production curriculum in CA. Modern productions obviously don't have the same level of passionate people involved, a significant reason for overall lower production quality in today's content. As for the size of the crew involved, modern technology has helped decrease the crew quantity necessary, so yes depending on the shot, one doesn't need as large of a crew as before.
The power of unions at its best. Working time directives, division of labor, and a whole bunch of other rules and contractual obligations that do little to improve the working environment but certainly do raise the cost and ensure plenty of jobs for union members.
First off, you could have saved me $100K in film school debt had these come out 25 years ago! But, that said, I've done microbudgets where the philosophy was , all you need was 4 film school graduates and 2 PA's. Instead of people hanging around, the DP was also the Gaffer, The Focus puller was also the Best Boy, The Boom operator was also a grip/electric. The director did the hair and makeup and was one of the leads. The PA's did what was asked or were the stand ins. It worked fine for most shots. After the director DP and Focus Puller and Boom Operator all blocked the shot, we would all change jobs, and light, as the director did hair and makeup and checked in on the lighting. Then the actors would come back, and the Gaffer and Best Boy would go back to being DP and focus puller. If the scene had a dolly grip, then that person was another Grip/electric during set up. Four film school grads and two PA's and no one sitting around. :)
Thank you. So much planning, adapting, memorizing, mastering to make it look -natural. something you rarely think about sitting in your couch. Very well illustrated and organized. Excellent content.
I'm a photographer not a film maker but I've commented a lot on TH-cam videos giving technical advice when I see really poor camera work and lighting by amateur TH-camrs, and quite often get told where to go and that they're happy with their crappy set up and lighting, in future I'll just send them here! 🤣 Great video!
It's like saying to an amateur photographer "hey that's an ok photo, please look at this professional one"😂. You need to make mistakes to get better just like everything in life. It's easy to critique when you never step in other people's shoes, you have to understand the resources and know the difference between them. One has less experience and the other has more experience. To get to this level you need a lot of money and time which beginner/amateurish filmmakers don't have.
On those rare occasions when you can watch movies or tv shows being shot for real, it's amazing how long it takes to prepare for a shot which will probably last less than a minute. I posted a video "CSI Miami filming in Pasadena" when I stumbled on filming near Allen Ave. Same experience when I saw a scene being shot in Occidental College for "Beverly Hills 90210".
Late Great Director William Friedkin never did blocks or had marks. He thought it was too restrictive and ruined the natural acting response flow. He would let the film roll on a rehearsal shot only for it to end up being used as the final.
I was an extra in a movie, playing a cab driver in three scenes with the lead. It took two days over two weeks and 20 hours total time on set. They cut one scene from the film and my total time on screen was 34 seconds.
Well, if it's any consolation to you, whenever a person watches the movie in the year 2104, there will be 34 seconds of you in that film. It is history.
I see you briefly mention storyboards and floorplans. This should've been nr 1 in the video. Everything else is on point - but storyboards on set saves so much time and everyone is one the same page immediately.
Please remember, this is one out of 330 videos we have produced on the filmmaking process. This one is just an overview. We get much deeper with individual lessons into shot lists, storyboards, breaking down the scripts, blocking and planning, developing coverage, etc in the paid course at FilmSkills.com.
@@FilmSkills Of course. It just always amazes me that this is left out, and I know millions of sets don't even incorporate the stroryboards at all. Speaking only from experience it makes life on set so much more easier when everyone already knows the "12 shots" before shooting the "12 shots" and yes things change, but at least 80% of the blocking and setups are familiar to everyone involved.
I worked as a news cameraman for forty years and I understand how all this works but news is very down and dirty and quick. On occasion I would get an assignment to shoot behind the scenes of a movie and while waiting to shoot some action my thoughts in my head were “OMG! This so tedious and boring!” 😂
Former newspuke cameraman too. We can shoot anything, anywhere, anyplace and at any time. I still have my Sony D600 WS Betacam SP. I retired in 2020 and now play with a couple of Panasonic HPX 370s and a 300 left over from my days at Discovery. They're good enough for the personal shit that I do.
Wow, what an incredible video! The content was engaging! well-produced, and truly captivating from start to finish. I was thoroughly impressed by the quality and effort put into this. It added so much value and made the video even more enjoyable. I'm eagerly looking forward to more interesting and exciting content in the upcoming days. Keep up the fantastic work! Your passion and creativity are truly inspiring. Much love and support to you and the team 🎉
The unsung heroes are Writers, Casting Directors, Costume Designers, Cinematographers, Sound Designers and Editors. If they do not make the right moves the production will never reach its full potential.
@@Atilla-m9i Management should never inject or promote any personal bias, racism, sexism, political agenda or social commentary in any production. When this happens good stories become disjointed because of under-developed characters placed in un-natural situations with bizzare plot twists. Management interference causes productions to fail, movies & shows to flop, fan backlash is created and legacy is destroyed. Treat everyone with respect. Properly pay professionals without overworking them. Make the cast and crew as diverse as possible to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. Only hire union labor based on their talent not their connections, political leanings, sexuality or willingness to sleep their way to the top.
Great video. Knew most of that but great to go over it all. Was really wanting to get into film stills but there's no way to get into it without doing it for free to begin with and with paying all the bills for a home thats never going to happen. Any other tips for ways to get into it without paying for a film stills course would be great. I dont need lessons on how to be quiet on-set and shoot quietly - I've been a successful wedding photographer for 14years 😂. Also, where's the link to the 1 hour film making course? There's no link in thr description.
The details are so detailed that I am worriedly scared and wondering "HOW DO I DO ALL THESE, WHEN ONE HAS LIMITED TIME TO SHOOT OR TIME IS A BIG FACTOR?" Great video ❤
@ 5:30 he really did have to block the scene driven by the need to get the Bing logo into the shot vs blocking driven by the story. I've seen parodies of that sort of thing, but now I'm watching IRL. wow....
So i think the production design is before this right? i mean the set is not the same day at all. But what about some changes that may appear ? thanks! great video
For all filmmakers watching…this is 1000% accurate. I’ve worked several Hollywood productions. Every detail mentioned here you can do even on a small / no budget. This is fundamental.
Congrats!!
Absolutely agree. Although I haven't worked on H'wood productions yet, it's necessary for these concepts and practices to be well understood by everyone at every level. I've had a freshly minted director btch and moan because they simply could not understand why lighting and cam setups take so long-when the real issue was they blew the shooting schedule on day 1. :c/
@@dh1163 i’m new to the game. And I’m watching this video as a way to try to wrap my head around the entire process. It’s a relief to read comments that confirm this information is accurate. I can’t imagine blowing huge amounts of time due to a lack of experience coupled with a lack of knowledge about an efficient process.
Verify that you did work in the industry. Your word alone has no meaning or weight.
mostly it's called unions
Its crazy just how much work goes into some of the short 'simple' scenes that we watch!
you don't even know the amount of work that goes into the editing room after the dailies are shot... it's an insane amount of work
I got to see many commercials and tv shows being filmed in Sydney, and yeah, seeing 50+ people standing around to film simple things was an eye opener.
@@paulgerhard5170 It took me 50 hours to edit a 3 minute music video.
@@aldunlop4622 You don't "need" 50 people but the more specialized the role, the less there is for errors. IF you just have a skeleton crew wearing many hats, it can be done but the quality will suffer. That said, great cinema is a subjective topic at best. Just look at some of the greatest cult classics like Clerks, some of Tarantino's earlier work, etc. A huge crew isn't always necessary.
"crazy" by definition, means mentally deranged, and would seem to be the perfect choice of words to describe wat we jst watched :)
Bloody madness: Just for those who don't know - HARRY C. BOX (minute 8.47) is one of the most important gaffers of all time! He solely laid the groundwork for almost everything that concerns modern day gaffer and rigging work. His phenomenal - fun to read - book "Set Lightning's Technician Handbook" has been adopted by the whole of film and TV industry, including unions, as a standard work on how to use lightning and rigging equipment and safty on set! Salute.
This comment will probably get more notice than any gaffer ever received in the closing credits of a movie.
I'm so lucky to have come across this comment 🎉🎉
I have read and applied what Harry set and it's great❤
Shout out to Harry 🎉
I worked as a set lighting technician for 42 years beginning in 1980. Local 728 was handing out the Lighting Technicians Handbook for free for a while and that's how I got my copy. The funny thing is that I don't remember ever seeing Harry until this video. I no longer work in the industry because of the 4 year global scam that affected our industry so severely. Safe and effective, LOL.
The process is so hard yet the end result looks so effortless, truly movie magic.
I'm currently working security for a movie set for a production that Kevin Costner is doing here in Southern Utah for the movie Horizon An American Saga.
This is my first experience with the motion picture industry outside of going to the theater to watch a movie.
It's been very educational, to say the least.
I was positioned on a hill overlooking the set during the first day of shooting to guard a motorcycle trail from people riding onto the set.
For over 2 hours that morning, it looked like ants on an anthill with everyone doing their different jobs.
Then I heard someone yell, "background," and the action began.
A minute and 3 seconds later, I heard, "cut," and the ants came out of hiding again.
One of the drivers told me that they were spending over $70,000 an hour when production was going full steam ahead.
I've always been fascinated by the behind the scenes of the making of a big production like this.
I feel very blessed to have been a small part of this project!!
Best filmmaking content on youtube by far.
It's always interesting to see the person they use for Tom Cruise's lighting stand in. Very much about the scene being lit to hide and show off features of the face. The dolly grip is so often the unsung hero of the camera doing the big moves and their timing has to be perfect. In big filmmaking there are so many unsung heroes
I worked at the casino in Sydney in IT for about 5 years and across the street was a cafe all the staff used to go to for coffees, sometimes lunch, I even had most of my business meetings with external suppliers and what not there. Next to it was this plaza I guess you'd call it and they filmed a lot of tv commercials there. That whole area was like a mini Hollywood with a lot of tv and advertising production companies, so they used to film locally. I got sit outside the cafe and watch them film maybe 100 productions, sometimes tv shows, or ads and I found it very fascinating. There were usually 50 of more crew, camera and production vehicles etc. I really enjoyed watching the process, got to meet many of the production people and actors and have a chat about what their jobs were, what they did etc. They in turn used to ask me about managing all the behind-the-scenes IT that went into making a large casino function.
This video is pure gold, it's amazing how so much valuable information can be condensed in here. And just as a detail, what an opportunity lost to call the boom operator "boomer".
Nicely done! Unless you're actually in the business, most people have no idea of how many scenes/shots it takes just to show a person simply walking through a door and into another room or office.
This brought back so many memories. I've worked on over 200 shows as a principle actor, second team, photo double and even stunts and bg actor.. every job is important. I remember working on American Reunion in Covington Georgia. Allison Hannigan sprained her ankle and me and some of the other bg actors prepared a way to cross out of camera to get a chair off camera for her to sit in so she could rest her ankle.
I've seen the director use bg to even cover or block view of things in the background that shouldn't be seen for instance we were shooting a period piece for The Vampire Diaries and they used a couple of bg actors stand in front of a modern phone box or a car they couldn't get moved. It's so fascinating
I achieved a degree in Photography in 1976. The lens lead me all over the world and I obediently followed. I wrapped up my career as a scientific photographer on a research vessel. An ideal life but my dream was to be part of a creative effort such as this. Life is much too short to achieve all one wishes.
Awwww. Get out there and shoot a movie. Screw the science.
Ibwish i knewvhow it feels to follow one's calling and get surprised by places it takes you, while earning your living from it (i'd guess not bare minimum). You're a very lucky and well-positioned photography master, many would seriously envy (including myself, an unemployed, failed musician - turned - machinist).
@@dannydetonator A machinist? One who is comfortable with math and geometry? Now I'm jealous. I just bought a second hand round column mill. I am trying to satisfy my curiosity about your trade. I have had a life long curiosity and appreciation of mechanical things. I believe photographers must be comfortable in many areas. We must be accurate in our concepts and the use of our tools of the trade as well as being creative in our vision. A successful combination of the geek and the artist is sometimes hard to find manifested in many people. Just look at the contraptions a commercial photographer will have to create to solve the problems of lighting a product. Maybe you need to satisfy your innate desire for accuracy with something like macro- photography and image stacking. Conceive, create and machine items to solve those problems. Combine your creative juices and have fun. There is a lot of people in other industries who use elements of imaging in their occupations and they believe they know about photography but are mislead in the concepts of the reality of photography in general. It has to be easy, just push the button right? Light dissipates to the square of the distance and when the distance is great this is not much of a problem. When this distance is small, ohhh geeze getting light even on a microscopic level requires understanding and precision. When the light is close lighting becomes difficult. Also we live in a world where technology is changing rapidly. We had to wait on sensor technology and inkjet printers to mature enough for grandma could have a photo in her purse. When that happened digital in general exploded and another chapter in photography was written. What an exciting time to be a photographer! Pick your niche and interest and go for it. You have to learn why and your mind, I know requires this anyway. Dive deep into the why. You know why your lathe chatters. Learn why the sensors crushes the lower tones and clips the highlights. Without that knowledge it's hard to imagine what the sensors sees vs what your eyes see. Learn about color management. So much from the well in which to drink. And by golly TH-cam and the wonderful people who have the skill and are willing to share what they know is an asset as we have never seen before. Time to tinker, satisfy curiosity and learn. Photography is addictive. Beware!
As a young filmmaker trying to get into Hollywood, these tips are extremely helpful. Thank you so much for sharing all this information with us, and helping us learn to become more professional with our own productions.
Run the opposite way.
I had to stop watching after five minutes because it was so accurate it started to stress me out. Maybe you cover this, but the reason there are so many people there apparently lurking is because the director or DP can change everything in an instant and then you better be prepared to change direction on a dime - instantaneously. No excuses allowed and failure is not an option.
Keep watching :-)
8:30
Every new job is overwhelming in the beginning.
@@Atilla-m9i 30 years pal, 30 years. Same nonsense year in, year out.
I recall Roger Corman once said he had only two rules for directors: 1) get lots of coverage 2) sit down as often as you can to avoid exhaustion.
Huh I went to a film school and it covered maybe 20% of this! WOW!
Same!
Awesome!-
Most in the audience have very little knowledge, let alone awareness, of all the relentless hard work, that film makers put in during each film shoot!
Thank you!
It’s not a rehearsal if you shoot the rehearsal 😂
Like someone else said, this video is so on the money it brings back PTSD.
Well done. Nailed it.
This channel is severely underrated. Well produced, solid information.
This is so fun! I was a 2nd AD on four seasons of Castle--seeing all my old co-workers in these shots was a happy surprise. What was the connection that got you guys all this great BTS footage?
Castle is one of my all-time favorites! It's too bad the stories shifted from episodic comedy to series drama, eventually killing the show.
Nathan Fillion is such a stand up guy. I stood in for him once in a shoot in Atlanta for another show..
This has to be one of the best-kept filmmaking secrets channels on TH-cam. this channel is so helpful and educational! I truly look forward to whatever you guys post. such a help to young filmmakers like me out A TON!
I love the detals in the video. I think you missed an opportunity to talk about sound. Often the boom operator needs to know the blocking and even the dialogue to follow with the boom. The boom op also has to be very careful where he stands not to block light, yet still be able to whip that pole from one actor to the other and not cause shadows.The boom op can also have his own blocking marked so he knows where he needs to/can stand. He's almost like another actor on selt who has to avoid being seen and stay out of everyone's way.
Underrated comment
25:18 they do talk about the boom operator for a bit...
I thought the exact same thing. I also thought about other sound related items on a set. A good example is the comms going on (most likely on headsets these days) between team members within a department.
Boom op protocols discussed starting at 25:25
The boom operator will also know the focal length of the prime lenses and distance to the talent in order to keep the mic and boom out of the shot.
Very well done and this is a master class in short time. !!! Please do another version but smaller sets . For indie films ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉 thank you so much for this .
This is by a country mile the best explanation of how this is done professionally, and for everyone ou see here there are many more behind the production. Thank you.
I am not a film maker or an actor at all but I have watched many movies (and a few t.v shows many years ago when I watched t.v.) and I have had a curiosity of how they were made and watched some interviews with actors and directors and they mentioned blocking so I wanted to know more about that and how movies were made and I sort of knew about lighting and all that so this was very helpful. Thank you
Absolutely correct - but doesn’t have time to touch on all the problems that can crop up in this and any other field. Ron Howard in his “Master Class” points out “Everything goes wrong” - you just have to ride with it.
Very interesting. So much good information. WELL DONE👍
Holy crap. So much more invovled than just putting people in a scene and hollering "Action!". Who knew.
I also used to think you didn't need all that, and spent years making and helping others (with the same mindset) make utter garbage, then briefly got into Hollywood North, working on Supergirl and The Flash as a PA, and that opened my eyes to how ignorant I was about filmmaking; despite decades watching BTS of my favorite movies/show, religiously watching every filmmaking TH-cam channel I could get my eyes on and lessons from my own indie experiences.
Thank you for sharing that. The film industry is one of the few that spends billions of dollars to create a façade of how it actually works to make it appear glamorous. It’s a disservice to aspiring filmmakers because it’s not glamorous- it’s a very complex, methodical, almost militaristic process.
Hollywood filmmaking is an assembly line that stamps out content. Everybody plays a role and in order for the system to run smoothly, there has to be a process. This is that process.
I mean you definitely don't need all that. Are we pretending like there is no value in indie movies?
@@FilmSkillssoul destroying and I feel more indies need to break the mould of Hollywood nonsense. Have yet to see any decent content this year from Hollywood except for Oppenheimer. Polishing turds as we editors call it.
@@FilmSkills Very well said!
Oh, did you work on The Flash?
If you've ever wondered why the first films of indie filmmakers were so wildly original/memorable..but then afterwards when they went 'Hollywood' their films became completely soulless/no originality?
Now you know why. This video shows the 'sausage factory' at it's worst.
The only thing you really need to learn is at 4:50
Getting the 'Bing' logo as product placement...because as we all know: Everyone uses Bing.
Had a chance to make training videos for the USAF. Went to bed tired every night. Lots of effort and time goes into production.
I've never worked on a big production, but I can tell this is absolutely solid information. Incredible. Thanks for making it!
You're welcome!
Even a simple scene seems mind bogglingly complicated.
Not really ... everybody has a role, and everybody knows the limits of their role and when and where it bumps up against the other roles. This makes a simple thing, simple in the end.
imagine a big feature film
Fascinating look at the complexity of film/tv production, including little details like how product placement is worked in. What's really mind-blowing is the thought that this is happening for the hundreds of thousands of hours of content that fills TV and movie theaters. Of course, since taking the Universal tour in the early '80's, all this stuff is in the back of my mind when I watch shows/movies. Even if this is really just to plug your online school. ;)
THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES OVER FOR THIS CHANNEL...PLEASE KEEP GOING.... YOU'RE DOING GREAT WORK 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🔥🔥🔥🔥✌🏾
I'm so happy about the new video on this channel! Incredible info and behind the scenes!
It's like a commercial building project. You see people standing around, waiting. A process just as costly as filming a scene and is many cases much more expensive. The BIM engineer created the structure or "script" which is used to create the materials list and schedule that break out each and every step. Framers, pipefitters, electricians, and inspectors and engineers who all work in unison while others are working, some are waiting and planning.
That's a great analogy - you've got it exactly right.
one of the best explanation on filmaking production!
This intro to movie making is an excellent presentation into the complexity and challenges of video productions. It makes you appreciate the work and dedication of the writers, crew and actors. Well done, look forward to watching more.
I was once the tow-car driver for a well-known TV series. It took four days to record a scene that was 36-seconds.
It consisted of the two main characters having an argument, one getting in the car (a brand-new BMW - 495 miles on the clock when I picked it up) and telling a third person what was said.
The ‘star’ kept forgetting his lines. No one was surprised.
I got the BMW on the Tuesday, drove the route with the stand-in (who knew all his lines) on Wednesday, and the following day there were eight takes before the star decided he’d had enough. Friday required just three takes before we all realised the star’s tone of voice made the takes unusable.
I argued with the star on the Friday. I was replaced the following week, so I have no idea if the scene was repeated.
Ah ye can leave out who it was and what show. Clues if you can't say.
@@tilersun I wrote a book which included this experience. The slushpile reader said I couldn't mention the name of the show, or even hint at it as I would be liable to be sued, the star being famous for his willingness to brief a solicitor. One bit she was especially shocked by was the pathetic conduct of the star. I went through a bit about what he mustn't do when in motion, one bit of which was not to brake. He asked what would happen if he did brake. I said I don't know. He undid his seatbelt, sort of threw the buckle at me, although it was pulled away and, into my face said, "I'm used to working with professionals." I wasn't to take that from this bloke, and said, "Perhaps it because I don't know what happens if someone is stupid enough to stamp on the brakes is because I'm used to working with professionals." That went down about as well as you'd expect. He stomped off. One of the sound guys said, "That's filming over for the day." The chef said later, "Good. He deserves it," so I assume he was just as abrupt with others.
@@WritewheelUK Surely you could have at least guessed what would happen if you braked? eg "It's never been done, but I assume if you braked then object A would verb B, and object C would verb D....." etc etc
Fascinating. I learned so much Jason. I'm subscribed now and am looking forward to watching more of your videos.
Thanks for the video!
Best video so far on the practical knowledge for a filmmaker how the real set works!
Amazing how complicated it is to shoot a scene and the number of people and disciplines involved. It as also fun seeing the crew working on a scene for the TV series Castle. :)
Having spent some 46-years in the business, forty of which were in HOLLYWOOD, I have to say that filming a movie or TV episodic today has become too complex with too much staging... it's because of the ultra fast-paced commercials, that has trained audiences to accept the fast editing style that has become the "New Normal" of telling a story.
Scenes have way too much coverage, one and two second shots, it's all about the imagery rather than good writing and acting.
The photography aspect of production has been reduced to just get everything in focus, and anything else can be added or corrected in post by someone with a mouse and a laptop!
I've worked on TV shows where the DP is setting up the shots, whilst the director just wants to deal with the actors and nothing else. Unlike many of the young crews today who have never worked or even seen a roll of film, I've seen the changes in both technology and on-set production. Too many people huddled around video village, too much rehearshal that severely limits any spontanaity... the camera with all the latest crane configurations just keeps moving all the time... "Less is more" -the best shots are reaction shots, no dialogue just good tight close-ups.
I'm third generation now retired, and I've worked on so many iconic movies and TV shows both in England and the US, have met so many iconic legends both behind-the-camera and in front of it, in short I was blessed and so lucky. I saw what was coming, mediocrity and style over substance.
I don't envy crews today, especially with the ever-growing threat of AI, and the studios getting cheaper and meaner with all those that work so hard to make them richer!
Does some of that post production work look less authentic?
I've noticed that the camera guys on tv shows shake the camera on purpose to make it look realistic but it looks like crap. "The Office" is a classic example. I see it on unscripted shows too. Why haven't professional cameras gotten smaller like consumer cameras? I mean the main body of the camera, not the manual focus section.They shoot in the same resolution.
As someone who wants to become a professional filmmaker, this'll be extremely helpful, thank you.
From the comments this video is spot on. I would suggest to bring intelligent outside the industry people to study the production for process improvements.
The film industry has been around for decades and has evolved into what it is now. No outside expert will be able to improve the process, especially since a movie set doesn't work like a standard company in a way that could utilize the resources of a consultant.
I know of fellow Professors that still show this exact video as part of production curriculum in CA. Modern productions obviously don't have the same level of passionate people involved, a significant reason for overall lower production quality in today's content. As for the size of the crew involved, modern technology has helped decrease the crew quantity necessary, so yes depending on the shot, one doesn't need as large of a crew as before.
The power of unions at its best. Working time directives, division of labor, and a whole bunch of other rules and contractual obligations that do little to improve the working environment but certainly do raise the cost and ensure plenty of jobs for union members.
I have always been fascinated with the art of making movies. I would have loved to be director of photography.
I learned almost everything I know about filmmaking by working as a boom operator on 35mm porno features in the 1980's. Best film school ever...
This information makes me less uncomfortable with the sin I see on film.
Porn needs boom operators?
First off, you could have saved me $100K in film school debt had these come out 25 years ago! But, that said, I've done microbudgets where the philosophy was , all you need was 4 film school graduates and 2 PA's. Instead of people hanging around, the DP was also the Gaffer, The Focus puller was also the Best Boy, The Boom operator was also a grip/electric. The director did the hair and makeup and was one of the leads. The PA's did what was asked or were the stand ins. It worked fine for most shots. After the director DP and Focus Puller and Boom Operator all blocked the shot, we would all change jobs, and light, as the director did hair and makeup and checked in on the lighting. Then the actors would come back, and the Gaffer and Best Boy would go back to being DP and focus puller. If the scene had a dolly grip, then that person was another Grip/electric during set up. Four film school grads and two PA's and no one sitting around. :)
Only eager newbies would agree to work in the type of environment you described.
Thank you. So much planning, adapting, memorizing, mastering to make it look -natural. something you rarely think about sitting in your couch.
Very well illustrated and organized. Excellent content.
Well this is very informative... More appreciation for all the work involved by everyone is due.
I'm a photographer not a film maker but I've commented a lot on TH-cam videos giving technical advice when I see really poor camera work and lighting by amateur TH-camrs, and quite often get told where to go and that they're happy with their crappy set up and lighting, in future I'll just send them here! 🤣 Great video!
They might get overwhelmed by your advice. Some might appreciate your advice as long as they understand what you are explaining.
It's like saying to an amateur photographer "hey that's an ok photo, please look at this professional one"😂. You need to make mistakes to get better just like everything in life. It's easy to critique when you never step in other people's shoes, you have to understand the resources and know the difference between them. One has less experience and the other has more experience. To get to this level you need a lot of money and time which beginner/amateurish filmmakers don't have.
On those rare occasions when you can watch movies or tv shows being shot for real, it's amazing how long it takes to prepare for a shot which will probably last less than a minute. I posted a video "CSI Miami filming in Pasadena" when I stumbled on filming near Allen Ave. Same experience when I saw a scene being shot in Occidental College for "Beverly Hills 90210".
Late Great Director William Friedkin never did blocks or had marks. He thought it was too restrictive and ruined the natural acting response flow. He would let the film roll on a rehearsal shot only for it to end up being used as the final.
He started in documentaries, so that affected his way of thinking and viewing a scene.
I was an extra in a movie, playing a cab driver in three scenes with the lead. It took two days over two weeks and 20 hours total time on set. They cut one scene from the film and my total time on screen was 34 seconds.
Well, if it's any consolation to you, whenever a person watches the movie in the year 2104, there will be 34 seconds of you in that film. It is history.
Pure Masterclass. Thank you for this!
One of the best videos I’ve seen for people trying to make a short film! ❤
Such great stuff! Thank you for sharing!!! I really liked all the different voices who contributed to this bts video.
I see you briefly mention storyboards and floorplans. This should've been nr 1 in the video. Everything else is on point - but storyboards on set saves so much time and everyone is one the same page immediately.
Please remember, this is one out of 330 videos we have produced on the filmmaking process. This one is just an overview. We get much deeper with individual lessons into shot lists, storyboards, breaking down the scripts, blocking and planning, developing coverage, etc in the paid course at FilmSkills.com.
@@FilmSkills Of course. It just always amazes me that this is left out, and I know millions of sets don't even incorporate the stroryboards at all. Speaking only from experience it makes life on set so much more easier when everyone already knows the "12 shots" before shooting the "12 shots" and yes things change, but at least 80% of the blocking and setups are familiar to everyone involved.
cool. I do storyboards for animation. I would love to break into live-action stuff too.
Finally.. somebody is shooting horizontally.
This has opened my eyes
Thank you!!!!
I worked as a news cameraman for forty years and I understand how all this works but news is very down and dirty and quick. On occasion I would get an assignment to shoot behind the scenes of a movie and while waiting to shoot some action my thoughts in my head were “OMG! This so tedious and boring!” 😂
Yep, covered a lot of film sets in my 42 years and was constantly amazed at how many appeared to be doing nothing. This clip has set me straight.
Former newspuke cameraman too. We can shoot anything, anywhere, anyplace and at any time. I still have my Sony D600 WS Betacam SP. I retired in 2020 and now play with a couple of Panasonic HPX 370s and a 300 left over from my days at Discovery. They're good enough for the personal shit that I do.
Why are the set cameras always so much larger than consumer cameras? Consumer cameras are in the same 4k resolution, so that can't be the reason.
I've been waiting for a year. At last you're back!
Wow, what an incredible video! The content was engaging! well-produced, and truly captivating from start to finish. I was thoroughly impressed by the quality and effort put into this.
It added so much value and made the video even more enjoyable.
I'm eagerly looking forward to more interesting and exciting content in the upcoming days. Keep up the fantastic work! Your passion and creativity are truly inspiring. Much love and support to you and the team 🎉
I look forward to doing this for my movies.
The unsung heroes are Writers, Casting Directors, Costume Designers, Cinematographers, Sound Designers and Editors. If they do not make the right moves the production will never reach its full potential.
Is there something from a management perspective that can increase their success rate?
@@Atilla-m9i Management should never inject or promote any personal bias, racism, sexism, political agenda or social commentary in any production. When this happens good stories become disjointed because of under-developed characters placed in un-natural situations with bizzare plot twists. Management interference causes productions to fail, movies & shows to flop, fan backlash is created and legacy is destroyed. Treat everyone with respect. Properly pay professionals without overworking them. Make the cast and crew as diverse as possible to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. Only hire union labor based on their talent not their connections, political leanings, sexuality or willingness to sleep their way to the top.
Very enjoyable to watch... and informative! ( the impact of product placement interesting )... Thank you ...
Great video. Knew most of that but great to go over it all. Was really wanting to get into film stills but there's no way to get into it without doing it for free to begin with and with paying all the bills for a home thats never going to happen. Any other tips for ways to get into it without paying for a film stills course would be great. I dont need lessons on how to be quiet on-set and shoot quietly - I've been a successful wedding photographer for 14years 😂. Also, where's the link to the 1 hour film making course? There's no link in thr description.
Excellent tutorial... will pass on the URL to others.
What an awesome video, many thanks for the insights to a film set.
So cool to watch this. I know 3 people in this video.
Amazing great to have ya back
Thank you for the breakdown!!!
This video was awesome I learned a lot thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Man! This is such good and true information! thanks so much for sharing this
I’m a director. This is a Terrific channel
Would love to see the process when VFX sequences are involved. How does the VFX supervisor blend into the workflow?
Great video btw
Master class 👏🏻 thanks a lot for sharing such valuable information
Really enjoyable video, thanks!
Is it because I'm new to this world, or is this video a gem? Anybody thinks the same, or am I way too new to this? Amazing!
and this is why i'm subscribed, Great Video Tutorial
Fantastic video and spot on.
your videos are amazing! Thanks!
This is great stuff! I’m just a fan of film production and this is fascinating.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great job!
God bless the one who allowed these big secrets to be revealed!
I don't think it was a secret. Film degrees are relatively new and the industry didn't have a need or want to explain their work formally.
Ima need that Star Wars 3-Stripe track jacket
Super interesting stuff... thank you!
7:50 Best tips (color tape on chest)
Give me the tape guy job and I'm set for life!
Hallmark’s Christmas shows are probably the most efficiently made. Seems like they have a very well oiled machine.
The details are so detailed that I am worriedly scared and wondering "HOW DO I DO ALL THESE, WHEN ONE HAS LIMITED TIME TO SHOOT OR TIME IS A BIG FACTOR?"
Great video ❤
@ 5:30 he really did have to block the scene driven by the need to get the Bing logo into the shot vs blocking driven by the story. I've seen parodies of that sort of thing, but now I'm watching IRL. wow....
sponsor money, product placement man
This is fantastic
So i think the production design is before this right? i mean the set is not the same day at all. But what about some changes that may appear ? thanks! great video
an unbelievable amount of work for something that a lot of people could care less about.
You mean “couldn’t care less” don’t you?
All about money. If there was no money to be made they wouldn't do it.
Great video, thanks 👍⭐
5:12 that was the moment I started using Bing maps