This is slightly off topic from a writers' discussion point of view. Just some quick questions on story boards and shot lists.
1) Would a 30 minute sitcom script be story boarded before production, if at all?
2) On average how many camera shots would be included for a 30 minute script/episode?
3) Does a completed story board accurately relate to an intended camera shot list?
4) Who calls the shot list, director or producer?
If anyone has any experience in this area then what say you?
Cheers
There is a story boarder on these boards !!!
I would think though for a sitcom it's best to just give main directions. A director would give "directions".
Who Don you mean, Chappers?
Quote: Lee @ July 19 2012, 5:57 PM BSTWho Don you mean, Chappers?
I think so.
Thanks Chappers and Lee
I know that film scripts in the main are story boarded, I was just wondering if the same applies to television programs? I mean would a script for an episode of Coronation Street be story boarded?
Don? Don?
Quote: the sea squirrel @ July 18 2012, 6:34 PM BSTThis is slightly off topic from a writers' discussion point of view. Just some quick questions on story boards and shot lists.
1) Would a 30 minute sitcom script be story boarded before production, if at all?
2) On average how many camera shots would be included for a 30 minute script/episode?
3) Does a completed story board accurately relate to an intended camera shot list?
4) Who calls the shot list, director or producer?
If anyone has any experience in this area then what say you?
Cheers
I doubt that they would bother to story board everything for an ongoing sitcom, though they might for the first few episodes.
This may be out of date, but I was present at a number of recordings of the Alomo sitcoms in the 1990's and I worked with the PA & other production team such as Continuity because I was doing IT support to the production teams:
The shots are usually called by the PA aka Production Assistant. During rehearsals they decide on the camera shots, studio sitcoms use 3 cameras. The shot list is confirmed during the dress rehearsal. The PA is usually responsible for getting all the camera actions marked into the final production script and she calls them from the control room. The camera men have abbreviated instructions just the distance, focus & who to aim at. These are on flip cards like a rolodex thing. Each camera would probably have 25->50 of these so that would be the number of shot setups.
However it's not the scriptwriters job to worry about any of this stuff, that's up to the production team. You would only really need to know this stuff if you were going to produce&direct it yourself.
Men usually can't get theirs heads around enough multi-tasking detail to be able to do the shot calling, and since producers & directors are most often men they wouldn't be capable of doing it anyway.The PA is almost certainly a woman.
Quote: billwill @ July 19 2012, 9:56 PM BSTI doubt that they would bother to story board everything for an ongoing sitcom, though they might for the first few episodes.
This may be out of date, but I was present at a number of recordings of the Alomo sitcoms in the 1990's and I worked with the PA & other production team such as Continuity because I was doing IT support to the production teams:
The shots are usually called by the PA aka Production Assistant. During rehearsals they decide on the camera shots, studio sitcoms use 3 cameras. The shot list is confirmed during the dress rehearsal. The PA is usually responsible for getting all the camera actions marked into the final production script and she calls them from the control room. The camera men have abbreviated instructions just the distance, focus & who to aim at. These are on flip cards like a rolodex thing. Each camera would probably have 25->50 of these so that would be the number of shot setups.
However it's not the scriptwriters job to worry about any of this stuff, that's up to the production team. You would only really need to know this stuff if you were going to produce&direct it yourself.
That's basically what I was saying although I haven't had your experience.
Quote: billwill @ July 19 2012, 9:56 PM BSTMen usually can't get theirs heads around enough multi-tasking detail to be able to do the shot calling, and since producers & directors are most often men they wouldn't be capable of doing it anyway.The PA is almost certainly a woman.
Most women I know are piss artists too.
Yes, but still ultimately capable!...
For a bloke, being in the control room (the gallery?), watching a PA calling the shots is an amazing experience.
Thanks Bill, very informative.
And final production script? Would that be the same as an actual final draft script only now with relevant PA/Producers notes added into the blank margins?
Anyway, I was thinking about doing a shot list covering a script of mine. Might avoid the story boarding though, I don't think stick men would cut the mustard.
Quote: the sea squirrel @ July 20 2012, 2:25 PM BSTThanks Bill, very informative.
And final production script? Would that be the same as an actual final draft script only now with relevant PA/Producers notes added into the blank margins?
Anyway, I was thinking about doing a shot list covering a script of mine. Might avoid the story boarding though, I don't think stick men would cut the mustard.
If it is a script that you are thinking of submitting to a producer, you definitely do not attempt to do any shot lists, camera angles or any such instructions, that will immediately show that you are a novice, because all that stuff is the directors job.
The writers job is only to tell the story, briefly describe the characters & type of location and write the dialogue.
The final production script will usually be far removed from what the writer submitted. It will have been changed because suggested locations are too difficult or too expensive, clashes of copyright will have been checked & written out, dialogue will have changed at every rehearsal when the actors/producers/directors suggest improvements and the script will have been retyped into whatever TV production software the production team uses so its format may be quite different, and it will have had camera marks written in for the dress rehearsal and then possibly changed for the final production script. Each team member will have their own copies in addition to that with notes written on the left side i.e the sound team will have sound cues, boom microphone movements etc, the continuity girls will have notes on exactly what the actors were wearing & whether there was anything showing peeking out of pockets etc and exactly what props were present & which way they were facing etc etc etc.
The writer is only a member of a massive team, yes s/he is the start of the process, but don't get too big-headed 'cos you ain't needed much the closer they get to actually doing the recordings.
Don't get me wrong, Bill, I'm not thinking of submitting a script containing shot list notes. It's more of a...well a basic experiment in taking one of my scripts and deciding where to cut it up in regards to camera shots and angles. I'm certainly not aiming it towards professional production, it's kind of like a "for my eyes only" sort of thing. No harm in even the most rudimentary of educations I suppose.
Anyway, thanks for the info, Bill, much appreciated and very informative.