FILM AS A GRAPHICO-NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
How is film different from other art media?
→ Every art form has its basic element. For literature, it is the word. For painting, it is paper. While sculptures and architecture are both material arts, the biggest difference between sculpture and architecture is that, unlike the latter, sculptures don’t necessarily require an interior. Theatre is basically about the performance. All these elements are present in the film. However, moving space is the basic element of the film. Space is the predominating feature in a film e.g. the EST shots.
Temporality is like music duration that theatre hasn’t. That’s why the film has a leitmotif e.g. the camera in ‘Rear Window’.
The film is a unique art form in the sense that, visual against a specific time is the only prerequisite in film.
Theatre needs casts though it’s not essential for film. A true film should be the one that is difficult to transform in any other media. Although literature and theatre have narrative structures the film is what can be called graphico-narrative. Film structure is often compared with the literature saying that film shots and words are analogous. However, shots are not stand-alone like words. The film does not have any universal language. Therefore, each shot is only pertinent to that particular film.
In theatre, everything is representative except for the dialog and actor, e.g. hills or rivers are either drawn or created. Whereas, the film uses everything real.
A film is also an art form that cannot be created without electricity.
ANATOMY OF FILM AND TV PRODUCTION
Above the line (ATL) - one to many - casts, writer, director
Below the line (BTL) - one-to-one - production designer, designer, DOP, costume designer
The casting director is the only person who communicates both ATL and BTL
6 Blocking - script writing, pre-production, production, post-production, marketing, release
ANATOMY OF PRODUCTION DESIGN
Production Designer
Art dept
Set construction or adaptation
Props (lights etc. are practical props and scripted props are action props)
Costume
Wardrobe
Make-up
Special effects (SFX)
Optical
Mechanical
CGI
Stunt
Transport and logistics
ELEMENTS OF SET
Landscape/ Architectural
Immovable
i) wall
ii) column
iii) beam
iv) ceiling/roof
v) floor
vi) stair/ramp:
2R+T=24”27”
1:8 for car, 1:10 for person
vii) door: swing
viii) window: sills, lintel
Movable
i) drape
ii) practicals
iii) fan/AC
iv) switchboard
v) greenery
vi) backing
Property
Action
Dressing
Action props need repeat/extra
Isometric/ Axonometric drawing
2D
Plan
section
Transverse section
Longitude section
elevation
1/8th scale: 1” = 8’-0”
1/4th scale: 1” = 4’-0”
1/16th scale: 16’-0”
3D
Perspective
One point: converges in 1 vanishing point
Two-point: converges in 2 VP
Three-point: 3 VP, bird’s eye view, warm’s eye view
Isometric/axonometric
ASPECT OF SET
Associative, non-associative, realistic, decorative
Purpose of stage
Types of set
By configuration or construction
I type - single-wall
L type - corner
One side open - U-type
Box set - closed set
Wild wall - movable wall
Multi-tier/two-tier
By Style
Non-associative - no specific association with a space
Decorative - using motifs, visual metaphors, symbolic elements
Realistic
Describe the working process of the Production Designer or Art director at the pre-production and production level.
PD/AD works both with the producer and the director.
Set → Construction → Dressing/prop up → Filming → Set/prop strike
Before filming → pre-light → rehearse
After filming → light strike → set strike (reverse)
(i) FUNCTION
To the producer
Schedule breakdown
Deadline is everything. Negotiation. Timely delivery
Budget
Set and props
Acknowledge in advance if increases
Time/Punctuality
Time is of the essence.
To the director
The director is an art director’s other boss, wielding the primary vision for the look of the film. Reading the director correctly is just as important as an AD’s regard for the vision of the production designer.
Visual look/requirement: according to the planning
Historically, the art department is seen as the imagery hub of film production
Theme/motif: e.g. the color scheme in the movie The Cook, the Thief, his Wife, and Her Lover, make relation and confirm dynamic props
Effective and convincing (service space, serving space, strong design already give the impression)
Best to shoot (match up shooting time and prepare time)
(ii) SKILL
Visual awareness/design skills
Motivate team: The art department's place and people become the primary family while the primary family often takes on a secondary, surrogate role in our professional lives. So, responsibility to the art department is another fundamental concern. As the formal head of the department, the art director is its leader-protector.
Management: neither the artist nor the director
Communication skill
Ability to prioritize
To meet the deadline (deadline is God)
Attentive to details and decoration
Translate ideas to physical form (materialization of concept)
Foresight (it's like disaster management, ability to see the bigger picture, and coordinate effectively)
Power of anticipation
(iii) WORKING PROCESS
Some steps can overlap.
Pre-production level
Script breakdown
from 2 aspects
1) Set construction: whether in actual location or sound stage
2) Prop: action and dressing props
Hard props (furniture), soft props (watch)
The budget should also be on both aspects
At the beginning of the preproduction process, the assistant director and production manager will do a script breakdown, which is essentially a logistical and financial forecast of the film. The breakdown asks the basic questions: How long will it take and how much will it cost? The breakdown will change as the creative team works out the specific plan for the film, but the total cost will remain the same and an increase in one area of production will mean a decrease in some other category.
Location adaptation
Chroma key or panaflex outside window
Prop up > prelight
Research: for period/contemporary film
Internal schedule: set the timeline for movement esp for the art dept.
Design/detail technical drawing: approve it from DOP/director and producer
There are really two types of visual design that a filmmaker must consider: pictorial and sequential. Pictorial considerations include set design, costumes, props, makeup, and any element that is layered on top of a location and must be built, manufactured, or otherwise obtained. Pictorial design is the film's environment. It has a great deal in common with theatrical and architectural design and is usually the specific responsibility of the art director. This highly specialized craft is quite different from the sequential art skills of the writer, continuity artist, director, cinematographer, and editor.
Build the team: designate each member and negotiate the salary with them as well as the producer
Today, the centralized art departments of bygone studio days no longer exist and production teams are assembled for each film. Still, a production designer will try to work with people he has worked well with in the past, and the producer usually permits him to assemble his own team, lending at least some continuity to working relationships. Included in the team are the key positions of art director, prop stylist, draftsman, production illustrator, and costume designer.
The art director contributes to the physical and political setup of the art department by interviewing and hiring the art department coordinator, the set designers, model makers, the archivist, previz illustrators, the graphic designer, computer graphic artists, the set decorator, the mechanical effects coordinator, and prop master, as well as overseeing the selection of the respective set dressers, set buyers, on-set decorators, prop makers, mechanical effect makers, carpenters, welders, plasterers, foam sculptors, set painters
and scenic artists, aircraft pilots, marine coordinators, and art department PAs.
Location Scouting, recce, tech recce:
Short for ‘reconnaissance’, a military jargon
so that there’s no shock or wonder during production
Also, determine how much of the area the shooting would cover, and consider the weather
see a place from multiple angles
Director/DOP/Art director/1st AD/UPM is usually involved in Reece
Sourcing the props: there are three ways → to make, buy, or rent
Production level
Prioritize work schedule
Maintain budget: can’t waste, monitor budget, inform the producer and approve any alteration regularly
Supervise the working day-to-day: construct, dressing, strike
Respond to the query/requests of the director/DOP
Store the prop in inventory: take photos and categorize, this is the last stage
SHORT NOTES (Job description)
1. Producer
Initiate
Co-ordinate
Supervise
Control
2. Executive producer
Raises the fund, and supervises the producer
3. Line producer
4. Unit production manager
Troubleshoot the problems
Has the power of anticipation
Negotiate
Report
Transport management
Accommodation
Food
Logistics
5. Location manager
Usually, Ex-army officers are recruited
for Accessibility of the location
for Safety
Economical
Appropriate to the script
Three things ensured with the owner: 1. Negotiation 2. Permission 3. Contract
Make a map and deliver it to the crews
Confirms power source
Confirms that the location is back to its previous condition
6. 1st AD
7. 2nd AD
Art Department Crews
8. Property master
Procure the props: buy, hire, or make
Care and maintenance
Inventory
Store
Transport and lifting
Props should be on time, according to the budget and film style, design, and period
A prop, or property is any moveable item that can be seen on a film. It could be a hat, gun, cushion, wine glass, lightsaber, carpet, kitchen unit, tree, or aircraft. Prop masters run the property department which makes, stores, and transports the props as well as preps the props for each day’s shoot.
Prop masters usually start work a few weeks before shooting begins. They work with production designers, set decorators, and art directors to work out what props are needed. They do research and then draw up property lists, deciding which are to be hired and which are to be made. They create a ‘set and strike’ schedule to share with location and construction departments
Where props are to be made, prop masters recruit the carpenters, artists, and prop makers and manage the schedule for production. When they are hired, they work with the production buyers to source them.
When shooting is finished, they return all hired props and organize the sale or safe disposal of everything else.
Understanding film: pick up the director’s vision, break a script down for props requirements take account of the need for continuity
Historical knowledge: research different eras, dress a set authentically
Craftsmanship: work with a wide variety of materials, craft and repair items
Moving items: handle large, heavy but fragile items
Communication: work closely with the production designer and other departments, share the vision with the props team
Organisation: manage staff, budgets, complex schedules, transport and storage
9. Assistant art director/supervising art director
Supervision
Help in costing
Set construction
Set decoration
Art dept labor
Report to PD/AD
Assistant art directors' responsibilities vary depending on the size of the production. They may help the art director with research, surveying locations, model making, or producing sets. On large productions with multiple sets, an assistant art director will take responsibility for some of the smaller sets and manage the cleanliness and props for that set. Assistant art directors also sketch ideas, refine them, and work on 3D models. During shooting some assistant art directors may work as standby art directors, monitoring video playback to see what the camera is shooting and how these impacts set requirements.
10. Set construction manager
Confirms the design and planning, and looks over the budget, looks, time, and labor
Construction managers look after the building of studios and sets. They make sure that sets look as realistic or otherwise as desired. They interpret the drawings of the production designer, art directors, and draughtspersons and work out how to build them in ways that are safe and environmentally friendly.
Then they hire the workforce, the carpenters, painters, riggers, and plasterers, and ensure everyone knows what needs to be done and by when. They are responsible for getting the necessary materials and tools on-site and for the safety of the crew working with machines and at heights.
Construction managers are responsible for dismantling the sets, known as ‘striking’ the set, and ensuring all the materials are recycled as far as possible, or put into storage, taking into account Albert and other environmental considerations.
Construction: know all aspects of building work
Reading drawings: interpret drawings to plan size and scale, understand the designer’s vision, work out what this means in terms of building requirements
Organisation: manage a budget, work to a schedule, recruit hundreds of constructors within a tight timeframe
Communication: be able to liaise between the artists and the construction workers, get a team to work well together
Staying safe: ensure all health and safety measures are in place
Works with -
Chargehand painter
Scenic artist
Standby painter
Painter
Carpenter
Plasterer
11. Stand-by art director
Maintains the continuity
Standby art directors are present on set throughout the shooting day, and it's their job to find quick and creative solutions to any art or design problems that arise during the shoot. They break down the script, list all props required, including graphics, animals, vehicles, food, and drink, and give this checklist to the props master. Standby art directors may fulfill multiple roles on set, working as draughtspersons or assistant art directors, or even stepping in to make a prop last minute.
12. Set decorator
Furnish the set
Set decorators are storytellers. They create the background of the action, explaining the context, and adding mood and visual interest as the drama unfolds. While prop masters deal with the placing of objects an actor holds, set decorators are concerned with the walls, floors, vehicles, and furniture.
Before filming begins, set decorators work with the director, art director, props master, and production buyers to go through the script and work out what sets are needed. They make a list and a plan for the props master to follow. Then they buy or hire the items and get in props makers to make furniture.
On the day before the shooting set decorators arrive early to begin dressing the set. After the director and director of photography have checked it, the set decorators move on to the next scene. Once a scene has been shot, they are responsible for striking (taking apart) each set.
Understanding film: being able to pick up the director’s vision, knowing how background can tell a story
Style: having a good eye for decoration, a sense of color and form, and precise attention to detail
Historical knowledge: researching different eras and dress a set authentically
Communication: work closely with the production designer and other departments, share the vision with the team
Organisation: break down a script for set requirements, manage staff, budgets, complex schedules and transport
In larger productions, set decorators will have a team made up of assistant set decorators, buyers, set dressers, set decoration coordinators, drapers, cabinet makers, sculptors and so on. They report to the production designer and work closely with the art director and props master.
13. Storyboard artist
Designing/drawing the shots
Fixing the frame, aspect ratio, and mood
Storyboard artists work with directors to visually interpret TV, advert, or film scripts. They produce a sequence of drawn or digital images, similar to comic strips, called storyboards, to visualize the story.
Storyboards are used by directors to help them achieve their vision and to instruct other departments, such as the camera crew or wardrobe, on what they have to do in the production.
Job description:
reading the script and meeting the director to discuss the mood and overall theme
making sketches of key scenes in sequence, ensuring continuity (keeping details or the storyline connected)
visualizing scenes from the camera viewpoint, plotting character positions, angles, and other elements in each frame
detailing shots or action scenes before filming, to avoid reshoots and exceeding the budget
amending scenes to reflect changes in script or comments from the director
producing ‘rough’ drawings where not much detail is needed, such as a computer-generated film
producing ‘clean’ drawings where high detail is needed, such as a TV production or overseas production
creating final storyboards for production, such as specifying camera angles, character mood, dialogue indication or wardrobe or prop requirements
addressing any technical or budgetary restrictions, and producing work to tight schedules.
14. Graphic designer
Graphic artists may build specialist props that will be on screen for a large part of the film. They often meet with the production designer during pre-production to discuss their exact requirements and work closely with specialist researchers and effects departments. Graphic artists are always employed on a freelance basis.
15. Prop handler
Standby props and b) Dressing props
Prop hands organize the transporting of all the hired props. They make sure the props that are ordered get to the unit safely and are stored logically. When the props are no longer needed, they get them back to the hiring company and complete the paperwork.
16. Open and close frame
17. Outdoor job
PURPOSE/AIM OF SET
Staging
1. Cinematic flexibility
Camera position/movement
Light
2. Economy
3. Specific requirement: e.g. in case of rain, technical solution
4. Safety
5. Sound
6. Easy to approach
Purpose
1. The illusion of reality
Atmospheric
Symbolic
2. Accuracy
3. Authenticity & believability
4. The lived-in look
THE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
1. Line: dynamic, curve, straight
2. Shape: 2D, Geometric, Organic
3. Form: 3D, " "
4. Color: RYB (pigment)
Hue - name
Value - Greyscale, dark
Saturation: Intensity, amount
5. Texture
6. Form and space:
Physical function
Aesthetic
 |
| set of Birdman |
Action Props from Rear Window
1. Binoculars
2. Camera
3. Long Focus Lens
4. Wheel Chair
5. Divan
6. Spade
7. Alligator Hand Bag
8. Envelop, Paper, and Pen
9. Flash Bulb
10. Two Telephones
11. A Bottle of Rubbing Oil
12. A Large Portable Warming Oven
13. An Ice Bucket
14. Three Wine Glasses
15. Piano
16. Aluminum Case
17. Dog's Basket
18. Wedding Ring
19. A Large Coil of Turdy Rope
20. A Large Square Trunk
21. Breakfast Tray
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