Shooting Super 16 Film

Seattle
FILM AND LIFE
By: Angelina Chavez

SHOOTING SUPER 16 FILM

Introduction

This quarter has been a trying and exhausting one. At Seattle Film Institute we were given the quarter to write a four minute silent film. Out of more than twenty scripts, only six were voted to be produced. My project "Shutout," was a one of the lucky ones. I was lucky to have this opportunity, but then not so lucky when I got sick on set.

Shot by Sebastian Teagan However, doing what you love always outweighs any bad things that might happen. On set anything can go wrong, especially while shooting with film. From having your stomach turn inside out about fifteen times to having your camera malfunction and eat up film.

It's those chaotic moments that make problem solving critical. You have to rely on your pre-production, because it is in that process that you prepare for these situations. Maybe you aren’t always prepared to get sick with food poisoning, but you are prepared for filming in any scenario

Pre-Production

Four minutes seems like an easy thing to accomplish. Four minute shorts are nothing compared to feature films, but it is still a challenge. I have a four minute movie, two magazines each consisting of four hundred feet of film, and two days of shooting. Now... where is my first problem? I have to create a four minute short. I have an extra sixteen minutes to spare. Minus the time the slate takes up and the amount of time it takes for everyone to get into position so I can call Action. There is not much room for mistakes.

How do we solve these issues? Luckily for me, I got some pre-production experience at Santa Fe Community College. The class called "How to Direct and Produce the Independent Film" helped me out so much. That class taught me how to break down scripts. I learned to organize everything from your location to your actors, extras, the time of day, and even the weather. There is so much that has to be considered before you shoot.

I thought it was a breeze in the beginning because I love pre-production. However, that was when I was shooting on digital cameras where you can do take after take with no worries of running out of film. Time is always a thing to worry about too, but that is nothing compared to worrying about running out of footage. So my challenge with film was trying to figure out what my most complicated shots were going to be and how long they were going to take.

So I had to prioritize my shots between the ones I needed vs. the ones I wanted. This way if i had to cut out some shots I knew which ones they would be in advance. I had to prep my actors, my crew, and myself. I had to make sure everyone was on the same page that I was on. I know that there is always going to be situations on set. Situations like having your actor late because he got a flat tire, or getting sick and passing out inside a closet. So I had to make a plan A,B, and C. Pre-production doesn't sound so easy now, does it?

Production

Yes, I passed out in a dark cool closet on set. My point is, you can prepare for just about anything but you are never prepared for everything. I can tell you that, that one production was horrific. I had to take several ten minute breaks. Food poisoning is just so much fun. So fun in fact that it put us behind schedule, and it’s not like we can call up our production manager and say, “Hey, we need a replacement ASAP.”

I felt so bad working on that project, but I felt bad for the fact that I was the one delaying the production. When my project came around I was worried that everyone was going to get sick on my set as well. So I talked to my cinematographer and we set up the day before just in case. When it came to shooting, it was a breeze. I was glad that we were so prepared. We rehearsed several times with blocking. That made my crew and actors more comfortable so when we took the shot they were on top of it. They mostly got it down in one take.

Collaboration was easy here and there. It was complicated sometimes because going to a school where the majority of students want to be directors or producers, everyone has an opinion. So yes, this was a group project, but it was still my story. So how do you make things work when your crew starts to get tense? I am still learning to control the little monster inside that wants to make everyone listen and get along. But that little monster also knows that I was the director.

Knowing your role is a big rule. I learned that at Santa Fe Community College. You can’t direct the director. However, I was breaking that rule too. Directors shouldn’t touch lights or camera. We are still students and all of us are still learning. I got to learn to let things go sometimes, to allow others to learn as well.

My background is in lighting and camera. Here I am learning to be director and producer, and it is not easy. I’m not used to sitting back and letting others take over. But I have to trust my crew, and trust that they know what they are doing. So again, You can be prepared for anything, but there is still going to be situations that you don’t expect.

Overall this production on “Shutout” was a very successful one. I have my crew, actors, and teachers to thank for it. I am still learning every single day and I hope that I am prepared for whatever the future brings, but let’s be realistic. I am going to have to figure out everything as I go, because that’s the fun part. That is what makes film fun too. Figuring it out with the imagination and creativity that is going to make the result amazing.