Blocking a Scene
Peter D. Marshall
When I was a Second AD (many, many years ago) I
learned a valuable lesson from a dolly grip on how a film set works.
Very simply, every film shoot is divided into four parts:
1) Block - determining where the actors will be
on the set and the first camera position
2) Light - time for the DOP to light the set and position the camera
for the first shot
3) Rehearse - camera rehearsal of the first set-up with the actors and
crew
4) Shoot - shooting the first scene (then repeat the process)
Blocking is the first, and most crucial, aspect
of this 4-part sequence. When you first start directing, blocking a
scene can be one of the hardest - and most embarrassing - parts of your
job. Get it wrong here, and you could waste valuable shooting time
trying to get out of the mess you created!
a) Director Prep - Before you step onto any
film set, you need to first do your homework on Script and Character
Analysis. In the last two articles, we talked about Understanding the
Script (what the story is about; the themes; the story points) and
Character Development and Analysis (the development and objectives of
the characters).
Click here to review Script Structure, Script
Analysis, and Scene Analysis
Click here to review Character
Development and Analysis
b) Blocking a Dramatic Scene - The first thing
I do when the actors arrive for a blocking is to get them in a group
and read the scene: no moving, no "acting" - just reading the scene
through. This makes sure everyone is on the "same page". (Sometimes
actors do not have revisions and this is a good time to find that out.)
Also, by reading together, the actors start to feed off each other -
and you get to watch the process.
After the actors read the scene, I ask them to
show me what they want to do. I just step back and let them go for it.
If it is a set no one has been in before, I take a few moments to
discuss the physical lay out of the room - the door an actor will come
through; a window they can walk up to; which desk they can sit at etc.
The actors then begin their first walk through
- they read the scene and walk around the set to get a feel of what
they want to do and where they want to be. During this initial
blocking, I try not to make any suggestions to the actors - it is
important that they show me what they have in mind. Remember, this is
the first time the actors have been together on the set and they need
their time to explore. As you watch the actors, you get a feel for what
they want to do, where they want to go and how they are relating to
each other.
On the next blocking, you begin to make your
changes. Maybe you want an actor to sit in a chair by the window
instead of on the couch; you ask an actor if it would be okay to pace
beside an actor and not infront of him so you can save a set-up; you
make a suggestion to an actor to move across the room instead of
standing by the door etc.
Once you have discussed the scene, and everyone
agrees with the suggestions, the actors do it again. This time, you
begin to figure out your camera placement based on their movement and
what you first had in mind. As the actors go through the scene, you
walk around them looking at all your camera positions. Usually the DOP
is with you to discuss camera set-ups and positions. This is also a
time where you can stop-and-start the actors - move them around to get
a better background. During this blocking, a camera assistant will
place marks on the floor whenever the actors stop.
When everyone is satisfied, the actors leave
and you discuss the first set-up in more detail with the DOP and the
camera operator. When the DOP begins to light, you go over all your
set-ups with the First AD and the Script Supervisor.
c) Blocking Tips - having a shot list will help
you during the blocking process. The shot list is like a map: it gives
you a path to your destination but you don't always have to follow it
- let the actors show you what they want to do first, then, when you
make a suggestion, it is based on something you have already seen
- in Television, speed is essential, so try and block some scenes so
that your action takes place in one direction (to avoid turning the
camera around for reverses)
| If you are a Film or
Television professional and would like to contribute your
expertise with filmmaking articles, tips or special reports, please
email me at: pdm@actioncutprint.com |
Copyright (c) 2000-2008
Peter D. Marshall/www.actioncutprint.com
pdm@actioncutprint.com
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