CREATIVE QUADRANT

The first section of your charter is what we call the ‘Creative Quadrant’. Any film production or music video or filmed piece requires creative planning and that is documented in creative quadrant. This is the creative work that we are all somewhat familiar with from other sources. The director/writer/producer work together to come up with an idea to execute.

WARNING: DO NOT PROCEED WITHOUT A SCRIPT. EVER. EVER. EVER.

In its simplest form, you should have some combination of the following elements: written creative directions called a ‘script’ or ‘treatment’, a pictorial representation of shots and angles called the ‘storyboards’, and examples of the look and style known as ‘references’.

Script / Treatment
There are numerous texts, books and courses on how to write scripts, so we will not attempt to do so in this forum. However, a script or treatment is a necessary component to the creative process. Unless you are independently wealthy, to start the planning process (let alone the shooting process) is going to be a colossal waste of time and money. If you are reading this manual, you may have time but probably no money to waste. Write the script.

Be perfectly happy with your script before you start the planning process (let alone the shooting process). Write a draft, let it marinate, revisit it several times before you start the planning process (let alone the shooting process). Have a level of creative comfort before you begin the planning process (let alone the shooting process).

That being said, is it acceptable to change things or modify things as you begin shooting and recognize opportunities? Yes, of course. But to start with nothing or with scribbles and notes is a waste of your time and the time of the people who are doing you the favor of helping.

If you have not written a script (it is in your head), stop now and write it down. Use an accepted format (software is all over the place) and get it done. Whatever it is you are shooting needs to be scripted.

In dramatic pieces, the term is called ‘script’. Characters names are listed, along with dialogue and action directions. In music videos, the term is ‘treatment’. There is generally no dialogue in a music video (beyond the song lyrics) so the treatment is a prose description of the action, feel and set-ups that are to take place in the video.

Storyboard
A storyboard is a series of sketches depicting the composition of the various shots for your short film. The purpose of the storyboard is to communicate the look, specifically the camera angles and shot composition to the other crewmembers on the film project. The sketches can be anything from computer-generated images, to professionally drawn boards, to a series of stick figures and arrows. Storyboards are working tools so they can literally be anything as long as they communicate what needs to be done in terms of shooting.

As a director, storyboards serve as the first draft of your vision. These sketches take written words of the script or treatment and begin to translate them from the paper onto the screen. If your crew is to bring your vision to life, they need to be able to see along with you. Storyboards can do that.

To storyboard, start with a square or rectangle in the ratio of the picture frame. Start at the beginning of the script, and work your way through. Show the key frames of action. Show the composition of shots, particularly anything out of the norm. Indicate any camera movement with arrows. Use the space below the picture to describe the shot. There are many sources online with storyboarding templates or simply draw it.

Storyboards help the director to organize his/her thoughts and camera and movements to clarify exactly what is needed. A good board helps the director to think through the sequencing and transitions to make sure the shooting script has no holes or awkward transition from scene to scene. In this sense, the boards serve as a rough pre-edit. It is a risk tool to make sure the script makes sense and sequences well while still early enough in the project to make adjustments and corrections.

The most practical reason we storyboard is to communicate what the director needs so that others can execute it. Producers, assistant directors and DP’s need to plan on spacing and equipment & crew needs and the storyboard illustrate exactly what the director wants. With these sketches, crew can begin to plan their portion of the film project, acquire the equipment, tools and manpower to make it happen.

Storyboards are vital if you wish to execute your project in a timely, cost effective manner (and we know you are broke, so that is important).

References
Part of directing is communicating your vision to those who are going to help bring it to life. Any production of any size is going to require that you work with others to pull it off so you need to develop a way of getting those images out of your head into a format that others can understand.

When communicating camera angles and screen composition, we use storyboards. When we need to communicate look and style and 'feel', we use something called references.

"Hey, remember in 'The Godfather' when Sonny got shot..." is a reference. "Hey, remember that outfit Heidi Klum wore to the Emmy's" is a reference. Any time you refer to something else, it is called a reference (hence the name). One of the best ways to communicate exactly what you want is to show someone an example of what you mean. References are invaluable.

In film production, we use them all of the time. When you have certain look in mind for an apartment scene you are shooting, do you want the set to look futuristic, or high society, or middle of the road, or shabby chic? Clip pictures from magazines. When you have a certain look in mind for a characters outfit, pull some pictures off of the internet of someone else wearing a similar outfit so you can show it to your stylist. When you have a certain kind of furniture in mind for a backyard scene, clip some pictures from a catalog.

Film is a visual medium and not everyone is going to understand your verbal description. Good directors have massive collections of magazines, books, catalogs, and clippings. Good directors are constantly taking notes on things they saw and color combinations and textures. Good directors are creating an entire world from scratch.

You need to have a clear idea of what YOU want, or someone else will make the decision for you.

Final product
One of the more practical things that you need to do at the very beginning of your film project is to describe exactly what it is you’re making. What do we mean?

• 3 – 5 minute short film?
• Music video?
• 45 second YouTube piece?
• Trailer for a proposed bigger project?

Sometimes, this is obvious. Sometimes, this is not. But it is very important that you describe exactly what it is you are making in clear and measurable terms so that those who are helping you can give you the best possible help, so that you are clear and focused, and so that you approach the planning of your project from the proper direction.

Unless it is perfectly obvious, make sure that your team knows exactly what you are producing. Being a collaborative medium, your direction to the crew needs to be somewhat generic nature for the most part, and more detailed in others. Consequently, you need to depend on the judgment of others in accomplishing certain tasks. Without an understanding of the final piece, you are less likely to get the proper decisions and priorities from those helping you. Make sure they know.

Secondly, it is good practice to define the end product for yourself. It is so easy for your project to creep from a test to a short film to an epic over the course of an afternoon. Once again, unless you are independently wealthy, you are wasting money if you start down one road and shift to another. Being flexible isn’t always the best way. Define your project and keep your focus.

Finally, having a clear understanding about the final product will dictate much about how you will plan the project. For example, if you are putting together a music video with a paying client, your ability to get inexpensive help will be more difficult than if you were doing a small film for personal reasons. There are so many different ways to achieve roughly the same thing that you have tons of options. The correct path will be easier to see if you have a focused vision of the final product.