Script Supervising and Film Continuity, 3rd Edition

Script Supervising and Film Continuity, 3rd Edition

by Pat P Miller
Released August 2013
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781136049217

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Book description

This definitive handbook explains how a script is transformed into a motion picture or television program. Readers will learn the methodology and craft of the script supervisor, who ensures that the continuity of a film, its logical progression, is coherent.



The book teaches all vital script supervising functions, including how to:
.prepare, or "break down" a script for shooting
.maintaining screen direction and progression
.matching scenes and shots for editing
.cuing actors
.recording good takes and prints
preparing time and log sheets for editing

This revision of an industry classic has been updated to reflect changes in the film industry in recent years, including the use of electronic media in the script supervisor's tasks. While it is written for the novice script writer, it can serve as a valuable resource for directors, film editors, scriptwriters and cinematographers.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Dedication
  6. Table of Contents
  7. Foreword
  8. Preface
  9. Acknowledgments
  10. 1 Getting Into the Act
    1. Visit a Studio Lot and Movie Set
      1. Inside a Sound Stage
    2. Qualifications for the Job
      1. Prerequisites
      2. Requisites
    3. Tools of the Trade
    4. Film Continuity Is a Craft
    5. Shooting Out of Continuity
    6. What the Continuity Supervisor Oversees
      1. Breaking Up the Master
    7. The Editor's Bible
    8. Continuity Supervisor/Entrepreneur
    9. Continuity Supervising Is a Solo Act
  11. 2 Dealing with the Script
    1. First Comes the Word
    2. How to Read a Script
      1. 1. The Locale or Set
      2. 2. The Business or Action
      3. 3. The Dialogue
    3. How to Break Down a Script
      1. 1. Master Scenes
      2. 2. Story Chronology/Time Breakdown
      3. 3. Time Elements/Day or Night
      4. 4. Names of Characters
      5. 5. Characters' Physical Distinctions
      6. 6. Overt Action
      7. 7. Props
      8. 8. Read the Script Again
      9. 9. Back-Matching Notes
      10. 10. Scene Count
      11. 11. Page Count
      12. 12. Master-Scene Page Count
      13. 13. Continuity Synopsis/One-Liner
      14. 14. Wardrobe Outline
      15. 15. Script Revisions
      16. 16. Special Forms
    4. Sample Script Breakdown
  12. 3 Prior to Principal Photography
    1. Preparation Time
    2. The Production Meeting
    3. The Shooting Schedule
    4. The Call Sheet
    5. Production Personnel
  13. 4 Day on a Movie Set
    1. Before the Camera Rolls
    2. Rigging the Stage
    3. The Setup
    4. The Lineup
    5. Blocking the Set
      1. Camera Modes
    6. The Walk-Through
    7. Marking the Actors
    8. Lighting with Stand-Ins
    9. Activities while Waiting for the Set
    10. Cuing Actors
    11. Scene Reading
  14. 5 Camera Rehearsals
    1. Rehearsals Prior to Filming
    2. Wardrobe Notes during Rehearsal
    3. Rehearsal Refinement
    4. Prompting Actors
    5. Timing the Rehearsals
    6. Dress Rehearsal
    7. Number the Speeches
    8. Shot Description
    9. Your Place at the Camera
    10. The Video Monitor and Comtec
  15. 6 The Slating Syndrome
    1. The Slate
    2. The Smart Slate
    3. Timecode
    4. Methods of Slating
    5. The Slating Process
    6. Mis-slate
    7. End Slate/Tail Sticks
    8. The Take
    9. The Running Pick-up
    10. Out Takes
    11. Retakes
    12. Multiple Cameras
    13. The Common Slate
    14. Slating Auxiliary Scene Numbers
    15. Alternate Numbering Method
    16. Slating Extraneous Scenes
    17. Slating Picture without Sound Track
    18. Slating Wild Film Footage
    19. Slating Wild Tracks for Picture
    20. Slating Off-Camera (Off-Screen) Sounds
    21. Slating Wild Sound
    22. Slating Musical Productions
  16. 7 Getting the Scene on Film
    1. First Shot of the Day
    2. Watching the Performance
    3. Copious Notes
    4. Back Matching during Filming
    5. “Cut … Print”
    6. “Cut … No Print” (or “Cut … Go Again”)
    7. Verify Prints
    8. Who Calls “Cut”?
    9. The Pick-Up Shot
    10. The Bridge Shot
    11. Multiple Prints
    12. Alternative Shots
  17. 8 Timing is of the Essence
    1. Timing the Performance
    2. Timing Telephone Conversations
    3. Timing Traveling Shots
    4. Timing Run-by Shots
    5. Timing Fast and Slow Motion
    6. Variable Speed Calculation
    7. Time/Footage Conversion
    8. Film/TV Synchronization
    9. Continuity Supervising Is Continuous
    10. Pretiming Scripts
  18. 9 “That's a Wrap!”
    1. Company Move
    2. Strike the Set
    3. Keeping Track of the Daily Data
    4. Wrap for the Day
    5. Daily Progress Report
    6. Dailies
    7. Traditional Dailies for Feature Films
    8. Introducing Telecine
    9. Telecine for Features
    10. Telecine Dailies for Television
    11. Cleanup/Wrap Time
  19. 10 Continuity Script to the Editor
    1. Continuity Notes to the Editor
    2. The Left-Hand Script Page
    3. The Right-Hand Script Page/The Lined Script
    4. Life in the Computer Age
    5. Final Lined Continuity Script
    6. Production Stock Shots
  20. 11 Dynamics of the Camera
    1. Eye of the Camera
    2. Lenses
    3. Screen (Camera) Direction
    4. Inscribed Area
    5. Imaginary Line/Action Axis/180° Rule
    6. Crossing the Line
    7. Progression
      1. Clean Entrances and Exits
      2. The Chasing Action
      3. The Converging Action
      4. Direct Reverse Progression
      5. Establishing Geography
      6. Doubtful Progression
      7. Cross-Country Progression
      8. Eyes-Following Progression
      9. Entering from Off-Camera
      10. Going through a Door
    8. Jumps on Screen
    9. Split Screen
  21. 12 The Concept of Coverage
    1. Techniques of Coverage
    2. The Purpose of Coverage
    3. Shot Sizes
    4. Covering Master Scenes
      1. Correct Looks
    5. Covering Close-ups
    6. Covering Wrong Action
      1. Beware the Mismatch
      2. The Jump Cut
      3. The Cutaway Shot
      4. The Protection Shot
      5. Cutting in the Camera
      6. Covering Alternative Master Shots
      7. Covering with Doubles
      8. Covering Off-Screen Overlaps
      9. Covering Moving Shots
      10. Shooting the Beginning and End of a Scene
      11. Telephone Coversations
      12. Reading Off-Camera Dialogue
  22. 13 The Mastery of Matching
    1. Action Matching/The Match Cut
    2. Actors and Matching
    3. Matching Background
    4. Precision Matching for Close-ups
    5. Unnecessary Matching
    6. Matching Running Shots
    7. Match Dissolves
    8. What and How to Observe
  23. 14 Second Unit Filming
    1. Preparation
    2. Shooting in Progress
    3. Slating
    4. Record Keeping
  24. 15 Filming for Television
    1. Shooting Back-to-Back
    2. Shooting Multiple Shows
  25. 16 Film Language
    1. Industry Terminology
  26. Appendix A: Abbreviations for Shot Descriptions
  27. Appendix B: Conversions
  28. Appendix C: Sample Forms
  29. Index

Product information

  • Title: Script Supervising and Film Continuity, 3rd Edition
  • Author(s): Pat P Miller
  • Release date: August 2013
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781136049217