Voice and Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film and DV Production

CHAPTER 18

On Set!

There are many ways to shoot a narrative film. The complexity of the project, the size of the crew, the nature of the location, and the style of the director all have an impact on what actually occurs on the film set. Director Kelly Reichardt shot her third feature film, Old Joy, with a crew of six, a principal cast of two, predominantly exterior locations and available light, and with everyone bunking together on location for the duration of the shoot (see p. 12). Filmmaker Didier Rouget shot his first short film, Vive le Premier Mai, in one afternoon, on the streets of Paris, with two other crew members, two actors, no lights, and no sound (see p. 133). The shooting processes for these productions are bound to be different ...