How do you handle pre-production?

[Josh Gallegos]

I'm collaborating with a local comedian from Houston on a skit she wanted to film late October, she wants the video to look like an SNL skit, I offered my services for free and posted my short films and she reached out to me with her idea and script. What exactly needs to be established? I've never really spoken to another filmmaker but I agreed to do the project. It's only a 2 page script that takes place in a house party. The only things that have been agreed is that she is editing it, so I'm filming it on 1080p (16:9).... I don't own a lighting kit at all, but I suggested for her to buy practicals like Christmas lights to put up. It's a comedy.... 

[David Mullen ASC]

Prep is mainly about asking and answering questions and reducing unknowns. So whatever you need to know, you find out.

[Satsuki Murashige]

Are you directing this project or just shooting it for her?

As a DP, I would meet online or in-person with her to discuss her script and find out more specifics of the tone and look she wants - you can both find visual references like specific SNL skits online and comedy films, compare notes, and bounce ideas back and forth. Find out what resources she already has access to, mainly locations, actors, and any crew she's providing. Make a plan together to scout potential locations and schedule storyboarding or shot listing sessions together.

You can also discuss her budget and how you want to spend the available money. If you're not taking a fee for your services, you'll want to at least make sure what budget she has is helping you to do a good job - whether that's hiring a gaffer, or some extra equipment, or renting a location that looks really nice. You should be getting something out of this project, even if it's just material for your reel.

As things move forward, keep informed of script, scheduling, location, and personnel changes. Make plans to attend actors rehearsals. If you need to test some lighting or camera ideas, make time.

This is also when you want to start managing expectations of what you can realistically deliver. You never want to over-promise and under-deliver. It seems to me that your strengths right now would be your aesthetic taste and willingness to work hard. So I would perhaps put extra time and effort into finding good-looking locations and making well thought-out blocking and shot choices. Once you have those things locked in, you can worry about how to light those shots and locations.

As you gain more experience, you'll find that one of the primary jobs of the cinematographer is to listen carefully to the director and producer in pre-production meetings and try to gently steer them away from bad ideas and magical thinking (i.e. 'it'll all work out if we just ignore the warning signs'). Sometimes, those decisions come from higher up, or were decided long ago and just aren't possible to change. In which case, you'll now have some lead-time to figure out how to make it work, or to bow out of the project if necessary.

[Josh Gallegos]

I’m only shooting the project for her, I’ve seen some of her stand up comedy, it’s really not that bad. Even though I’m working for free I want to do my best work, the only details that have been established is that she’s shooting on an evening, and that alone would make the shoot inconsistent since there’s an exterior scene of people drinking and listening to music. I think she’s pretty new at this too, the only details in visual style was SNL and “I Think You Should Leave”. 
 

 

[Satsuki Murashige]

3 hours ago, Josh Gallegos said:

I’m only shooting the project for her, I’ve seen some of her stand up comedy, it’s really not that bad. Even though I’m working for free I want to do my best work, the only details that have been established is that she’s shooting on an evening, and that alone would make the shoot inconsistent since there’s an exterior scene of people drinking and listening to music. I think she’s pretty new at this too, the only details in visual style was SNL and “I Think You Should Leave”.

In that case, you gotta talk to your director and get more info. Work out all the little details until you both agree on the approach and there are no more question marks. Then you'll be ready to shoot.

[Josh Gallegos]

Okay, go it! I feel things coming back to me, must be those ten years of my life (my 20s) when I saw nothing but classic films, I remember my biggest inspiration was Turner Classic Movies, I learned so much from Robert Osborne and Roger Ebert, when he was alive. Okay, so it’s about asking the right questions like David said, and working it out. 

[Satsuki Murashige]

4 hours ago, Josh Gallegos said:

Okay, so it’s about asking the right questions like David said, and working it out. 

Yes, but it’s also a collaboration so if you think of a better way of doing things, then you should speak up and offer your ideas. The goal is to make a product that contains both of your best ideas and weeds out both of your worst ideas.

The tricky part is to find the right balance of suggesting changes without bruising egos, and also to really hear them when they have reservations or don’t like your idea. We can all get overly attached to our own ideas, but as a DP you need to let that level of control go. Ultimately, the director is your boss and has the final say. But also remember that you were hired for a reason, and that it’s also your project to some extent.

I usually frame my suggestions as ‘what if?’ questions - What if we shoot our master in the other direction? What if we stage this scene in the dark until the actors turn on the table lamps on this line? What if we shoot this scene on long lenses from across the street, or on wide lenses up close? That sort of thing.