Filmmaking / Directing : Behind-the-scenes Material by Maurice Vaughan

We shoot bunches of cell phone pics - mostly for continuity. I shoot a few 6K stills for my crew/talant for thier promo/marketing use and we shoot some (not a lot) of video for teaching. Continuity is about all I care about.

Hi, Doug Nelson. Hope you're doing great! I've heard of filmmakers getting behind-the-scenes material for marketing and teaching, but I haven't heard of anyone getting pictures for continuity. That's a great idea! Thanks for sharing it.

I try to remember to take pics and video, but I’m usually busy working or too stressed to do that well. I had a little more time to think of that on my last project, doing effects work.

On the feature I co-produced, we had some dedicated BTS people, but we were under such a crunch to get the movie done, I didn’t end up cutting any BTS featurettes. Photos came in handy though.

A tip: Get quality photos of your actors in character! Really important for distribution elements, especially posters.

Having BTS people (or person if it's a small production) on set sounds like a great idea, Mike Boas! Thanks for the idea and tip!

I remember in my days of theater production during school, we, too used to take pictures for continuation purposes. When we break for lunch or whatever, the bts pictures allowed us to know where everything was, rather than trying to remember. Although in the film industry BTS are used for marketing and teaching and etc... but if you grew up in theater, you retain that habit to help eliminating errors of misplaced items when filming. Great Topic of discussion Maurice Vaughan ... cheers!

Becoming more and more common for indies to have someone on set to shoot stills and behind the scenes footage for social and marketing purposes. Generating buzz and a fan base before the movie is released.

That makes sense, Richard "RB" Botto. I'm sold on some movies, shows, etc. just from the BTS material I see on social media.

Thanks, Kerson Raymond. It does sound easier to look at BTS photos than trying to remember everything after a break. I love seeing funny BTS videos and bloopers, like at the end of a movie during the credits.

All the major studio films I worked on since 1974 had a Still Photographer documenting the production. Often it began in pre-production. As you are all saying, it's still a really good idea for promotion. Plus it's fun later on to see the photos and relive the memories.

Terrific ideas and actionable advice here. I also take a page out of the Unit Publicist playbook, even on smaller productions where there isn't a UP, and if we can't get any press to show up or an outlet like Access Hollywood to come to set and do an interview - most small productions can't for so many reasons - then I stage Access Hollywood type of interviews during lunch breaks with key cast and the director (well lit staged interviews with the set out of focus in the background, etc.) so we have that to send to outlets in hopes of getting some press or to use as part of our own EPK.

That's a great reason to take BTS photos/material, Pamela Jaye Smith! You get to relieve memories of being on set.

I like that, Sam Sokolow. Staging Access Hollywood type of interviews. How long are they usually?

Just stills BTS.

For promotion/marketing. Keepsakes for cast and crew. Blackmail.

"Blackmail." I'm calling the cops, E Langley.

Maurice Vaughan - it varies on length but I usually 5-10 minute interviews as the sound bites you need are really 15-30 seconds each. Just get the high level questions about the film's subject matter, the director's vision, the actor's characters and their approach, what's been the biggest challenge, the biggest reward, the camaraderie on set, etc.