Filmmaking / Directing

That's a production design issue, when a project is in preproduction, for the director and design team. I don't know that it is even relevant to the producer before then, TBO.

The very BEST I’ve ever “scene” and wisdom beyond the moon and back

It's like that with directing, writing, etc., Abram Christian. Being able to pivot is SO important on set, writing a script, etc.!

Love this. I went through the same, only worse! And somehow, it got made.

I do all of those except Leverage Sound and Music, Vincent Weberink, especially Visual Metaphors. Thanks for the Leverage Sound and Music idea.

A film that nails theme for me is Jordan Peele's Get Out, and he made it stick with the characters, story, dialogue, action, and symbolism.

That’s awesome, Maurice — Get Out is a perfect example! Peele weaves theme through every layer, from dialogue to visual cues. And yes, sound and music can add another emotional thread — even subtle choices can amplify tension or meaning. Glad that tip resonated!

The most recent example for me is Paddleton. That movie really moved me. I am sure it spoke to me in a way that most movies do not and are not designed to do. My favorite movie of all time - Schindler's List - is the apex of this though in my opinion. I saw that movie when I was 25 years old and starting to be cynical about the human condition. The movie completely changed my perspective and has given me hope that sustains me to this day. No greater movie ever made in my opinion.

Michael David I do! In fact I look closely at street signs and other buildings to see if I recognise a place. One time I think it was a TV show or movie, either way I have no idea what it was called, and I recognised the exterior building they used was this college that's really close to my house :D

Michael David Exactly, Michael — that’s such a great takeaway! No matter what you do, someone will always have a different opinion, so staying true to your own voice is what really counts. Breaking a few “rules” is often where the best stories come from.

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh That definitely counts as a myth — and a really common one! You nailed it: screenwriting is all about show, don’t tell, just in a tighter, visual way. Finding that balance between giving enough detail and leaving room for creative interpretation is what makes a great script come alive.

All those can be true to a degree but are mostly false. You don't need a budget, I'd know I'm in the middle of shooting a no budget feature. But it does help, I mean our car wasn't insured for 2 weeks because the money from another project hadn't come through and I've been working on the feature.

Hollywood, our lead lives in Hollywood, he's now staring in a feature in Slovenia, so... But it would help if you knew someone there in the industry.

You can do a lot, but not everything, it really is a team sport and the better the team the more fun it is.

Perfection, I'll settle for good enough.

Alf (the alien from Melmac) once said rules are like plates they're made to be broken. The Greeks break plates, the Balkans break glasses I love both.

Show don't tell, I agree, but on a tight budget it's sometimes a lot easier and cheaper to say a bit of exposition than to add 5 more days to a project which will as a result not happen.

Just having a little fun, in the end I think it's up to each person how they find their way and what works for them.

Absolutely, Vital — couldn’t agree more! Filmmaking really is a team sport, and no-budget projects prove that creativity often trumps resources.

This webinar will be amazing and so helpful :) I will be there :)

Thank you Sandra I couldn't agree more :)

So happy you're excited Sandra!

Make sure to sign up, we are live in less than 24 hours!

See you later on Joshua Young :)) Thank you Sydney S.

Great advice, James Woodland. I've seen directors and PAs start with micro-budget short films, low-level commercials, wedding videos, etc.

Thanks for sharing James Woodland

Hi, Maurice. It depends on how many pages in the script. I read the script and I write down notes or numbers next to each scene of the script to get a total of how many scenes I will have to illustrate. Sometimes, I will draw rough thumbnails next to the dialogue or a description of the scene, so I can have an idea of what to draw later.

Thank you, everyone.

You're welcome, Rich Terdoslavich. Thanks for the info.

No sweat, Maurice. Will be posting some more work soon. All the best.

Looking forward to it, Rich Terdoslavich! All the best.

Understood, Geoff Hall! It's why I have experimented over a number of years, with different techniques, software and much research. A breakthrough is what I've encountered! Need that collaborative effort , with the various methods and more!

Eon C. Rambally yes, to the ‘collaborative effort’. I think I’ll be visiting the companies offering the VP services, just so I can make a considered decision. It would be good to rub shoulders with the people you may be spending a few weeks with, during production.

Got that Geoff Hall. I recall one of Sandra' Isabel Correia's post and discussion, about software producing a virtual world. Depending on the scene, may need to also incorporate and revisit that discussion to properly regulate cost factors.

Of course to re-iterate, congratulations on having her as Executive Producer , for the film!

CGI, VFX and SFX have long been part of our lives — remember La La Land, Life of Pi, Dune, Avatar, Gravity — Cameron, Nolan — they’re all still in the game and “holding” the whole process — nobody died, they’re all alive! What’s with the sadness and the fears?! We all stopped walking — switched to cars to be faster, gave up landlines to be better informed... you get it, this must be accepted as a given. We live in the digital age; tools are becoming more accessible, but quality remains with the masters of the craft: directors, DPs, makeup artists, actors.

And why did someone decide that realism automatically means bigger budgets?! On the contrary: the rise of AI and automation has historically led to a reduction in routine costs. That frees up resources — and two paths open up: either the money saved goes into mass-produced uniformity, or the freed budget is reallocated around meaning, acting and auteur direction. If you want shoddy work — Upwork will help you: cheap and nasty. If you shoot from the heart — that’s a different league. Money goes where story and ambition demand it. If the industry has chosen savings and hype over craft — no amount of “AI-realism” will bring about an artistic revival. Nothing to mourn here.

Clearly every craftsman needs specific equipment, but at the same time, visual effects are not a “costly budget” as you claimed, because (see above) they are a tool that leads to lowering routine costs in film production. Big-budget status won’t appear just because images become “a bit more realistic” with AI and CGI. When I read phrases like “regardless of video quality” and “this will lead to high-budget projects,” I feel sad and want to be angry at the same time. That statement reflects not realism but a dangerous confusion of categories: idea ≠ tool, budget ≠ craft, trend ≠ meaning. By the way, CGI, VFX and SFX are different crafts (for those unaware), and quality is not only pixels. It’s the understanding of light, composition, an actor’s texture and the dramaturgy of the frame. AI and CGI are tools — and only tools!!!! A tool does not give birth to a poet. It does only what you put into it. PERIOD.

Asl Seil, you’re most welcomed and great seeing you here on this platform. You did bring relevant subjects of concerns. The masters of crafts do hold the ultimate secrets to software use in general and it’s why I mentioned about in-house techniques

Just to note: Stage 32 has offered many courses, blogs etc. on relevant education, which includes VFX vs CGI vs SFX, which I gave in the second link in post above.

With all clarity and concerns of industrial matters The real immediate focus is planning a very precise budget. Therefore, really meant whether or not the venture is costly, no claim otherwise, it is still part of budgeting and adds up to overall cost factors and as you know, If not careful the little various expenditures can sum up to undue overall cost.

Therefore, many perspectives and look at every angle with closest of budgets to attract investors and to assure them that the job can be done, within the allocated budget. is of main objectives. Technicalities understood!

Will like your opinion on the two videos in the provided links. above.

Your input is welcomed!

Must-read post, Faisal Askari! Are there ever times when two or more script supervisors are working on a big production?

Yes, it happens a lot on large productions. When a show or movie is being filmed in several places at once, one script supervisor simply cannot cover everything. Big films like Avengers Endgame had separate script supervisors for each unit. One handled the main shoot, another worked with the second unit, and another took care of reshoots. Each person tracked continuity for their scenes, and later they compared notes so everything stayed consistent in editing.

On Game of Thrones, different script supervisors were assigned to different countries. One might be in Belfast with the main cast while another worked in Spain on a completely different storyline. That allowed the show to keep filming on multiple sets without slowing down production.

The same thing happens with large streaming series that use several directors. Each director may have their own script supervisor, while one lead supervisor oversees the entire season to make sure every episode feels like part of the same world.

So yes, more than one script supervisor can absolutely work on a big project. It’s teamwork on a massive scale, and when done right, the audience never notices because everything just flows.

Maurice Vaughan

Wow. Didn't see this coming! Wins that have ages the worst... great post! Thank you!

Excited to meet the group Sunday!

I can't wait to meet you all on Sunday!

Thank you James, it's going to be a wonderful first session!

To grab one of the last seats in the lab, please send an email to edu@stage32.com and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sounds amazing, can’t waiy