Filmmaking / Directing : Meeting after Filming by Maurice Vaughan

Hi Maurice, Idk, working with different people, I think it's always different

Hi, Billy Kwack. Yeah, I think you're right.

Maurice, have you ever seen the movie Disaster artist?

I haven't seen it yet, Billy Kwack. Did you see it?

It came out years ago, I love it

It's on Prime Video, Billy Kwack. I might watch it this weekend.

I usually have the cast read through the whole screenplay before I start production. If the reading goes well, I shoot and direct the whole movie; but if doesn't go well, I recast the movie all over again.

Thanks for sharing, Vic Alexander. How many movies have you recast and filmed again?

There's not much time to meet cast & crew after shooting because ppl are over worked, tired, dont wanna meet. Maybe on an off-day after 4 or 5 straight days of filmming. But it's hard to get everyone in a room during production

That makes sense, Dan MaxXx. Thanks!

I've always had a Wrap Party after every shoot.

That's great, Vic Alexander! What do you have at the Wrap Parties? Food, drinks, etc.?

Don't know what Vic does but we sacrifice a PA to the Movie Gods at the Wrap Party. It's painless, relatively, so don't fret.

I have never thought of a daily routine culture, but,it seems wiser, may be, I'm going to take things that way.

Hey Maurice Vaughan , I generally don't do meetings post shoot day as we're spending too much time striking stuff and cleaning up location. Plus, with SAG-AFTRA rules I release my cast ASAP to make sure no OT. I only have a pre-shoot day meeting to go over what we're doing for the day. If I have a big enough budget, I'll schedule production meetings in prep and then one or two meetings during wrap days. My 1st AD keeps me on target during the shoot day. I always love to have a wrap party, but sometimes that will happen after Post so I can screen the film for everyone.

That's terrible, E Langley. Haha

Glad this post gave you an idea, Julian Nabunya!

Hey, William Joseph Hill. Thanks for sharing what you do! Time seems like the biggest factor from the comments. I'm glad to hear directors throw wrap parties for the cast and crew!

Maurice Vaughan, the Movie Gods must be appeased.

BTW, no daily post-shoot meeting for already posted reasons. Maybe a few words to the cast and crew in the morning before the first shot.

E Langley Pep talk!

Hi Maurice Vaughan - just confiming what some of the others have commented. Everything should already be planned and discussed before any filming has happened at all. At the end of a shooting day, the crew wraps up and maybe the director/DP/1st AD might chat if there are any unanswered questions for the following day. On my present show, everyone walks around and says a pleasant goodbye and/or 'Great Day" - it's a very friendly bunch! In general though, no full crew meetings - almost never. Your department might get together as you're wrapping up. End of almost every show I've ever been on there is a wrap party celebrating a good show or season. Funded by the producers or company at a club or some kind of space with food and drinks. Been to a bowling alley before, a neon shop, club, bars - all depends on their budget and what they want to do to celebrate!

Hi, Xochi Blymyer. Ok, so sometimes there are director/DP/1st AD meetings and department meetings at the end of filming, but there aren't wrap up meetings with everyone (cast and crew). Thanks for sharing.

We'd have those conversations over meals after a shoot day.

I always meet with the production team and any necessary creatives or key department heads at the end of a shoot day to discuss and set up for tomorrow. Mornings are for coffee, prepping and gearing up for the day that you have to make, not for creative or logistical changes. And if the call sheet has to change it should change the night before, not the morning of. Just how I've always approached it.

I like that idea, E Langley. Two things at first. Save time. Thanks for sharing.

That's a great approach, Sam Sokolow! Thanks!

Maurice Vaughan have you worked on a movie or tv show? If not, what are you waiting for? Hookup with short movie or student film and learn this stuff by getting your hands dirty.

Great idea, Dan MaxXx. There's a film community in my city, but I haven't looked into it much. Thanks!

Sam Sokolow wise advice, Sam. That one is in the notebook for Seeing Rachel.

At the end of the day, everyone is tired and wants to go back home / hotel, etc. At the end of the shoot, everyone wants to hit the raod / go home. Alot of my actors are regulars I've worked with over the years, so we tend to find time to connect when something isn't filming to catch up.

Thanks for sharing, Stephen Folker. Yeah, I think the cast and crew would be too tired at the end of the day to have a meeting, and then there's travel to think about. From the comments, I think a small meeting between the director and a few crew members and a wrap party work the best.

I think a private screening / mini party would be best!

On all professional shoots, the director keeps shooting the movie until it's over. He doesn't meet with the cast the next day to see how everybody feels about the shoot. Most of the major directors screened rushes early in the morning after the lab had processed the 35mm negatives and made contact prints to project. And then the director decided to go on or to reshoot some of the scenes. I never did that, because I was the cameraman and the director and so I know what I was getting. I just kept going. I called the lab and asked if everything was alright of course. I've directed, shot and edited for others, a total of about 50 feature films.

Thanks for commenting, Vic Alexander.