Patrick Tucker is one of Europe’s most experienced film directors with over 400 shows broadcast on television. No ones better than Patrick what a film director does. At the end of each take you shout “CUT!” – then what do you do?
1: Did you like the take?
On balance, were all the major elements in place? (framing; camera movement; lighting; design; properties; costumes; make-up; script; editing – will it cut to and from the surrounding shots; and DON’T FORGET TO THINK ABOUT THE ACTING.)
2: If you are not happy, go for a re-take.
Always give notes as to why you are going again (perhaps pretending it is for sound when you want a better performance from an actor).
3: If on balance you are happy, what about your crew?
Is you crew happy? Camera; sound; script – and, yes, the actors.
4: Weigh up the pros and cons of going again
Balance the wishes of the crew/actor requests on one side, and your knowledge of how much must be done today (and what is coming up) on the other. Is it better to correct something now, or wait to fix it in post-production?
5: You either go again
or move on to the next phase.
6: The 10 Second Rule
Oh – all the above decisions, from #1 to #5, should be done in less than 10 seconds after you shouted “Cut!”. Longer than that, and you and your crew will lose momentum.
7: Stop before you move
Before moving the camera (and so needing changes in lighting, dressings and design), make sure there is no other shot needed for this scene that could be done from here. Also, see if there is any other shot you can squeeze from this set-up for only a few extra seconds of shooting.
8: Walk to the spot
If you are moving on, where possible you should march to where the new position of the camera will be, and quickly announce what the shot will be, and which bits of the set will be seen, and roughly what the dialogue will be.
9: Look ahead
As the crew start to prepare for the next shot, check what is left to shoot for that location or day, and if necessary start to change the shots in scenes coming up to reflect how much time you have left (adding or removing fancy time-consuming shots).
10: Reality Check
Remember, as far as your Producer is concerned, it is always better for you to finish on schedule and so not need overtime or pick-ups, than for you to get a better shot or a better performance. You won’t want to believe this, but your future employment may well depend on it.
How many times should you read a script?
Read Patrick Tucker’s Film Directors Check List Number 2
Did You Know?
- Raindance Film Festival is considered one of the top fifteen film festivals in the world?
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- Raindance members support indie film, and enjoy a range of benefits
- Let Raindance guide you on your filmmaking pathway. call +44 (0) 207 930 3412 or email filmschool@raindance.ac.uk
Patrick Tucker started directing for the stage in 1968, and for the screen in 1976, and has been doing both ever since. To date he has directed over 250 theatre productions and over 200 dramas for the screen (including one feature) at venues in the UK and all over the world, including America, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, South Africa, South Korea, and three productions at Shakespeare’s Globe London.
His last stage work was Measure, For Measure for the Blackfriars Theatre in Virginia, and on screen a Russian sit-com Olimpiada 80 filmed in Latvia (in Russian). He has lectured and run courses on the various aspects of acting and directing since the mid-1970s (presenting directing workshops for Raindance since 1997, and at Central Film School since it opened in 2009), and his books Secrets of Acting Shakespeare (Routledge 2nd Edition 2017) and Secrets of Screen Acting (3rd Edition Routledge 2014) contain many original insights – as do his workshops. He is currently preparing Secrets of Screen Directing – the Tricks of the Trade for publication in 2019.
