Belcher - Discussion 4 by Andrew Belcher

Sacrificial Storytelling

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:13:37 UTC

I was surprised how excited some creators of film are, to go as far as to try new ideas out even if it means a lot more work. For example, during the making of "Hugo", they would have to tear down parts of the set to get the shots because the camera was too big, or the effect they wanted couldn’t be done with the set in the way.

Saving Money

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:16:15 UTC

One thought I had about the producers talking, was how it is really better to think about workin with an environment as opposed to against it. Trying to work with poor lighting, hiring people locally from the area you are shooting in, even as far as not fully planning out every shot beforehand because you want to see what the environment can create. It saves both time, effort, and money. Obviously, it cannot always go so loose as I have just stated, but it is an interesting thought.

Limiting Ideas Based Off Scope

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:18:58 UTC

Scope is an interesting idea for a filmmaker. On one hand, you are creating a film and can control the world the film is set in: on the other hand, when you create a script or a story, you have to show it somehow. Whether it is animation or live action, you are writing a visual story. Every story created will have a scope, and eventually it can get too large. One thing that was discussed in the first set of videos was how it is better to scrap an ambitious script and rewrite or just get rid of the idea as opposed to going way over budget creating a lofty-ambitions film.

Trust On Set

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:19:43 UTC

It is cool how producers and directors can get so familiar with each other. It seems that a lot of trust can be produced on film sets.

Challenges With Child Actors

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:23:40 UTC

One issue that had been brought up on the panels was filming with children. One thing that filmmakers have to plan around is filming with children. It makes a lot of sense and is great that children are well-protected within film, as they are not adults and should not be treated as such. Filmmakers can have a work limit of 4 hours with acting children. It makes sense why a lot of films try to avoid using children in the films, as you have a limited time and you do not know what you will get out of it. It makes the films that have great child actors all the more respectable, because you know all the hurdles that had to go over to even film with them, and you can know how talented and dedicated the children are. (There are different rules for different ages, but all of them are small windows of time)

Producing Summary

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:24:03 UTC

Producing is about the art of the possible. How to navigate the art vs. the efficiency. Getting as much onscreen that you pay for as little as possible.

Managing Expectations As A Producer

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:25:26 UTC

Try and balance the director’s personality and work habits with what is expected from the studio/funders. Through much trial and tribulation, you get to know the actions and characteristics of the creators of the film. Through a mutual trust and relationship, you can help make the film as productive and enjoyable as possible.

Who Is The Producer?

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:25:43 UTC

Producer is the “adult in the room” in the artistic world of creatives.

Film Accreditation

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:27:52 UTC

Film crediting is interesting. It seems a difficult line to define who contributed enough to a film to earn a credit or not. On one hand, you want everyone who helped "produce" to get a credit, but you do not want to discredit the people who contributed the most to the film and helped the film from the start or near the start. I think it seems fine to credit filmmakers who worked longer and those that did not with the same credit, as at the end of the day it is about the product and person. If they have good intentions, work hard, and help shape the film (even if it was for less time overall) they should still get a credit.

What Is Screenwriting?

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:28:30 UTC

Metaphorically, screenwriting is patience. You wait for inspiration, for collaborators, for energy, then craft a story.

How Screenwriters Answer Difficult Questions

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:29:53 UTC

When crafting a story, screenwriters find themselves at many roadblocks. Why would this character say this? How would this character react to that? How would this even shape this character? Well, from the panel, they mentioned how often the answer is in the story already. You often know the answer of the questions from what you already have.

Fact Vs. Fiction

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:31:56 UTC

The struggle with writing about real people is deciding where to draw the line. Where the fiction begins and the facts end.

Simplify

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:33:30 UTC

A lot of the stories are about simplifying the filmmaking process.

Self-Projection

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:34:24 UTC

As a filmmaker creates a movie, they put a lot of themselves into the film. They become more emotionally invested in the film than a lot of people might suggest. This kind of tel-projection makes the film more appealing, but also adds to the pain of the film project ending. It is similar to letting go of a part of themselves.

Writing Schedule and Motivation

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:34:57 UTC

For a writer, an important thing to have is a loose schedule and hours, as it is easy to get distracted and not put focus on writing.

Writer's Block

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:35:12 UTC

Writers block can come from trying to be too controlling of the story right out of the gate. You want to brainstorm ideas, you do not need to have a perfect answer immediately. Make Lists.

The Importance of Writing Structure

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:36:13 UTC

Structure is very helpful to the process of crafting film. You want to be able to build your film with good story structure, and then also shoot it with good structure.

Learning From My Peers

andrewrbelcher — 2024-02-09 23:53:13 UTC