David W. Richardson
Chapelgrove Films
Okay, I want everyone's input on this. I'm especially keen to hear what actors think. This is going to take quite a bit of explaining, so bear with me.
I have a feature project in development called 'The Circle'. It's been in development for quite a long time because I can't figure out a way to shoot it without it costing a good chunk of money -- money that I don't have and can't seem to lay my hands on.
It's the story of 9 people who are conversing in an online video chat room when one of the group is suddenly attacked, stabbed and left for dead -- and the others have to figure out where she is located so they can send help before she bleeds to death.
Now this is a real-time story. What you'll see on the screen are 9 boxes -- the 'video chat windows' of each of the characters. The boxes are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, each with a different character in it. (Each character is sitting in his/her home or office, in front of their computer, chatting via webcam.) Every character is on-screen the entire time. There are NO CUTS.
And that's what presents the challenge.
My original plan was to build 9 small sets, located on a single soundstage. These sets would be arranged in a circle, so that everyone is facing each other. This way they could see and hear each other when performing the script. The director would sit in the middle of the circle.
Each set would have its own dressing, props and lighting. And each would have its own camera and microphone. Tape would roll on each camera, and in post we would composite all of the footages together to make the checkerboard "video chat room".
On the one hand, this would make shooting very fast. The script is performed like a play, in real-time. So we could shoot the whole movie a total of 3 times in just 2 days.
BUT this would also be very expensive. Not only would we need a soundstage and 9 constructed sets, we'd also need 9 cameras, 9 tripods, 9 mics, and 9 sets of lights. It adds up in a hurry!
So I've been trying to think outside the box to come up with ways to cut down on the expense. If we could shoot each person individually and cut them together in post, that would save a LOT of money -- because we'd only need one small room (re-dressed for each character), one camera, one mic, one lighting set. But since this is a real-time story and everyone is seen on-screen the whole time, there are NO CUTS. So getting 9 people's dialogue to time out right so it all fits together without cuts would be next to impossible.
Or would it???
You see, I've had this idea. (And this is what I want opinions on.) See if you think this scenario would work...
We get the whole cast in a room around a table. They 'perform' the script from start to finish, doing all the dialogue and actions just as if we were actually shooting the movie -- but all we're doing is recording the audio. We 'perform' this as many times as we need until we get the best take.
Now we setup a room dressed for Character #1. We make a version of the recorded audio that has Character #1's lines removed -- but everyone else's dialogue is intact. We bring in the actor for Character #1 and shoot his/her bit, using the audio recording of everyone else's dialogue for the actor to play off of. This puts his/her dialogue in the right places with the right timing.
We re-dress the room for Character #2. Make a version of the recorded audio that has Character #2's lines removed -- and repeat the process.
We do this for each of the other characters until we have all 9 of them shot. Then we take the footage into editing and put it all together in the checkerboard layout.
That should work, right? Technically, I mean. Are there potential problems I'm not thinking about? Granted, it would take longer to shoot this way. We'd probably have to devote an entire day to each actor's shoot. Still, the overall costs should be much much lower.
And you actors -- what do you think of this? I realize it's always best for actors to be able to play off of real live people. But do you think this is a workable option?
Any input would be greatly appreciated!
I have a feature project in development called 'The Circle'. It's been in development for quite a long time because I can't figure out a way to shoot it without it costing a good chunk of money -- money that I don't have and can't seem to lay my hands on.
It's the story of 9 people who are conversing in an online video chat room when one of the group is suddenly attacked, stabbed and left for dead -- and the others have to figure out where she is located so they can send help before she bleeds to death.
Now this is a real-time story. What you'll see on the screen are 9 boxes -- the 'video chat windows' of each of the characters. The boxes are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, each with a different character in it. (Each character is sitting in his/her home or office, in front of their computer, chatting via webcam.) Every character is on-screen the entire time. There are NO CUTS.
And that's what presents the challenge.
My original plan was to build 9 small sets, located on a single soundstage. These sets would be arranged in a circle, so that everyone is facing each other. This way they could see and hear each other when performing the script. The director would sit in the middle of the circle.
Each set would have its own dressing, props and lighting. And each would have its own camera and microphone. Tape would roll on each camera, and in post we would composite all of the footages together to make the checkerboard "video chat room".
On the one hand, this would make shooting very fast. The script is performed like a play, in real-time. So we could shoot the whole movie a total of 3 times in just 2 days.
BUT this would also be very expensive. Not only would we need a soundstage and 9 constructed sets, we'd also need 9 cameras, 9 tripods, 9 mics, and 9 sets of lights. It adds up in a hurry!
So I've been trying to think outside the box to come up with ways to cut down on the expense. If we could shoot each person individually and cut them together in post, that would save a LOT of money -- because we'd only need one small room (re-dressed for each character), one camera, one mic, one lighting set. But since this is a real-time story and everyone is seen on-screen the whole time, there are NO CUTS. So getting 9 people's dialogue to time out right so it all fits together without cuts would be next to impossible.
Or would it???
You see, I've had this idea. (And this is what I want opinions on.) See if you think this scenario would work...
We get the whole cast in a room around a table. They 'perform' the script from start to finish, doing all the dialogue and actions just as if we were actually shooting the movie -- but all we're doing is recording the audio. We 'perform' this as many times as we need until we get the best take.
Now we setup a room dressed for Character #1. We make a version of the recorded audio that has Character #1's lines removed -- but everyone else's dialogue is intact. We bring in the actor for Character #1 and shoot his/her bit, using the audio recording of everyone else's dialogue for the actor to play off of. This puts his/her dialogue in the right places with the right timing.
We re-dress the room for Character #2. Make a version of the recorded audio that has Character #2's lines removed -- and repeat the process.
We do this for each of the other characters until we have all 9 of them shot. Then we take the footage into editing and put it all together in the checkerboard layout.
That should work, right? Technically, I mean. Are there potential problems I'm not thinking about? Granted, it would take longer to shoot this way. We'd probably have to devote an entire day to each actor's shoot. Still, the overall costs should be much much lower.
And you actors -- what do you think of this? I realize it's always best for actors to be able to play off of real live people. But do you think this is a workable option?
Any input would be greatly appreciated!
Still, it's not exactly cheap to buy nine...