From Script to the Slate -- HELP!

Lloyds

Lloyds

Active member
Sorry for the stupid question, but I'm a "script writer" (notice the quotes) who's going to be first-time directing a small film:

How do you take the script information and translate it to the slate/shoot?

What are you supposed to write on the slate? I know what the title blocks say, but when it says scene, is that this from your script:

INT. SCHOOL - MRS. SMITH'S CLASSROOM

So would it be just SCHOOL or something like that? Or is it a number?

What exactly are roll and scene?

Where do you get your scenes from your script? I'm using Final Draft but I've never directed a thing, just done some writing. I know Final Draft generates scene numbers, but I really don't know what those even mean.

Thanks!
 
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It really depends on how you like to work. There's screenplays, shooting scripts, and director scripts (AV scripts). Personally, I just use the screenplay. They're easier to write, and tells me what the story is. It sounds like you already have a screenplay. Shooting scripts are where you add camera and actor details. (IE Our hero crosses from right to left as the camera slowly pulls back revealing a downtown intersection) or (CU of booted feet walking along the floor). More detailed than the shooting script, the av format or director's script breaks the film down into each individual shot by using two columns. What you see is on the left and what you hear is on the right. Like I said, I just use the screenplay when I'm on set, and my copy has some notes about how I want to set up the shot. Sometimes I stick with my notes, sometimes I come up with something totally different and better on set. I like to stay fluid. As long as each scene has a number, that's all you need. Those numbers just tell you what the scene order is in the film. Scene 13 comes after scene 12.

As for the slate, the Prod.No. is the working title. Scene means which scene in the script you're shooting. If you've already broken the scene down into shots using an AV script, you'll use the shot number, which is the scene plus a letter. For instance, 22c means the third shot of scene 22. When you reach the end of the alphabet, start doubling up letters. 22Ag, 22Ah and so on. Take is for what try on that scene or shot you're on. Roll means what tape you're using. I give mine T-numbers. T4, T5, T6.

Check out my filmmaking handbook and radio show on filmmaking here. We explain this all in more detail. If you have any questions about getting started, feel free to PM me!
 
Use your Final Draft software to post the scene numbers in your script. Now you have what El Director was discussing...scene numbers for every scene in your script. Take each scene and break it down into the different shots you will need for that scene...and for every scene. Maybe Scene 1 has four shots...so you would list those shots in a spreadsheet or in Word or some writing software. So you have 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D for the four shots of Scene one. You will do this for every scene in your script. This will comprise your shot list for your entire film...a list of every shot starting with 1A and ending with 133E if you had a total of 133 scenes and let's say five shots for Scene 133. Understand?

When you plan the actual shoot you will not be shooting in order or 99% of the time you won't be shooting in order. So you will develop another list called a shooting schedule or shooting list...or call it whatever you want. This will be the actual order you will shoot your scenes.

For example let's say you have 3 scenes in your film.

1A - LS (Long Shot) of Bank Exterior
1B - CU (Close Up) of Bank sign
1C - LS of a truck pulling into the parking lot
1D - MS (Medium Shot) of Robber Ronnie running up to the bank door

2A - MS of Ronnie entering the bank with his gun drawn
2B - CU of Bank Teller as Ronnie stickes the gun to her head
2C - ECU (Extreme CLose Up) of gun at Teller's head
2D - LS as Bank Customers hit the floor
2E - MS of Security Guard as he draws his guna nd fired
2F - MS Ronnie running for his life

3A - LS as Ronnie runs from the bank

When you actually shoot the film you might start with the exteriors first so you might shoot this order:

1B
1D
3A
1A
1C


Now imagine you have over 100 scenes. Things can spiral out of control very quickly if you don't know where you are at any one point in your shooting plan. You will be jumping around to different scenes so you have to plan out your shoot and keep track. Weather may come into play when shooting. Always have a back up plan in case conditions are not good for shooting the shots you planned on shooting. Filmmaking is the ultimate planning job. Take your time, plan it out and shoot it! An extra note. People often skip using the letters "I" and "O" so they won't be confused with the numbers "1" and "0"

Keep shooting!

Kess
www.filmschoolnow.com
 
Thank you!

Thank you!

After playing around A LOT with Final Draft and studying your very excellent forum responses, I think I have figured it out good. Thanks for your detailed responses.

Now, I have a follow up question. Perhaps this would go better in the scriptwriting section, but I'll try here first:

Is there a way to easily export my scenes into a spreadsheet instead of having to manually type each one in? I have 400+ scenes!

The closest thing I've come to is do a SCENE REPORT, but it's not perfectly formated and adds a bunch of extra stuff I don't care about like this:

10-9-2009 TEST -- SCENE REPORT


SCENE # SCENE HEADING PAGE # LENGTH
15 EXT. DESERT MOUNTAIN - CAMPFIRE 1 1/8

15A EXT. DESERT MOUNTAIN - TENT 1 2 1/8
(2), ISRAELITE MAN 1 (4), ISRAELITE MAN 2 (3), ISRAELITE MAN 3 (1), ISRAELITE CHILD 1 (2), HOST 1 (1), TEXT ON SCREEN (2), HOST 2 (1)

17A INT. DESERT MOUNTAIN - INSIDE TENT 1 1/8

18 INT. GREENSCREEN - TBD 1 4/8
HOST 1 (2), TEXT ON SCREEN (1)

16 INT. GREENSCREEN 1 3/8
HOST 1 (1)

10B INT. GREENSCREEN - FOUNTAIN 1 1/8

21A EXT. NATIONAL PARK - NIGHT 1 1/8

20 EXT. DESERT MOUNTAIN - CAMPFIRE 1 1 6/8
HOST 1 (5), HOST 2 (1), MOSES (1), GOD (2), TEXT ON SCREEN (1)

17 EXT. STREET INTERVIEWS 1 4/8
HOST 1 (1), INTERVIEWEE 1 (4)

21 EXT. GREENSCREEN - TBD 1 6/8
HOST 2 (1), HOST 1 (3)
 
El Director said:
What info do you want?
Click to expand...

Scene number for sure.
Scene heading

So if I could export something like this to Microsoft Excel, that would be awesome!
(the " | " representing column breaks):

1 | EXT. WHITEHOUSE - NIGHT
2 | INT. WHITEHOUSE - OVAL OFFICE
3 | EXT. JOES' AUTO PARTS STORE - NIGHT

Etc.... Then I could use that info to make "titles" for my shots and add my scene shots to that list by adding rows, etc. like what you both were saying, but have most of the

1 | EXT. WHITEHOUSE - NIGHT
 1A | LS - Master Shot from across street of entire WH
1B | LS Oval office, curtins drawn open

2 | INT. WHITEHOUSE - OVAL OFFICE
2A | CU papers on desk, slow pan to phone cord
2B | ECU President sweating, giving atomic bomb orders
2C | LS VP opening door
2D | MS President motioning VP in
2E | MS VP and President at table
2F | CU President, dolly right to VP, continue dolly R to LS of Sec. of State in BG

3 | EXT. JOES' AUTO PARTS STORE - NIGHT
 3A | LS Store sign
3B | LS, pan down to Joe entering front door
3C | MS Joe behind counter


Is this possible from Final Draft (namely the bold/underline parts. I know other is done in the spreadsheet)? I found several different export settings, and I have been able to monkey around with one that gets me close to what I want, but it's not perfect.

Thanks!
 
I ditched FD for Celtx a while a go, so I'm not too sure as to what it offers as far as exporting. Anyone else want to take this one? =)
 
You double up on letters once you get through the alphabet? I always went into greek letters. Because if you're shooting with more than one camera, I'd slate each camera with letters. So camera a, for scene 2, angle A, would be 2Aa, so when camera a is used for another angle (say D) it becomes 2Da.
 
You just printed out something that would be used for advanced scheduling. Which is not what you need.

In FD you can add scene numbers, and change them based on major setups. That will give you your scene numbers.

Which would translate onto the slate. Roll is what tape you are on or film load. This number can increase pretty fast.

As far as I know, that is the only export option you have. (And final draft tagger which is used for breakdowns). I think you'll have to put in some manual labor to make it work.

-Matt
 
I used www.scenechronize.com and loved it! It was really amazing, highly recommended.
Give it a try and see how you like it. Just import your PDF of the script and bam... you can create and print out almost everything in there!
 
You double up on letters once you get through the alphabet? I always went into greek letters. Because if you're shooting with more than one camera, I'd slate each camera with letters. So camera a, for scene 2, angle A, would be 2Aa, so when camera a is used for another angle (say D) it becomes 2Da.
Click to expand...
When I do shoot multicam-which isn't often-I do use a slate, and I'd mark the Roll with what cam. AT5 or BT5 is A cam tape five and B cam tape five respectivly. When I'm shooting though, I prefer single camera. The advantage to my system is that if someone was shooting multi cam, the my numbering still works. Cam A is shooting shot 27Ac while Cam B is shooting shot 27Ad. That way the scene numbers are coming straight from the shot list or boards, making life easier.
 
Lloyds said:
Sorry for the stupid question, but I'm a "script writer" (notice the quotes) who's going to be first-time directing a small film:

How do you take the script information and translate it to the slate/shoot?
Click to expand...


I'd recommend getting this book to assist in understanding 'what happens next' in going from a script to a list of documents to produce a film.

Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video, Third Edition (Paperback)

In particular there are chapters on breaking down a scene (what comes between slug lines...), listing out shots, props, talent, etc that will be used in the scene, etc.

I've been using Celtx (as others do as well), and there are some tools built in that allow you to create lists of talent and props for the various scenes. At the moment, at least as of v2.0 there isn't a good way to indicate 'shots' as specific camera setups, but there's the capability to highlight elements in the scene with different colors, so you could code 'shots'.

Here a 'shot' would be 'what the camera actually sees', and something which everyone in the world these days will admonish a 'scriptwriter' for doing in a 'spec' script. But as you are proceeding with 'production' on said film... you can break all those picky rules and put even 'angle on', or 'camera high looking down', in your scenes...

In Celtx one can select the 'A/V' format which may be better for thinking about 'shots' rather than 'scenes'.
 
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Let me ask, how are the folks that have gone tapeless handling "Roll" numbering on their slates and logs? I still shot to tape but have been thinking about how to handle this when I go tapeless.
 
Same way. Just your numbers (or letters) start flying up. Each time you switch a card, it's a different "roll". So then the card that you offloaded is labeled "1" or "A", and the slate corresponds. So does all the production paperwork (ideally). Then when you have to find the take, you are only looking at one card rather than 135 scenes.
 
In 35mm feature film production:

1) Take your script and number all your Sequences (i.e., EXT. & INT. headings.)
2) Let's say you start with Sequence 54. You then write on the slate with chalk :) Scene: 54 Take:1 (this is your Master Shot, usually a Long Shot).
3) Then you do, let's say a Medium Two-Shot. Write on the slate Scene: 54A Take:1
4) Then an Over the Shoulder (OS), write Scene: 54B Take 1

After many scenes and takes, when your shooting of that Sequence is complete for the moment or the day, go to the next Sequence in your Shooting Schedule; let's say it's Seque 21.

1) Write Scene 21 Take 1 (again this is your master -- No Letter, only Number).
2) Scene 21A Take 1, 2, 3, as many as you like :)

Etc.
 
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