John August

Archives for 2006

In defense of script supervisors

Film Industry, Rant

In the comments following [yesterday’s article](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/what-job-should-i-beg-for), someone suggested that a screenwriter looking for a no-experience-required job on a film set should look in to being a script supervisor.

This is absurd. Being a scripty isn’t a job for a screenwriter. It’s a job for a masochist. While not physically demanding in the way being a grip or a gaffer is, it’s still a lot of hard work, which if done correctly, is completely invisible to the audience.

In an Actual Movie, as opposed to a student film, you can’t just suddenly be a propmaster or an assistant director or script supervisor. That’s why in yesterday’s answer, I was careful to pick jobs that J.R. could theoretically land without experience to back it up.

Sure, given 20 minutes, you could probably figure out how to write down the information about various takes. But that’s a tiny fraction of a script supervisor’s job. They’re the field goal kickers of filmmaking, staying out of everyone’s way until needed in a crunch:

Quick, which hand did Margaret pick up the glass with, and after which line did she take a sip? And did she do that in take 4 or 5? Okay, that’s the master take. Let’s match that in the rest of the coverage we shoot today, Saturday, and three months from now in reshoots.

Wait, did he say, “my friend’s cousin, Bob” or “my cousin’s friend, Bob?”

Oh, and we need those camera reports now, because we’re breaking the film for the run tonight.

I’ve met great script supervisors, and ones I’ve wanted to throw off bridges. But screenwriters should never undervalue the scripty’s job, because she (or he, but usually she) is often the last defense against our scripts being mangled.

What job should I beg for?

Directors, Film Industry, Los Angeles, QandA

questionmarkA friend of mine is a writer whose work has been lucky/funny enough to make it to the big screen. The sequel has been greenlit and he just shot me an email letting me know that he’s signed on as the director! I am an aspiring screenwriter and I understand how valuable it is to be on set and get a bird’s eye view of the process. So my question is this:

What job should I beg him for? I’ve got no on-set experience and I’m not sure how much staffing power the director has, or in what areas he has it. I don’t want to ask for something completely unrealistic and appear foolish. I am, however, eager, ambitious and a very hard worker. I’ll carry their luggage, haul equipment or simply make sure the toilet paper is properly stocked — if I can just get a peak at the process, write during my down time and make friends/connections. I’d kill for this opportunity. I just need to know…um…. what opportunity exactly, I’m killing for.

— J.R.

If the budget allows him to have an assistant, that’s the job you want. By shadowing him, you’ll get the broadest perspective of preproduction, production and post.

Maybe he already has an assistant, or the budget won’t allow him to have one. Then it gets a little harder to figure out the right spot for you.

Assuming you can drive a car, answer a phone and work long hours, you can be an office PA. You’ll learn a lot about the logistical side of filmmaking, but won’t have a ton of on set exposure — you’re running back and forth from the office a lot. You’ll be taking orders from a production coordinator, who will generally send you for a pickup in Santa Monica when you just got back from Venice. On the plus side, you’ll get to know your LA geography a lot better, and become familiar with the various vendors and production houses.

While an office PA can learn on the job, an on-set PA actually needs to know what he’s doing. There’s a useful [guide](http://www.noendpress.com/caleb/edtech/index.php) you can download, but a large part of the job is simply anticipating what’s going to happen next, and that only comes with experience. But everyone has to start somewhere, so if you can convince the first and second AD’s (who oversee the PA’s) that you’re a quick learner, they might bring you on. But always keep in mind that you’re working for them, not your buddy the director.

If you’re competent with a videocamera, another possibility is to shoot the behind-the-scenes footage. That certainly gives you access. Just make sure not to step on the toes of the actual filmmakers.

If it’s not possible to get a real job on the movie, it’s absolutely worth asking your friend if you can visit set a few times during production. Just make sure that when you do, you make yourself a ghost. The best set visitors aren’t just invisible — they’re almost immaterial, and never in the way when you turn the set around. The safest place to hover is generally near craft service; they pick that location to be close to the set but never in the way.

**Update:**

Alex Epstein [answered the identical question](http://complicationsensue.blogspot.com/2006/10/fly-on-wall.html), with almost the same advice. Which just goes to show we’re both geniuses.

Austin Film Festival schedule

News

In case any readers want to see how much less articulate I am in person, I’ll be speaking on three panels at the upcoming [Austin Film Festival](http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/). Here are the descriptions the organizers sent out:

**The Art of the Pitch**
SFA Hotel, Assembly Room
Oct. 19th, 2:45 p.m. – 4 p.m.

*Pitching yourself is as important as pitching your script, and it often happens at parties, in elevators, and, of course, at festivals and conferences. Come learn how to hard pitch in a meeting and soft pitch in a casual setting and make sure your pitch leaves people wanting to get their hands on your script.*

* John August
* Jessica Bendinger
* Maggie Biggar
* Alex Smith – moderator

**Getting a Writing Job**
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
Oct. 20th, 10:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.

*Inspired by John August’s Web site, this is the panel formerly known as Breaking Into the Business. Why did we change the name? Because what most writers really want to know is, “How can I get paid for my writing? How do I become a professional writer?” It’s important to know there isn’t just one path to success.*

* John August
* Brendan McDonald
* Gregg Rounds
* Greg Beal – moderator

**Tell Your Story**
Driskill Hotel, Chisolm Trail Room
Oct. 20th, 3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

*Come and meet John August, writer of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, Go, and others, in a relaxed and intimate setting. Get here early and join the casual conversation on the couch.*

Macworld review of Montage

Software

Macworld has a [review](http://www.macworld.com/2006/10/reviews/montage1/index.php/?lsrc=mwrevrss) of Mariner Software’s [Montage](http://www.marinersoftware.com/products/montage/), which is pretty much right on the money. They give it two out of five mice, admiring its interface while pointing out that it doesn’t do nearly as much as it should: page locking, scene numbering and many other standard features are still on the drawing board. Which is fine for a beta, but not a shipping product.

I like the Montage folks, and have been in e-mail contact with them about an even more fundamental issue for me — the way it handles dialogue across page breaks. They’ve been responsive, and seem to genuinely want to make a great application. Version 2 — or even 1.5 — might be terrific. Right now, Montage is a program that looks finished but isn’t.

I’ve moved beyond hoping for a Final Draft killer — the next version of Screenwriter should do that, assuming it ever ships. But competition breeds innovation, so I’ll always be watching Montage, Celtx and the other upstarts. One of them might just change the game.