Employer Input
As part of Unit 46, making and developing a film trailer in the style of WARP Films; we were visited by Mark Herbert, the founder of WARP films who also directs their productions in Television (This is England 86', The Midnight Beast) and also in Film (Four Lions, Donkey Punch). He gave a valuable insight into his job role and the roles of a film production team as well as briefing the unit in which we were asked to make a Film trailer. Coming from an individual who has a prominent stance in this industry, responsible for the likes of BAFTA nominated Dead Mans Shoes, it was a privilege to learn about the industry and somewhat inspired me to undertake the role Film Director throughout Unit 46. The document below is a couple of notes taken from meeting Mark Herbert; some of the key points listed here influenced our own film as we tried to match our Trailer to the style of those created by WARP Films. We looked particularly closely at the Dead Mans Shoes Trailer as we felt it most resembled our own concepts of a dark, mystery thriller genre of film.
Job Roles Report
Topic
of Research
I
will be investigating roles of the crew within the Film Production Industry:
more specifically the purpose of a Director and a Sound Designer.
Introductory
Description
· Duties
· Contribution
· Equipment
· Skills
Director
This
crew-member is responsible for the overall supervision of the entire production
of a film and managing the people who are involved with the creation of the
movie. This includes controlling the content and flow of the film's plot,
directing the performances of Actors, organizing and selecting the locations in
which the film will be shot, and managing technical details such as the
positioning of cameras, the use of lighting, and the timing and content of the
film's soundtrack (1. Movie Staff). This role gives the responsibility over the whole production
team, answering only to the Films’ Producer who provides and delegates the
production’s budget. Other than the cast of the film, the Director is said to
the most important individual; generally they are given the first spot in the
closing credits of a film after Casting.
Throughout
their job, the Director will come across every form of production equipment, they will have to instruct an equipment operator on what they need to do in order to create
an intended effect. For example, a cameraman may be directed to position
himself from a vantage point in order to capture a high angle shot of the
subject. They will have to manage set up of technical elements while on set,
such as camera positioning, lighting and timing narrative components. This
could be anything from a change in a characters emotion to the execution of an
explosive for an action sequence. Moreover, the Director is an overarching link to their entire production team and will be in constant contact with the head of each department in order
My
Suitability for the role
Personally,
I believe that I could have the required attributes in order to be suitable for
this role. Directors have to have outstanding patience in order to resolve
creative differences when working with cast members with contradictory views
about the flow of the film. Communication skills are especially essential,
prior to the main production period contracts need to be drafted up so that
people involved in the films’ production can legally consent to their
involvement. This role requires the individual to be constantly and
consistently updated on the progress on each sector of the production; it is
said that up to 20-hour days are not unusual for Directors of A-List titles.
Sound
Designer
This
individual has the responsibility of the post-production soundtrack of the
movie also involving obtaining creative licenses for use. They will also
overlook the process of editing the sound for the production and address
instruction to the editors, mixers and composers. Their contribution is
extremely vital to procession of the film, Alfred Hitchcock is said to have
stated that the most important of a movie is its’ soundtrack.
A
professional designer employs the use industry standard software and equipment
to create and edit unique sound such as Pro-Tools alongside the
Lead Editors in order to collaborate and match visual clips with recorded
audio. They may also need to create unique sound effects and clips
via Synthesizer Software, for example MASSIVE Tools, allowing for
the creation of virtually any sound.
Role Comparison
Both roles share vital importance
within the production of a film title; yet I believe that the Director has the
most contribution to provide being that they have constantly be
updated on every detail to assure that their 'vision' is maintained. Within the
hierarchy, the Director has the the greatest influence over their production
team and ultimately has control over the Sound Designer's job. The Director has an acting influence over the entire production process; their main duties situated within the preliminary and primary phases of film production. They take an active role in managing and contributing to casting actors, editing scripts and composing, selecting and editing shots. Directors are constantly tasked with the awareness of constraints of budget and schedule (2. Career Bear). The Sound Designer takes charge of the post production soundtrack for the movie and will be in close contact with the Director along with a production's lead editor throughout the post-production phase.
References:
- Movie Staff (2006) Crew, [Online], Available: http://www.moviestaff.com/crew.htm Accessed 19.1.15
- Career Bear (2011) What does a film director do and what skills are required?, [Online], Available: http://careerbear.com/film-director/article/what-does-a-film-director-do-and-what-skills-are-required Accessed 19.1.15
