Post by Inside Man on Mar 9, 2006 13:29:39 GMT -5
WARNING: This weblog contains what I think are crew spoilers for Episode 5.10
- I'm releasing this weblog from the Snithces board ... E -
^ I know who is directing the Season Finale because I read it on the Glen M. thread. Therefore, this entire Weblog must be about Episode 5x10.
(there are also some minor prop spoiler tidbits, I marked them in advance)
Episode 508 "Kavanaugh"
POSTED BY: Gwyneth Horder-Payton
MARCH 7, 2006
*The comments and opinions expressed below are solely those of their respective writers, and not those of FX Networks, LLC, Twentieth Century Fox, or their related and affiliated entities.*
THE SHIELD
Episode 508– "Kavanaugh"
By Gwyneth Horder-Payton
I have been working as a First Assistant Director on 'The Shield' from the beginning. I love everything about the show, the characters, the stories, the beloved cast and crew- and then there is the work itself. The work is like the show, a boulder rolling down a steep hill. We revel in dirt, conflict, any and all obstacles. Rain, unexpected animals and drunks are welcomed and incorporated. Stench, though not translatable on screen, delights us. Perhaps I should not be speaking for everyone, but still, finding wonder and beauty in what may appear miserable on the surface is the driving spirit of each day. There is no time to complain, no point in entertaining the negative; the Shield team gets the job done with as much flourish, speed, accuracy and unorthadoxy as the Strike Team itself, but with ethics. The difference is that the neighborhoods are sorry to see us leave at the end of the day, and no one is hurt.
This year I was given the opportunity to direct. That has been my goal since I was 15. I have Scott Brazil, our executive producer and my mentor, and Shawn Ryan, executive producer and creator of the show, to thank for this.
So the question for me was how to go from leading this band of spirited warrior-poets at breakneck speed through urban landscapes, to instead exploring all the nuances of a scene with the actors, all while pretending that time is not a factor. (Rather than lead, I should say focus. After 5 years the crew is a well-oiled machine). Directing requires an entirely different part of the brain! Twenty years as an AD had honed my once college-trained language into the purist AD speak; a truncated military language without adjectives that communicates in the fewest words how to achieve a result. Now suddenly I needed to activate this dormant part of my brain where all these expressive words were stored (hopefully), words that, if chosen correctly, would have transformative effects on our talented and receptive cast. I must say that the cast was wonderfully supportive. I had earlier confided to some of them my greatest fear: that I would come to a scene with nothing, zilch. I would stand there with a blank face, and the actors would have to step up and take over, which they are quite capable of doing. And it would be over, my chance to succeed as a director would be forever gone. Another fear was that I would talk too much. But! None of these were realized. I arrived with ideas, and managed not to blurt them all out. It is the most gratifying collaboration to work with actors. And our cast is always prepared, yet remain open to new ideas. I knew it would be challenging and fun, but this was more than I could have hoped for. I have never been happier.
Further, I was given a great script. It was written by Chic Eglee and Kurt Sutter. During my first reading I wanted to both cry and throw up at the same time. This was good, this was The Shield. But it was also because I was so grateful, yet so terrified of the greatness of the script. After I had finished, I leaned back in my chair exhausted and fell into a long sleep. I woke, finally, with the strong realization that it was my job and duty to do the script justice. Oh, I knew that before, but never from the position of the director.
Chic Eglee was the assigned writer to the set. When I missed a beat or an intent in the scene, (it happened), he was there by my side gently reminding me.
Things got better after the first several scenes of the first day, and even better by the fourth day. The performances were fantastic, I was excited. I almost kept track of coverage from the two cameras, not an easy feat on our show. Our very talented operators, Richard Cantu and Billy Gerhart, always make sure that no two takes are the same. In any one take the camera might pan from something like a dead pigeon, to a wide master, then snap zoom to a medium shot of someone, then get distracted by a screaming child who the camera would follow until, perhaps, it might land on another character in profile and on and on and on. They would never duplicate that shot because they couldn't – a dog has taken the pigeon, the child is having a time out, and the actors have made different choices which call for a different shot selection. If a helicopter, fire engine, or police car go by, cameras will quickly go to them and then come back, and performances might change because of the racket. If one did not have ADD before, one would develop it while working for 'The Shield'.
SPOILERS IN FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH
More about pigeons. I tried hard, with the help of Tracy, the grip who joined in with his apple boxes, to scare a flock of pigeons just as Tina comes out of the bathroom with the severed member. Of course, ghetto pigeons aren't scared by gunfire, and then the apple box broke. I gave up. As an AD I may have come up with that idea, but it probably would have ended there. Now, as director in the editing room, I could add pigeon sounds! If we couldn't see them, at least we could hear them. Small, but important new pleasures. We have always tried terribly hard to get the world in. it's one of the things that makes our show different. I was more successful with the protest march we incorporated into a completely inappropriate scene, which is what I liked about it. I had learned that there was going to be an anti-Bush protest during the time at which we were going to film the scene when Vic kisses Becca for the first time. I thought if we just brought them out a different door, then we could see the protest in the background, and still hear it after Vic and Becca go around the corner. Rohn Schmidt, our most brilliant Director of Photography (who has been as supportive as anyone could possibly be), was fine about the change. He had to make some quick lighting changes. And everybody worked quickly to make sure we were ready by the time the protestors came through. It worked well, and added the world, albeit an unexpected world, to the scene.
ALL CLEAR
An important thing that an AD can bring as a first time director is a complete knowledge of what everybody does on the set, and how long things take. Sticking to the plan is not always possible, the alternatives could be numerous, so it is helpful to be familiar with all elements involved when choosing the best course to take. With this knowledge comes a deep appreciation of the collaborative nature of making movies, especially television, because of the speed involved. This appreciated intensified for me as a new director.
Starting with the great script, through production, with the hard working, talented cast and crew, to all the care and intelligence put into the editing by John Goldman and Shawn Ryan, I am thankful. It is a very good episode.
Best thing about this weblog, besides being a good read: Written by Kurt Sutter and Charles Eglee! Wheee!
edited to change font color and add comment from E
- I'm releasing this weblog from the Snithces board ... E -
^ I know who is directing the Season Finale because I read it on the Glen M. thread. Therefore, this entire Weblog must be about Episode 5x10.
(there are also some minor prop spoiler tidbits, I marked them in advance)
Episode 508 "Kavanaugh"
POSTED BY: Gwyneth Horder-Payton
MARCH 7, 2006
*The comments and opinions expressed below are solely those of their respective writers, and not those of FX Networks, LLC, Twentieth Century Fox, or their related and affiliated entities.*
THE SHIELD
Episode 508– "Kavanaugh"
By Gwyneth Horder-Payton
I have been working as a First Assistant Director on 'The Shield' from the beginning. I love everything about the show, the characters, the stories, the beloved cast and crew- and then there is the work itself. The work is like the show, a boulder rolling down a steep hill. We revel in dirt, conflict, any and all obstacles. Rain, unexpected animals and drunks are welcomed and incorporated. Stench, though not translatable on screen, delights us. Perhaps I should not be speaking for everyone, but still, finding wonder and beauty in what may appear miserable on the surface is the driving spirit of each day. There is no time to complain, no point in entertaining the negative; the Shield team gets the job done with as much flourish, speed, accuracy and unorthadoxy as the Strike Team itself, but with ethics. The difference is that the neighborhoods are sorry to see us leave at the end of the day, and no one is hurt.
This year I was given the opportunity to direct. That has been my goal since I was 15. I have Scott Brazil, our executive producer and my mentor, and Shawn Ryan, executive producer and creator of the show, to thank for this.
So the question for me was how to go from leading this band of spirited warrior-poets at breakneck speed through urban landscapes, to instead exploring all the nuances of a scene with the actors, all while pretending that time is not a factor. (Rather than lead, I should say focus. After 5 years the crew is a well-oiled machine). Directing requires an entirely different part of the brain! Twenty years as an AD had honed my once college-trained language into the purist AD speak; a truncated military language without adjectives that communicates in the fewest words how to achieve a result. Now suddenly I needed to activate this dormant part of my brain where all these expressive words were stored (hopefully), words that, if chosen correctly, would have transformative effects on our talented and receptive cast. I must say that the cast was wonderfully supportive. I had earlier confided to some of them my greatest fear: that I would come to a scene with nothing, zilch. I would stand there with a blank face, and the actors would have to step up and take over, which they are quite capable of doing. And it would be over, my chance to succeed as a director would be forever gone. Another fear was that I would talk too much. But! None of these were realized. I arrived with ideas, and managed not to blurt them all out. It is the most gratifying collaboration to work with actors. And our cast is always prepared, yet remain open to new ideas. I knew it would be challenging and fun, but this was more than I could have hoped for. I have never been happier.
Further, I was given a great script. It was written by Chic Eglee and Kurt Sutter. During my first reading I wanted to both cry and throw up at the same time. This was good, this was The Shield. But it was also because I was so grateful, yet so terrified of the greatness of the script. After I had finished, I leaned back in my chair exhausted and fell into a long sleep. I woke, finally, with the strong realization that it was my job and duty to do the script justice. Oh, I knew that before, but never from the position of the director.
Chic Eglee was the assigned writer to the set. When I missed a beat or an intent in the scene, (it happened), he was there by my side gently reminding me.
Things got better after the first several scenes of the first day, and even better by the fourth day. The performances were fantastic, I was excited. I almost kept track of coverage from the two cameras, not an easy feat on our show. Our very talented operators, Richard Cantu and Billy Gerhart, always make sure that no two takes are the same. In any one take the camera might pan from something like a dead pigeon, to a wide master, then snap zoom to a medium shot of someone, then get distracted by a screaming child who the camera would follow until, perhaps, it might land on another character in profile and on and on and on. They would never duplicate that shot because they couldn't – a dog has taken the pigeon, the child is having a time out, and the actors have made different choices which call for a different shot selection. If a helicopter, fire engine, or police car go by, cameras will quickly go to them and then come back, and performances might change because of the racket. If one did not have ADD before, one would develop it while working for 'The Shield'.
SPOILERS IN FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH
More about pigeons. I tried hard, with the help of Tracy, the grip who joined in with his apple boxes, to scare a flock of pigeons just as Tina comes out of the bathroom with the severed member. Of course, ghetto pigeons aren't scared by gunfire, and then the apple box broke. I gave up. As an AD I may have come up with that idea, but it probably would have ended there. Now, as director in the editing room, I could add pigeon sounds! If we couldn't see them, at least we could hear them. Small, but important new pleasures. We have always tried terribly hard to get the world in. it's one of the things that makes our show different. I was more successful with the protest march we incorporated into a completely inappropriate scene, which is what I liked about it. I had learned that there was going to be an anti-Bush protest during the time at which we were going to film the scene when Vic kisses Becca for the first time. I thought if we just brought them out a different door, then we could see the protest in the background, and still hear it after Vic and Becca go around the corner. Rohn Schmidt, our most brilliant Director of Photography (who has been as supportive as anyone could possibly be), was fine about the change. He had to make some quick lighting changes. And everybody worked quickly to make sure we were ready by the time the protestors came through. It worked well, and added the world, albeit an unexpected world, to the scene.
ALL CLEAR
An important thing that an AD can bring as a first time director is a complete knowledge of what everybody does on the set, and how long things take. Sticking to the plan is not always possible, the alternatives could be numerous, so it is helpful to be familiar with all elements involved when choosing the best course to take. With this knowledge comes a deep appreciation of the collaborative nature of making movies, especially television, because of the speed involved. This appreciated intensified for me as a new director.
Starting with the great script, through production, with the hard working, talented cast and crew, to all the care and intelligence put into the editing by John Goldman and Shawn Ryan, I am thankful. It is a very good episode.
Best thing about this weblog, besides being a good read: Written by Kurt Sutter and Charles Eglee! Wheee!
edited to change font color and add comment from E