The day is finally here.
Your great movie, shoot day 1.
Up until this point you’ve had a million and a half things on your mind. So why of all things, should you care about scheduling?
Isn’t that the AD’s job or the producer’s?
Today I’ll tell you why nailing the schedule for day 1 is more important than you think. And why you should put it high on your list of priorities.
Let’s do this.
Three reasons why you shouldn’t treat day 1 as just another shoot day
Treating day 1 like just another day of shooting is a big mistake. Day 1 is different.
Everything is new.
New film, new crew, new cast, new location, new gear.
Even if a lot of your cast and crew have worked together before, there are bound to be new faces in the crowd.
This newness is exciting and fun, but comes with kinks that need working out and workflows that need streamlining.
There’s always a bit of nerves involved in day 1 of any shoot. You’ve spent weeks or months preparing for this. When that first shot pops up in the monitor you want it to be just like you envisioned. Every member of your cast and crew has put something of themselves into the film to get that first shot ready. They’re all feeling that same nervousness.
Will it be any good?
Adding to the nerves, day 1 is without fail slow as f***.
For no obvious reason.
It can be a missing prop, a malfunctioning piece of equipment, someone showing late. It’s never the same thing, but it’s always something.
The solution?
Plan for it.
Schedule a light day, 50-75% of what you would aim to get through on a regular shoot day. Make sure there’s ample room for load-in, setup and the inevitable mishaps. This gives you flexibility, reduces stress and lets you focus on getting the shots you need.
Don’t make them cry
As the creative leader it’s our job to help our teammates shine. On the first day you do that by letting them get some reps in, not push them to their limit.
Don’t make your actors cry on day 1. Save the challenging emotional scenes for further down the line. This day is all about getting your actors comfortable and confident. Give them scenes that are on the lighter side, that they can get going with. A secondary part to this is don’t start with a full cast right away. I prefer having my lead on day 1, and max one or two other actors.
Your lead is under a lot of pressure. Letting them have a slow start helps build the confidence they need to not only act the lead, but be the leader of your cast.
For Wild Boys we planned on shooting all the scenes with Kate in her house by herself on day 1. Because of a forest fire we had to scramble and change plans last minute.
We ended up shooting all the scenes in the police station, which was a blessing in disguise. We got to start our three main cast members in light scenes that were all 1 on 1. The cast also got important bonding time, and were able to watch each other work.
The day also worked because the technical setup was simple. No techno cranes, no giant lighting rigs. Camera, tripod and a simple lighting scheme that needed minimal tweaking between setups.
Keeping the toys on the truck is a good rule for your first day. Your crew is probably working with some new gear regardless. Simplifying lets them get comfortable with the essentials before adding extra gizmos.
The last simplification tip I have for you is:
Crowd control.
This is a two-parter: pick a location where you’re in control. Avoid dealing with traffic or passers-by as much as you can. The second thing is don’t shoot a scene where you need a bunch of extras. Extras add a layer of complication that’s simply not worth it on day 1 if you can avoid it.
Setting yourself up for success on day 1 (and the entire shoot that follows)
Our goal for day one is simple.
Get off to a great start.
We want to give our team an easy win.
If day 1 goes well, everyone feels great and we carry a positive vibe with us into the rest of the shoot.
Shoots are never easy. If we can build positive momentum early on it’ll be easier to get through the hard times down the road.
We’ve already talked about scheduling a short day, with lighter scenes, keeping the cast small and the technical stuff simple.
We also want to maximize the time we spend actually shooting. This means selecting a location that makes your life easy. This includes short load-in and load-out, easy access to amenities like bathrooms (you have no idea how much time is lost to bathroom breaks) and short distances between your basecamp and set.
A simple, yet crucial part of making day 1 awesome has nothing to do with your schedule, and everything to do with your cast and crew.
Food.
You should always have great food, but make sure day 1 is amazing.
A well fed crew is a happy crew. This is not where you pinch pennies.
All in all our goal is for day 1 to be an excellent experience for everyone involved.
When it is, our job of directing becomes infinitely easier.
Conclusion
Preparing properly for day allows you to focus on directing, and allow things to be a little slow and go a little wrong without you losing your mind.
Here’s a quick recap for you:
- Schedule a short day.
- Keep the scenes light.
- Simplify the technical setup.
- Control your location.
- Spoil your crew with great food.
