Hi everyone,
I recently interviewed Daniel Stamm for my podcast. If you don't know Daniel, he directed The Last Exorcism and 13 Sins as well as a no budget indie film called A Necesary Death.
One of the big things I got out of the episode was Daniel's list of 35 questions he asks before he directs a scene. Here they are.
If you would like to listen to the podcast episode it is here: http://www.indiefilmacademy.com/ifa33/
Scene number?
Referring to draft (date)?
Description of scene:
Can the scene be broken down into several parts?
Function / The scene is ‘as if’… / “Make this scene important to me.”?
How is the scene reflecting the theme of the movie?
What’s fun about the scene?
Hitchcockian question mark(s) within the scene?
Central image audience is going to remember / thumbnail for DVD?
What are the crucial facts the audience needs to understand in this scene? What’s risky?
What value is at stake in the scene, how is it charged at the beginning, how at the end?
What are each character’s objectives in the scene?
How can things be visualized / physicalized / externalized?
Progressions in character arcs and relationships? From – to?
Whose POV are we experiencing the scene from?
Whose scene is it? Who or what are we told something about? (as opposed to POV)
How are the location and production design a character in this scene?
Is there a potential alternative location?
How is the lighting a character in this scene? Practicals? Orbs of light?
How is the sound a character in the scene?
Possible activity for each character and what that tells us about them?
How do you want the audience to feel at the end of the scene?
Anything that needs to be researched?
Experiences from your own life and/or references from other movies that could be helpful?
What’s the overall tone/energy/rhythm of the scene?
Add a surprise or secret?
Obligatory and optional character movement?
What’s the way to shoot this that reflects best what is felt?
What are 2 possible other approaches to shooting this?
What’s the fastest way to shoot this?
What would it be like to shoot segments of this in one shot?
Add an interesting idea or composition / camera movement?
What is a possible transition into the next scene?
Any other notes?
Any rewrites that would help?
I recently interviewed Daniel Stamm for my podcast. If you don't know Daniel, he directed The Last Exorcism and 13 Sins as well as a no budget indie film called A Necesary Death.
One of the big things I got out of the episode was Daniel's list of 35 questions he asks before he directs a scene. Here they are.
If you would like to listen to the podcast episode it is here: http://www.indiefilmacademy.com/ifa33/
Scene number?
Referring to draft (date)?
Description of scene:
Can the scene be broken down into several parts?
Function / The scene is ‘as if’… / “Make this scene important to me.”?
How is the scene reflecting the theme of the movie?
What’s fun about the scene?
Hitchcockian question mark(s) within the scene?
Central image audience is going to remember / thumbnail for DVD?
What are the crucial facts the audience needs to understand in this scene? What’s risky?
What value is at stake in the scene, how is it charged at the beginning, how at the end?
What are each character’s objectives in the scene?
How can things be visualized / physicalized / externalized?
Progressions in character arcs and relationships? From – to?
Whose POV are we experiencing the scene from?
Whose scene is it? Who or what are we told something about? (as opposed to POV)
How are the location and production design a character in this scene?
Is there a potential alternative location?
How is the lighting a character in this scene? Practicals? Orbs of light?
How is the sound a character in the scene?
Possible activity for each character and what that tells us about them?
How do you want the audience to feel at the end of the scene?
Anything that needs to be researched?
Experiences from your own life and/or references from other movies that could be helpful?
What’s the overall tone/energy/rhythm of the scene?
Add a surprise or secret?
Obligatory and optional character movement?
What’s the way to shoot this that reflects best what is felt?
What are 2 possible other approaches to shooting this?
What’s the fastest way to shoot this?
What would it be like to shoot segments of this in one shot?
Add an interesting idea or composition / camera movement?
What is a possible transition into the next scene?
Any other notes?
Any rewrites that would help?
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