Script supervision is a crucial hat and is one that, if done
carefully and with accuracy, will be of great value to the
Director and the Picture Editor.
The basic job of the Script Supervisor is to make notes as
the filming goes along. These notes are for the Director's use
and the Editorial Department's use, although the Script
Supervisor works for the Director. This Tech Memo is not meant
to be an exhaustive reference on the function of the Script
Supervisor, but instead a quick reference to orient you to some
of your functions as a Script Supervisor (also called Script
Clerk).
Each scene in the script is assigned a number by the Writer
or the Director. These numbers proceed from the first scene,
scene one (1) through the entire script. For practical purposes,
a scene can be considered to be the action that takes place in
one location, however the action may extend throughout several or
many locations.
The scene to be filmed is broken down into shots. A shot is
the length of time the camera is running, in other words, from
the time the Directors says "SOUND" to the moment he says "CUT."
Each one of these shots is a unit of film. These are referred to
as takes in the script notes. Each time the action is repeated,
for filming purposes, so that an anticipated better take can be
produced, it is called a new take. This can be repeated until
the Director feels that he has gotten the performance that is
"perfect."
Normally, the scene is filmed with a wide angle lens once
through the entire scene. This wide angle take is referred to as
the master. It is a comprehensive shot that serves to introduce
the location and the relative positions of each of the actors.
It is labeled from the scene number. Each take is also labeled
as such:
When the camera changes angle, the letter "A" is added to
the scene number. When the camera takes another angle still yet,
the next letter "B" is added to the scene number. Each time the
camera changes angle, the Script Supervisor labels the new take
with another letter. Thus the sequence would be like this:
. . . etc. until that scene is done.
The letters are always spoken out in the form of any
distinct word like BAKER, APPLE, CHARLIE, etc. This is so that
the editors can clearly understand what is on the sound track
when they work with the film in the cutting room.
If for some reason the Director calls a halt to the take
before it would normally be over, he may wish to pick up the shot
from the point he left off, rather than redo the whole shot.
This will save film. If you were just doing 125B - 3 and then
did a pick up on this shot midway through you would label the
pick up as follows:
Do not use the letters "L", "O", or "I" because they all too
easily can be mistaken for other numbers and letters. Skip them
and label the next shot with the next consecutive letter on up to
"Z" as necessary. After "Z" start with "AA" and call it "apple,
apple". Next "AB" and call it "apple, baker", etc. . . .)
If the Director wants to add some shots or scenes that are
not in the original script, label these using the existing script
numbers to show approximately where they will flow in the story,
per the script, but along with these original script numbers put
a letter in front of the scene number. For instance, let's say
the Director gets an idea and wants to add a scene just after
scene 125 but before scene 126. This scene, and all its
subsequent angles and takes, would be labeled as follows:
. . . etc. until the scene is done.
You, the Script Supervisor, are responsible for naming every
take in the production. The Director, the Sound Man and the
Second Assistant Cameraman will look to you for an accurate
scene, angle and take number. In the last analysis, you must
know where the production is and what the last take was called.
That's your province and you can be assured the Director and the
Second Assistant and the Sound Man, all being very preoccupied,
will come to you with the question: "What's the next shot
called?" You need to be the central information center on the
set. The only exception would be if the Director requested that
you call some shot something different that he might want. In
that case, comply with what he wants, and make sure that the
others, the Second Assistant and the Sound Man, know what the
next shot will be called. Remember, these two, likewise, have to
keep notes similar to your script notes and these are to reflect
the same number for any given take--otherwise the shot will be
mislabeled and it will give the editors extra problems locating
it.
In the script itself, draw a vertical line through the
sections of action and dialogue covered by the actual take. Then
label this line neatly along its side or at the top. Be certain
that this line only reflects WHAT ACTUALLY WAS TAKEN. To do this
it is best to draw in the whole line when the shot ends by the
director saying, "CUT". Ideally, the line should be wavy where
there is on-camera dialogue, i.e., mike is on the actor speaking.
This varies, as a technique, sometimes from one script supervisor
to the next.
The script notes themselves are actually from pages that are
filled out throughout the course of principal photography. Some
of the information on these pages includes:
SHOT, TIME, LENS USED, EXACTLY WHAT THE ACTION WAS, RELEVANT DATA
The shot would be the number as discussed above. The time
the shot went would have to be measured with a stopwatch, so
guess what--you have to have a stopwatch. The lens used would be
as follows:
MASTER
MEDIUM SHOT
MEDIUM CLOSE-UP
CLOSE-UP
TWO SHOT
THREE SHOT
LONG SHOT
It is important to note down in the script notes what
happened in the shot. It is not necessary to put everything, but
put the things that need to be the same from shot to shot. For
instance, if the actor sits and then puts his right foot up, you
need to note this and make certain that he puts his right foot up
in the next take--not his left foot.
At the end of the day, be sure to note what clothes the
actors and actresses were wearing.
Also, at the end of the day you should take several Polaroid
snapshots of the set to ensure that it is not changed.
You are the main relay person to the Assistant Editor. He
will depend on you for details, so be able to provide them to him
and to the Director as work progresses.
At the end of the day's shoot, collect the camera reports
and the sound reports and, along with your script notes, do a
quick check over everything to make sure everything is in order
and all three correspond with each other. Then get one copy of
these back to the editing room, get one copy to the director, get
one copy of the camera report off with the film to go to the lab
(the second assistant will take this copy) and keep one copy of
each for yourself at all times (preferably in your car).
If you read these notes over several times after you have
experienced a day on the set, the whole thing will make much more
sense and it will be easy to streamline your actions.
Sample Script Notes - Part 1
When a successful master is shot, the Director will restage
the action for the various angles. The actors will duplicate
their performances exactly the way they did for the master. Each
one of these new angles will show the action in some kind of
special detail and will provide the Editor with a wide variety of
cutting options. The Script Supervisor must see to it that the
actors duplicate their performances each time.
The wide establishing shot. Abbreviated: M
A shot from about the waist up. Abbreviated: MED
A shot showing the top half up. Abbreviated:
MCU
A shot showing some close detail like the head.
Abbreviated: CU
A shot showing two (2) people, in it, usually MCU
A shot showing three (3) people in it, etc. . . .
A shot showing a wide expanse. This term can be
interchanged with the term "master" on
occasion and is abbreviated: LS
On the barrel of the lens are numbers that designate what
millimeter of lens is being used. The higher the number, the
more telescopic the lens, hence the closer up things look. The
lower the number the farther away things look to the lens. The
Script Supervisor should get these numbers from the First
Assistant Cameraman. If the Camera Operator is doubling as the
First Assistant, get them from him. Also, if you don't get in
the way, you can very easily get the number yourself by taking a
look at the lens. It is ideal to record in your notes both the
shot closeness (MCU, CU, LOS, etc.) and the lens millimeters
(7.7mm, 100mm, 85mm, etc.). This way there is no doubt what the
shot will look like from the camera point of view (POV).
Sample Script Notes - Part 2
Sample Script Notes - Part 3
Sample Script Notes - Part 4
EXT. TOM'S HOUSE - DAY
Laughing and out of breath, TOM and LAURA collapse on Tom's front
porch.
TOM
I've never seen Hot Ass
run so fast!
They laugh.
LAURA
Hey, what's your Mom going
to say if you're home this
early?
TOM
She's at work. Come on in.
I'll show you my new BB gun.
INT. TOM'S BEDROOM - DAY
TOM and LAURA enter and TOM crosses to his closet, takes out a BB
rifle and goes to a window. TOM has tossed a six pack of beer on
the bed. LAURA gives TOM a little kiss and sits on the bed
watching while she opens a can.
TOM
(fireing a shot)
Check this out.
It's really accurate.
LAURA and CAMERA LOOK PAST TOM to see that he is firing at his
neighbor's windows. LAURA gets up to look closer.
LAURA
Hey! You're going to break
their windows!
TOM
Nah, don't worry-- they're just
pinging on her glass.
(indicating a control on the rifle)
See, all you do is set this
little lever for the exact
impact velocity you want, and
according to the chart here--
(points to a technical chart on wall)
the tensile strength of glass
and therefore its critical break-
ing point, cannot be reached by a BB
arriving at the glass with 2.7 x 10
to the minus 3rd dynes of force,
(firing a few rounds) according to
the formula F=ma.
(fires another round)
Therefore, these BB's will
not be travelling fast enough
(fires off another round)
to go through the window.
Suddenly, we hear a loud, insistent knocking on a door O.S.
TOM
(curiously)
What could that be?
INT. FRONT DOOR TOM'S HOUSE - DAY
We hear an insistent KNOCK as TOM opens the door revealing an
irate, middle-aged HOUSEWIFE.
HOUSEWIFE
Tommie-- what the hell do you
think you're doing?!? You've
shot out every window on this
side of my house!!
TOM
What do you mean?
HOUSEWIFE
Don't be coy with me-- I've
seen your BB gun! And
now I've seen the damage it
can do!
TOM
Mrs. Miller, that's impossible.
(taking a BB out of his pocket)
These BB's only weigh two
grams--
MRS. MILLER
I don't give a damn what they
weigh-- You've ruined my windows!
TOM
No, no, no. These BB's couldn't
possibly have gone through your
windows. The tensile strength
of glass is 1.15 x 10 to the minus
3rd grams per square meter.
MRS MILLER
The holes are in my windows.
TOM
That's impossible. These BB's
wouldn't have enough momentum to
set up any significant activated
complex in a crystalline substance
such as glass, especially after a
50 meter trajectory.
MRS MILLER
All the windows on this side of
my house are broken.
TOM
No, Ma'am. I don't think that's
possible. Maybe it's an optical
illusion. Have you washed your
windows lately?
MRS MILLER
(thinking, then)
NO.
TOM
Does it look like there's little
sparkly things on the windows?
MRS MILLER
Why yes.
TOM
That could be crystallized dust, Mrs.
Miller.
MRS MILLER
(thoughtfully)
Oh...?
She waves distractedly, then walks back toward her house shaking
her head muttering in confusion to herself as Tom calls after. . .
TOM
Bye, Mrs Miller---
Have a good day, Mrs. Miller...
. . .and closes the door.