The biggest mistake I see filmmakers make, both experienced and new is to schedule small scenes before big and/or critical scenes.
It can seem counter-intuitive, but experience has taught me that you should start with the biggest scene first.
The thought process may be, well we’ll warm up with this small two-person scene while we get the other 5 cast members ready and all the extras and the special effects.
Makes sense right?
I can’t even remember how many times I’ve been on a show where we got buried in the first ‘little’ scene. Then we scrambled to complete the monster 4-page scene with seven cast members, cars and background.
Once you fall behind, you are scrambling. And you’re not giving your directors their opportunity to have the most shots at the big, important scene.
You may have seen that on the latest Mission Impossible movie, they shot the big hero stunt with Tom Cruise launching off a ramp on a motorcycle into a breathtakingly high valley.
While this may be a very large example of this, here are the advantages:
They got the big, scary, technically challenging thing out of the way.
They were able to focus completely on this stunt, and give it the proper time and focus it needed for execution and for safety.
If there was a problem and they had to abort, they have time to regroup, re-evaluate and go at it again
It let them start marketing and build the film around the stunt and the hype.
Some disadvantages:
It might have been better to end with this because (and this is a cold analysis) if Tom Cruise had gotten hurt, the movie is at least in the can. If not, the project is shut down indefinitely.
But, now that big weight is off their shoulders. And there are other benefits.
Work expands to fit the time allotted. If people don’t feel the deadline pressure to get the cast ready you will get to that big 4-page scene and people still won’t be ready even though you’re running behind and they had an extra hour. It’s just how it is.
People problem-solve better under deadline pressure. If you have too much time, you have too many options to explore. If you have to get someone to set and their wardrobe is still being altered, well, maybe that’s okay. You can get them up there and start rehearsing.
Sometimes directors don’t want to admit it, but they don’t have all the answers, so they don’t want to start with a big scene. However, you find the answers through the blocking rehearsal and if there are issues, you have time to discuss and problem-solve.
That two-person scene you put to the end of the day. Well, if you don’t get to it, it’s a lot easier to pickup on another day. Or if you can die even smaller, even better.
People can be wrapping that big scene while you are shooting the small one. When you wrap on a big scene, your crew is going to be there two hours after wrapping people and gear out. Not ideal, and difficult to turn around on sometimes. When you die on the smaller scene, your people get some reprieve.
It can save on overtime and meal penalties, or at least make them predictable. Cast and Crew have to come in earlier and be pre-called many times, but it gives you an opportunity to save on overtime on the back end. If everyone wraps at the end it’s basically organized chaos (it will be either way, but this way it’s not happening late when everyone is exhausted.) This way you are really maximizing your cast and extras’ time because you know you’ve used them just for what you needed. If you run behind on a small scene earlier, all these folks are sitting around — and if you don’t complete the scene, you’re bringing them back the next day.
Directors are creative people. They will figure out how to economize on those smaller scenes when the heat is on. Tust me.
But you don’t always have to follow this guideline.
Sometimes it makes sense to start with the small scene, and sometimes you just might have to do it because of time constrictions on a location or on an actor or it may make sense on a smaller film where you don’t have the staff to run the day this way.
You should also think of this structure for your overall schedule.
You probably don’t want to start like Mission Impossible but don’t end on your biggest night stunt.
I’ve had to do that on shows (and made the mistake of scheduling that way.) Everyone is exhausted, you’re probably over budget already so the producers (sometimes that’s me) are like nervous cats as they see the costs going through.
You’ll be backed in a corner as you have to complete the scene and the work and anything else, then have a gnarly wrap out.
When I used to be a 1st Assistant Director, this was the greatest gift I ever got from the people who trained me and whom I learned from.
The reason, it lowers your stress level dramatically.
Sure, it can be tough to get a big scene up and running and there can be a lot of moving parts (some of them surly and combative) but once that scene is done, the rest of the day feels like a summer day on the beach at Malibu, crowded and busy, but also beautiful and not overly annoying.
And you’re giving your director more shots and more time to focus on the important work.
And I’m going to die small here. That’s a wrap. Good luck! Billy