I’ve just finished my first script and a few people who I’d like to impress have asked me to send it to them over email. My question is, what is the proper format for sending scripts through email? Do I attach it as a Final Draft document? Convert it to a Word document? Something else I don’t know about? Thanks.

--Ryan

Since you can’t count on your friends having the right version of any given program, your best bet is to convert it to a .pdf document. Both Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter can do this pretty easily.

In Screenwriter, choose “Print…” from the File menu, then choose “PDF (Adobe Acrobat) File” from the “Print To:” pop-up menu. Screenwriter gives you the option to make bookmarks from all the scene headings in the file, which is helpful.

In Final Draft, simply choose “Save as PDF…” from the File menu. One caveat: in some versions of Final Draft, the .pdfs generated this way are huge.

As an alternate for Mac OS X, you can choose “PDF” from the main print dialog box, which bypasses the program and grabs the real information that would be sent to the printer. This system-wide ability of Mac OS X is a godsend; I use it all the time.

Almost everyone I know uses .pdfs these days to turn in scripts. You can pretty much count on them printing out properly, and it saves a lot of hassle dealing with couriers and photocopiers.

Having never worked on film (only video), I'm curious to know the post-production sequence, when you're using non- linear editing to edit film. Not the digital intermediate process, but the conventional video to film editing process.

Does it go this way: film processing, telecine transfer, NL editing, and final Beta to film transfer? In this process, where does the one-light transfer happen, and when does the grading session happen -- during the telecine transfer or after the NL edit is transferred on to film?

Additionally, how much can grading be used to alter the "look" of a film in post-production? Can the colour alterations be done on the non-linear edit be transferred on the final film ?

--Niro

I have actually just completed a theatrical feature using a film conversion process. We shot The Kid & I with Sony Panavision 24p High Def cameras. The hour-long camera original cassettes were sent to the post production house and transferred to a down-converted NTSC format (DV Cam tape), circled takes only. Those DV Cam tapes were digitized into the Avid. Had we shot on film, it would have been telecined (circled takes only) to a digital format tape and then digitized into the editing system. Months later, once we have the cut and an EDL (list of the edits by time code), the post production house on-lines the picture using the original High Def tapes and conforms the cut to the higher resolution material.

If the original is on film, and the intent is to stay in film, the negative of that picture will be conformed to the cut. If you are working with cut film negative, then each shot has to be color-timed before a check print can be made. The method I, and many more prefer now, is to not return to the original film but to stay digital for perfecting light and for color timing. In a color timing session which lasts many hours (approx. 20-50 hours or even upwards depending on need) the color and light on each shot is manipulated. It affords so many more opportunities than timing the celluloid and it allows for the possibility of many digital opticals. The post house would then scan each frame of the High Def Master and convert each reel to 35 MM negative. This process, depending on whether or not it is a 2K or a 4K scan, can take a week or more to accomplish. The film conversion process is a very expensive one and for a feature length piece can range anywhere from $30,000 - $60,000. It is, however a "one-light" operation as the shots have already been timed and colored in video.

It is wise to have your optical negative sound track manufactured early enough so that your first print can be a composite print (a print with sound on it). This is true because if the check print is good, then it can be used it as a release print.

I am a true film guy, I want to shoot film. Last year I bought an arri 16bl Camera, (crystal sync, video Tap), the works. The problem is that I afraid of shooting any film that matters, because I feel I have no idea what I'm doing. I have bought book telling me how to do it if you have a large budget, and lots of lights. I have neither. I do have a Lowel DP light kit, 2 575 HMI, 1 2500 HMI Par. That’s my lights. I have shot 2 400' rolls one on was some swim suit models on the beach, and the other was of the singer George Clinton in his studio I had to shoot it inside Nat lighting, but they were florescent lights. The beach stuff looked really good and the inside roll was just ok.

I guess the question is, am I making shooting film harder then it really is (over thinking it)?
-Jay

I guess your story is not uncommon these days, although it would mostly be from someone who bought video equipment. Most DP’s don’t own any equipment, because it changes all the time and it doesn’t make a lot of sense economically to own gear: at least at the beginning of your career.

I admire your honesty: "I feel I have no idea what I am doing"...that’s a good start. It might be better to put your gear away for awhile and go and work on some student or professional projects where you can assist a cinematographer until you feel a bit more confident. Whilst a great deal about the chemistry of film can be learned out of books with the aid of a stills camera, there is nothing equivalent to set experience to build confidence. I wouldn’t use your own money for stock and processing: it’s just way too expensive. Get some experience and then hopefully someone will employ you to shoot something.

It’s not hard to shoot film – just expensive!

John August's screenwriting credits include Go, Big Fish, Titan A.E. and both Charlie's Angels movies. His current projects include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tarzan, and Corpse Bride. He also maintains a screenwriting-oriented website at johnaugust.com.

Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, John earned a degree in journalism from Drake University in Iowa, and an MFA in film production from the Peter Stark program at the University of Southern California. He lives in Los Angeles.

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