Researching Studio Shoot Roles

My roles in the studio shoot were too keep continuity in check and gather sample materials for the set. For the set designing part of the pre-production I was told I was the set designer, upon researching what a set designers job is, I got to designing the set as told.

Set design

A designer looks at the details searching for evidence through research to produce conceptual ideas that’s best toward supporting the content and values with visual elements. The subject of, “How do we generate creative ideas?” is a very legitimate question. The most consuming part of expanding our horizons toward scenic concepts is much more than witnessing creativity, and creative people. It starts with us opening our mind to the possibilities. To have an attitude toward learning, seeking, and engaging in creativity and to be willing to be adventurous, inquisitive and curious. Our imagination is highly visual. Whether outside or inside, colorful trees or concerts, star lit skies or the architecture of a great building, scenic design is a process of discovery. Discovering what will best clarify and support the story being told.

I made a list of the things I had to do and got to designing the prison set as close to the directors thoughts using Photoshop and then presented it to her. However she thought a set designer was just collecting sample pieces, like paint or wallpaper samples, for the set design. So I changed it and what she wanted instead and of was left with nothing else to do as that was the only job I was given.

My list:

• basic ground plan showing all stationary elements;
• ground plan showing all moving elements, indicating both onstage and storage positions;
• section of the stage space incorporating all elements

My role during the studio shoot was continuity. Before research I thought continuity was someone who keeps the things that'll be in frame in order, such as props, costumes, and makeup. However after research I found out it was that and much more. 

Continuity

Also known as the continuity person, the Script Supervisor keeps track of what parts of the script have been filmed and makes notes of any deviations between what was actually filmed and what appeared in the script. They make notes on every shot, and keep track of props, blocking, and other details to ensure continuity from shot to shot and scene to scene. The Script Supervisor's notes are given to the Editor to expedite the editing process. The Script Supervisor works very closely with the Director on set.

The role of continuity is sometimes called Script supervisor as they also keep eyes on the shots, script, actor placement, takes, etc. 

• Continuity – The supervisor is responsible for working with all departments to make sure that continuity errors do not happen. The script supervisor takes notes on all the details required to recreate the continuity of a particular scene, location, or action. For every take, the script supervisor will note the duration of the take, meticulously log information about the action of the take, including position of the main actor, screen direction of their movement, important actions performed during the shot, type of lens used, and additional information. When multiple cameras are in use, the script supervisor keeps separate notes on each. These logs also notate a director's comments on any particular take as to whether it is no good, a hold take, or a print take. The shot notes provide the editor information on what the director prefers, any problems with any of the takes and other notes to assist the editing process.
• Axis & Eye lines – The script supervisor is also the go-to person for determining the axis of a scene. The supervisor keeps track of and helps the director and the camera-operator set the camera position and off-camera eye lines ensuring that the coverage of a scene cuts seamlessly and that the characters within a scene always appear, without any confusion on the part of the viewer, to be looking precisely at the intended character or object.
• Slating – The script supervisor interacts with the clapper loader and the production sound mixer to make sure that each take of exposed film has a consistent and meaningful slate, that the sound and picture slates match. The script supervisor also notes the sound roll of each sync take. This ensures that there is proper identification on the film footage in the editing room so the editor can find and use the correct takes.
• Script – The script supervisor is responsible for keeping the most current version of the shooting script. During shooting, the script supervisor notates any changes from the screenplay that are made by the actors, director or others during the actual filming process. If significant changes are made to the script that affect a future day's shooting, the script supervisor is responsible for providing those changes to the assistant director's team who then will distribute those changes to the rest of the crew. The script supervisor's script is also referred to as their lined script because during shooting, a script supervisor draws a vertical line down the page for each different camera setup. Each line designates the start and stop of that setup, a quick note of what the shot description was and whether or not the dialogue was on camera for that setup. This allows the editor to quickly reference which camera setups cover which portion of the dialogue or action.
• Production Reports – At the end of each shooting day, the script supervisor prepares daily reports for the production team. These reports vary in form depending on the studio or production company; however, they generally include a log of the actual times that shooting and breaks started and stopped, and a breakdown of the pages, scenes and minutes that were shot that day, as well as the same information for the previous day, the total script and the amounts remaining to be done. Also included are the number of scenes covered, the number of retakes, and the number of wild tracks. The script supervisor is the official timekeeper on any set.
• Editor's Notes – In addition to the production reports, each shooting day the script supervisor also compiles the continuity logs for the day's shooting as well as the relevant lined script pages for the scenes shot that day. Those notes are sent off to the editorial staff to assist them in the editing process.