SCRIPT to SCREEN to PRODUCTION - BABY DRIVER

L to R: Jon Bernthal, Eiza González, Ansel Elgort, and Jon Hamm have just robbed a bank.

‘Script to Screen’ class presentations are an opportunity for students to take on the role of ‘teacher.’ And it gives me a chance to learn from them, to keep me current. Students can choose a particular scene from any film - and BABY DRIVER did not disappoint. Lots of great insight into character, relationships, shot selection, pacing, colour palette, and production design.

BABY DRIVER is exciting. And the chase scenes are spectacular. True technical achievements in the action genre. I hadn’t seen the film for over a year, so revisiting the opening was a treat. Honestly, when it first came out I didn’t know what to expect from the title, but I found the film thoroughly enjoyable. The lead is played by Ansel Elgort, who creates a believable and totally unique character who is born to drive.

The director, Edgar Wright, kickstarts his show with the throttle wide open. He crafts a music-driven bank robbery with the obligatory getaway chase - and what a chase it is! Watch it here.

The scene runs a bit over five minutes and his script covers four pages. Fairly accurate, given the thumbnail guesstimate of one page of script timing out to be one minute of film. Here’s the script link.

Edgar Wright wastes no words nor space on the page. Likewise with his visuals. His rendering is impressive, yet he makes it look easy. So easy, in fact, that I took a poll of the class asking, “how many days of production did it take to get all the shots for this chase?”

While the class mulled over the question and watched the scene again, I texted the amazing Assistant Director, Walter Gasparovic, to confirm the ‘script to screen to production’ dynamics. Fortunately for me, he responded within minutes - and when I read his scheduling info, I knew it was going to shock the class into a new understanding of production mechanics.

Walter Gasparovic #truth

My students thought the scene probably took two to four days. That’s because good directors and production teams make it look SO EASY! So, we talked about location changes, helicopter shots, re-setting blocks of streets with background cars and extras. I could see the wheels turning as they re-considered. This wasn’t a production class, but it gave me a clearer idea of what is missing in post-secondary film education.

Here is Walter’s text. Let it be a lesson to film students and filmmakers everywhere:

Thank you, Walter! We’ll be looking for you on BABY DRIVER 2.

**PRESS RELEASE**

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW BOOK BY JOHN POZER

REFRAMES FILM EDUCATION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

 21st CENTURY FILM STUDENT PRIMER

Everything You Need to Know and Do Before You go to Film School 

VANCOUVER, February 19, 2019 – 21st CENTURY FILM STUDENT PRIMER: Everything You Need to Know and Do Before You go to Film School, the straight-forward new book by award-winning filmmaker and educator John Pozer, reframes film education for the next generation of filmmakers. PRIMER lays out a practical approach for creative success and scholastic achievement in an easy-to-read format.  

Based on years of research and interviews with educators and former students, PRIMER relates challenges faced by Pozer’s many students and offers a slate of easy-to-follow exercises to help navigate them, including valuable strategies on how to choose the right school, create a strong portfolio, and arrive with clear ideas on how to maximize the opportunities of any film program.

Pozer has taught scores of emerging filmmakers at leading film schools and launched his own career by shooting his debut feature while a university student. That film, The Grocer’s Wife, was showcased by both the Cannes and Toronto festivals and won a slate of international awards. 

Pozer says, “I wanted to write a no-nonsense guide that is educational, entertaining and, most of all, useful. Pursuing a post-secondary film education requires a major investment of time and money. I think it’s imperative for students to know what they’re getting into and be as prepared as possible. Film school is like filmmaking: the more prepared you are, the better your chances of having a successful and rewarding experience. No matter which program one plans to attend or what kind of films one wants to make, readers will find comprehensive exercises and techniques on how to develop their voice, accomplish their best work, and make the most out of their creative efforts.”

21st CENTURY FILM STUDENT PRIMER: Everything You Need to Know and Do Before You go to Film School is now available in paperback and ebook and can be ordered on-line through all major book retailers.

ABOUT JOHN POZER

John Pozer is a Vancouver-based filmmaker, author and educator. He wrote, directed, edited and produced The Grocer’s Wife, which was selected to the Cannes Film Festival as Opening Film for the International Critic’s Week in 1992.  The film garnered numerous accolades including the prestigious Prix Georges Sadoul (French Critic’s Award) and Pozer won the inaugural Claude Jutra Award from the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television for Best Direction of a First Feature Film. 

Pozer returned to Cannes as an executive producer and editor with the independent feature Kissed.  He also executive produced After Eden, which premiered in the New Directors section at the San Sebastian Festival. Pozer has also directed a slate of network television, including drama, comedy, animation and documentary.

Pozer’s career began at a young age as an actor. He went on to study film and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University in Montreal. Over the years, he has taught film as a senior directing instructor at Vancouver Film School and adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University, The Art Institute, LaSalle College, British Columbia Institute of Technology, and the University of British Columbia.

            21st CENTURY FILM STUDENT PRIMER: Everything You Need to Know and Do Before You go to Film School is his first book.

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Duel (1971): Script to Screen

DUEL, starring Dennis Weaver, began as a short story written by Richard Matheson who then transitioned it into a teleplay with Steven Spielberg directing. Spielberg went considerably over budget, going 3 days longer than the producer’s ten day schedule. The edited version for TV clocked in at 74 minutes. After excellent ratings and reviews, Universal brought Spielberg back to shoot more footage and create a 90 minute version for a theatrical release overseas.

The teleplay reads more like a shooting script with far more camera direction than most contemporary scripts. Spielberg made many changes to Matheson’s scripted vision, and that is the important exercise in going from ‘Script to Screen.’ Reading the script while watching the movie might wear out your pause and rewind buttons, but learning filmmakers can benefit from gaining a better understanding of how a great director lifts the words from the page and turns them into shots and sequences.

Spielberg is noted for strong planning and preparation. For DUEL, Spielberg created detailed sketches for how the production and shooting days would unfold. Screen direction was critical for storytelling, and driving stunts needed to be carefully worked out. But even with the best-laid-plans, there’s no guarantees that the show will be on time or budget.

I had a conversation about Spielberg’s visual direction with Tony Zhou (Every Frame a Painting) who told me that if you watch the film at 4X regular speed you can totally understand the story. I’m going to try that as an exercise with an upcoming class.

Download script: DUEL

12 Angry Men (1957): Script to Screen

Sidney Lumet’s first feature film, 12 Angry Men, is a model for low-budget indie filmmakers. Set in one main location, an ordinary jury room, the story unfolds in one day and focuses on the contentious final deliberations of a murder trial. It’s a directorial tour-de-force in blocking, composition and performance. A film to be thoroughly studied for many reasons, including financing, production methodology and visual direction.

The screenplay clocks in at 180 pages. Long by contemporary standards, and not in the format that we see in today’s screenplays. Still, going from “script to screen” is a valuable exercise to understand how Lumet approaches the narrative, visually shaping it through camera position, character placement, and lens choice.

Download script: 12 ANGRY MEN