By Ruba Nadda with Vanessa Tam, copied from Raindance.co.uk (read original article here)
You might have heard some tricks of the trade, but you’d still be astonished by director and writer, Ruba Nadda, for shooting TIFF’s 2009 Best Canadian Feature Film, Cairo Time in only 25 days! Nadda and her crew set out to Cairo, amidst 25 million people inhabiting the city, they battled the heat, censorship, uncontrollable shooting locations, and perhaps the most problematic of all, poor dry cleaning services – and of course, all the sightseeing they had to do on the film set.
Cairo Time is not an exception; Nadda’s Sabah (2005) was shot in Toronto in only 20 days! With her reputation of speedy shoots, which of course, come from excellent planning - we can now pick her brain for five tips on how to plan an efficient filming schedule.
1 - Don't be wooed by credentials.
Make sure you're putting together a team that will go to the ends of the earth for you. Hire people you trust, and that have your back. Make sure they all fully understand your creative vision. A lot of first time directors getting wooed by famous DoPs and editors, etc - The most important thing is to develop 'your' team.
2 - Spend one month with your DoP and shot list.
At the beginning of each scene, explain what that scene is about in one line ONLY. Then send that shot list to the producer, line producer, 1st AD and editor to double check you and the DoP didn't miss anything and that everyone else implements the shot list into the schedule and budget. Make sure you plan this before any filming starts.
3 – Keep everyone on the same page at all times.
Put a little booklet together comprised of the shot list, schedule, script, synopsis, and your director’s vision - then give it to EVERYONE, the whole crew (not the cast) so that EVERYONE is on the same page.
4 – Get your actors to your characters.
Spend time with your lead actors and make sure all philosophical discussions about their character is done well before you ever step foot on the film set. Make sure you answer all their questions BEFOREHAND.
5 - Be decisive on set.
Once a shot is set up, don't change your mind. The cast and crew love it when a director is decisive. Don't flip flop. Don't get bullied either. Commit.
An extra for the road!
Make sure fittings happen BEFORE you ever get to the set - when a skirt fit wrong one day on Cairo Time, it took away a crucial hour of our filming time. And never ever dry-clean the outfits. On my last two films - dresses have come back shrunk!
By Ruba Nadda with Vanessa Tam, copied from Raindance.co.uk (read original article here)
