Throughout this semester, one of the main questions I have continued to ask myself is how does the form of text that I am working with, whether it be a script or prose, affect the way in which I direct the coverage of a scene? How much creative liberty does a director take up when turning the words on a page into cinema? And how is this effected when they work with a text written and envisioned by them?

A script is a blueprint for a scene and the level to which a filmmaker follows it or creates their own interpretation of it is up to them. Even though I’m aware of this, when it came to filming the exercises over the past few weeks, I felt quite constrained by having to follow a script. I couldn’t think of creative ways to cover a conversation, and felt overwhelmed by having to show specific character movements. This led me to wondering whether working with prose would allow me to think more creatively about camera coverage. Another question that has continued to perplex me is if I filmed scenes from my own scripts, would my camera coverage and framing be more creative or constrained by my vision?

I want to investigate the relationship between the form of filmic text and camera coverage, and whether ownership of the text influences my framing choices. Does a script leave enough open for interpretation for the director, or is prose a way for directors to implement more creative camera coverage? Does a writer-director feel more empowered by having written the text they are working from, or more hindered by their own vision? Does a director have more freedom when they work from a text written by somebody else, when their level of collaboration with the writer is up to them? These are questions I wish to explore through a series of practical exercises and written reflections.

Over the course of two weekends, I will film four scenes, each of them being completely different stories. Two of these will be written scripts (one written by me and the other by a screenwriting friend of mine) and the other two will be in prose form (once again, one written by me and the other by another screenwriter). I will film the script and prose written by me in the first weekend, and the texts written by my friend in the second weekend. This will allow me to compare the camera coverage I choose for both the script and prose as well as comparing how ownership of the texts may influence this.

In preparation for each of the four scenes, I will location scout and use the camera as a tool for my pre-production in the location, taking stills to create a storyboard. I will then use that to inform a shot list and floor plan to use on the day of filming. I will need three actors from the StarNow page who will be in all four scenes. I will also need a sound recordist and a 1st AD to help me to coordinate the shoot and ensure everything runs smoothly. I won’t set lights and just use the natural lighting of the locations. I will edit the footage and post it and the filmic text I worked from on my blog with a written reflection on the whole process and how it informs my investigation.

For the second part of my investigation, I will be giving Amy my written script and prose and comparing her interpretation of the scenes compared to mine. I will post the edited scenes on my blog and compare the camera coverage and framing choices we have made as individuals. My writing will reflect how Amy’s chosen camera coverage compares to mine, and whether my ownership of the text hinders or allows for more creative framing choices. I hope that this part of my investigation will continue with more than one script and prose, and allow me to reflect upon how my ownership of a text affects my choices as a director.