“The line of demarcation where collaborative project meets director’s vision should clearly be drawn.” -Tom Reilly, “The Big Picture”

In Tom Reilly’s book “The Big Picture” he describes how director John McTiernan equates directing to engineering i.e. “building something complex out of a lot of smaller pieces.” McTiernan is of course referring to the sometimes incomprehensible number of shots that make up a film. Whilst Reilly defines a shot as “merely what is photographed in between the words action and cut,’ there are many factors to be considered within this shot. The blocking, lighting, the actors and the camera operator all have to cooperate in harmony without a single hitch.The preparation to construct this shot is often decided on the day by the director. Many directors can only determine the coverage of a scene when on set, considering how much time/equipment is available and the dynamics of connecting scenes etc. This extensive preparation appears to be highly complex to me and requires great deal more study and research.

Furthermore, Reilly stresses the importance of blocking and is scathing of directors that allow cast members input to impede their decision. Whilst I initially thought Reilly’s opinion on this was harsh and would prevent a positive working relationship between the cast and director, he swayed me as he continued on adamantly. Reilly suggests that the director’s role in the film making process will be undermined if his blocking is tainted by the impulse of others. With a consistent application of creative control, the films overall tone is uniform and unnecessary adjustments to lighting etc are avoided. His arguments have highlighted the importance of blocking and have encouraged me to think more critically about it in class exercises. Whilst an actor’s movements may feel unnatural to them, it can look great on camera.

From these readings I have realised the significant impact blocking and coverage can have on a scene. The more thought and attention put into these things, the better the outcome of the scene. It’s clear to me that an eye for detail and “nitpicking” are valued in the film production industry- as long as it can be achieved on time and under budget.

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