Do you count Off-screen characters?
Contributed by
Glen
Berry
If I have a character that has one line in one scene and a second line Off-screen (O.S.) in a different scene - how do I count that on the cast report in reference to Character/Dialogues/Speaking Scenes/Total Scenes?
You want to include the O.S. dialogue as a speaking scene and the character being in that scene. A smart AD will look at that and consult with the director on how that will be done. On a full budget production, you’d bring the actor into a sound studio and record the dialogue “wild” (without sync). However, with limited access to actors and in the interest in cost effectiveness you might just do it on the set. The actor, director and sound mixer will record the audio on the spot before the actor leaves for the day. That also helps get the correct ambience.
Berry is the founder of the Northwest Film School and the creator of Film Underground, a popular and successful network of Moviemaking web sites that includes Cyber Film School.
A former member of the Whatcom Film Association Board of Directors, he also has twice served as the director of the Northwest Projections Film Festival. An award-winning filmmaker, Berry specializes in post production and is currently employed as an editor and post production supervisor on professional independent productions. Berry has written for “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Filmmaking,” “MovieMaker Magazine,” Cyberfilmschool.com and Filmfestivals.com. He also has served as an expert source for international newspaper and radio media outlets.
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