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What does a Scirpt Supervisor do?

Technically, a "Script Supervisor and Continuity Coordinator", acts as the Editor's represantitive and Director's right hand.  They are a Department Head on par with Art, Camera and Wardrobe.

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Before production, I read the script (many times) and examining it for potential discrepencies in the details. I measure each scene in 1/8ths and search for places where props, make up and/or wardrobe details might get tricky.  

 

I break down the script by time, story day, actions, props, characters, locations, wardrobe, make up effects, VFX, sound effects, voice overs, music (playback) and more.   These breakdowns are distributed to department heads to keep all continuity unified.

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During production, I spend most of my day beside the Director taking notes on every single take: timing, false starts, camera & actor movements, sound or camera problems, pieces the director liked or didn't like, or anything else someone says about a take.  This has a drastic effect on time wasted in post-production.

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I also monitor coverage to make sure every line in the script makes it on camera unless specificlly excluded.

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Another one of my responsibilities is overall continuity for the story.  Within individual scenes, that means making sure everything matches: actor actions, hair, wardrobe, props, set dressing, and more all have to look and be done exactly the same in every take.  That way, when the Editor cuts together a scene, it seems like everything happens in the same moment.  

 

In reality, films are rarely shot in order. This means that scenes and even piecess of scenes end up being shot hours, days, or even weeks apart.

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What about Continuity?
Do I really need a Script Supervisor?

Of course many low budget films have been completed without a Script Supervisor.  However, I feel that many productions cut them from the budget without an understanding of how valuable we are.

 

If you're considering a production without a Script Supervisor, I suggest you look at the complexity of your script. If there are a couple characters in a location or two, your story is very straightforward and your Art or Wardrobe department are comfortable managing continuity then you should be okay.

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If your story has more than a few actors in more than a couple locations, scenes with extras, flashbacks, time travel, stunts and fighting, any FX (makeup, practical or visual) , if your story spans a long time frame or relies on a lot of visual details to tell, I would strongly encourage you to bring on a Script Supervisor as early in pre-production as possible.

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Listen To A Podcast

Recently I was a guest on the podcast Barely Living The Dream, hosted by filmmaker Mel House of Upstart Films.  

 

Between reminiscing about how we met and trading horror stories, we talked about what a Script Supervisor does and why the're essential to a production's success.

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