Kim Leonard is a writer and director who specializes in Comedy. She has done just about every job on set, from PA to Producer.
Musicals are a special breed of filmmaking that requires a LOT of preparation and planning to pull off. There is singing, and dancing, and music. And it all has to be presented in the script in a particular way. In this post we’ll look at some of the special considerations that go into making a musical using La La Land as our guide. Continue reading How to Schedule a Musical: Breaking Down La La Land
Jordan Peele’s Get Out is already one of the most iconic films of the 21st century. Its simple elegance is a perfect example of how much can be conveyed with so little. In this post, we’ll take a look at The Sunken Place sequence and learn how to maximize storytelling with a minimal budget. A lot of it boils down to prioritizing a breakdown and schedule. We'll do this by learning how to identify the key elements that bring a scene to life (and avoid those that don't). We'll break down the Sunken Place scene's sound and VFX elements to…
Every production starts with the script breakdown. Whether you’re working on an effects-heavy mega-budget project like Age of Ultron or a micro-budget indie like Paranormal Activity, you won’t really know what bringing that story to life is going to require until you get into the script and take it apart element by element. So, let’s practice a script breakdown using the big wedding scene from the romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians. Continue reading Breaking Down the Wedding Scene from Crazy Rich Asians
As the lovechild of the Costume Drama and the Fantasy Adventure, the Western might have more considerations that go into producing it than any other genre. When shooting a western, you’ve got costumes, animals, and stunt work to contend with. You’ve got locations and dirt and weather…And that’s just on an ordinary shoot day. In this post, take a look at a few of the many considerations that go into shooting a western by breaking down a scene from HBO’s Westworld.Continue reading Breaking Down the Contemporary Western: Westworld
