Observation/Reflection: Life on Set aka My Semester as a Script Supervisor

This past semester, I worked as a script supervisor on the Emmy* award-winning TV mini-series, CON. What does that mean? Well, for starters, walking around with my DSLR camera and an obnoxious yellow folder/polka-dot clipboard, and acting very important. Though I'm pretty sure everyone on a film/TV set does the latter. But if you're really interested in the deets of what a so-called scriptie does, here's the breakdown.

Takin' that BTS pic // Lookin' through my script and shot log (PC: Clara)

My tasks included the following:

putting together the shooting script
taking photos of the cast in wardrobe
taking photos of the set
making sure that there are no continuity errors between takes and scenes
making sure the actors say their lines right and make note of any deviations from the script
logging each and every shot -- by far the biggest task!
taking notes for the editors for each take (e.g. if actors forget sound, there's an airplane in the background, or if there are resets)
at the end of the day, typing everything up into a Google Doc
at times, helping out PAs and the art department (we were a small crew)
being an occasional extra
and my bonus task: behind the scenes photography!

Yep, that's right, quite a lot, but that meant I got to interact with almost everybody on set! I got to know all of the directors and most of the DPs pretty well, and I was a core crew member, meaning that I was always there when filming (unlike PAs and pretty much everyone else apart from the director, the DP, the boom operator, the actors, and sometimes the G&Es), and since my job revolved around continuity, I didn't miss a single day on set! That's right, I was the only crew member who was on set every single day, and I was the only full-time script supervisor (to be fair, my friend Lauren substituted me when I took a couple of hours off to finish papers).

Being a script supervisor is a tedious, not-so-creative task that has to be done meticulously and is extremely tiring, yet not so rewarding. It's a very behind-the-scenes job, in that it is only noticeable when you're doing it wrong, and a long list of continuity errors appears in the trivia section on IMDB. That said, if it's your first time on set, I would highly recommend doing it, as you get a way deeper insight into the way a film/TV show is shot than by doing something simpler, like being a production assistant, and it's a very well-rounded task, meaning that you get to know a little bit about every single job on set. Many people don't realize the importance of script supervisors, but if you yourself understand how vital your job is, and you do your job as well as you can, it can be a great springboard, and a wonderful experience. :)

If you want to know more about the show I worked on, CON, be sure to check out the website, contvshow.com. And you do want to know more, don't you? All the episodes are up there, as well as info about the absolutely amazing and perfect cast and crew, whom I have so much love for!

Meanwhile, check out a selection of my BTS photos (all BTS photos can be found here):