If when writing a screenplay, you use a quote from a live person that you saw in a magazine article, do you need to get the rights from either the person or magazine?

--Russell

I should always preface these answers with: "I'm not a lawyer, so I could be wrong..." But I don't.

I can imagine two different instances where this might come up. The first is when you're using the quoted material in reference to the speaker himself. So if your scene has dialogue like:

TOM

Why sell yourself short? As Donald Trump says, "As long as you're going to think anyway, think big."

In this case, you're attributing the quote to its creator. In my personal, non-lawyer opinion, you're pretty well protected without getting any additional permissions from anyone. The only thing to watch out for is that the comment couldn't be seen as defamatory in the context you're using it. For instance, an otherwise innocuous quote used as a racist insult should set off red flags.

Another scenario might be using a quote without attributing its source. Here it gets a little stickier. For instance:

UNCLE PHIL

You can put wings on a pig, but you don't make it an eagle.

It's a somewhat funny line. It's also a direct quote from former president Bill Clinton. While someone of his stature probably wouldn't have the inclination to hunt down a screenwriter who stole his line, another man with more time on his hands just might. The question of fair use certainly has some merit here, though it's hard to say exactly how you'd go about documenting your legitimate usage. An on-screen footnote? A bibliography printed on the back of the ticket?

Honestly, it doesn't come up that much. While we're all familiar with ugly cases of plagiarism in which book authors have lost a lot of esteem, that's just not the movie business. My advice — which tends to be my advice for most of the rights-oriented questions I get — is to do whatever you need for your script. At the time anyone expresses interest in making a real movie out of it, bring up these concerns with whomever is handling the legal affairs on the film. Let lawyers handle the law. You have plenty to worry about as a mere screenwriter.

What are the responsibilies of the assistant director as well as the producer while on the set (their actually contributions to making the film itself aka shooting it)?

--Bryan

The most complicated, indispensable job on any set is that of the Assistant Director. He (the producer will be a “she”) is brought on a few weeks before the shoot date to take control of many facets of the shoot. He organizes the location scouts, coordinates the director’s meeting schedule, arranges second unit, etc. The most critical aspect of an A.D.’s pre-production work is the making of the shooting schedule. I always think about a shooting schedule as if it is a Chinese puzzle or a Rubik’s cube. There are so many diverse elements that need to be coordinated that it really takes a person with a special kind of mind to be able to successfully find the one single, unique way it will all fit together. Certain locations are only available at certain times, certain actors are only available at certain times, day and night plays into the mix as well as interior and exterior, weather, stunts, and the use of special effects, vehicles, or animals. And to complicate it further, each and every day of the shoot he has to have a completely viable backup plan in case some calamity happens. The A.D. controls call times for all crew and cast and in my opinion aside from the director is most responsible for whether a film is on schedule or not. During production, the A.D. is in charge of managing the set and making sure all Second A.D.’s and Production Assistants are doing their duties. Just like the Director has an A.D. as support, the A.D. has the Seconds and the P.A.’s as staff to help him with the immense amount of work. During the shoot day, he coordinates with the director, the cinematographer and other department heads to make sure that the each set-up is completed in a timely manner. He calls lunch and he calls wrap, checking with the director all along.

Now, for the producer: Her job begins long before the A.D.’s. Producers often find scripts or develop them, then go about packaging and financing the film. Often times she will get a star or two in place so that financing might be easier. Once the film has a “go” the producer works as the liaison between the studio or other financing entity and the director. A producer will usually follow the picture through the shoot to post production and mixing and then delivery. It is generally thought to be part of a producer’s job to make sure all the delivery items are in place when a picture gets set for distribution. Sometimes producers are not all that technically adept unfortunately and have to depend heavily on a Post Production Supervisor to do this finishing work. A creative, diplomatic producer can be a director’s best friend. Most producers like to give creative input as production moves along and when she and the director are indeed on the same page creatively it can be a very gratifying experience. The opposite can be true if differences occur. That is why you often see that a director will work time and time again with the same producer, and vice-versa.

How do you film in the rain - water-proof cameras, umbrellas, digital or special effects, something else?

--Michael

There is a gadget known as a rain deflector. This is a cunning device that puts a piece of spinning glass in front of the lens. As it spins at very high speed the water gets shaken off it the moment it touches it with the result that you never get to see the water, except what is falling in front of the lens.

Umbrellas tend to make things worse as the rain then streams off the front edge. A better way to do it if you can’t afford to hire a rain deflector is to use a 4x4 piece of wood or cloth and slope it backwards so that the rain that drops off falls behind the camera, not in front of it.

John August's screenwriting credits include Go, Big Fish, Titan A.E. and both Charlie's Angels movies. His current projects include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tarzan, and Corpse Bride. He also maintains a screenwriting-oriented website at johnaugust.com.

Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, John earned a degree in journalism from Drake University in Iowa, and an MFA in film production from the Peter Stark program at the University of Southern California. He lives in Los Angeles.

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