Lola Dauda is currently working on the crowdfunded feature Leave To Remain. She tells us about her eye for detail, never switching off and starting as a runner...
What’s your name/age/job title?
Lola Dauda, 34, Script Supervisor
Please give us an overview of your average day.
I start the day watching rehearsals with the director and actors, noting any changes in dialogue or action. I watch each take, timing them and noting all actions so they match any other shots. I get camera details from the 1st Assistant cameraman, and then watch the set up for the next scenes. I also take photos from the monitor (or screen grabs) to log the shot sizes (close-ups, two-shots, etc.) and maintain continuity. At the end of the day, I type my notes into one daily report for the editor and another, separate progress report for the producer.
What’s the most common misconception about your job?
Probably that people think they could never do it! With preparation and an eye for detail, I think most people could do it.
What’s the hardest thing about your role?
The hardest part of my role is probably switching off, mentally, at the end of the day. I’m terrible company off-set, as I’m constantly thinking about the day...
When did you decide what you wanted to do with your life and how did you set out to achieve it?
I got into my job accidentally. I was working as a script reader for Pathé Entertainment. I produced a coverage report for an independent writer/director and, when it went into production, she suggested I be the script supervisor, as I knew the script. I found I loved the job, and loved being on a film set, despite knowing nothing about it! I then spent a year working on student films and shadowing experienced script supervisors, then started working on paid projects.
What can you do to get a head start?
To anyone who wants to be a script supervisor, I would recommend getting onto as many films as possible, as a runner. This is the best way to see first hand what is involved in every department, not just script. Script supervisors have to have a working knowledge of every department – camera, make-up, costume, sound, etc – as the script breakdown you create in pre-production takes in all of these elements. Courses are very useful, too. The London Film School and National Film and Television School both do short courses. That’s also a great way to make contact with other script supervisors. Requesting to shadow script supervisors on films is very useful.
Could you describe the creative element to your job?
As a script supervisor, you’re basically the editor’s eyes and ears on the film set. Your job is to make sure that when the editor and the director edit the film, after it’s been shot, they have all the coverage they need. It’s not an especially creative role but it is an essential one. I always feel I’m in a privileged position of being able to see and hear the film as it’s being made. It carries a lot of responsibility but it is very satisfying.
What’s the one thing you wish you’d known at the start of your career that you know now?
My first job on a set was as script supervisor and, while I wouldn’t change that, I do wish I could have been a runner on a few productions first. It’s a great way to learn about being on a film set – which is a different world, in a way. There’s a different language spoken, slang words and acronyms I’d never heard before, and a different set of rules. I learnt as I went along but no course ever really prepares you for being on a set of a film.
Which organisations/websites/resources do you think would be useful for people entering your industry?
The London Film School and National Film and Television School both do short courses in film and television continuity. There is also the UK Script Supervisors site, where you can enquire about shadowing script supervisors on film and television projects.
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