Insight #12 - Evangeline Parry: Hard and Often Unappreciated Work of a Script Supervisor
00:02And maybe if there was listening someone who doesn't know what we just discussed,can you briefly introduce what does the script supervisor do and first AD?What do they do?So scripts behind, they basically like continuity sort of thing.So they do like a big breakdown of the script and they make note of anything that like could become an issue with continuity.So like for example, if you have like a dinner scene where people are eating, that's something that you're going to.going to have obviously keep a close eye on and really watch over when you're filming becauseyou obviously want all the shots to match up.
00:39For example, I was give us, I feel like everyone knows.I've never seen Game of Thrones, but there was that one shot that went viral because therewas a Starbucks.I know what is a coffee cup.Yeah.That, for example, would be like script supervisor should have noticed that kind of thing.And then alerted the art department.Oh, by the way, there is a Starbucks coffee cup on the table.
01:00Is he or she then the person to blame?this happens.Well, sort of, but also, something I was told at uni was that a lot of the time you'll say,oh, you know, there's a continuity issue here, but the director will say, no, I don't care,carry on.So then there are continuity errors and pretty much every film you watch, there's going to be one or twocontinuity errors.Sometimes they're just unavoidable.
01:25But apparently, according to who, you know, was a script supervisor, said that quite a lotthe time is actually just because the director said, no, just carry on.But then the blame falls on the script supervisor anyway because it's their department,their job, if that makes sense.Yes, yes.So, yeah, I mean, yes and no, I guess.They are the blame, but they're also not always the blame sometimes because of the direct.I also remember from her, she described the position that as a script supervisor,
01:52you are kind of the person who is sitting somewhere in a background under the table with yourstuff and trying to oversee it.and then they quite often even forget about you that you are there.So it sounds like a position that isn't, it's where important, but it's not much appreciated.Oh, yeah, absolutely.Like, I script supervised for one of the only films that managed to get made in third year before COVID hit,which was like, to be fair, a really amazing experience.I absolutely adore that film.
02:21But yeah, like on that set, I was, I felt like a little, like, I don't know, like a little mouse,just piping up, oh, we need to change this, we need to do that.And to be fair, they were very willing to kind of listen, if that makes sense.Any time I said, oh, we need to change this.He was always on board.He never once said, no, we need to carry on.And we had like a prison scene where there was a prison riot.And I could tell by the look on his face that he was like, oh, my God, this is chaos.
02:46Like, we only had a certain amount of extras.And he wanted to make it look like there was more than there actually was.But he didn't want the same extra to appear in like two different angles, you know, like,to make it obvious sort of things.So we were like having to like rotate the extras.And he were like, bless him, looked really like worried about it.But it turned out fine.Like it looked really amazing.
03:08But that film did post quite a few challenges for script supervising.Like, and we had a dinner scene where I told the actors just basically try not to eat anythingbecause it's just going to cause problems.And I don't know if you've noticed this, but like in films, whenever there is a dinner scene,the food always looks incredible, but they never eat.And now I know why.because it's so difficult to get the continuity if characters start eating.So how did you feel about where you were scared before that scene with Fryeat or were kind of excited
03:37that, wow, this is my moment to, you know, show myself?Yeah, like it was really nerve-wracking, but it was actually really enjoyable.Like, it was really cool to see that all come to life.And I would say, actually, I was more nervous when we had the dinner scene.Like, that was really freaking me out.I was so anxious about it.I was like, oh, my God, I was going to each actor, like, please just don't eat anything.like and they didn't eat anything but the lead actor he picked up the jug of water it's like pouring
04:03water for some reason while they were doing their lives and then we did be finished at the mastershot and then he was like oh i don't know i did that and then we didn't really have time torefill it so then in every single other like angle he had to do exactly the same thingpouring this water in every like paint i was just like mate and he just looked likeyou know, why the hell did I do that?It's like really complicated.But to be fair, when I watch it back, there aren't actually that many errors in that scene.There's the odd bit that you're like, but nothing too major.
04:39So it's fine.It works out.Still, there are some?Yeah, there's a couple.And it is, I guess it is my fault.Was it because you didn't notice or was it too hard or impossible?We tried our best to match it up.We literally were there rehearsing it.
04:56it like we'd written on the script like when to pick up water.That's actually how like I literally sat down with him and was like, right.So you pick up water on this line.If you pour it on this line, then you pick up that cup on this line.Try to do it as best we could.But there are a couple of moments where like if you're really watching closely,if you're focusing on the water, you would obviously notice.But I'm hoping that when people watch it,
05:21they're just focusing on what the characters are talking aboutand therefore they're not actually looking at the water if that makes sense.Yeah.If I was watching and you didn't tell me, I wouldn't probably notice.I don't think so.I don't think so.I think I only noticed it because I'm looking for it, because I'm like,oh my God, this was my moment.
05:38I'm messed up.No, yeah.It sounds like something you need to pay attention all the time to the details.Oh, yeah.Oh, yeah, definitely.Because then you forget.Then someone watches the film and you find out, then it's too late.Yeah, no, it's very much like, you know, you can't stand there having a chat with someone.
05:58You've got to be focused the whole time because you could just lift something and then it's your fault.Eventually.
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