MY ADVICE TO ASPIRING SCRIPT SUPERVISORS
Disclaimer: This information is based on Eve Butterly's experience in the film business. You are free to disagree with her.
SCHOOL
An education is important, but a film degree may not be the best course, in my humble opinion. A degree in Radio/TV/Film is very specialized, and if you decide after graduation that the Biz isn't for you, then your degree won't be as useful in another field. A degree in English, Communications, Journalism, etc. will be handy in any field— and you can still take all the film classes you want. Besides, the most important things to learn are not taught in a classroom. Unless you are going to a top film school (i.e. UCLA, USC or NYU), then you will learn a whole bunch of theory you'll never use, most likely on outdated equipment, and you might develop an attitude which may even harm you when you are looking for your first job. The important things to learn are persistence, diligence, attention, courtesy, hard work, and willingness to do whatever it takes. While you may learn about T-stops and Fellini at school, the bald truth is: on your first job you'd be better off knowing how to make excellent coffee, or how to order lunch for 30 people correctly. Some positions, like Script Supervising, aren't even taught in school.
TRAINING
If you are lucky enough to live in an area where some script supers give classes (NY or CA), take one of those. If not, I highly recommend reading the script supervising book by Pat Miller. Then, I suggest starting out by working on commercials and industrials before tackling a feature film. It will make you some money (eventually), and you will get practice on writing each take down and set etiquette. Just about anyone can do an adequate job of logging a basic commercial. The job only lasts a day or two, and there's not much to screw up. There are a whole set of different tasks and skills necessary for a feature, and a lot more at stake if you DO screw up. Do not get in over your head! If you do make a mess of things, people will remember it years after you've become competent. If you can't get a job as a script supervisor, take anything you can get to give you experience on a set. Production Assistants (PAs) get to see a lot, without any great expectations made of them.EQUIPMENT
Every day on set, I thank whatever forces in the universe that led me to the cheapest department in which to get started! You should come to work every day armed with mechanical pencils, clipboards, a stopwatch and your paperwork. I can do a whole feature film with just those four items. Your total startup cost should be less than $30. Just to be safe, you should probably also have some pens, sharpies, dry-line (white out, if you're old school), assorted clips, stapler, three hole punch and a bag to lug it all around in. A cheap digital camera ($150) is handy for taking continuity photos. Make sure it's not so expensive that if it gets crushed under some dolly track, you won't be panicked. A computer and printer are starting to be an essential item for breakdowns and preproduction work, and they're invaluable for generating your own forms and e-mailing your invoices.My thoughts about digital script supervising setups: I have never seen one in action personally, but I have corresponded with some scriptys who never put pencil to paper: they do all their notetaking on a laptop, including lining the script. Some even have the capacity to hook right into the camera and grab still-stores from the video assist. Obviously, these systems require specific software and tons of computer hardware and electronics. As of right now, I don't feel that the hardware or software is capable of doing the job the way I can do it now on paper. First of all, the cost is prohibitive. Computers occasionally crash, even those beloved Macs. That means you must have a complete backup system on hand, which effectively doubles your equipment cost. Second, we often have to work in adverse conditions such as heat, cold or rain. None of these are friendly to electronics. (I heard a story about a beginning scripty that did a show in the Brazilian rainforest and lost two weeks of notes when he attempted to back up his work.) Third, the software available today requires the script be in a particular format. I've worked on projects where script revisions might as well have been written on the back of an envelope; fat chance of getting it converted to a PDF! Last, but most important for me, is that I am more mobile, flexible and faster scribbling with my pencil than using a laptop. I can squeeze on the back of the insert trailer, tuck in behind a row of C-stands or go wherever I need to be without having to lug tables, chairs, stands and tents. I look forward to the day when Steve Jobs invents a bulletproof, waterproof laptop with a touchscreen you can write on that weighs less than a pound and has a battery that lasts 24 hours.
FREELANCING
Freelancing means working on a project-by-project basis. You might work every day for 3 weeks, or you might not work at all for 3 months. If you like stability, do NOT enter the freelance film business. If you have heavy monetary obligations, or lack financial discipline, do NOT enter the film business. Your career is a constant search for work. You have to juggle things like self-employment taxes, health insurance (or lack thereof) and financial budgeting that you may have never even considered when you worked at a "real" job. I always recommend that people just starting out (or even with considerable experience) have a backup plan for income. Most freelancers have access to temp work (Aquent, Manpower, Kelly, etc.), waiting tables, bartending, substitute teaching, or other short term work where they can pick up some money without having to turn down film jobs. Another avenue to explore is family and friends: offer to work a few hours filing or sweeping floors for people who love you and don't want you to starve. Seasonal work is also good— deliver flowers on Valentine's Day when florists are begging for extra help. Work in a retail store during the Christmas rush. It doesn't matter that you have a PhD— the important thing is to have some money coming in. To quote a line from the movie "Tapeheads:" You gotta do what you gotta do, in order to do what you wanna do.NETWORKING
I suggest getting in touch with any and all film groups in your city, attending all the meetings you can, and following up on the contacts you make. Your local film commission will tell you what's available in your area. In Dallas, we have the Texas Association of Film/Tape Professionals, Women in Film/Dallas, Dallas Producer's Society, and many others. Get involved! Volunteer to answer phones or stuff envelopes or make cookies for the bake sale. You never know who you might meet, and how that contact will pay off. Someone you meet today may mention your name to someone five years from now, leading to that big job. Keep track in a notebook or daytimer of the companies you call on, the date, who you spoke with, and what you talked about. Set a goal to call 5 companies a day, or send out 2 resumes a week. Even if you're not on the set, you'll feel better if you see yourself making progress towards your goals.PAY RATES AND WORKING CONDITIONS
(Working conditions vary greatly by project and by region: these rates and conditions may not be applicable to all.)
Rates on a commercial or short project are usually based on a day rate; feature films are usually paid per week. Union rates are calculated per hour. In Texas, and many other places, commercial crews base their work on a 10 hour day. Feature film crews may expect 10, 12 or even 14 hour deals. (Union scale is based on an eight hour day, plus overtime.) All projects subtract any meal periods, usually half an hour. Overtime (when offered) would therefore come after your guaranteed hours plus mealtimes (e.g. 10.5 hours) You may also be offered a "kit rental" (a stipend for the use of your equipment) a "multi-camera bump" (extra pay for keeping track of two or more cameras rolling at once) a "turnaround violation" (a fee paid for not giving you adequate time off) or a "meal penalty" (if you're not fed in a timely manner). Union projects have a scale rate for these things; non-union jobs do not pay them unless you negotiate. Ask about these things before you agree to do the work.You may be asked to work for free, or for a deferred payment (which means you get paid when the movie makes money—which is probably never). Make sure you are getting something other than money in return for your efforts: a good credit for your resume, a chance to make contacts, an opportunity to hone your skills or at least a free lunch and a day out of the house. (I know a guy who made a mint off working for nothing on the first "Benji" movie in the 70's. Really!) Negotiating rates is tricky, and you'll undoubtedly make a few goofs before you get the hang of it. Once you make your deal, though, stick to it. Don't bitch within the producer's earshot— learn from your mistake for the next time. Don't try to get work by undercutting your competition, though— that's a good way to make enemies.
Meals should be served every 6 hours. Some form of craft service (snacks and drinks) is usually provided. The first meal, 6 hours after call time, is always called "lunch" even if it happens at one o'clock the morning. Second meal (if offered) happens 6 hours after the END of lunch. Since you're apt to be on the set for a minimum of ten and a half hours, it's imperative that you dress appropriately for changing weather, and be prepared for any eventuality, drought or blizzard. Never pass up an opportunity to use the restroom. That's particularly important for scriptys, since we work both when the camera rolls and when it doesn't.
Generally, until you gain enough experience and financial success to be able to turn down some projects, your pay rate and working conditions may be abyssmal. That's part of the glamorous film biz! On my first feature film job, I worked as a PA on Oliver Stone's "JFK" for $50 a day, 14 and a half hours a day. [I'll help you do the math: that's less than $3.50 an hour, which was less than minimum wage even back in 1990.] I never got a chance to sit down for a meal, endured bone chilling 5:00 AM cold and blazing noon heat (in the same day) and ran, quite literally, from one end of downtown Dallas to the other— and had a BLAST. If you're committed to taking frequent breaks, being treated humanely, and fed decently, find another line of work. However, there is a fine line between working hard and abuse. Only you can decide how much you can put up with. But be warned: to get very far (at least when you're first starting out) you have to put up with a lot.