Attn JMS: Rehearsals and Takes

[B5JMS Poster]

Subject: Attn JMS: Rehearsals and Takes
+  1: Oct 20, 1995: bbrown5 at csc.com (Bryan Brown)
*  2: Oct 22, 1995: straczynski at genie.geis.com

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From: bbrown5 at csc.com (Bryan Brown)
Lines: 38

Several questions about the internals of TV series production, acting,
etc., as distinct from stage or movie production: 

(1) Approximately how many scenes are there per 1 hour show, either B5 or
non-B5 (e.g., Murder, She Wrote)? 

(2) Approximately how many scenes are shot in a typical workday? 

(3) Approximately how many rehearsals are there for each scene (say
min/max), in your experience?  Of course that depends on the actors'
skills, but on the average.  Are the rehearsals done on the soundstage? 

(4) Are there dress rehearsals before the final attempt to get the final
take (is that the right word?) ?  Are there ordinary rehearsals before
dress rehearsals? 

(5) Who decides how many rehearsals each scene requires?  Actors,
director, ...?  Or do you just do it until everyone gets it right? 

(6) The more complicated scenes probably require more attempts to get the
final take (?) than the simpler ones, but what's a typical number of
attempts? 

None of the above should be construed as asking for an evaluation of any
particular actor's skills, of course.  Just general information. 

Just taking you up on your expressed wish to demystify the TV production
process. 

Thanks. 

Bryan

-- 
*---------------------------------------------------------------
* Bryan Brown  <*>         bbrown5 at csc.com
*                          brown1 at iia.org
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From: straczynski at genie.geis.com
Lines: 13

     The number of scenes varies depending on the amount of action
required.  On balance, the average TV script has about 60-75 scenes or
shots in it.  From time to time, in B5, we've gone as high as 130 shots
in episodes like "Twilight" or "Fall."  I think we just blew out our
record here with "Severed Dreams," which has close to 140.
 
     Number of scenes shot on any day depends on how long the scene; you
can do 4 really long shots or 8 fairly short scenes.  The amount of
rehearsal varies depending on the scene, how many extras or what kind of
action/stunts are required.  The more action, the more you rehearse, to
ensure nobody gets hurt.
 
                                                                   jms