Filmmaker's Newbie Question

[af5rn]

Wow, lots of cool ideas coming out! If we're going super high-tech, you could have them bugging a room by laser. They'd be firing a laser device at the window of the room, and monitoring the conversation inside by receiving the vibrations that are returned to the device and fed into an audio decoder (just like a laser radar gun), then to headphones and a recorder. As was mentioned for the bug scenario, if a big truck pulls up between you and that window, you'd have to reposition yourself to get another shot at the window.

 

[kb2vxa]

Aw heck, it's a MOVIE! You want realism? That's the last thing you'll find in a movie but you'll find plenty of microphones plugged into receiver earphone jacks, CBs tuned to 666Mhz and a giant gila monster that derails 3 different trains in the same scene but realism? You've got to be kidding.

The line is "the battery is dying on me" and be done with it. As for the receiver any old portable scanner will do; they make nice police radios and even subspace communicators. They'll never know the difference cuz the sound is dubbed in post, EVERYTHING happens in post.

You guys crack me up, I haven't laughed so hard since Hollywood somehow managed to fit a Burroughs mainframe computer, console and all into a rocket to Mars. Besides, if you listen to them they'll drive production so far over budget they'll lock you in the tower and weld the door shut so you'll NEVER get out.

 

[WX5JCH]

I'd just say it went dead.

I guess I'm the only one on this list who's actually been on TV -many times. It makes sense to use the least amount of dialog you can get away with. Instead, Use images of the screen showing something like "signal lost" on the receiver screen -remember, your dealing with the lowest common denomonator in your audience. Most will be unfamiliar with radios.

 

[eecame]

wow so many replies! thanks for all the info. I liked the idea about there being a bug instead. So if it was a bug that was planted and is malfunctioning would the battery running out be the only explanation for a weak broadcast signal? what type of portable receivers would one use to listen to the bug? Would it look just like a portable scanner or what?

A faulty receiver is the best way to go. Simply write into an earlier scene where one of the two guys (or both) is using the scanner in another capacity (situation, job, etc.) where the audience sees it has problems. The characters might not even need to comment on it depending on how you set it up.

Then you have effectively setup the bad receiver as a plot device and can avoid the awkward expositional dialogue that we screenwriters hate so much, lol.

Good Luck.

 

[chrismol1]

If its going to be put into the general public than its got to be something they can understand and relate to real life. They dont have to know the total truth but the whole thing about the props is relating it to something they know

 

[gong123321]

lol, great ideas - and don't worry, "this receiver is dying on me" was just a paraphrase for for a scene which establishes this with mostly action. The two investigators are actually trying to pick up a phone conversation that's going on in a running car thats parked on the roof level of a parking garage while they are a level below in their surveillance van. They can't pick up the conversation with their "scanner" (now a bug maybe?) so one of them exits their van and tries to pick it up with a shotgun microphone (i like the idea about laser surveillance but i think thats a little too high tech for these guys as their relatively small-time PIs) but all he can get is a muffled and illegible conversation over the engine noise. So he goes back to the van where his partner is still having problems with the receiver so he just takes it and sneaks closer to the target and the conversations audio gets clearer as he gets closer. There won't be any cheesy "suspense" music or anyone saying "I've got to get closer!" "no it's too dangerous!" lol. I think the audience will understand through the "increasing clarity of the bugged conversation as the PI moves closer" what is going on, and that as he gets closer he risks exposing himself and blowing the surveillance. I think that will create believable tension without having to have the characters exposit on the situation. I'm not sure I'm even going to have anyone explain the malfunction as the practical implications of it can be shown with action but I like to work from plausible pretenses while creating the scene. Thanks for all the input so far, keep it coming!

 

[AZScanner]

OK, you want it realistic right? Do this - plant a bug in the car (scanners can't monitor cellphones anyway). But Joe Badguy uses one of those hands-free car kits, so a simple RF bug will easily catch both sides of the conversation, get it? OK, now the problem with those little bugs is RANGE - they're only good for a few hundred feet. So, they start to listen but it's all staticky - think of how your radio sounds when you are trying to pull in a radio station from too far away. So, in order to get the goods our hero has to grab the scanner and get closer to hear the conversation more clearly. Totally plausible and very possible in the real world, so long as the scanner will receive the frequency of the bug itself. Thus, your line is "We're too far away to get a clear signal. I've got to get closer."

Just don't go Independence Day on us and connect a Mac up to an alien mainframe and we movie goers will likely give you the benefit of the doubt. Good luck with your movie!

-AZ

 

[gong123321]

"Just don't go Independence Day on us and connect a Mac up to an alien mainframe and we movie goers will likely give you the benefit of the doubt"

The hilarious thing about this is some writer probably got paid 300K to come up with this idea... you gotta love hollywood, the only place in the world where your marketability is based solely on how incompetent you are. (err.. I suppose politics too)

Anyways I think I'm leaning towards just having him get closer with the shotgun mic so I don't have to have the characters sitting around explaining why they decided to bug this guy's car of all places. Like maybe the driver's window is cracked so as the PI gets closer the pattern of the mic picks up more of what's coming from inside the car and less of the surrounding engine noise. What do you guys think about this?

 

[Zaratsu]

Is this a musical?

If so, I wrote a showtune once about loosing signal.


get in touch with my agent!

 

[kb2vxa]

NOW you're getting the idea. KISS, keep it simple stupid.

"Is this a musical?"

NO! Leslie Nielsen dancing through a parking garage with an HT in his hand singing I'm So Pretty we DON'T need!

 

[Zaratsu]

NOW you're getting the idea. KISS, keep it simple stupid.

"Is this a musical?"

NO! Leslie Nielsen dancing through a parking garage with an HT in his hand singing I'm So Pretty we DON'T need!

Leslie Nielsen's brother was a cabinet member for a canadian prime minister. Thats pretty kickass.

I would prefer it if they had loyd bridges instead.

 

[AZScanner]

Bah. Bug the car. P.I.'s love to play with the gadgets they got at the local Spy Headquarters. Besides, it's easy to bug someone's car, all you need to do is slip it in thru a partially opened window (pretty common in the warmer spring and summer months).

-AZ