ABSTRACT
Much of the skill-set for staging a screen shootout is similar to that of staging a stage shootout, as covered in chapter 6.
A number of things will change though as you try to adapt the staging techniques for video use. One simple but important difference is that you are not in a designated theatre space, so unless you are shooting on a soundstage, you need to be extra careful with permitting, notification, etc. The above incident is just one of many that appears in the local news every year, and for each one that gets coverage, there are many that do not. Whether it’s the gun wrangler or the fight coordinator, someone should always make sure it is instantly very clear to anyone who stumbles upon your scene that what you are doing is making a movie, not engaging in criminal activity. This can mean, among other things, posting announcements, media notification, having security, and even using extra lighting and grip equipment that you don’t really need but whose presence just screams: “Movie Making In Progress!”
