Original subtitles

- As a director or producer, you must always keep in mind

the particular challenges your talent is facing during

the capture of a special effect.

Are they working with a green screen

with an environment that they can't see?

Are they supposed to trade dialogue with a CGI character?

Are they reacting to an effect

that you'll put in the film later in post?

In these cases, your thorough

scene and character preparation is key.

As well as having your technical details

thoroughly worked out ahead of time

to reduce distractions and ensure their comfort

as much as possible.

Here's clips of an effect being shot

for my feature film "Of Dice and Men"

and then afterward the completed scene.

Our actors were filming late at night

in a very small space with green screen

and had to imagine a dragon flying

and then crashing in front of them.

We tried to make it so they weren't too uncomfortable

by reducing the distance they had to fall

and limited our takes.

This is good, we're going to coordinate the

watching the dragon death throes,

and then after the dragon dies,

it's, you can get up on your elbows

and be like, nice line.

- So watching the dragon death throes

down here?

- [Director] Action.

(crunching)

Dragon.

(crunching)

- That's a nice line.

- Thanks, you too.

- Yeah, well I figure, keep it simple, you know?

There's no need to gild the lily, right?

- Totally. - Yeah.

Hey, what's with the book?

- It must have come open during the fight.

- Didn't Elias say something bad would happen

if it ever got opened?

(crashing)

(dragon wailing)

- That's a nice line.

- Thanks, you too.

- Yeah, well I thought, keep it simple, you know?

Don't need to gild the lily, right?

- Totally. - Yeah.

Hey, what's with the book?

- It must have come open during the fight.

- Didn't Elias say something bad would happen

if it ever got opened?

- Most importantly, do everything you can

to not let the effect get in your talent's way.

The emotional truth of their performance,

or the lack thereof, will always shine through

the most elaborate effect.