Real-Life Math -- Solution
1. How many minutes of the film have been shot so far?
Minutes = [8 + (37/60)] + [36 + (24/60)] - [2 + (58/60)]
Minutes = [8 + 0.62] + [36 + 0.4] - [2 + 0.97]
Minutes = 8.62 + 36.4 - 2.97
Minutes = 42.05
0.05 of a minute x 60 seconds per minute = 3 seconds
The total time shot so far is 42 minutes and 3 seconds.
2. If the estimated total time for the film is 91 minutes and 27 seconds, what percentage of the film has been shot so far?
27 seconds / 60 seconds per minute = 0.45
42.05 / 91.45 x 100 = 45.98
About 46 percent of the film has been shot so far.
Many script supervisors don't use a calculator to add up the lengths of the scenes. They do it in their head and with a pen and paper. Often, there isn't much time in which to do it.
"You must be able to add quickly the number of minutes that have passed for a particular scene," says script supervisor Jean Bereziuk. "It's very, very important. And you have to give, daily, an account to the production office of the amount of time that you've actually shot."
Script supervisors also add up the amount of the script that has been shot. Movie scripts are always divided into eighths of pages. Therefore, the script supervisor has to add up eighths of pages to calculate how much of the script is shot each day.
Although the calculations aren't complicated, strong math skills are needed for working out problems quickly and without errors.
"You do need your basic math skills," Bereziuk says. "It's absolutely important."