'Justified' Director Jon Avnet Shares His Detailed Shot List for That Winnebago Battle
Spoiler alert! In this week’s Justified episode “Fugitive Number One,” director Jon Avnet staged an epic brawl between Katherine (Mary Steenburgen) and Mikey (Jonathan Kowalsky), who’d decided he didn’t want her to kill his rat boss Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns) after all because he’d be forced to avenge him. Knowing he had to film the entire confrontation in the confines of Wynn’s Winnebago — with Duffy handcuffed to a table as Katherine started firing at Mikey and Mikey fought back — Avnet choreographed a sequence that was violent, hilarious, and in the end, touching. In short, it’s one of the series’ best.
To show us how he did it, Avnet took screengrabs and plugged them into his detailed, code-filled, extended shot list, which begins with some general notes on tone and effects prep.
Related: 'Justified' Postmortem: Graham Yost Breaks Down that Epic Brawl in 'Fugitive Number One'
Courtesy Jon Avnet:
New Scene 24 14 – INT Duffy’s Motor Coach – Night (4 1/8 pgs) 1/27/15 1/17/15, 1/16/15 day 4
NB1: This scene will be shot pretty much as scripted. Set it up like a Western and use the confines and limits of the trailer to make each movement closer, very carefully delineated. Don’t let Katherine get too close to Duffy when she prepares to shoot him. Not just so Mikey can get in there, but to keep some visual dynamic tension. She can slowly move forward, but never quite impinge on his space.
NB2: As discussed today, we will want:
a. two effex windows (corner bay)
b. two effex mirrors and balsa that breakaway and can send powder flying in the air
c. two effex cabinet doors (over the sink)
d. two effex ceiling pieces for squibbing and blood dripping
e. two effex tables, for squibs and holes (on the underside as well top)
f. squibs on mike on the back side for hits, to be discussed????
g. Make sure that Duffy has length of handcuff chain for mobility
h. We will use non guns for all principal action
i. We will do inserts with real gun w half loads, w no principals at all
j. Safety meeting before each stunt or effect. Mandatory!!!
k. Angle up rig for Katherine, so we shoot up at her, Rich Key Grip
l. Angle down rig, to shoot down on Mikey, Rich Key Grip
m. Key narrative element is Duffy’s reactions and attempts to squirm out of the way of the flying bullets, and tonally to break up the drama with some humor, some.
n. Shoot out the big front window, so we can make artificial day, if we run out of time (very ambitious day, but, we should be well prepared).
o. Extend chain on Duffy’s handcuff in scene 610 if possible, so he has some limited ability to move.
Shots:
1) Wide shot shooting towards the driver’s window of whole scene till shooting starts
2) Steadicam tight on Katherine as she comes in. Camera track back as she talks to Mike, takes his gun and then walks past Mike and stands over Duffy.
3) Same thing hand held tight.
4) Cover Mike cu hand held watching Katherine and Duffy chat. Move with him as he interposes his body, becomes an os on Katherine.
5) Os from Katherine on to Mike then on to Duffy (angle down on Duffy) steadicam.
6) Cu on Duffy high angle down hand held.
7) Cu angle up on Katherine for the chit chat (get Katherine’s intensity when she explains Duffy’s violation of the code and therefore why he must die).
8) Possible second camera profile shots of Duffy (down low) and Katherine just a side angle. Hand held, maybe swinging pans between them as well.
9) Tight on Katherine’s gun as she pulls it to shoot (we’ll do an insert of real gun separately when if fires once or twice, not on the set, ever)
10) Gun fight sequence page 32:
a. Katherine shoots Mikey.
i. Cu Katherine hand held
ii. Cu Mikey hand held
iii. Cu Duffy hand held (blood splatter, light)
iv. Corner window shatters and has blood splatter
v. Wide shot facing broken window after it’s shattered HH
b. Katherine shoots Mikey second time (he charges)
i. Os Katherine tight
ii. Os mikey tight
iii. Ms mirror as it shatters and baking powder flies all over the place.
iv. Cu Duffy as baking soda lands on him.
v. Wide after this action??? (could this be a fixed camera, small with full hd quality?
vi. Insert gun going off second unit
c. Mikey lifts Katherine up and smashes her against ceiling.
i. Angle down on mikey
ii. Angle up on Katherine
d. Same cu on duffy looking up with more powder landing on him.
e. Katherine shoots him third time while up in the air, shooting down, nearly hitting Duffy (goes through the table)
f. i. Same angles as “c” for principals
ii. Angle down on table as it is squibbed and blood all over it.
iii. Angle up on Duffy, pan up to hole in table and blood dripping down.
iv. Very tight insert on trigger finger firing (insert second unit)
g. Mikey smashes Katherine on table, she fires a fourth and fifth time.
i. Angle down on stunt girl Katherine hitting table
ii. Angle up on Mikey throwing stunt Katherine to table.
iii. Cu angle up on Mikey as another bullet goes through him
iv. Angle up on roof as it is hit with major blood.
v. Angle down on Duffy as blood drips down from table, a lot this time.
vi. Tight on trigger finger pulling gun. (twice) and three times when no bullet’s come out. Slower and slower
vii. Tight on barrel firing (with fake body, dummy near it).
h. Mikey puts his arm across Katherine’s throat.
i. Angle down on real Katherine for throat
ii. Side angle of throat crush w stunt Katherine
iii. Angle up on Mikey.
i. Katherine pistol whips Mikey.
i. Same angle up on Mikey as pistol hits him.
ii. Side angle as stunt Katherine pistol whips Mikey.
iii. Cu Duffy hiding
j. Mikey breaks Katherine’s larynx, gun falls (next to duffy, he should pick it up and realize there are no bullets in it).
i. Cu real Katherine very tight and then even tighter
ii. Side angle stunt Katherine
iii. Angle up Mikey killing her two sizes.
iv. Angle as Duffy looks out from the table.
v. Angle as Duffy hides again.
k. Katherine falls off table, with her head facing Duffy (he’s under table) and actually dies as she faces him (fun, huh?)
i. Side angle stunt Katherine falls
ii. Tight on real Katherine for death beat
iii. Tight on Duffy for reaction to death beat.
m. Get two wide shots w stunt puppies for geography. Shoot at 45 degree shutter and 90 degree shutter for staccato effect when the window blows and balsa wood chips fly, etc. Don’t let them get to stunty. Follow my blocking carefully and limit the flailing. More of a death lock, where neither can really move too much and are concentrating on either breathing, or stopping Katherine from breathing.
n. Mike pulls out keys and drops them
i. Insert of keys being pulled out
ii. Insert very tight on Mikey for the effort to find keys
iii. Tight on Mikey’s hands in front of Duffy’s face.
iv. Tight on Duffy as he takes the keys
v. Insert of Duffy unlocking cuffs.
o. Duffy picks up the keys and unlatches his cuffs.
i. See above
p. Duffy gets up and addresses Mikey, who is barely alive.
i. WS of pandemonium that’s been created by the fun fight.
ii. Tight on Duffy hand held
iii. Tight on Mikey hand held.
iv. Duffy’s pov of ring on hand.
b. complimentary cu’s on Duffy and Mikey for his death. Trim back dialogue if possible and let it play very simply and hopefully with real and surprising power
c. Slight move in on one take when Duffy is in shock and talking on the phone, very slight, crawl, Steph. May need dolly to control speed and to make it silky.
Justified airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.
