Pre-Production Techniques for the Creative Media Industries: Part 2
General Shoot Information
crew information: Getting the crew's contact details was a vital part of pre production. It allowed each of us to remain in contact whenever we needed to deviate from the schedule, make alternate plans and organise much more effectively than if we had not collected this information. It allowed me as the director to delegate certain tasks to other team members when I was otherwise occupied, and allowed the production to continue development, even if not all members of the crew were currently present as we knew exactly what would be caught up on and what we could do whilst lacking a member.
contact details: This information was vital when dealing with scheduling issues. There were times when part of the production crew were unable to be a part of a shoot, and the shoot day needed to be changed unexpectedly. Having the contact details of everyone involved throughout the production allowed for easier organisation, and I do not believe that the production would have remained on schedule if the information was not gathered beforehand. Due to being able to find out where the makeup and acting members where and being able to message them with alterations, the crew and I were able to organise when to set up the sets for the shoot days and what times we would be able to have the actress in for makeup.
production company logo: the company logo was not completed before the shoot as it was not deemed to be as important as other documents, however, it could have greatly helped with organising the documentation of the pre production process, as having our personalised image on our documents would have allowed us to keep track of them much easier.
job roles and responsibilities: By having the job roles and responsibilities outlined before production began, it allowed a comfortable beginning, everyone on the crew knew exactly what they had to take care of, and on set each person knew their tasks so we were able to set up and set down with ease. If this was not completed and the crew did not know what they had to take care of then the production process would have been a lot less organised and both pre and post production would have taken a lot longer. So having this completed managed to streamline the whole process.
Mood Boards
Characters: This did not require much planning, the simple outline of the character was completed throughout the script and the only differences came in costume and makeup, the costume was provided and the makeup was organised later. Neither of the characters required much alteration, so nothing aside from character breakdowns was done for this. However, additional work could have proved useful for the actors as it would have allowed them to get into character without consulting the director before each scene. So if this were to be done again, I would consider further character development sheets.
Design: This proved to be an issue on set. The only design briefs I had made up was the story boards and the script. This meant that when it came to practically building up the sets, it was rather cobbled together. I believe the end result worked. But it was far from ideal. This should have certainly had further prop lists, design information and equipment lists dedicated to it. For further productions, I shall be sure to do these, as without the correct planning, we ended up wasting a fair amount of time on set trying to build the sets.
Make up: No makeup planning was completed before hand. I had trusted that I would be able to communicate exactly what I wanted for the makeup; this proved to be an incorrect assumption. Though the makeup artists were able to come up with their own designs, it took far longer than it would have to draw up some ideas and write some further descriptions. For further productions, I now know that it is important to have documents detailing the plans for makeup, rather than to attempt to say what is wanted. It saves time on set and time for the makeup artists.
Casting Documentation
Shooting script: The shooting script proved to be invaluable, it allowed both cast and crew to know exactly what to set up and be ready for. We were able to remain up to date with where the film was up to, and get ready for which scenes would have to be set up. This helped not only with character direction, but also with camera plans. If this was not present on set, a great number of shots and lines would have been mistakenly left out.
character breakdown: The character breakdown sheets allowed the actors to get into character much more easily. By having these sheets readily available for the actors, it saved time on set which would have been spent advising the actors on what the character should be like, and was instead spent on setting up and filming. Without these, production time would have been extended and would have ran longer, and with a limited time scale, would have put strain on the whole production.
casting signup sheet:The casting signup sheet allowed the organisation of comfortable auditions. With the signup sheet posted, we were able to find out who was interested, find out their free time and begin to schedule shoot days around when the auditions were placed. This allowed the film production to begin as it put the remainder of the production on a time scale and allowed for further organisation. Without this, production would have been delayed and we would not have gotten filming underway until much later.
casting information sheet: The casting information sheet is what allowed the crew to organise auditions in the most convenient manner. It allowed us to know each interested candidate's points of availability and allowed for the best schedule we could manage, those with tighter time frames were able to come first, and those who had more time could be auditioned last. This gave us an insight into what the actors would be like if they were to be hired as well as just saving time before production could begin.
release forms: Release forms were a necessity, these being signed allow for us to use the actor's image in a public medium, allowing us to showcase our film, which for them to be a part of the Oscar's ceremony is vital.
cast contact list: The cast contact list allowed for the scheduling of shoot days and shooting hours. On occasion the cast would have to change their times, this would have been an issue without the contact information of the cast as they would have been unable to contact the crew so everything would have been set up, only to later find out that it was a waste of time. Contact information is vital for the whole production.
cast unavailability: Cast unavailability allowed for better scheduling, we were able to find out when an actor was unavailable, before organising the rest of the crew. By doing this we were able to save time by just planning to shoot on days when the actors were actually available to film. Without this being done, it would have lead to a much less organised production and we would have had to postpone most shooting days.
final cast information: Having the final cast information allowed the scheduling for filming to begin, we were able to determine which days they were free and which days we could film. It also allowed for us to begin sorting out the costume sizes for the actors.
Location Information
risk assessments: The risk assessment is a vital part of the pre-production process. It allowed us to safeguard against any potential hazard. This prevents any injuries on set and prevents the filming from being delayed.
location agreements: The location agreements are what allowed the crew to set up on certain locations. The only location we required an agreement to film in was the college. This was important as it allowed some vital shots to be taken, which without the location, we would not have been able to get.
maps and directions: We did not require any maps or directions as it was ordered that everybody meet in the college and walk over together, this was done to prevent confusion, lost cast or crew and prevent accidents if someone were to head the wrong way.
location photograph: Location photographs allowed for easier referencing against the storyboards and allowed for better set design planning to be done before hand. By visiting the locations before filming and taking photographs, we were able to organise set design plans for the location. If this was not done beforehand, then it would have wasted production time on the day,which would not have been ideal and would have lead to some days going over their allocated time slot.
Location unavailability: This was not an issue which had to be accounted for. The locations were either public or privately owned by the director. However, the college does have closing times outside of when was needed, so these were considered during the initial scheduling process.
Costume, Make up and Design Documentation
design breakdown sheet: The design breakdown sheet was not completed for the film. This proved to have a negative impact on the production. Without the planning being done before hand, the crew had to scramble together the materials to build the set, just mere hours before production was set to begin. Not only were the materials gathered on short notice, but the idea for the set had to be made up and then built in time. Before building a set, I now know that it is critical to plan out the design of the set before setting out to build it.
costume requirements: The costume requirement was laid out throughout the script and was purchased by the director. The dress was to be later altered by the makeup department.
makeup requirements: The makeup lacked refined planning, this left the makeup design somewhat troublesome as the artists were left to interpret what they felt should be done to the actress. So for future productions it is known that planning should be made for the artists before they are brought to set.
Scheduling Documentation
Script breakdown sheet: A script breakdown sheet was not completed, whole scripts were brought to the set alongside the storyboards and the shot lists. These proved to be adequate for the purpose and managed to do the job without hindering the production.
Daily Call sheet: The daily call sheets allowed the cast and crew to know when they were needed on set for the production days, this allowed the production to go ahead without delays.
Shoot Paperwork
Storyboards: Storyboards proved invaluable when organising the camera and designing the sets. They were able to position the actors, detail where the camera should be and give an idea to the whole crew, what the set was to look like.
shot lists: Shot lists allowed the camera man to understand his positioning and know what shots to line up without having to check before each shot. This streamlined the whole film making process and saved time being wasted on set.
camera plans: Camera plans were not done individually, but were completed in the story boards and the shot lists, however, for sake of a few minor shots, it would have helped to save a little extra time on set to have these completed before hand, rather than having the director saying for the little shots what was needed.
daily production reports: Daily production reports allowed the crew to know what had been completed and what was left for the rest of the production process, as well as knowing what went wrong and after outlining the issues, how to ameliorate further issues.
Daily Paperwork
script supervisor: The director/writer was available to advise on what direction the actors should be taking when interpreting the script. If they were not present, then the tone of the film could be misinterpreted and misrepresented, so it was important to have the writer present to give directions.
Post Production and Sound Design
Evidence of post production planning: Post production planning was made and can be checked via the dating. It was made to review what was done well across the production and to learn from mistakes for further productions.
sound and soundtrack design: The sound design was pre planned and written into the script. The rest was left to the editor to insert into the film.
Budgeting and Resource Requirements
Equipment list: Camera, blackout blinds, LED lights, microphone, tripod
Equipment booking sheet:
Budget for film:
Overview
Lessons learnt and what to do differently: The makeup process in particular I have realised was not streamlined and was far from a convenient process. This was my first shoot with makeup being used and as such, I did not consider the time it would take to have the makeup applied, and thus scheduled the shoot time to begin almost immediately after the cast and crew showed up together. I had also not made paper design plans for how I wanted the makeup to look on the actress, with this I was unable to get the details exactly how I wanted them; an oversight on my part. So for future productions I now know that I must allocate adequate time for the makeup artists and must arrange design plans before hand, rather than leaving it up to descriptions and best judgements.
crew information: Getting the crew's contact details was a vital part of pre production. It allowed each of us to remain in contact whenever we needed to deviate from the schedule, make alternate plans and organise much more effectively than if we had not collected this information. It allowed me as the director to delegate certain tasks to other team members when I was otherwise occupied, and allowed the production to continue development, even if not all members of the crew were currently present as we knew exactly what would be caught up on and what we could do whilst lacking a member.
contact details: This information was vital when dealing with scheduling issues. There were times when part of the production crew were unable to be a part of a shoot, and the shoot day needed to be changed unexpectedly. Having the contact details of everyone involved throughout the production allowed for easier organisation, and I do not believe that the production would have remained on schedule if the information was not gathered beforehand. Due to being able to find out where the makeup and acting members where and being able to message them with alterations, the crew and I were able to organise when to set up the sets for the shoot days and what times we would be able to have the actress in for makeup.
production company logo: the company logo was not completed before the shoot as it was not deemed to be as important as other documents, however, it could have greatly helped with organising the documentation of the pre production process, as having our personalised image on our documents would have allowed us to keep track of them much easier.
job roles and responsibilities: By having the job roles and responsibilities outlined before production began, it allowed a comfortable beginning, everyone on the crew knew exactly what they had to take care of, and on set each person knew their tasks so we were able to set up and set down with ease. If this was not completed and the crew did not know what they had to take care of then the production process would have been a lot less organised and both pre and post production would have taken a lot longer. So having this completed managed to streamline the whole process.
Mood Boards
Characters: This did not require much planning, the simple outline of the character was completed throughout the script and the only differences came in costume and makeup, the costume was provided and the makeup was organised later. Neither of the characters required much alteration, so nothing aside from character breakdowns was done for this. However, additional work could have proved useful for the actors as it would have allowed them to get into character without consulting the director before each scene. So if this were to be done again, I would consider further character development sheets.
Design: This proved to be an issue on set. The only design briefs I had made up was the story boards and the script. This meant that when it came to practically building up the sets, it was rather cobbled together. I believe the end result worked. But it was far from ideal. This should have certainly had further prop lists, design information and equipment lists dedicated to it. For further productions, I shall be sure to do these, as without the correct planning, we ended up wasting a fair amount of time on set trying to build the sets.
Make up: No makeup planning was completed before hand. I had trusted that I would be able to communicate exactly what I wanted for the makeup; this proved to be an incorrect assumption. Though the makeup artists were able to come up with their own designs, it took far longer than it would have to draw up some ideas and write some further descriptions. For further productions, I now know that it is important to have documents detailing the plans for makeup, rather than to attempt to say what is wanted. It saves time on set and time for the makeup artists.
Casting Documentation
Shooting script: The shooting script proved to be invaluable, it allowed both cast and crew to know exactly what to set up and be ready for. We were able to remain up to date with where the film was up to, and get ready for which scenes would have to be set up. This helped not only with character direction, but also with camera plans. If this was not present on set, a great number of shots and lines would have been mistakenly left out.
character breakdown: The character breakdown sheets allowed the actors to get into character much more easily. By having these sheets readily available for the actors, it saved time on set which would have been spent advising the actors on what the character should be like, and was instead spent on setting up and filming. Without these, production time would have been extended and would have ran longer, and with a limited time scale, would have put strain on the whole production.
casting signup sheet:The casting signup sheet allowed the organisation of comfortable auditions. With the signup sheet posted, we were able to find out who was interested, find out their free time and begin to schedule shoot days around when the auditions were placed. This allowed the film production to begin as it put the remainder of the production on a time scale and allowed for further organisation. Without this, production would have been delayed and we would not have gotten filming underway until much later.
casting information sheet: The casting information sheet is what allowed the crew to organise auditions in the most convenient manner. It allowed us to know each interested candidate's points of availability and allowed for the best schedule we could manage, those with tighter time frames were able to come first, and those who had more time could be auditioned last. This gave us an insight into what the actors would be like if they were to be hired as well as just saving time before production could begin.
release forms: Release forms were a necessity, these being signed allow for us to use the actor's image in a public medium, allowing us to showcase our film, which for them to be a part of the Oscar's ceremony is vital.
cast contact list: The cast contact list allowed for the scheduling of shoot days and shooting hours. On occasion the cast would have to change their times, this would have been an issue without the contact information of the cast as they would have been unable to contact the crew so everything would have been set up, only to later find out that it was a waste of time. Contact information is vital for the whole production.
cast unavailability: Cast unavailability allowed for better scheduling, we were able to find out when an actor was unavailable, before organising the rest of the crew. By doing this we were able to save time by just planning to shoot on days when the actors were actually available to film. Without this being done, it would have lead to a much less organised production and we would have had to postpone most shooting days.
final cast information: Having the final cast information allowed the scheduling for filming to begin, we were able to determine which days they were free and which days we could film. It also allowed for us to begin sorting out the costume sizes for the actors.
Location Information
risk assessments: The risk assessment is a vital part of the pre-production process. It allowed us to safeguard against any potential hazard. This prevents any injuries on set and prevents the filming from being delayed.
location agreements: The location agreements are what allowed the crew to set up on certain locations. The only location we required an agreement to film in was the college. This was important as it allowed some vital shots to be taken, which without the location, we would not have been able to get.
maps and directions: We did not require any maps or directions as it was ordered that everybody meet in the college and walk over together, this was done to prevent confusion, lost cast or crew and prevent accidents if someone were to head the wrong way.
location photograph: Location photographs allowed for easier referencing against the storyboards and allowed for better set design planning to be done before hand. By visiting the locations before filming and taking photographs, we were able to organise set design plans for the location. If this was not done beforehand, then it would have wasted production time on the day,which would not have been ideal and would have lead to some days going over their allocated time slot.
Location unavailability: This was not an issue which had to be accounted for. The locations were either public or privately owned by the director. However, the college does have closing times outside of when was needed, so these were considered during the initial scheduling process.
Costume, Make up and Design Documentation
design breakdown sheet: The design breakdown sheet was not completed for the film. This proved to have a negative impact on the production. Without the planning being done before hand, the crew had to scramble together the materials to build the set, just mere hours before production was set to begin. Not only were the materials gathered on short notice, but the idea for the set had to be made up and then built in time. Before building a set, I now know that it is critical to plan out the design of the set before setting out to build it.
costume requirements: The costume requirement was laid out throughout the script and was purchased by the director. The dress was to be later altered by the makeup department.
makeup requirements: The makeup lacked refined planning, this left the makeup design somewhat troublesome as the artists were left to interpret what they felt should be done to the actress. So for future productions it is known that planning should be made for the artists before they are brought to set.
Scheduling Documentation
Script breakdown sheet: A script breakdown sheet was not completed, whole scripts were brought to the set alongside the storyboards and the shot lists. These proved to be adequate for the purpose and managed to do the job without hindering the production.
Daily Call sheet: The daily call sheets allowed the cast and crew to know when they were needed on set for the production days, this allowed the production to go ahead without delays.
Shoot Paperwork
Storyboards: Storyboards proved invaluable when organising the camera and designing the sets. They were able to position the actors, detail where the camera should be and give an idea to the whole crew, what the set was to look like.
shot lists: Shot lists allowed the camera man to understand his positioning and know what shots to line up without having to check before each shot. This streamlined the whole film making process and saved time being wasted on set.
camera plans: Camera plans were not done individually, but were completed in the story boards and the shot lists, however, for sake of a few minor shots, it would have helped to save a little extra time on set to have these completed before hand, rather than having the director saying for the little shots what was needed.
daily production reports: Daily production reports allowed the crew to know what had been completed and what was left for the rest of the production process, as well as knowing what went wrong and after outlining the issues, how to ameliorate further issues.
Daily Paperwork
script supervisor: The director/writer was available to advise on what direction the actors should be taking when interpreting the script. If they were not present, then the tone of the film could be misinterpreted and misrepresented, so it was important to have the writer present to give directions.
Post Production and Sound Design
Evidence of post production planning: Post production planning was made and can be checked via the dating. It was made to review what was done well across the production and to learn from mistakes for further productions.
sound and soundtrack design: The sound design was pre planned and written into the script. The rest was left to the editor to insert into the film.
Budgeting and Resource Requirements
Equipment list: Camera, blackout blinds, LED lights, microphone, tripod
Equipment booking sheet:
Budget for film:
Overview
Lessons learnt and what to do differently: The makeup process in particular I have realised was not streamlined and was far from a convenient process. This was my first shoot with makeup being used and as such, I did not consider the time it would take to have the makeup applied, and thus scheduled the shoot time to begin almost immediately after the cast and crew showed up together. I had also not made paper design plans for how I wanted the makeup to look on the actress, with this I was unable to get the details exactly how I wanted them; an oversight on my part. So for future productions I now know that I must allocate adequate time for the makeup artists and must arrange design plans before hand, rather than leaving it up to descriptions and best judgements.
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