Understanding
the requirements for pre-production
Once you and your team know what pro-production work needs completing you should list them from most importing to less importing. To much should that you are getting through the work efficiently work out what skills people have and assign work according to who is best suited.
Remember pro-production and planning is needed no matter what type of pathway or production you have taken. This is a vital part of any creative production process, which needs to be tackled with careful planning. Make sure that you have enough time to complete and to considerate all pieces of pre-production.
One way to reduce cost is to use one camera, as this would lower the cost of equipment and crew. If you only hire one camera you will just need one set of kit to go with it and only one camera operator. This is a method used by TV comedies; My Name is Earl and The Office. Another way to reduce costs of kit and crew is to use natural light where possible. This careful planning is vital to reduce set up time and shooting time.
When in pre-production you will notice that having a budget is a necessity. There are two aspects to finance, firstly having potential sources of finance. such as crowdsourcing and including synergy. The Second consideration is the expenditure; this will cover equipment, materials, transport, catering, facility hire and other things like that. When you know your finances your team will have a better understanding of your limitations.
Time & Personnel
When in the pre-production stage it is very important that your team aware of the deadlines. Your team should talk about this at your production meetings and each department should have separate deadline, which would help meet the overall product deadline. Another way to keep track of time is to know which scenes need to be shot on what day. You could order these scenes by knowing the availability of your actors, equipment, locations and costumes.
Having a team that is the right size for your production ensures that your not wasting money on unneeded crew. Also make sure that your crew has the right balance on knowledge, skills and experience to undertake job roles that would be best suited. For example your camera operator could be your 1st AD, this would safe money and if you hired someone with good skills you could safe time.
Facilities
Professional production companies will
normally have their own recording studio, editing and rehearsal facilities but
for small production you might have to outsource companies with these
facilities. It's always useful to find
local facilities.
Materials
Test shooting can help you develop your
ideas and help you know if there are any problems your team must consider. You might need foley sounds for your film and
these sounds could be hard to find on the Internet so it’s a good idea to create
these sound yourself. On the other hand
you may find that there is a score that is perfect but it’s online. This is not
an issue; you just need to be aware of copyright and paying fees.
Contributors
It’s not just a production team you will
need; you may also need contributions from actors, presenters or voice-over
artist. Having the service of contributors rather than using your crew as you
actors. This allows the crew to focus on the production and the actor’s on
their lines, meaning the end piece will look more professional. Remember to have documentary evidence of
their permission to be featured as this allows everyone to understand each
other’s term and conditions.
Locations
During the pre-production phases it is
important to check out appropriate locations. When comparing location consider
how faraway they are and if they’re are free.
Always use a location recce sheet and check for health and safety hazards,
places for cast and crew to have breaks.
This sheet will also cover power supply, access, and potential problems
over weather and it should be given to all members of the production team.
Codes of practice and regulation
The pre-production makes sure that the film
is ready and legally allowed to be made and show. It also allows you to make sure your
production fits the relevant codes of practice, laws and regulations of the
film industry. Public liability is an important legal requirement for when
companies film on location where members of the public may be at risk. You should all check that you are covered
from a range of insurance policies to cover equipment and employees.
Regulatory bodies, trade unions and trade
associations have wide range on services; companies like BECTU negotiating pay,
conditions and contract. The BBFC gives
films their age classification, which controls who film can be watched by. These organisations provide guidelines/rules of that you can and cannot do.
