Pre-Production

A common problem with amateur Tarrantinos is their lack of planning. They have a script but it often is only an actors script and contains no camera or audio directions. The secret to a successful production is planning - lots of planning! Doing paperwork may seem very dull, but it holds the key to a blockbuster or a flop.

• Brief - This is normally from the client you are making the video for and contains an outline of the project from their point of view.
• Target Audiance - The client will normally provide this as they will want to advertise their product at their audiance, ie, chocolates at children, cars at adults.
• Treatment - From the brief you work out how the clients ideas can be made into a real production. This is a slightly more detailed version of the brief however it contains details such as proposed styles of filming, project costs, suggested actors, etc.
• Synopsis - The treatment is also broken down into a single paragraph so that clients or crew can be told the basic outline of the production. An example is at the bottom of the treatment, use the link above.
• Step Outline - This breaks down the programme into its basic components showing the skeleton of each scene.
• Budget - All clients ever ask is how much will it cost. Use your step outlines and crew lists along with rate cards if hiring equipment to find out how much it will all cost.
• Storyboard - Just about everyone has seen a storyboard, it is basically the outline of the video but displayed in pictures with descriptions beside each frame.
• Script - This comes in many forms, the most obvious version being the actors script, however this does not contain any shooting details such as camera angles and lighting directions. These are contained in a shooting script. Scripts are produced in special formats. Professional companies will often only look at a script if it is correctly formatted.
• Shooting Schedule - Once you are nearer the point of filming you will be able to block out when you want to film and what scenes they will be. Provide all your crew with a shooting schedule, changes can be made to the call sheets they should get regularly.
• Other Paperwork - Create lists of props that you will need, the camera shots you want to use and tick these items off when you have found them or filmed them so you do not duplicate them and thus waste time.

  Remember that at this stage you are only preparing the way for your production to commence. Without proper preperation your production will quickly turn into chaos. Do not try to do everything at the last minute, it will not work!! During the whole preproduction phase you should be carrying out research, this is a basic element to any film, and is vital if you are making an advert or documentary.