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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 16 2007, 12:01 AM EDT (current) | TomySky | |
| Aug 15 2007, 7:47 PM EDT | TomySky |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
Pre-Production consists of:
Writing
Sketching
Pre-Visualizing
Budgeting
Scheduling
and Casting
This is a crucial stage that should not be overlooked. It may not be needed for a project you are going to shoot of yourself talking about how wonderful your significant other is, but it certainly would not hurt.
At this stage you are really ready to go with a fresh idea in your head. Let your passion drive you, and don't let this period bog you down. It may seem really long and hard (another good reason to start with a short script), but if you nail this part, your film has a much higher chance of turning out.
This stage should take longer than actual Production, and with good reason. Pre-Production does not cost as much in both money and man-hours, so it would be a good idea to spend your time here, rather than in Production. And thinking that you will "fix it all in Post" will only set you up for frustration when editing.
When you have a draft of your script done, have some friends (and even enemies) read your script and give you feedback. Try to take their comments and suggestions as critiques of your work and not you (yeah, right). Also, their feedback will range from insanity to absurdity. The trick is to mull over their comments long enough that you can throw out the truly lame ideas and impliment the good ones (the ones that originally ticked you off the most).
When you have a draft that everyone is happy with, especially you, then it is time to move on to Sketching. These drawings (which will, if you're anything like me, be closer to stick figures than Rembrandt) are the first step to actually getting your film out of the world of words an into the world of images. If you can con one of your skilled acquaintances into sketching for you, do so. This will not only give you fresh eyes for the project (for what they will sketch will not be exactly what you had invisioned), but it will also let you move on to other things that more suit your skill base.
Pre-Visualizing will allow you to "see" what you film is going to look like before you get your camera or actors together. It will also allow you to reconsider your story as you may realize weaknesses that you had not noticed in the script. What was perfectly clear in prose may no longer make any sense in picture. Spend time in this part of Pre-Production, and if you need to go back and rework things, now would be the time to do it.
The time has come to now start really thinking about making this film. Can you do it? Do you want to? These questions will be easier to answer once you know how much it is going to cost you. You must next tackle Budgeting. Even if you have no money with which to make this movie, you will still be spending a lot of time, and figuring out how much time it is going to take may help you make up your mind. This stage is one more opportunity to check to make certain that your project is a good one.
Around the same time that you are doing your budgeting, you will need to start Scheduling. This is where you figure out how you are going to get out of doing chores, manage to find a time when your friends aren't working, and have your siblings be in a good enough mood to help you out, and when you can actually shoot where you want to. It can be rather hard to find such a situation when all these factors come together. It may be that everyone can come at 2am, but that your parents don't want you to do the big fight scene then. So you will need to be creative. It is much easier to schedule if you have a smaller project (e.g. I shot with one of my friends every Sunday afternoon after church for a summer).
Once you have a schedule (or perhaps long before), you will need to find people to play the parts for your film, and this is Casting. If you manage to gather enough people to fill all your roles (even if you play more than half of them), you are ready to jump into Production.
Writing
Sketching
Pre-Visualizing
Budgeting
Scheduling
and Casting
This is a crucial stage that should not be overlooked. It may not be needed for a project you are going to shoot of yourself talking about how wonderful your significant other is, but it certainly would not hurt.
At this stage you are really ready to go with a fresh idea in your head. Let your passion drive you, and don't let this period bog you down. It may seem really long and hard (another good reason to start with a short script), but if you nail this part, your film has a much higher chance of turning out.
This stage should take longer than actual Production, and with good reason. Pre-Production does not cost as much in both money and man-hours, so it would be a good idea to spend your time here, rather than in Production. And thinking that you will "fix it all in Post" will only set you up for frustration when editing.
When you have a draft of your script done, have some friends (and even enemies) read your script and give you feedback. Try to take their comments and suggestions as critiques of your work and not you (yeah, right). Also, their feedback will range from insanity to absurdity. The trick is to mull over their comments long enough that you can throw out the truly lame ideas and impliment the good ones (the ones that originally ticked you off the most).
When you have a draft that everyone is happy with, especially you, then it is time to move on to Sketching. These drawings (which will, if you're anything like me, be closer to stick figures than Rembrandt) are the first step to actually getting your film out of the world of words an into the world of images. If you can con one of your skilled acquaintances into sketching for you, do so. This will not only give you fresh eyes for the project (for what they will sketch will not be exactly what you had invisioned), but it will also let you move on to other things that more suit your skill base.
Pre-Visualizing will allow you to "see" what you film is going to look like before you get your camera or actors together. It will also allow you to reconsider your story as you may realize weaknesses that you had not noticed in the script. What was perfectly clear in prose may no longer make any sense in picture. Spend time in this part of Pre-Production, and if you need to go back and rework things, now would be the time to do it.
The time has come to now start really thinking about making this film. Can you do it? Do you want to? These questions will be easier to answer once you know how much it is going to cost you. You must next tackle Budgeting. Even if you have no money with which to make this movie, you will still be spending a lot of time, and figuring out how much time it is going to take may help you make up your mind. This stage is one more opportunity to check to make certain that your project is a good one.
Around the same time that you are doing your budgeting, you will need to start Scheduling. This is where you figure out how you are going to get out of doing chores, manage to find a time when your friends aren't working, and have your siblings be in a good enough mood to help you out, and when you can actually shoot where you want to. It can be rather hard to find such a situation when all these factors come together. It may be that everyone can come at 2am, but that your parents don't want you to do the big fight scene then. So you will need to be creative. It is much easier to schedule if you have a smaller project (e.g. I shot with one of my friends every Sunday afternoon after church for a summer).
Once you have a schedule (or perhaps long before), you will need to find people to play the parts for your film, and this is Casting. If you manage to gather enough people to fill all your roles (even if you play more than half of them), you are ready to jump into Production.
