When most people think of the stages of film, they often think of pre-production, production and post-production. Sound simple enough, right? Well, if you haven’t worked with film production companies or studied video production, you might think it ends there, but it doesn’t. Within these main stages are more stages, each just as important as the other.
Pre-production is more than just script writing, this is where your movie is made. Everything and anything you want to include in production has to be planned out in pre-production if you want to ensure a smooth filming process. Here are the stages within pre-production that film production companies go through to prepare for production.
Creating and Finalizing a Script
As mentioned before, there is more to pre-production than just script writing, but this is the first step. Before you start pre-production, you have to have direction and purpose to work off of. Even though writers can edit their script as they go, writers will want to have something ready for the director, cinematographer, camera crew, and cast to read. Without it, you can’t begin the other processes of pre-production.
Creating a Budget
Setting a budget for your production is the most important thing you’ll do in pre-production. Your budget will help you gauge how much you can spend on talent, equipment, crew, props and just about anything else you’ll use in your production. If you don’t set a budget, you can find yourself overspending on one department and not being able to afford another. You must take the steps to create a manageable budget for the film.
Finding the Right Crew
Another vital process in pre-production is finding the right crew for your project. A cast, camera crew, effects crew, editors, cinematographers and assistants are just some of the people you’ll want to seek out for your project. With a solid crew, you’ll find that your project will be that much easier to produce.
Storyboards and Shot Lists
The creative team and cast need more than just a written script; storyboards and shot lists help the team understand what each scene will look like. If you’re having trouble envisioning the shot, you may want to hire a storyboard artist onto your team to lend you a hand. Having a clear vision of what you want your production to look like is the best way to make sure you produce a project you can be proud of.
Location
Film production companies don’t always make the best sets, especially if you need more room. Location scouting is another very important part of pre-production. Once you’ve gotten your script written and your storyboards drawn up, you have a clearer vision of where each scene needs to be shot. Go out and look for the perfect location for these shots and make sure you know whether or not you can access them.
Rehearsals
After everything has been sorted and you’re ready to get into production mode, you’ll have to do one last thing in pre-production: rehearse! If your cast rehearses, it will make production so much easier. More importantly, if your cast rehearses, you should avoid any challenges or hiccups with making deadlines.
As you can see, there are several steps within pre-production that film production companies have to get through before moving on to the next major stage. If you need help planning out your next project, contact Fusion 360 Studios, we’ll help get you on the right track.
