Planning Your Production | Pre-Pro Part 2

Picking up where we left off last week, we’re moving right along with the planning for our film. 

To quickly recap from the last video, at this point we’ve locked down our script, figured out our distribution plan, created an estimate and final budget for the film, created an overall calendar/ schedule for the film, and we've got our financing in place. 

Now that we know what we’re working with, we can start engaging production partners and getting the logistics for the physical shoot sorted out. Check out the video below for a visual breakdown of this step, or keep reading for more details.

5. Searching For Production Partners

We’re now going to start looking for directors, cinematographers, editors, VFX artists, and other artists to collaborate with. Throughout the first part of pre-pro, you should have already started thinking about who would be a good creative fit for this project. Now we’re taking it a step further and thoroughly researching partners.

Vimeo, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, and even LinkedIn are great ways to connect with potential independent artists. If you’re looking to work with more established artist that’s represented by production company, look through production company websites for artist reels.

Start compiling a list of artists you’d be interested in working with. Include their name, contact info, production company, representative or executive producer info, and a link to their reel. From there, cull the lists down to your top 3 picks per category (directors, editors, etc.) Make sure you have a few backups in case your top choices aren’t available. 

Now it’s time to reach out to the top 3 picks, pitch the film to them, and see if they’re available and interested in working on the film. If they are, you’ll want to send them a “pitch/ brief” deck outlining what the film is about, how you envision it (mood, tone, etc.) including any visual references that align with the film, and of course add the script so they can read the creative. You’ll also want to get on a call with them to talk through the script and answer any questions they might have.

If you’re reaching out to a director, they will begin working on a “treatment” which is a deck outlining their creative vision and approach for the film. The treatment will be accompanied by a production estimate and a shooting schedule, both of which will be created by the director’s EP or bidding producer. These two documents take into consideration costs and timing based on the director’s approach, but should be inline with the budget and the schedule you created for the whole production. 

Once you have all the treatments, estimates, and schedules from your three top choices, you can decide which director + production company will best fit your film’s creative vision and budget. Ultimately, you’ll award your top pick and get production rolling.

Likewise, editors and VFX artists might be repped by a production company which will bid their services based on the creative needs and timing of the film. Editors and other artists won’t typically make treatments, so you’ll have to rely on their reels for reference. You’ll want to book them during pre-pro as well so they’re ready to roll once the time comes. Artists are often booked weeks to months in advance and the last thing you want to do in the middle of production is stress about finding post-production partners. 

6. Prepping for the film

Now that you have a director + production company in place, it’s time to start prepping for the shoot! First things first, you’ll want to set-up a production kick-off meeting with your team and the director’s team so everyone gets on the same page before starting prep. 

You’ll also need to work with your legal team to get a production contract between you and the production company in place. This is standard to protect both parties and the rights to the film within the partnership. In tandem with the production contract, you’ll need to figure out production insurance which will either be purchased by the production company or your team directly-- this is something that should be selected in your bid specs / discussed with the partner during bidding. We didn’t go over bidding in detail but I’ll make another post soon fully outlining the bidding process with these details. 

At this point, the production company will assign a line producer to the project. The line producer will be your day to day point of contact for the remainder of the shooting production. They’ll begin sourcing key crew heads (production manager, location manager, production designer, gaffer, etc.) and working with the director and you to lock in logistics of the film.  

Shortly after this, an artist will be brought on to begin storyboarding the film. Simultaneously, key heads will begin prepping and sourcing for their jobs based on conversations they have with the director and line producer. Casting specs for each character in the film should be drafted and given to the talent manager to begin scouting. Location specs should also be created for scouting.

As prep continues, keys will share their finds and plans with the director and line producer. If they’re up to the standards of the director, those assets will be shared with you (the producer and your team), for final approval. This whole phase is a back and forth logistical dance.  

As the first shoot day approaches, you’ll want to factor in rehearsal and wardrobe fitting days with the talent to practice on-set blocking (if needed). The DP and gaffer might also schedule pre-light days to set up equipment before the shoot. Just before this, the production designer and their team would have set up any necessary builds that would require intricate labor. 

Finally, a few days before shooting, you’ll want to have a pre-pro meeting. Usually the attendees will be the same team who was in the production kick-off meeting. The pre-pro meeting is a “last call” huddle to review the production plan, creative set up, and go through the shooting plan. This is where any last minute questions or pivots will be addressed before the shoot. Again, a time to make sure everyone’s on the same page.

Now that everything’s been prepped and set for the shoot, we’ve finally come to the first day of production (woohoo!). It’s an exciting time where you’ll start to see the fruits of your labor blossom into a tangible film. This is the end of the pre-pro chapter, and the beginning of the production chapter.  

In the next post, we’ll be going through the shooting production and addressing some of the responsibilities a “creative” producer might have on-set. 

Are there any additional pre-pro steps you and your team take before filming a commercial or short? Let me know in the comments below!