Pre-Production
It would be great if movies made themselves. Once you get the idea for the next great horror movie, BAM, the Blu-Ray pops into your hands. But, alas, we live in the real world, one where we have to actually work to create the things we think up. Boooo.
Well, luckily the process of making movies is actually fun (more fun than taking a calculus test anyway). It does, however, require a ton of hard work, long hours, and will cause you to tear your hair out until you're as bald as me. So to make this process easier, filmmakers have broken it down into three separate sections; Pre-production, Production, and Post-Production (I know, super creative names). In this lesson, we will talk about the Pre-Production process and what is required of you, as the director/producer/writer/actor/editor/caterer.
Pre-Production Goals
The goal of the pre-production process is to make your shooting days as smooth as possible. This is the preparation stage of the film. Everything must be ready before you ever point a camera at an actor. Budgets, cast, food, locations, the script; everything needs to be ready. You don't want to find out on day twelve of your shoot that you don't have a critical prop or piece of equipment. So, to keep you from melting down and running into the woods to live with the chipmunks out of pure stress, here is a list of the things you will need to accomplish during pre-production:
1. The Script
This is the very first step. Every choice in location, casting, equipment, etc. will be based on what the script calls for. You don't want to gather props to make a sci-fi space opera then find out the movie is a romantic comedy set in 14th century Spain. Every movie needs a script. This is the document that explains the setting of each scene, what the characters are doing and saying, and the order the scenes need to be in for the movie to make sense. Yes, even the short 1-Minute film we're making requires a script. If you plan on taking your camera out in the field, grabbing some friends, and ad-libbing an entire film, two things will happen: First, you'll have a great time during the shoot, and Second, you'll have a nightmare time during editing. Follow the script!
2. Storyboards and Shot List
A storyboard is a visual representation of the script. Think of it like a comic book. Each panel is one shot, showing what is happening, the camera angle, and which actors are on screen. Storyboards help directors and cinematographers visualize the film before they ever turn on a camera. Some first-time directors try to get away without using storyboards... big mistake. Planning your shots using storyboards is just like a rehearsal for the director and cinematographer. It's very easy to fix something you don't like in the storyboard phase, not so much when you have 50 people on set and you decide to make a major change to the action.
The shot list goes hand-in-hand with the storyboard. This is exactly what it sounds like, a list of shots the director needs to cut a scene together. Every scene should have a detailed shot list. During the shoot, the director will refer to the shot list often to determine if they've filmed everything they need before they move on. You do not want to find yourself in the editing bay missing a critical shot that ties the entire scene together. Imagine calling every actor and crew member back to the shoot, months later, just for a 2-second shot you forgot to get the first time. The shot list will help you avoid this disaster.
3. Hire a Crew
How many people do you think it takes to make a movie? Now, double that number. Every movie you've ever seen requires hundreds, if not thousands, of people to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. You'll need people to handle the equipment, people to organize the actors, hair and makeup, catering, people to strike the sets, production designers, location scouts, and the list goes on and on. Getting these people involved early will ensure that you will have minimal interruptions during shooting. Also, making movies is a creative and collaborative effort. These people all have valuable input you should listen to in the early days of pre-production.
4. Location Scouting
The next time you watch a movie or TV show pay attention to the location. Is it a hospital? Someone had to find that location and secure it for filming. When's the last time you've seen an empty hospital laying around? Are they outside on a busy street? Guess what, someone had to find that location and coordinate with local authorities to block it off.
While filming the movie "Vanilla Sky" the director, Cameron Crowe, needed to shoot in an empty Times Square. I'll repeat that because I'm afraid you didn't process it fully. Times Square! In New York City! EMPTY! What?
Here's Links to an external site. a short article from The New York Post by Megan Turner about how they accomplished this huge feat.
Most productions hire a Location Scout to find all of the locations and secure them for shooting. This can help the entire production team schedule their shoot around location availability. Not only do the locations have to be available, but they have to look right. Production Designers work with the Location Scouts to decide how they'll dress the sets so they look right on the day of shooting.
5. Budget
If this all sounds expensive, you're correct! Have you ever wondered why movies cost millions of dollars to make? It's because everything costs money. People, equipment, locations, food, insurance, stunts: these costs add up. Early on in the process, you should figure out how much money you have to spend and create a budget. Understanding your budget will help you decide what you can realistically film, and what you can't. Productions that go over their budget end up sacrificing quality in the end. You only have so much money, spend it wisely!
6. Equipment
Without cameras, you don't have a movie. You're just organizing a very expensive LARP session. You need to know what equipment your production requires and get your hands on it early. Are you shooting film or digital? Are you using an IMAX camera or an iPhone? Are you recording sound on set or are you filming a silent movie? What about lighting? Jibs? Dollies? All of this needs to be collected, inventoried, and inspected before shooting begins.
7. Handle the Red Tape
Making a movie is like starting a small business. You will be filling out tons of paperwork. When I worked on my first independent film, Zombie Hunter Links to an external site. (yes, I helped make a movie, and yes, it's real, and yes, it's terrible), I was surprised at the amount of paperwork that was involved. Most locations need permits from the local government in order to shoot there. You also need to buy insurance for the locations, cast, and crew. Everyone on camera needs to sign a release. Every person working for you needs to have a signed contract before they can start. And this is just scratching the surface. In my opinion, this is the least fun part of making a movie.
8. Casting
Finding the right actors can feel like an impossible job sometimes. Casting Directors will find and audition actors for you, but they cost a pretty penny. Brad Pitt isn't going to just show up the day you start shooting asking for a job, however, so they may be worth it. I've auditioned hundreds of actors for all of the film projects I've worked on (yes, I've worked on other movies Links to an external site., and yes, they're real, and yes, they're terrible Links to an external site.) and I can tell you it's a long, frustrating, process for everyone involved. Start casting early and give your best actors everything they need to be successful.
9. Rehearsal
Finally, everything is ready! Your crew is standing by, your equipment is prepped, your locations have been ironed out, your script is polished; the only thing left to do is practice. Rehearsal is critically important. If you don't rehearse in pre-production, you'll be doing it during production which will extend your already long shooting days. You'll want to start with a table read. All of the actors, directors, producers, and whoever else you want, will sit around a table and read their lines from the script. This allows you to smooth out the wrinkles in personality and dialogue before you move forward. Next, you want to rehearse each scene extensively. If the actors are unsure what to do on the day of shooting, they will not give their best performance. Rehearsing the scene beforehand will give them the confidence they need, and allow you to make last-minute changes without impacting the budget, schedule, or crew.