Pre Production Advice

By Joseph Allan


Pre-production is the phase of fine-tuning ideas and planning prior to the process of production. In a live-action movie sense it is the period before filming starts. In an animation sense it is the period before any real animating takes place. Pre production is a major step when creating corporate videos too - it's no less important!

Scripting and storyboarding are important in the pre-production of a project, they make sure that there is a vision and plan for when it comes to the filming. They both take on crucial features of the filming process. Scripting is crucial to ensure that all the needed material is included, whether this is a well developed script leaving no room of improvisation or bullet pointed topics of conversation. Scripting is not just used for speech but can also be used for movement, to express a specific message through the gestures of the actor or actress. Scripting and storyboarding are quite similar, one dealing with the people/person being shot and the other dealing with those behind the camera, filming the action. Storyboarding provides for a visual for the various shots that could be used during filming, so that everyone included has a definite understanding of exactly what the final outcome will look like shot by shot, and also to ensure filming on the day runs effortlessly. The storyboards do not have to be drawn amazingly, yet they are important to structure how the filming will take place with the various camera angles and shots.

Looking back at when I started studying the film and production side of things. I did not realise the benefits of storyboarding until it was far to late - on the day of filming when things became very intense and stressful with the deadline fast approaching. Without a planned storyboard it got more and more unorganised and unenjoyable. I have however, learnt from past mistakes and ever since have made sure that a well thought through storyboard always features in the pre-production process. Making sure that it continues to develop and progress all the way through the entire planning phase to make sure that we are all pleased with the final result.

Scripting and storyboarding and writing a treatment are all crucial in the pre-production of a project, they ensure that there is a vision and plan for when it comes to the filming. They both undertake fundamental features of the filming process. Scripting and storyboarding are relatively similar, one dealing with the people/person being shot and the other dealing with those behind the camera, filming the action. Storyboarding is the practice of pre-visualizing a production through drawn, painted or rendered pictures called storyboards. In the past, storyboarding costs restricted the practice to productions with modest budgets. But recent software releases allow anyone to build storyboards using pre-created people, props and scenery. Most programs have multiple aspect ratios and import scripts, photos and scanned images for use as well.

Once you have a basic way of coordinating what you're going to film, it makes the mammoth task of going through the footage and beginning to put everything together a lot easier. Then when it comes to editing you just need to take some initiative and sort the clips into relevant bins or folders. Unfortunately this is something I'm yet to learn, only when I'm tearing my hair out through editing related stress do I think "why didn't I just rename that clip?". I can only urge that you learn from my production woes and take some time to prepare, beginning with pre-production which will undoubtedly benefit you later on. That way you won't have your housemates tidying up after you.

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