Pre-Production Tips Part 2 of 2
// April 28th, 2009 // No Comments » // filmmaking, podcast
Here is the second of a two part podcast on the topic of pre-production. This is basically some notes and tips we’ve gathered from our own production experiences. Below is a few of the topics we’ll cover over the two episodes.
Get organized as soon as possible.
- Keep a calendar and develop a production schedule (OmniPlan)
- Invest in a rolodex or group contacts together. Schedule meetings with your principal crew (Google Groups)
- Keep a running to-do list (Evernote)
Delegate!
- Assemble a good core of principal production people (i.e. DP, assistant director, PA’s)
- Trust the people you delegate responsibility to. They’ll do your job if you let them.
- Collaborate BEFORE production. Nothing halts production more than a director and DP who can’t decide on the best way to do a certain shot. Plan out things like shot sheets before hand. Again, be flexible and leave something’s for the set
Casting is key
- Find actors that are above all easy to work with. At this level of film making a difficult actor (or director, for that matter) can implode a production
- Uses asides from your script. Actors auditioning will have a better idea of the tone of the film and there will be less surprises. (Skype)
- Rehearse your actors but let them find their characters. Again at this level, the more you can delegate the better. Everyone learns from everyone else and many times a talented actor will bring (and should bring) something to the character you never would have thought of.
Be courteous and professional with everyone you deal with.
- Be prompt in responses
- Be assertive of your needs up front
- Be ready to adjust if need be
- Know when to direct and when to watch.
Leave your pre-production tips, tricks, and strategies in the comments section below. We’d love to hear your experience with some of these topics.
