Pre-Production
What is Pre-Production?
Pre-Production is the planning that needs to take place before any filming/recording should take place.
It involves the planning out of your idea, producing storyboards and scripts to help with creating your end production. Pre-Production can be applied to any type of media you are planning to create. There are many other steps in the pre-production process such as risk assessment, locations, casting, crew etc but we're just going to look at the very basics to help you get started.
Why should I do/use Pre-Production?
Doing at least the following for your project will save you so much time, energy and stress later on. You can't just pick up a camera and create a video you need to know what is going in your video and how you are going to create it. Plus these stages will help with all parts of the project even when you start to edit!
Planning
Where to start?
The initial starting point in developing your idea into a production is the same as any academic project. Interpret the brief and set the parameters of what you want to accomplish fulfilling what is asked.
Format
What type of media will you be creating, is it Dramatic? Presentational? Interview? What suits the brief story and length of your piece?
Audience
Who is your story intended for? How will this affect how you will need to tell it? What language will you need to use?
Style / Genre
What opportunities or advantages do you have to use a stylistic way of telling a story? (be aware of styles that suit your narrative)
Script
The script tells us what is going to happen in your production and the order it will happen. Setting out a coherent script lets you effectively set out the action, dialogue and sound & visual effects you will present.
It doesn't have to be complex
It should be in order of the final project
It should break down action to its component parts
Should include Location, Dialogue, description of anything we will see or hear
The 3 Column Script
A basic script can be split into 3 columns and doesn't need to be complicated.
Simply describe the picture we will see and what sounds (voice, background/location noise etc) need to be recorded.
Storyboard
A storyboard will help visualise your idea for film. It will help explain the look and feel you are wanting to achieve. A storyboard can make the process a lot easier, not only in getting people to understand your idea but also when it comes to Production, it will give you an idea of what the scenes should look like and exactly what you need to film.
Draw what you want to see
Don't be afraid to draw a lot
Feel free to annotate drawings (a storyboard is about explaining)
You don't need to be an artist but you do need to be able to understand it for when you start filming.
