Pre-Production Process Explained - What To Expect

WHAT IS PRE-PRODUCTION?

There are three stages of production:

• Pre-production: All of the necessary planning before filming.
• Production: Creation of all desired content (filming, photography, assets).
• Post-production: Footage is edited together to create the final video.

The pre-production stage is where all planning for the creation of content occurs.

At this stage, you will create documents such as scripts, storyboards, shot lists, moodboard and a call sheet.

This stage lays down all the groundwork for the rest of the production process. Spending a sufficient amount of time at this stage ensures that you’re well organised for the filming and editing of the video.

Business owners/marketing managers are usually heavily involved in the pre-production process. This is an opportunity to decide what the business want to achieve from the content being created.

Learn more about the overall production process by reading our other blog!

WHY IS PRE-PRODUCTION IMPORTANT?

When producing any type of content, good planning is vital.

Pre-production is a lot more than paperwork.

It’s important for everyone involved in the production process. It makes sure that the film crew and client know exactly what is going on, what content is being created and how it will be created. Ensuring all parties involved are on the same wave length.

Pre-production makes sure the rest of the production process runs as efficiently as possible.

This results in a better quality and more effective final product. All involved understand what areas to prioritise, allowing more time to be spent on the what is most important for the viewer to experience.

The opposite method would be to spend minimal time during the pre-production stage. This would result in areas to be over-shot which may not be required for the end film, meaning more time would need to be spent in the post-production stage to get the intended end result.

Hence why spending a large amount of time in the pre-production process is so important.

THE PRE-PRODUCTION PROCESS

So what actually happens during the pre-production process? Here’s an overview of what can be involved:

Once we know what content you want created and what you want it to achieve, we’ll put together a brief.

A brief is a document that is an overview of the video content you want created and what it needs to achieve. The brief ensures that both the business and the production company are happy with the content outcomes and what needs to be achieved.

INCLUDED IN THE BRIEF CAN BE:

Mood board: A collection of videos, images, text and other visual content which forms a visual collage. The mood board acts as inspiration to help all parties involved understand the look, feel and idea that the content is aiming to achieve.

Deliverables: This is a list of content you want created by the end of the production process. (For example: 1 brand film between 1-2 minutes long and 3 social media edits, each 10 seconds long.)

Script and Storyboard: No matter what you’re filming, some form of script and/or storyboard is essential. A clear, well written script is always needed. This document explains your entire video, from dialogue to every shot involved. This arguably can be the most difficult part of the pre-production process but it can also be the most fun. Let your creative ideas fly and get it down on paper. Eventually you can edit it down into a final polished version.

Call-sheet: This is the document that gives the timings, locations and details of what scenes are being filmed. It is rare that a script will be filmed linearly, that’s where the call sheets comes into play.

Once the brief has been created and agreed by all involved in the process, production can begin.

The brief will be used throughout the rest of the process.

Because of the time taken at the pre-production stage, everyone involved understand how to move forward with creating the content and are confident that a good quality product can be created.

The pre-production process is arguably the most important part of the production process.

As with anything: Good planning is key.

Once you have the process and systems in place to create content, the process is efficient for everyone involved.

When working with clients to produce any type of content, we help guide them through the pre-production process and make sure it flows at ease.

Do you want impactful content to promote your business? Lucky you: we create films, animations, photography and social adverts that generate results! Get in touch!