The pre-production phase gives our vision, which we conceived in phase 1, a solid and definite direction. This phase is key to giving legs to your project. Before you move forward, it is key to have a completed script, storyboard, production schedule and any other logistics you will need to solve to complete your video project. If you do move forward without completing the pre-production duties, you risk cost overruns in the form of production delays or paying for unanticipated costs. Having a thorough pre-production plan helps keep your entire team on task and in the loop. A video production rarely consists of a single person, so It is key that all those that are working with you are well informed.
The scripting of your video project can be the most fun and rewarding part of the video, apart from actually completing the project. This is where you get to really flex your creative muscles and express yourself or the message of your project. This is when you want to really think about the tone and voice of your video.
You can set the theme and the tone of a video without saying a single word, but as soon as words are uttered, you set the standard for your message. This is also a place where it might be wise to defer to others for script writing help. This is an important place to have outside input. As the head of your video project, you will most likely have to wear a number of different hats. Director, writer, director of photography, editing etc. If you don’t feel comfortable assuming all the responsibility, bringing in a writer might be wise. A writer doesn’t mean that you are relinquishing creative control, it just means you are delegating to make the most of your video project. In the same breadth, you don’t want to completely remove yourself from the scripting process. As the head of your project, you need to have a hand in every single aspect of your video.
During the scriptwriting process, it also important to involve your client, if you are doing a video for somebody else. You don’t want to put hours into scripting out a 30 minute video and in the end the client isn’t pleased or happy with the output. By keeping them informed and in the loop, you are able to complete a video that both you and your client is enthused with. By that same token, over involvement is also something to be wary about. If you allow the client to constantly make changes, you risk not making your deadline and creating an inferior project. It is important to define the roles for you and your client and make sure that they understand their bounds. It is important to receive their advice and guidance, but is important to remember that you are the one that is tasked with making the video, ultimately the responsibility for the project will fall on you. It is alright if you are doing a project where the client is assuming the majority of creative control, it is important to highlight the risks involved to the client. Just be wary of the inherent risk of this kind of arrangement. Never engage in a project that you don’t feel comfortable with. The backlash from embarking on a project that you are not capable of completing often outweighs any benefit you may get for taking on the project. Remember, your reputation as a filmmaker is always on the line with anything you create. You are an artist, and as an artist you are constantly at the mercy of reviews and criticism. Once you get a bad reputation for whatever reason, it is hard to get rid of that label, especially in film making where your portfolio is usually readily available to many people.
Depending on where you are in your project, the order in which you complete your script and storyboard can vary. If you have a strong vision or idea of the dialogue in the video will be, it may be useful to be create a storyboard first. Putting images to words can be easier if your vision is strong enough. And vice versa, if you have a strong idea of what images you want to show on screen, it may be more helpful to hash a script out with that vision in mind. Ultimately, the order in which you complete these 2 tasks will depend on your circumstances. It isn’t that important because you will most likely completing them both within a short time of each other. And just like the writing portion of your scripting process, it might be wise to include a DP in your storyboarding process.
A dedicated DP can help figure out what is actually feasible or proper. Translating the images from your head to paper to film is not always a smooth streamlined process. You often have to take into account just what is possible to capture. Having somebody who makes their living looking through the viewfinder often lends a very useful perspective. It is important to have both of these tasks done before moving on. They are both equally important in creating you plan for you project. And again, depending on the individual circumstances of your video, the storyboarding may not be that involved. For example, if your project includes doing a simple video profile, your storyboard might be just outlining the different shots you might do within that profile. It could be as simple as outlining 2 or 3 different shots that just vary in depth. Just putting those ideas to paper help simplify the actual filming process. It can also be a good way to get inspiration for the rest of your project. I have often found myself gaining inspiration from just looking at my completed storyboard and ultimately making changes.
Both of these factors are crucial to production scheduling and completing your project in a timely manner as well as creating a quality product. Often, the problems you face in the production process can be attributed to poor pre-production processes and failing to adhere to a reasonable production schedule. One of the biggest mistake is simply not budgeting enough time into your schedule. A solid production schedule is the glue that keeps your project humming and enjoyable. It is also very important to be realistic with your time constraints. It isn’t worth it to promise an unattainable timeline to your client to just appease them. Be forward and honest with your client as well as yourself. Again, your reputation is very important to creating a pleasant working atmosphere as well your future prospects.
