Pre Production Checklist For Video Shoots: Keep Your Shoot Organized
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail! When it comes to putting together a video shoot, you need to make sure that you are ready to go when the day of the shoot rolls around, and this means making a pre production checklist.
This is the document that you will work to when it comes to ensuring all of the pieces are in place to make the filmmaking process run as smoothly as possible.
What should be in a movie pre production checklist?
In this guide, we explain the aspects that you should consider when building your checklist, all the while remembering that it may vary depending on which type of video you are making.
A music video pre production meeting checklist may vary slightly when compared with one for a documentary or a feature film.
What is a Pre Production Process checklist:
The pre-production process is the process of creating a project before it’s even written. It includes the creation of storyboards, concept art, and casting.
Ideally, this process should be done by a team that has been working together for a long time. If there are multiple people working on the film production, each person should be responsible for their own part of the process.
Production Crew:
No production begins with no crew. Whether you have a relatively small and modest crew for your production or you need to coordinate a huge crew of people, their jobs and roles should be outlined prior to starting your video project. The film pre production checklist is the place to do this.
This will act as a roll call but also help to ensure that you have covered all of the jobs and tasks that are going to be required on the day.
Shot List:
Another blueprint for your production is the shot list.
Which shots do you need to get?
This will be closely linked to your storyboard, and it creates a checklist for the crew to work to. Have you got all the shots you need?
This is another aspect of your pre production checklist that can vary. A music pre production checklist may base its shot list around ensuring that all of the singing has been covered.
A documentary pre production checklist might have to be more flexible (you can plan interviews, but you may not be able to plan how long they will be or exactly what will be said).
Your shot list should be deliberated over before you shoot to make sure you don’t forget any of the vital footage you are going to need on the shoot.
Storyboard and Script:
The storyboard and script will be used as building blocks of your shot list.
You still need them on the shoot and to ensure that everything has been storyboarded as much as possible.
Again, sometimes you might have to be more flexible, pre production checklists for a documentary may not be able to storyboard every scene as the footage may have to be more improvisational if there is no exact script breakdown.
All of the actors must have learned the script breakdown process in detail beforehand, it goes without saying.
Production Design and Props:
Production design must be complete and ready to go before the shoot gets underway. This relates to locations, and a lot of it can be prepared beforehand on a film set.
Production designers may also be responsible for props which need to be in place and ready to use on the day.
Your shot list may also have a section that outlines which props are required, which can help you to make sure nothing gets lost or forgotten about.
Paperwork:
There is often some paperwork involved, especially when shooting on location.
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Paperwork and legal permission is another aspect of your pre production checklist, and is something to ensure is totally ready before the shoot gets underway.
Equipment:
An equipment list is also absolutely crucial, and outlines all of the equipment needed for the technical side of the shoot.
From the cameras, to memory cards, chargers, laptops, displays, and more. This will vary depending on how complex the shoot is, but it provides you with a list to work with before the photo shoot.
Professional production houses will have a process for ensuring the equipment is prepared and ready on the day. The last thing you want is to be let down by a lack of equipment, a broken lens, or full memory cards.
Do you need an art department at the pre production phase?
Having an art department pre production team will help you add a special touch to the whole project, but there are many good projects without one.
It’s important to make sure that everything in your film is as perfect as possible. This can include things like the overall look and feel of the film shoot, as well as any costume or prop designs.
You want everyone involved to be able to clearly see what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.
An art department would help with this by providing a creative vision for all of those design elements, so that everyone can understand where they need to go and how they need to get there.
Summary
No two pre production checklists are identical, but they all serve the same, crucial purpose; making sure everything runs to plan (as much as possible) when the time to shoot your film arrives.
This document should never be overlooked. Fortunately, by working with Insight Studios, we can handle all aspects of pre production including creating a detailed pre production checklist for your shoot.
Bring your dreams into reality on screen. Reach out to Insight Studios today.