The 12 Must-Knows of Pre-Production

Traveling for Photo and Video Shoots — 12 Mission Critical Tips for Pre-Production

Scrolling through my Reader, this article from the Chase Jarvis blog caught my eye. It's a couple pointers on how to not screw up your pre-pro so your production runs smoothly. Having this blog aimed toward more bigger filmmakers/photographers, I couldn't relate to a few. However the essential points were definitely there. Tips 6 and 7 led me to huge dramatic flashbacks from the previous years I've spent in Art Of Video.

6. Keep your options open. If our team has a hard decisionchoices on any matter, for example 2 different locations or 2 different talent, I always try to reserve or hold both and cancel one later. It’s a much smarter option than being stuck with no options. Sometimes, to keep an option, you may need to pay a ‘kill fee’ or cancellation fee to be able to hold the dates as you get closer to the shoot. Balance that benefit against your budget.

7. Make up your mind. This is the polar opposite to the above, but when you can, don’t waste your time, money and energy. Just make sure that you have buy off from the client to lock in the details.

The two tips contrast each other, but a good director would know that the 2 go together so well. As I read this, I instantly thought of the past years' short films. One instance during the production of "A Soldier Apart" was when we were torn between locations. We ended up scouting one area in San Bruno Park, lugging around a light kit and backpacks, got lost, then ended up utilizing a different location anyway. As a take-home message, PRE-PRODUCTION IS KEY TO A SMOOTH PRODUCTION. Organize your film well before you go out and start filming. A planned out film is way better than one being filmed on the spot.