Media btec lvl 3

1. pre-production assessment
Beforeproducing a film or any form of video/moving image there are many
requirementsthat must be planned outin pre-production. Thisstage of
production is very important the requirementsof planning must be thorough
and detailed so when it comes to filming, it is all planned out thereforefilming is
not a tedious and long process. Pre-production however is notthe exact same
process for every film because it dependson the genre, so a sci-fi film will need
a longer pre-production than a comedy film for example because sci-fi films
need SFX and CGI and sets designed and more propsthan a comedy which
would just need locations being scouted out.
The requirementsof pre-production areasfollow; financing, timescales,
facilities, locations, personnel, additional materialsand codes of practice and
regulations
Part1: the requirementsof a moving image production
Financing is crucial for a film especially for Hollywood and big franchisefilms like
Star Warsor the HarryPotter Franchisewhich both heavily rely on special
effects and franchisesneed money for 3rd
parties that providetransportation,
props/costumes, clearancesAKA copyrighting material from the film such as
archive film footage, the soundtrack, consumer brands/productsand on top of
that the cast and crew need to be payed, actorspays differ extremely
depending on the popularity of them.
How you go aboutfinancing may differ as well as there are 2 methods, public or
private funding, public funding is funding that is provided by publically funded
agency, from monies allocated via tax relief, the National Lottery, or funded via
grantsprovided to supportthe arts from the Departmentof culture. In the UK
currentlya number of sources for project development and production support
for example the BFI film fund which is the lead agency for film in the UK. The BFI
film fund has a number of funding strands, investing over £26m of lottery funds
p/year to supportfilm development and productions.
Private funding is funding earned from investorssuch (doctors, lawyers, and
etc.) thereforethe film is seen as more financiallyattractive meaning its ability
to make profitand thereforeearn these investors money. Examples such as
Pre-sales is, based on the scriptand cast, selling the rightto distribute a film in
differentterritories before the film is completed.When the deal is made, the
distributor will insist the producersdeliver on certain elements of contentand
cast; if a material alteration is made, financing may collapse. distributorsand

2. sale agents will often make casting suggestions Pre-sales contractswith big-
name actorsor directorswill often have an essential element clause that allows
the buyer to get out of the contractif the star or director falls out of the picture
and a marquee equivalent cannotbe procured. Thereliance on pre-sales
explains the film industry's dependenceon movie stars, directorsand/or certain
film genres such as horror. Another exampleiscrowdfunding which is when
instead of investors investing money into a film, consumerswill also put in little
or large donationstowardsthe production of a film purely on the purposeon
the film being made. Crowdfunding platformssuch asKickstarter and Indiegogo
have their own categories dedicated to film. Crowdfunding filmsgives
the consumer a voice in what films arebeing produced, allowfor riskier, more
socially relevant, more innovative, less profit-oriented independentfilms with
smaller and marginaltarget audiences that can'tbe found in mainstream
cinema and lower the entry-barrier to new filmmakers.
Timescales is the effective managementof time and Is essential to a pre-
production. Castand crewwill often have other commitments in their
schedules for other productionsthereforeplanning mustbe morecareful and
precautious. Equipmentalso needs to be available at given times as well
depending on shots, I may be required thatyou need a camera rail for one
scene so you must have it available for that specific time. Realistic schedules for
production and post production mustbe accurately thoughtthrough – if
shooting overrunsthis can impact not only cast/crew availability, butalso
budgets. Pre-production could take3-6 month and shooting 2-4 Depending on
genre e.g. Jaws had terrible time managementand did not take all mattersinto
consideration “Shooting atsea caused delay after delay, as cast and crew
members got sick, camerasmalfunctioned, and resetting shots took hours.
Spielberg went so far as to estimate that out of a 12-hour workdayon Jaws,
only an averageof four hourswere spent actually filming something. Originally
scheduled for 55 days, principalphotographydroned on for 159 daysin total,
extremely over budget and over schedule.”
Facilities is a very importantand key element of pre-production aswell, without
the facilities required a film would be impossible to be created.
Facilities/equipment is importantand needed to be considered during pre-
preproduction becauseby planning outwhat is required when, a production
could cut a lot of the moneyfrom budget and is notwasting time/recourses and
allows more money to be spent on other variables. Equipmentis very important
because if a scene needed snowand you were shooting somewhere that didn’t
have snow in its naturalenvironment, a production mustbuy a snow machine

3. for example, and the same principle goes for if you need to hire e.g. if a scene
needed SFX makeup the production would haveto hirea 3rd
party companyto
provideand do the SFX. Butit would be a waste for example to keep the SFX
companyaround for a scene they weren’t needed this works. Hiring would be
moreeffective than buying for a low-budgetfilm because it would allow the
companyto cut costs effectively than buying outthe entire equipmentfacilities
however it would mean that the production is on a time limit to get the best
shot possible in the given amountof time, thereforecreating a risk factor to the
overall production and possibly lower the standard for the rest of the film
whereas purchasing thefacilities would removethe risk factor completely
however would lead to moreof the budgetbeing spent. So a production must
thoroughlycreatea balance for what it wants to carefullyinvest its moneyinto
to make that part of the film seem higher produced and not all films put what
money into what depending on genre e.g. a fantasy film may put moremoney
into costume and set design whereas a sci-fi film would put moreinto SFX and
post production/soundtrack.
Location is vital for pre-production aswhen finding a location there are many
requirementsa production mustensure beforethey go onto filming. The
director of photographywillmost likely scout locations out beforethey go onto
production to check if a location regulates health and safety concernsthat must
be documented and madesure that they will not happen during production. if
the land is private or councilowned, meaning that if someoneowns a plot of
land you must ask their own permission to shoot there and private land owners
will most likely chargefor the location to be used, whereas if it council owned
for example London Bridgeyou must ask the counciland if they allow it police
will typically barricadethe area from the public for 1-2 hourswhile you shoot it ,
this arises some of the same problemsthat hiring does, it puts the production in
a rush to shoot the actual scene and to create the best shot possible.
Personnel are really importantfor scenes that go beyond actorsbase skills e.g.
to say the film was a periodic drama in England and your lead role was
American, the production would havehire a speech specialist to ensure that the
actor was speaking correctlyand teaching them certain wordsor phrases to
make sure it stays accurate. This goes for a fighting scene as well in an action
film the actor will unlikely know howto fight so they will hire a specialist who
will make sure the actor is doing it correct, somewhatrealistic and most
importantlysafe to avoid any health and safety problems. On that note
productionsmayalso hire a stunt double for the actor to properlyensure it it
does rightand realistic, this stunt double will most likely have fighting

4. experience alreadyso they may not even hirea specialist but would depend on
the scene altogether.
Additionalmaterials arethings such as the script, storyboards, props, costumes
and sound libraries are all importantthings to be considered during pre-
production. Storyboardsallowthe director and cinematographersto visualize
each scene to help them cometo life and get an idea of what shots take place
when and where and is very importantwhen it comes to film because they
know what to shoot and there is no confusion. Scriptsareimportantbecause
they tell the actor what to say and without it the actor would have nothing to
say, a script must be handed beforeto an actor so they can practicelines and
often helps them get into character. Propsand costumes arealso key to a film
and to help production on a film, must be planned months in advanceand
organized for when it comes to film they know what comes where, the
costumes must be first designed and thought outthoroughlybeforebeing
made and often films go through manycostumes or at least many variationsof
the same type of costume e.g. having cuts or tears in them. Propsfacethe same
treatment because they also must be thoughtout for when and where they are
going to be used and designed beforeto not only be safe but also look and fit in
the genre of the film. Fantasy and periodic drama films will most likely go
through the most intensive prop and costume development because it requires
intricate design.
Codes of practicesand regulations are importantbecauseobtaining permission
for copyrighted material such as logosor music a production could besued
which results in a time being taken up and cost lots of money and the movie to
be delayed from being made/seen until the copyrighted material is removed
and must be documented and recorded. However to avoid this use material
that is public domain (not copyrighted) or make up fake brandswithin that
universe which a lot of films do e.g. changing appleproductsto another fruit
which is seen in a lot of films or just covering up brand logosall together.
Organizationslike pact helps to shape the best possible regulatoryand
legislative environmentfor the independentproduction sector to grow
domestically and internationally. The same principlegoes for health and safety
all hazardsand risks must be documented and recorded and must be explained
goes the production plansto make them risks safe to avoid nasty legal business
and someone personally suing the production which could also lead to the film
getting shut down all together. So films must make sure they adhereclosely to
accepted codesof practiceand followanyregulatoryrequirement if they want
to have a smooth film production

5. Part2: the formatsfor thepre-production process
The proposal is essentially a pitch that would be made to investorsto shareyour
idea for your film and persuadethem into funding and help create your film
with intent it would make profit. In this proposal one would sum up the premise
of the film, an overallsynopsis, character information (arches, developments,
etc), a summary of the structureof the narrativeand would consider your target
audience. They arebasically used as a bias of formulateideasover a project and
then ultimately pitch the idea to prospectiveinvestors. After this process is
completed the scriptcan be created.
Scripting: master scene script is the formatrequired bythe motion picture
industryfor modern screenplays beforethey aregreenlit for production.
Investorswill not read the script unless it is in the MMS format which is
standard for film production. Itismade up of description and dialoguewhich is
easy for the reader to followthe narrative. Itis split into Sceneheadings,
Narrativedescription, and Dialogueblocks.
Scene headingsare aka SLUGLINES and is composed of 3 parts. Interior vs
exterior , location, and time of day and is written all on the same line and
capitalised. Interior/exterior isalwaysabbreviated and Time of dayis limited to
DAY/NIGHTor theoccasionaluse of DUSK/DAWN. A typical scene heading would
look like this; EXT-CENTRAL PARK-DAY
NarrativeDescription is the telling of the story as it unfolds which means that
you can only write what can be seen and heard, meaning you can not write a
charactersfeelings and the only way to do this is through actionsor thoughts
that must be externalised by action, dialogueor flashback scenes. Timing is also
customarythat one pageof a MSS is 1 minute of screen time so they will usually
be 120+pages so the description of scenes should be very detailed to match
how long the scene is running for.
Dialogueblocks, also called "speeches," are composed of three parts
character name, wryly, and dialogue, Character namesare written in upper
case, wrylies are written in lower case inside parenthesis, and dialogueis
written in normalsentence case. A wryly indicateshow a line should be said
wyrlies should only be used if the subtextof the dialogue is not clear.
MSS should be in size 12 font, voice over and off screen abbreviated asV.O and
O.F. If a page should be continued it should be (CONTINUED) atthe bottom
rightand (CONT.) for thepage after
Scripting: shooting scripts is moreelaborateand intricate version of the
screenplay. It’salso not written by the screenwriter whereasit’s written by the

6. director and cinematographer whileboth of them discuss their ideas and shit
plan for themovie. The differencebetween the shooting and MSS is the latter is
moreof a selling tool towardsthe investorswhereasshooting is moreof a
production toolto help production. Scenenumbersareadded whereas they are
not in the MSS script and it features techniques such as the camera
composition/movementand edition of a scene. They are often regarded as
messy and unattractivefor their high amountof detail.
Storyboarding iswhen the scriptis completeit is converted into a storyboard
which evaluates both scripts and changesit unto something that can be visually
translated. This helps the director and cinematographygetan idea to visualise
the scenes potential problemsand to see whatthey look like. They also are a
greatindicator to the cost of a scene and save time producing.
Shooting schedule is a plan of what is being shot when and whereand what
days. Organised into the most critical and time saving plan as opposed to a
schedule for the entire shootwhereas this is being broken into focuson shots
and hours which cuts time and cost effectively. This schedule is based around
the storyboard and the shooting script and is importantto use a schedule
because it helps the production stayorganised againstitstimeline.
Other paperwork would be location release form, location scouting templates,
sound templates and copyrightclearance
Location release formswould be to formalisepermissions to use locations
owned by other people
Location scouting templates to collect relevant information aboutshooting
locations
Risk assessment to collect relevantinformation aboutpotential risksrelating to
shooting
Sound templates to chart wheresound maybe used
Part3: functionsof preproduction
The functionsof preproduction are
 Storyboard Artist: createsvisual images for thedirector to see
 Director:responsiblefor storytelling, creativedecisionsand acting of the
film
 Cinematographer: managing camera and lighting crewsand controlthe
selection and manipulation of technical equipmentto createstriking
images on a screen

7.  Assistant director: manages the shooting schedule and logistics of the
production
 Scripteditor: Makes changes to the scriptwith approval from director
 Artdirector: managesthe art department
 Costume designer: designs and createsthe costumes and garmentsfor
the characters
 Casting director: findsand scouts actorsfor the rolls
 Choreographer: co-ordinatesthemovementand dancefor the film
 Sound designed: creates the aural conception of the film
 Composer: creates and composes original music for thefilm
 Production sound mixer: the head of the sound departmentwho record
and mix the audio on set
 Location manager: findsand manages the film locations
 Production designer: createsthe visual conception of the film
 Unit production manager: managestheproduction budgetand
production schedule
The functionsof pre-production allowsideas to be changed, revised and
amended in case of any last creative decisions or unseen variables that may
happen for production. Thescriptfor examplemaychangeor scenes maybe cut
from it by the script editor who would typically identify anyproblemswith it ,
small or major details may be changed that could alter howthe film is played
out all together. Multiple writerseven mayjoin on the script which could cause
a major artistic problem because notall writersmay envision the same film and
may wantto push certain plot points or aspects of the film depending on the
audience or genre. It mayjust not be the script thatchanges things like visual,
set, costume and prop ideas may be adapted or dropped all depending on the
location or the production companycutting partsoutdue to the deadline or the
advised running time of the film which would result in directorscutof the film
being produced depending on the success of the film altogether. It would also
depend on location as well because manyweather variablesmay happen like it
being winter and only having a certain amountof daylightto shoot or heavy
snow when snow wasn’toriginallyenvisioned in the storyboard/screenplayso
locationscould changeeasily. This however is all the morereason pre-
production should bethorough and long because of unseen variables that may
arise and slight changesthat should be made which can either prolong or cut
the amountof time a film has to be made. A preproduction thatsticksto its
schedule will also help prolong thetime thatmay be ‘wasted’ on other
problemsbecause they arebound to turn up. A well planned and intricate pre-
production encourages collaboration fortheprosand consof differentideas

8. and gives time for the best decision to be madefor the film to ensure
commercialsuccess.
Part4: The purposeof pre-production
As well as assisting in the success of a project, a robust pre-production hassome
specific practicalpurposesrelating to legal and ethical responsibility which is a
very importantthing that media companies undertake pre-production workis
because they are planning to produceadheresto the relevantcodes of practice,
laws and regulationsthatgovern and controlthe industry. The legal issues
media companiesundertake areto ensure:health and safety proceduresand
paperworkin place, permissions arein place for the use of copyrighted material,
privately owned locations and permissions in the form of contractsfor those
appearing in work. Thereis also public liability which is another legal
requirement for companiesand organization’swho areinvolved in creative
media production, particularlywhen they are recording on location thepublic
may be at risk from the production activities. There also comes a legal issue
when to filming in the street, you must ask your local councilof filming for
permission to film by filling out a filming slip to obtain a license to film. Thereis
also complianceaudits which is a comprehensivereview of an organizations
adherenceto regulatoryguidelines. Independent consultantsevaluatethe
strength and thoroughnessof compliancepreparations. Auditorsreview security
policies, user access controlsand risk managementprocedures over thecourse
of a complicitaudit. It is essential thereforeto maintain a intricatepre-
production to ensurethere is no problemslegally in the event of an audit. The
BBFC is the UK’s regulator of film and video, providing ageratingsto film
materials. They area designated bodyand as such havelegal powersto rate,
cut or even reject works. decisions are based on public consultation and
Guidelines, which form a contractbetween the public, the film industryand the
BBFC. They areupdated every four yearsfollowing a major public consultation.
Film productionswillhave targetaudiences and distribution platformsin mind,
leading to a morecarefulpre-production and decisionsmayby influenced by
the targetaudiences. Film productionsoften includea largelist of cast and crew
involvement meaning Effective pre-production and thorough and organized
recordsallowsharing of information acrossrelevantpartieseffectively, to
ensureall involved are working together efficiently. A thorough preproduction
also means that there will be less of a time consumption when it comes to
filming and less budgetto be wasted by avoiding legal difficultiesalong the way
with location, scheduling and such by being thorough it allows for thefilm to be

9. moreprepared when it comes to minor mistakes which in turn leads to a
seemingly moredeveloped and processed film.