Unit 4 - Pre Production

1. UNIT 4: PRE-PRODUCTION PORTFOLIO
THE REQUIREMENTS OF A MOVING IMAGE PRODUCTION:
FINANCING
Film financing is an important aspect of filmproduction that occurs in the early stages of
development and pre-production before a film is created. Financing is crucial as films cost
money. When producing a filmthere are many things you need to consider in terms of
financing for; examples of this would be: cast and crew need to be paid for, facilities may
need to be hired, equipment may need to be hired or purchased, props and costumes will
need to be provided as well transport between locations and budgeting for copyright
clearances for example use of soundtracks. There are two sources that a filmcan pull money
from: private sources and public sources. An example of public sourcing would be
government grants. Government grants contain a number of government run programs to
subsidies the cost of producing films. For instance, until march 2011 when it was abolished,
in the United Kingdom the UK Film Council provided national lottery funding to producers,
as long as certain requirements were met. Many of the Council’s purposes have been taken
over by the British Film Institute. States such as Georgia, Ohio, Louisiana, New York,
Connecticut, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, and New Mexico, will provide a subsidy or tax
credit provided all or part of a film is filmed in that state. Governments are willing to
provide these subsidies as they hope it will attract creative individuals to their territory and
stimulate employment. Also, a film shot in a particular location can have the benefit of
advertising that location to an international audience. Government subsidies are often pure
grants, where the government expects no financial return. Another example of a private
source would be tax incentives. A few U.S. states and Canadian provinces have between
15% and 70% tax or cash incentives for labor, production costs or services on bona fide
film/television/PCgame expenditures. Each state and province differs. These so-called "soft-
money" incentives are generally not realized until a theatrical or interactive production is
completed, all payments are made to workers, financial institutions, and rental or prop
companies within the state or province offering the incentives. Many other limitations may
apply for example, actors, cast and crew may have to take up residence in the state or
province. Often, a certain amount of physical shooting must be completed within the state
borders, and/or the use of the state's institutions. This would include rental facilities, banks,
insurance companies, sound stages or studios, agents, agencies, brokers, catering
companies, hotel/motels, etc. Each may also have to be physically domiciled within the
state or province's borders. Finally, additional incentives, another 5% to 25% on top of the
already generous soft money, may be offered for off-season, low-income area, or family
entertainment projects shot in places of economic impoverishment or during poor weather
condition months in a hurricane-prone state or Arctic province. A number of countries have
introduced legislation that has the effect of generating enhanced tax deductions for
producers or owners of films. Incentives are created which effectively sell the enhanced tax
deductions to wealthy individuals with large tax liabilities for example the IRS code sections
181 and 199. The individual will often become the legal owner of the filmor certain rights
relating to the film. In 2007 the United Kingdom government introduced the Producer's Tax
Credit which results in a direct cash subsidy from the treasury to the film producer. On the
other hand a film production company can pull funds from a private source. An example of a
private source would be: Slate Financing. A relatively new method of financing, slate
financing "involves an investment in a specified number of studio films ranging from a mere

2. handful to dozens of pictures", typically by private equity firms and hedge funds. The rise in
numbers of slate financing is representative example of the "complex relationship that has
developed between the studios and Wall Street". Between 2005 and 2008, hedge funds
invested an estimated $4 billion in studio film slates and private equity firms invested $8
billion. The idea for slate financing came from "multifilm credit lines" that banks and
investment firms created for studios in the late 1990s. There were three main advantages to
this strategy: risk mitigation, since funds covered a pool of movies rather than one film, less
interference from investors, and freeing up studio equity towards "big-budget franchises"
for which they do not have trouble fundraising. In 2005, Relativity Media CEO Ryan
Kavanaugh built upon these points to structure the first slate financing deal, a 17-picture
joint deal with Sony Pictures and Universal Studios called Gun Hill Road that was backed by
$600 million from hedge funds. Slate financing preserved the benefits of the earlier credit
lines, as it allows them to risk less of their own capital when financing high-budget films.
After deducting production costs, including prints and advertising and residuals, studios split
remaining box office revenue with investing partners; oftentimes they also split revenue
from DVD and merchandise sales. Another example of public funding would be Individual
Investors. One of the hardest types of film financing pieces to obtain is private investor
funds. These are funds invested by an individual who is looking to possibly add more risk to
their investment portfolio, or a high-net-worth individual with a keen interest in films. While
there are a few steps to cover between development funding and capital funding, with
regard to the latter, any capital funding that is approached, whether that source is private
equity (private individuals and /or funding groups), or debt financing (finance institutions
and /or banks), is going to require that you have certain necessary elements in place before
they consider financing your project. These elements include marketplace analytics,
audience analytics, a bondable schedule and budget, and a distribution plan. The difference
between public and private sources of funding is public funding come from a federal, state
or other publically funded agency. Private funding does not entail public funds and may
include both grants and gifts, depending on the organization’s intentions.
TIMESCALES
Investors won’t pay money into a filmif they don't know when they will get it back. If this
timeline is broken they might not be willing to pay more. Films need timelines to operate.
For things along the lines of Insurance, actor’s availability and Investors, it is crucial that the
whole filmhas a tight schedule. Also, actors may be unavailable at certain times. A time
scale is important because cast and crew will often have other commitments in their
schedules, therefore planning must carefully consider when all the required components
are available at any given time, another example of this is equipment; will the equipment
required be available at the time its needed. Realistic schedules need to be put in place so
that everything runs smoothly, if shooting overruns it can affect multiple things including
cast/crew and budget.
FACILITIES
A main element of pre-production is the consideration of what materials and equipment will
be required in order to successfully produce the film. There are many things that need to be
considered in terms of equipment such as props, lenses and certain cameras. More thought
will also have to be put into where will the equipment be sourced from; will it be purchased

3. or hired? Facilities need to be considered when in post-production too for example editing
software or access to foley tracks
LOCATIONS
A successful pre-production requires all locations to be thoroughly researched and
considered prior to shooting. This entails: identification and reccess, this involves visiting
and scouting out locations to find out whether or not they are fit to be shot at. It also entails
consideration of any limitations of the site for example; distance, access, hiring cost,
weather issues. When conducting an effective recce you will have to consider different
things, for example, transport links and parking. Production days are long, ease and access
for the cast and crew is essential in order for production to get off on time. Many
departments will travel in a car or a van so nearby parking is essential to aid the production
team when they have to unload their equipment; camera, lighting, hair, make up and
costume are all most likely to arrive in vehicles. Another example of something that has to
be considered for an effective recce is space. The size of the production footprint can be
really quite surprising. When you are scoping a potential location always factor in enough
space for the lights and the camera and the small army of people who will sit behind the
monitor. If you’re using a larger camera, you might also be using a dolly too. In this scenario
you might also need to make allowances for the size of camera track you will need. An
effective recce would avoid major or serious problems directly related to a lack of planning.
For example, fires, in consideration to fires thought needs to be put into sprinkler systems,
alarm systems, fire equipment, fire personnel and evacuation systems. Otherwise a serious
incident could occur.
PERSONNEL
Any filmmust clearly identify the personnel required. Many specialist crew members need
to be hired such as: production manager, casting director, camera operators. However, the
personnel is not just restricted to cast and crew, but also any extras needed, or the advice of
experts or specialists who may be working to ensure an accurate, smooth shooting for
example stunt crew or advisors. Careful consideration must be given to match the skills of
all the crew with the jobs allocated.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
In a pre-production there are additional materials that need to be considered. AN example
of this would be scripts and storyboards; A storyboard is a graphic representation of how
your video will unfold, shot by shot. It's made up of a number of squares with illustrations or
pictures representing each shot, with notes about what's going on in the scene and what's
being said in the script during that shot, a script is the written text of a play, film, or
broadcast. Another example of addition materials would be original filmed materials,
archive or library materials, sound or sound library materials, props and costumes, assets.
CODES OF PRACTICE AND REGULATIONS
All filming projects must make sure they adhere closely to accepted codes of practice and
follow any regulatory requirements. When planning pre-production an example of the
codes of practice or regulations that are important could be health and safety; rigorous
health and safety and risk assessments must be maintained and stored incase an incident

4. occurs. Another example would be copyright. All relevant clearances for copyrighted
materials must be obtained and documented to prevent a claimagainst the production.
THE FORMATS FOR PRE-PRODUCTION PROCESS
THE PROPOSAL
The proposal sums up the premise of your film- it provides a brief synopsis, key character
information, sums up the structure of the narrative and considers a target audience.
Proposals are used as a basis with which to formulate ideas over a project, and then
ultimately to ‘pitch’ the concept to prospective investors. To write a proposal, you will need
to include a synopsis, the logline which is 30 seconds to describe the plot in a captivating
way to be able to state the main concept of your story in one sentence, screenplay
structure, characters/actors, film treatment which should read like a short story and be
written in the past tense, this presents the entire story and is in more detail than the
synopsis, production crew. For example, who the producer, director, writer etc. are. It
should also include a mood board, storyboard templates, target audience and budget. Once
the proposal is complete, a script can be written.
SCRIPTING: MASTER SCENE SCRIPT
The accepted formatting for filmscripting is done in what is known as master scene script.
Prospective studios will not even read scripts that are not produced in this format. This is
the standard and accepted format for filmproduction. It is designed to offer a
straightforward and accessible format for producers to show to investors. It offers a mix of
description and dialogue to allow the reader to easily follow the story – the story is the most
important thing, and as such technical information is very limited within MSS format. MSS is
split into SCENE HEADINGS, NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION, and DIALOGUE BLOCKS.
A scene heading is known as a SLUGLINE, and is composed of three parts:
 Interior vs. exterior
 Location
 Time of day
The three parts are written on one line and capitalized, as in the example below. Interior
and exterior are at all times abbreviated as INT. and EXT. Time of day is limited to DAY and
NIGHT, with the occasional use of DAWN and DUSK. For example, INT. THE MEDIA
CLASSROOM- DAY
Narrative description is the telling of the story as it unfolds on screen. It begins directly
below the scene heading. The writing should be lean and visual, focusing on action that
moves the story forward. Though concise, it should have enough flair to engage readers.
Write Only What Can be Seen and Heard - Unlike a novel, everything in a screenplay must
be recorded in terms of picture and sound. Therefore, narrative description should never
include anything that cannot be seen or heard. For example, you cannot describe a
character's feelings, since this cannot be recorded. To convey a character's feelings,
thoughts, and memories they must be externalized in some way. This can be through action,
dialogue or flashback scenes.

5. Timing - It is a customary assumption in the movie industry that 1 page of screenplay equals
1 minute of time on screen. This is convenient for planning purposes. Since the average
feature is 120 minutes, the average script should be about 120 pages in length. Because of
this convention, description passages should cover as many pages as the scene is expected
to run in real time. For example, if you sense that an action scene will take a minute of
screen time, it should be written to cover 1 page, rather than 1 line.
Dialogue blocks, also called "speeches," are composed of three parts: character name,
wryly, and dialogue, as illustrated below: Character names are written in upper case, wrylies
are written in lower case inside parenthesis, and dialogue is written in normal sentence
case. A wryly indicates how a line should be said. It was named after all the novice
screenwriters whose characters say things in a "wry" way. Wrylies should only be used if the
subtext of the dialogue is not clear. Keep them to a bare minimum.
MSS-
 Font always courier and size 12.
 Sluglines and character names in dialogue in capital letters.
 Voiceover and offscreen used as (V.O. and O.S.).
 Footers at the bottom right of a page say (CONTINUED) only where a scene moves
from one page to the next, the next pages has (CONT.) top left. When writing a spec
script don't use:
 scene numbers
 camera angles
 page footers are not always required on spec. scripts
 caps for sound effects in narrative description
 caps for character names in narrative description (except when first appearing)
 third person use of "we" (e.g. "We see John storm out...")
SCRIPTING: SHOOTING SCRIPT
Shooting scripts are scripts used during production to shoot the movie. They are written
with much more detail than spec scripts and may include, among other things, scene
numbers, editing transitions, and camera angles.
Since shooting scripts are used in production, they are formatted to include any helpful
information that the director may request. They are not used for selling purposes. Shooting
scripts can be difficult to read and will turn off prospective investors. This approach is used
when the script is going directly into production. In broad terms, the main difference
between the screenplay and the shooting script is that the screenplay is a selling tool,
whereas the shooting script is a production tool. Scene numbers are added; these remain
constant through any revisions (which are printed on coloured paper) Techniques are
included to help the crew shoot on set; these can include camera composition/movement
and editing. STORYBOARDING Once a script is completed, this is converted into a storyboard
Storyboarding evaluates a screenplay and pictures it in terms of separate shots that can be
visually translated into individual storyboard panels. This helps film directors and
cinematographers visualize the scenes and find potential problems before they occur.
Besides this, storyboards also help estimate the cost of the overall production and saves

6. time in shooting. Some directors such as Alfred Hitchcock were famous for storyboarding in
great depth, visualizing the film extensively prior to shooting on set.
SHOOTING SCHEDULES
Utilizing the storyboards and the shooting script, a shooting schedule is created This is a
breakdown of everything planned to shoot for each day of the shoot – organized into the
most logical and efficient order to shoot. As opposed to a schedule for the entire shoot,
focusing on scenes and days, this schedule focus of shots and hours. A shooting schedule is
essential for a smooth and efficient shoot (which cuts down on time, hence budget and
allows plenty of coverage to be shot)
OTHER PAPERWORK
• Location Release Forms – to formalize permissions to use locations owned by other
people
• Location Scouting Templates – to collect relevant information about shooting
locations
• Risk Assessments – To collect relevant information about potential risks relating to
shooting
• Sound Templates – To chart where sound may be used
• Copyright Clearances – To collate any rights issues that have been actioned
THE FUNCTIONS OF PRE-PRODUCTION
Scripts for example can go through multiple drafts and redrafts. Script editors can be utilized
to identify potential problems with scripts. Multiple writers may write on one project.
Likewise, visual ideas may be adopted then dropped. For example, costumes and set
designs. Locations may be considered and discounted. This allows for collaboration and the
weighing up of pros and cons to each idea. For the starts of a movie and in the beginning
stages of pre-production, everyone needs to establish team goals and team members
strengths. This will encourage innovation and expectations better. To build the success
between a team, you will need to encourage people to socialize outside of work which will
release stress and will help with clear collaborative. The team needs to create an action
plan. This will help with the development of the production as it will see if ideas work, this
will help to see if anything will need to be tweaked is advance and will give an advantage.
THE PURPOSE OF PRE-PRODUCTION
As well as assisting in the success of a project, a robust pre-production has some specific
practical purposes relating to legal and ethical responsibility One of the reasons that media
companies undertake pre-production work is to make sure that what they are planning to
produce adheres to the relevant codes of practice, laws and regulations that govern and
control their industry.
LEGAL ISSUES:

7. • Health and Safety procedures and paperwork in place
• Permissions in place for the use of copyrighted material
• Permissions in place for the use of privately-owned locations
• Permissions in place in the form of contracts for those appearing in work
Public liability
• Public liability is another legal requirement for companies and organizations who are
involved in creative media production, particularly when they are recording on
location where members of the public may be at risk from the production activities.
LEGAL ISSUES:
• Street Filming
• Permissions must be sought and approved for filming in any public spaces, and
filming licenses obtained.
COMPLIANCE AUDITS:
• A compliance audit is a comprehensive review of an organization's adherence to
regulatory guidelines. Independent consultants evaluate the strength and
thoroughness of compliance preparations. Auditors review security polices, user
access controls and risk management procedures over the course of a compliance
audit.
• It is essential therefore to maintain a thorough pre-production to adhere to any legal
responsibilities in the event of such an audit
The BBFC is the UK’s regulator of filmand video, providing age ratings to film materials.
They are a designated body and as such have legal powers to rate, and sometimes cut or
even reject works. All decisions are based on public consultation and our Guidelines, which
form a contract between the public, the film industry and the BBFC. They are updated every
four years following a major public consultation. Film productions will have target
audiences/distribution platforms in mind, therefore careful pre-production decisions may by
influenced by target audiences/envisaged certificate requirements