The document outlines the key aspects that must be addressed during film pre-production. This includes securing financing, establishing timescales, acquiring necessary facilities and equipment, selecting suitable locations, hiring specialized personnel, developing additional materials like scripts and storyboards, and ensuring all legal and ethical requirements are met. A thorough pre-production is crucial to the success of a film production by anticipating challenges and maintaining efficiency.

1. Pre-production requirements:
Section 1
Financing:
Sourcing financing is the procedure of finding the funding to pay for the film production. It is
crucial to organize the financing for production because it establishes your budget and
ensures that all these necessary expenses will be paid for before you begin filming. These
expenses include:
 Paying cast and crew.
 Transportation between locations.
 Purchasing/hiring necessary equipment.
 Possibly hiring locations/facilities.
 Props/costumes will need to be funded.
 You will also need to add any clearances for the use of copyrighted materials into
the budget.
Furthermore, having all financing sourced and accounted for before you begin filming
increases efficiency. Avoiding problems such as going over budget and not being able to
afford certain equipment during production. The two main sources of funding for film
production are public and private. Firstly, public funding consists of grants or monies
allocated via tax relief given to producers by publicly funded agencies like the national
lottery or the British filminstitute. Because this country mainly watches American films,
these agencies fund lesser known British film producers in order to nurture the talent within
the British filmindustry.
The second main source is private funding, which refers to money provided by private
investors. This often means that the director’s often have to appeal to these investors
convince them that they will make a profit from funding that film. An example in the real
world is the Coen Brothers, who struggled to receive funding for their first film (Blood
Simple 1984), but managed to find the funding with 65 private investors in return for a
percentage of profits. A major disadvantage of private funding is that people could struggle
to appeal to private investors, they may have to limit their creativity in order to appeal to
them. An example is equity funding, where private investors agree to provide a sum of
money towards production costs in return for a percentage of ownership and profits made
from the film.
Timescales:
Establishing clear timescales when planning a pre-production is important in order to
timetable when crew, cast and equipment are available. For example, the cast/crew
producing the filmmay be working on other projects, which means that the producers have
to organize when certain individuals are able to shoot beforehand. Also, if equipment has
been rented it may not be available constantly. Therefore, by establishing timescales and
effective timing during pre-production you are able to filmdifferent sections within the film
efficiently while taking other people’s schedules into consideration.

2. Facilities:
To be successful a production needs certain facilities/equipment, such as: a tripod, different
lenses, a 3-point lighting kit, digital audio recorder and 3-4 extra batteries. You will need to
decide if you need access to different locations, studios or special equipment (e.g. certain
cameras like Steadicam or shoulder rig) for specific scenes. It is important to plan out what
you need carefully during pre-production so that you can ensure you have access to them
before you begin filming. This allows you to you to capture footage at a higher standard
because you are more focused and organised. If careful planning does not take place you
would not be able to arrange access to all of the necessary equipment. This means that
during production you may discover you need access to something but are not able to use it
in your allocated filming times. Meaning that production either goes overtime or the
footage isn’t a high quality because you couldn’t access the certain equipment/facilities.
Locations:
There are multiple activities you need to undertake during pre-production in order to
identify suitable locations. Undertaking these activities during pre-production means that
you will have to most practical /least problematic filming locations so that you can produce
the best footage for your film. The first being identification and recces, which is the actual
location scouting that allows you to find locations you think will fit the aesthetic of your
film. While scouting it is important to consider any limitations of the site, which includes:
 Weather issues.
 Distance you will have to travel to access this location.
 Do you need permission to access this location in order to film?
 Will you need to pay money to hire the location? if so how much?
Taking these factors into consideration is important because they will determine which
would be the most convenient/effective during production. Furthermore, if you didn’t
actively seek out permissions for a location you run the risk of a last-minute change and may
be unable to stick to timescales and shooting schedules. The final activity is considering the
health and safety concerns associated with each location, by evaluating the danger of each
location you can keep the cast/crew safe during production. Therefore, you will also avoid
any legal repercussions if an accident does happen during production.
An effective recce would look at how suitable each location would be for the genre of your
film, while also taking into considering the limitations and possible safety risks mentioned
previously. It is important to have an effective recce because they avoid timescale,
financing/budgeting and safety issues you could encounter during production.
Personnel:
There is a list of specialist crew that are required in order to undertake a film production
which is:
 Assistant director.
 Director of photography.
 1st assistant camera.
 Lighting specialist.
 Sound/audio specialist.

3.  Hair / makeup /costume specialist.
 Production assistant.
Firstly, you will need an Assistant director to take control if the main director is unable to be
present. This allows production to stick to timetables and not go over budget. Secondly, to
undertake filmproduction you will need cameramen, lighting specialists and audio
specialists which are crucial because they will be shooting the film. These specialists are
important because if they weren’t present, the footage wouldn’t be produced at a good
quality and your film won’t be successful. Finally, you will need make-up and costume
specialists that contribute towards the mise-en-scene as well has helping the actors deliver
the characters better. Aside from cast and crew you will also need to consider any extras
that will make certain scenes more realistic. Without these extras the scenes wouldn’t look
as immersive, lowering the quality of your film. There is also the need to seek advice from
certain experts during pre-production /production to ensure the accuracy of your film, for
example a historical film would benefit from a historian on set. Overall, it is important to
have a large variety of specialists on your cast/crew because it guarantees that every aspect
of your film will be produced at a high quality. Furthermore, if you didn’t hire these
specialists during pre-production it would either:
 Largely impact how well you could stick to timescales
 Or you may not be able to hire them in time and you have stop production
completely, making you go over budget.
Additional materials:
During pre-production there are a variety of additional materials you need to consider, this
includes:
 Scripts and storyboards
 Original filmed materials
 Archive or library materials
 Sound or sound library materials
 Props and costumes
 Assets
Firstly, scripts and storyboards are clear plans for your dialogue and filmfootage. They are
essential during pre-production because they give you a clear image for what the film will
look like before they begin production. This means that the crew know exactly what
facilities/equipment/locations they will need to produce the film beforehand, so they can
make the arrangements in time for production to start. Secondly, original filmed materials
are important because they allow you to execute your idea for a film without getting
copyrighted for using another person’s footage. Furthermore, if you didn’t have original
materials you wouldn’t be able to produce a film. Another aspect you need to consider
during pre-production is archive or library filmfootage /sounds from studios. These are
important to consider during pre-production because they give you access to certain camera
shots / sound effects that you might not be able to create yourself. For example, a low
budget filmmight use an archive helicopter shot that they may not be able to afford. You
could also access an archived sound effect during post production that you are unable to
create yourself.

4. Props and costumes are important to consider because they can help establish a character
and develop the plot. For example, in a horror/slasher film the weapon establishes danger
and intensifies the scene. Therefore, props/costumes are often the central focus of the
scene. It is important to consider props during pre-production so you can arrange access to
them before you begin production.
The final material you need to consider during pre-production is assets, which is a financial
record of everything either bought or produced that has value. For example, any expensive
props or equipment. This is an important aspect of pre-production because it helps you
manage your finances, and also acts as a record if anything went missing by robbery.
Therefore, by not recording assets you risk major financial issues if the equipment is
harmed or stolen.
Codes of practice and regulations:
All filming projects must make sure they closely follow accepted codes of practice and
requirements. Firstly, there are health and safety regulations that need to be considered. A
successful pre-production must include thorough risk assessments that are maintained and
stored. This means that cast and crew can be kept safe during production, successfully
avoiding setbacks during filming such as injury. If the rigorous health and safety procedures
are not performed there is a risk of legal repercussions from possible injury of cast/crew.
Secondly, you will need to obtain and document any relevant clearances for copyrighted
materials. This is important for a successful pre-production because it avoids any legal
repercussions you would encounter during production/post-production. If you don’t meet
the codes involving copyrighted materials, there is the risk of a lawsuit from certain
companies because you have used their material without permission. Finally, there is the
importance of upholding the rights of your cast/crew. This is significant during pre-
production because you can avoid legal issues with trade unions. if you don’t conform to the
regulations of trade unions, you could face persecution for violating the rights of workers
later on in the production process. Effective and robust procedures are important because
you will face the legal issues previously mentioned if you don’t have significant evidence of
following codes and regulations. The appropriate paperwork for all of these procedures
must be well kept and organised so that it can be presented as proof if you are questioned.
Section 2
The proposal:
Proposals sum up the premise of your film, in a successful pre-production they are used as a
basis to formulate ideas and eventually pitch the concept to possible investors. Proposals
contain a brief synopsis, key character information and sum up the narrative structure as
well as considering a target audience and unique selling point. Proposals are an important
part of pre-production because they present your initial idea for the film, acting as a
springboard for further development. Without proposals, it would be significantly harder to
receive funding and you may not be able to produce the film.
Scripting: Master scene script
Master scene script is the accepted format for filmscripting, it is used as the industry
standard so that investors etc. can easily understand the multiple scripts handed to them
daily. Master scene script offers a mixture of description and dialogue that allows the reader
to easily follow the story, this means that technical information is limited. Therefore, there

5. are multiple conventions that must be followed in order to ensure they are straightforward.
Examples of these conventions are:
 Font is always ‘courier’ and must be size 12.
 Slug lines and character names in dialogue have to be in capital letters.
 Voiceover and off-screen must be used as V.O and O.S.
 Footers at the bottom of the right of a page say ‘CONTINUED’, but only where a
scene moves from one page to the next. The next page has ‘CONT.’ on the top left.
It is important to follow these because a possible studio will not even read your script if it
isn’t in the MSS format. This is because they receive multiple scripts daily, therefore it is
important that they are easily able to read and navigate each one. Following MSS is
important during pre-production because you will be unable to find a studio to produce
your film if you use another format.
Shooting script:
Shooting scripts are the scripts used in production and hold a lot more detail than the spec
script. The main difference between shooting script and master scene script is that it isn’t
designed to be straightforward for people (such as possible investors) to read. Master scene
script is mainly used in pre-production to sell the product, whereas shooting script is used to
produce it. Because shooting scripts are used in production they are formatted to include
the following information:
 Scene numbers.
 Editing transitions.
 Camera angles.
 Any helpful information the director may request, amongst other things.
Furthermore, the changes between these two scripts are necessary because they serve
different purposes. The differences, such as the added camera angle information, helps the
crew to understand what they need to do. If these changes weren’t made, the crew
wouldn’t know what each scene required and the production would take longer than
scheduled. Creating a shooting script during pre-production ensures that the crew know
what is expected of them in advance.
Storyboarding:
A storyboard breaks down each scene of the film by evaluating the screen play in terms of
separate shots and translating them into individual panels. Each storyboard panel has a
picture to depict what each shot should look like. Creating a storyboard during pre-
production is an important process that helps film directors and cinematographers visualise
the scenes. Meaning that production will be a lot quicker because understand what each
scene should look like. Directors such as Hitchcock were famous for extensive storyboarding
before they would begin production.
Shooting schedules:

6. The shooting schedule is a breakdown of everything you plan to shooting for each day,
which is organised into the most efficient order (for example shooting all of scenes that use
the same location on the same day). The information included will focus on the shots
necessary in each shoot. These are extremely helpful to directors/crew to keep track of
what they need out each day of shooting. The production benefits from this because it will
be more time efficient, allowing them to maximize productivity and avoid going over
budget. Without shooting schedules, production would not be as efficient and it would be a
lot harder to stick to the set timescales. An example of films not being able to keep to the
shooting schedule is the Jaws (1975) film, which encountered numerous technical issues
while filming at sea and required an extra 104 days of filming. This film went extremely over
budget and shows the financial consequences of not being able to stick to shooting
schedules.
Other paperwork:
It is important to organise all of the extra paperwork during before production so that you
can keep it on hand while filming as proof that you have undergone all of appropriate pre-
production tasks. If you don’t have all of the paper work on hand, you don’t have proof of
following pre-production codes and regulations. This paperwork includes:
 Location Release Forms- Used to formalize permissions to use locations owned by
other people.
 Location Scouting Template- To collect relevant information about shooting
locations.
 Risk Assessments- To collect relevant information about potential risks related to
shooting.
 Sound Templates- To chart what sound might be used.
 Copyright Clearances-To establish you have the permission to use copyrighted
material and avoid any issues regarding rights.

7. Section 3
The functions of pre-production:
If a pre-production is well planned out, it can significantly benefit the creative process
leading up to production. This is because if you complete every task, the initial idea you
present in your proposal will be revisited and improved numerous times as scripts and
storyboards are perfected/rewritten. Therefore, by thoroughly planning your pre-
production you are ensuring that the footage from production is at its best. An example of
how important it is to revise your ideas is the costume change in the Predator film.
Production for this film was temporarily halted because the producers didn’t like how the
monster costume looked on camera; this shows the consequences you can face for not
having a well-planned pre-production. If the producers had revised the monster costume
ideas during pre-production, they could have amended the timescales so that they could
make improvements without going over budget for production. Overall, well-planned pre-
productions have numerous creative benefits as well as allowing you to predict the financial
and timing requirements of the project in advance.
Section 4
The purpose of pre-production:
Alongside the creative benefits to your production, pre-production serves the purpose of
ensuring you comply to the legal and ethical requirements of producing a film in advance.
These Industry requirements demand that each producer has a robust, efficient and
thorough pre-production that covers all of the legal areas. These areas include:
 Health and safety – This area entails in depth safety evaluations of each
location/facility you film in, including in depth paperwork and procedures to ensure
each location is safe (this paperwork should be documented and kept at hand
throughout production as proof). Pre-production requires health and safety
procedures because they prevent cast/crew injuries during production that could
cause delays and interfere with timescales. It is important to adhere to regulations
because you could experience these delays and go over budget.
 Copyrighted Material-You need to seek out permission to use copyrighted material
in your film, this could entail a written document of needing to purchase a licence. A
pre-production needs the appropriate copyright paperwork in place before
beginning production, to avoid lawsuits from the owners of the material.
 Filming permissions – In order to filmfootage in certain locations (for example street
filming), you need to seek permission from the owners. This requires you to either
receive a written document of permission from the owners of privately owned
locations or apply for a license, you must keep this paperwork on hand at all times.
An efficient pre-production requires you to do this because it ensures you can use

8. locations that will suit your film. If you don’t do this before production, there is a
chance you will need to change locations all together, or you will need to pause
production and wait for permission.
 Actor permissions –Before you begin production with your actors, you first need to
receive permission. This entails having a written document from each actor that
states their permission to be used in the film. It is important to have this in your pre-
production, because it acts as evidence that the actors are aware of what is expected
of them and where the filmwill be shown. If you don’t establish this permission
before production, the actors can change their mind and stop you from releasing
your film altogether. All of your financing and effort will go to waste.
It is important to comply to all of these regulation during your pre-production to
avoid legal issues, for example if you don’t receive the appropriate permission from
people you can receive a lawsuit (which would cause serious financial problems and
put production at risk).
Thorough pre-productions will have all of this paperwork on hand to avoid issues
during Compliancy Audits, which is a review of how well you have adhered to
regulations. If you have carried out all of the risk assessments and permissions, then
the consultants cannot hold you legally responsible. Not complying to these
regulations during pre-production would cause you to fail the Compliancy Audit and
you could face legal issues.
The wider regulatory bodies are companies such as the BBFC, who act as the UK’s
regulator of filmand together with the public, have the power to rate or reject
works. The BBFC ensure that your film is appropriate for certain target
audiences/filmdistributors. This could impact the planning of a pre-production
because you will need to create ideas for your film depending on your target
audience. It is important to comply with the BBFC and censor you content
(depending on your target audience) because they have the power to completely
reject your film. Meaning all of the financing that went into production would go to
waste.
Overall, an effective pre-production that is thorough and organised allows the
producers to provide the necessary regulators with information quickly and
efficiently. This is important because it means you can release your film without legal
repercussions; if you aren’t organised in the pre-production phase you may
encounter these issues.