This document discusses the importance of pre-production for video projects. It identifies key pre-production activities like developing ideas, creating proposals, writing scripts and storyboards, planning equipment and personnel needs, conducting location scouting, and creating a budget. Effective pre-production includes recording creative visions, identifying risks, and planning to ensure having the right resources at the right time. The document uses examples of production issues that could be avoided with proper pre-planning and shares insights from a BBC production coordinator.

1. Pre-Production for Video
SARAH HOLMES
2ND SEPTEMBER 2014

2. Aims of our Session
 In our session together today our aim is to:
 Build awareness of the importance of pre-production in
successful video production work.
 By the end of the session, you should all be able to:
 Identify the key reasons why pre-production activities are
essential in video production work.

3. Pre-Production
 Whenever you create moving image products you
need to conduct careful pre-production activities
before you begin shooting.
 You need to ensure you have prepared:
 Your creative ideas
 The necessary resources and any practical requirements
 The personnel you will need to work with
 Understanding these processes will prove very useful
if you move on to work in the industry.

4. Pre-Production Activities
 Includes:
 Developing ideas for your project and recording them
effectively before pitching your ideas to clients.
 Agreeing on the nature and content of your product with
clients by drawing up proposals and treatments.
 Deciding what needs to be filmed and what will appear on
screen by writing scripts and drawing storyboards.

5. Pre-Production Activities
 Planning what you will need
to complete your filming by
drawing up equipment
lists and booking
equipment.
 Deciding on the personnel
needed and on-screen talent
you will use by producing
call sheets, production
schedules and
permission forms.

6. Pre-Production Activities
 Organising where you will
film and how you will get
there by conducting
location recces and risk
assessment activities.
 Making sure you can
afford to complete all the
tasks you intend to by
creating a detailed
budget.

7. Why Complete Pre-Production?
 Why do we need to complete pre-production activities?
 In a pair, consider why successful video production
projects always feature effective pre-production
preparation before shooting begins.
 Discuss:
 Without planning, how might the quality of your product’s content
be threatened?
 What risks may present themselves if you have not planned ahead?
 Take careful notes so you are ready to feedback to the
group with your thoughts.

8. Why Complete Pre-Production?
 Recording and
planning
creative ideas
 Identifying what
you want the
product to look
like and planning
accordingly.
 Identifying what
content you want
to include and
arranging for this
to happen.
Why Complete
Pre-
Production?
 Identifying risks
 To you, the crew,
the on-screen
talent.
 To those around
you / the public /
contributors.
 To the equipment
you are using.
 To the success of
your project as a
whole.
 Planning and
scheduling
 Ensuring you have
what you need,
when you need it in
order to produce
work effectively.

9. ‘Where Did It All Go Wrong?’
 Working in small groups, you are going to be given a
case study regarding a production that has
encountered difficulties.
 Use the list of pre-production activities to identify
what should have been done prior to the shoot that
would have avoided these issues.
 As a group, detail what elements of pre-production
would have avoided or helped with the issues
encountered.
 Be ready to feed back to the group.

10. Pre-Production In Action
 Lynette Slight, a Production Co-Ordinator for the
BBC show, Bang Goes the Theory talks here about
her role:
 BBC Production Co-Ordinator, Lynette Slight

11. Revisiting Our Aims for the Session
 In our session together today our aim was to:
 Build awareness of the importance of pre-production in
successful video production work.
 Now, at the end of the session, you should all be able
to:
 Identify the key reasons why pre-production activities are
essential in video production work.