A Beginner’s Guide to Pre-Production in Film

What is Pre-Production in Film?

Pre-production comprises the early stages of the filmmaking process. There are generally 5 steps involved in pre-production:

1. Breakdown the script
2. Set a budget and plan a filming schedule
3. Hire a team
4. Create a storyboard and shot list, and start scouting for locations
5. Conduct casting and rehearsals

In summary, pre-production refers to the planning and preparation of every element, whether on-screen or behind the scenes, required to produce a blockbuster film. Pre-production often starts after the script is finalized and involves the production’s department heads. The order of steps in pre-production varies from project to project, but it usually involves the following 5 stages:

What Happens In Pre-Production? 5 Simple Steps to Follow

Each crew conducts pre-production differently. While some start with creating a storyboard, others begin by putting together the project’s budget. Whatever you decide to start with, it’s important to know every step of pre-production. The majority of pre-production happens behind the scenes, but this phase is the building block to an effective production and post-production process. If you’re curious about what happens in pre-production and  want to start producing films yourself, here are 5 steps to follow in the pre-production process:

Breakdown the Script

Everything starts with the film’s script. Whether you’re producing a 30-second commercial or an extended documentary, the script is the backbone of your creative process. Pre-production generally starts with breaking down the script and highlighting every visual and audio element (location, props, visual effects, costumes, characters, sound effects, extras, etc.) within the production. The script breakdown is a comprehensive list of vital components required to make your film project successful. This process needs to be extremely detailed and well thought out. If this step is left out of pre-production, you could run into budgetary problems or a lack of preparation for the rest of the filmmaking process. 

The script rundown lays the groundwork for everything. Whether it’s hiring crewmembers or location scouting for your production, every element of filmmaking is impacted by the script breakdown. The production department is commonly responsible for offering a detailed overview of the script rundown. However, each department head can also work on individualized screenplay breakdown sheets focusing on their areas of expertise. Assistant directors’ breakdowns, for example, will include the location, characters, and page counts. On the other hand, a production designer’s rundown would most likely focus on props and details of the set design.

Set a Budget and Schedule

Your film project’s budget is the determining factor for how the rest of the production will play out. When forming the budget, you need to think about everything: paying the crew members, designing special effects, travel costs to reach each location, and required equipment. This is why script breakdown is key to budgeting a film. There is a vast spectrum of film budgets out there, depending on the creative project you’re putting together. A low-budget movie is commonly self-financed or financed through private funding. Movies such as Get Out (2017) or the Sundance Film Festival’s Primer (2007) are considered low-budget movies working with USD 5 million or less. Other productions have more headroom, with high-end budgets upwards of USD $300 million; think Dune ($165 million) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Stranger’s Tide ($359 million). High-budget films are typically financed by studios or large production companies. 

Along with the budget, the filming schedule is a fundamental piece of pre-production. In this industry, time is money. Your production schedule should outline when to shoot individual scenes, where you will capture footage, and how many sequences you will film each day. The production schedule also needs to detail when certain equipment needs to be rented and which part of the crew should be present for each scene. 

Hire a Team and Location Scout

There can be over 100 people helping out on and off set during a film project. In pre-production, however, you only need to hire a few core roles to get the production up off the ground. While some creatives collaborate with an existing production company, others outsource their team for the film project. With a budget and outlined schedule in place, you’ll have more of an idea of who you can hire and when you’ll need them on set. If you haven’t already, you need to start by hiring a director. Next, you’ll move on to different department leads such as the following:

• Production Manager
• Cinematographer
• Editor
• Casting Director
• Costume Designer
• Art Director
• Lead Makeup Artist
• Location Manager

If necessary, you can also hire a production coordinator. With the right initial team in place, you can start delegating tasks and expand your crew even further. This is when the director begins to make creative decisions that form the trajectory of the entire production. 

Start Planning: Storyboard, Shot List, and Location Scouting

Now it’s time to get to the creative side of what happens in pre-production. This next phase is what we like to call the “planning stage.” During this part of pre-production, the following 3 processes take place:

1. Create a Storyboard: Get your creative juices flowing and curate a visual outline of your film project shot by shot. Storyboards contain several squares with illustrations detailing what’s happening in the scene and how each shot will unfold. The director, cinematographer, and creative team collaborate to map out a storyboard and visualize every part of the film before starting the filming process. Why is this important? You’ll save time and money, and experience fewer mistakes with a well-thought-out storyboard in place. 
2. Form a Shot List: Stay organized and ensure the entire film crew is on the same page with the help of a shot list. Detail what equipment will be used with each shot, where it’s being filmed, who needs to be there, and when the filming will occur. Shot lists can be extremely detailed or the bare minimum depending on your preference. Shooting schedules keep the project on track and minimize miscommunication on set. 
3. Scout for Locations: With the storyboard and shot list in hand, it’s time to get out in the world and start scouting for locations. During this stage, the director usually collaborates with the location manager to scout for each location featured in the film project. Start searching for locations as early as possible since you’ll need to gain permission or sign legal paperwork for each region you film. 

Throughout the planning stage, your creative production will become less intimidating and more attainable. Your film idea is only a few steps away from becoming a reality! However, we don’t want to miss one of the most important components of pre-production: casting and rehearsals. 

Conduct Casting and Rehearsals

Recruiting talent for your film project is a huge undertaking, but it could make or break your production. While the planning stage is taking place, the casting director will begin to put out casting calls and run auditions for the new stars in your film. As the cast is hired, the creative production starts to take off the ground. 

Your director will rehearse with the new cast and give them a rundown of the vision for the film project. Other department heads will also finish up building their crews and ensure every team member knows their role. At this point, the budget needs to be finalized, the schedule is set in stone, and call sheets (outlining the schedule for shoot days) are prepped and sent to the film crew. Now it’s time to make some magic!

Hire an Entire Production Team and Reduce the Stress of Pre-Production

There’s no doubt that pre-production is the setting stone to an awe-inspiring creative production. However, after reading about what happens in pre-production, you may feel overwhelmed at the thought of starting at all. That’s where Avalanche Studios can help! Avalanche Studios is a full-service video production company that takes care of the entire process including pre-production, production, and post-production.

Our team of award-winning directors, producers, videographers, and artists collaborates with storytellers to get their scripts onto the big screen. We help write screenplays, cast actors, scout for locations, and lead the film’s creative direction. Whatever part of the filmmaking process you need help with, we’ve got it covered. If you’ve got an idea to share with the world, we’re the crew to help make it happen. Request a quote from Avalanche Studios’ team to see how we can help you in the pre-production phase and beyond!