Pre Production Paperwork - Conception and constraints

As you are working through the list to define what each bit means, be aware of how they link together. For example, take the main examples of visualisation -

• Storyboard 
• Shotlist 

Here is a Storyboard introduction and an example form the film Cloverfieldare useful. If we consider the,  last storyboard, we may generate a shot list that lists all the shots we need to capture that - it may just consist of "establishing shot panning up building". However, compositing is involved, so there are a number of shots to be completed and added together to produce that final shot - so we would also need "long shot of woman, panning up". Our final shot list would be a numbered of all the shots we need to get.

This is all very well, but then we start to look at out constants.

• Budget
• Equipment List
• Travel Details
• Clearances & copyright (intellectual property)
• Codes of practice and regulation. 
  

We can't afford to build a collapsed building... however, the company opted for Green screening, which although cheaper, still involves a budget. Our current budget is too small even for that, so may just involve a rewrite of the script to add a shot of a character looking up in shock and exclaiming that the building has fallen over.

If we don't have the budget to get access to the equipment, we need to re consider how we are going to redesign the storyboard to cope with this change. Planning what location we are going to film in is based on the budget we have. By being aware of how all these processes link, we can consider options right from the start. And remember, budgets can go up as well as down...

 As you research all these tasks, please bear in mind you are explaining and finding examples. So...

Clearances & copyright (intellectual property) relates to the copyright on anything you may be using in your production that has been made by anyone else. The main issue is Music - you cannot just use a piece of music - you need to get clearance. This can be done by either asking the writer and publisher (and anyone else who may have a copyright on the piece.) It is far easier to find music where the artist has given permission to use the work - such as Creative Commons. This is the same for other video, images, logos or anything else designed.

Codes of practice and regulation relates to what you are legally allowed to do. If you are broadcasting on the BBC, they have a set of guidelines. They are also covered by Ofcoms legal Broadcasting code to cover what can legally be broadcast. It is a good idea to be aware of this for online video work too, as this will probably be brought under the same guidance at some point.

Again, both of these constraints effect how you are going to create your film. As you work through all these tasks, make sure you are able to explain what they mean and be sure to find examples of how they can effect your planning.