Tips for planning your film production

Lights, camera, action… Producing a film, documentary or any other audiovisual format can be a challenging and daunting task. There are many factors that can mean delays of minutes, hours, days and many thousands of dollars in losses. 

It may sound obvious, but a film production schedule is key when planning, having an estimate of all the activities to be developed will allow you to play with the “puzzle” to define how to fit those recording sessions that must be prioritized and the necessary resources. 

Be measured, prioritize the creation of a shooting schedule before assembling the cast and crew. Creating a film production schedule will avoid work overloads and schedule clashes between talent and crew. This schedule will allow you to focus on smaller scenes first, which can save you a lot of time and money. 

Therefore, it’s best to start with the smaller locations that can accommodate fewer scenes; then, later on, you can spend as much time as you need on the big locations. 

Another priority is to shoot difficult scenes earlier in the production. These scenes should be shot as early as possible, when the cast and crew are still fresh. Remember that people get tired and distracted more easily as shooting calls drag on. This way you can take advantage of all the initial enthusiasm. 

A good time to define what goes first is when reviewing the script for the film production. This is a good idea to find scenes that are similar in theme and location. 

Things happen! Murphy’s Law is always in effect, keep your production from being derailed by an external or internal factor. A shooting plan is the cornerstone of a film production for you to take the reins and make sure your project is a success. 

At Crew In Motion we are experts in film production. Contact us and let us help you tell your story.