An introduction to the importance of Pre-Production activities in producing video work.

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.