Whether it’s a summer blockbuster or a low-budget indie film, making a movie is a massive undertaking. Long before the first camera even begins rolling, production companies are hard at work putting a plan together to make the whole thing happen. Pre-production is all about gathering together the component pieces of a film and coming up with a plan, making ample work that a production company has to do to prepare. If you often wonder what a production company does before filming starts, here’s a little peek behind the scenes.
Script Development
Before you can shoot, you need a script. Not only is it the first artistic expression of the feature, but it’s also the blueprint for your production to come. If you’ve never written your own script before, sitting down in front of a blank page can be intimidating. After all, how can anyone translate the movie in their head into a fixed medium that other people will read?
An experienced production company knows that script development is a process and works with filmmakers to grow the document into the best it can be. They can work with writers and producers from the concept stage, fighting to get those first words committed to paper. From there, they jump into revisions, writing as many iterations as necessary to create a quality final draft.
Once everyone is happy with the pages, it’s time to get shooting. Script development is just one of the many ways that production companies operate as creative partners throughout the process.
Budgeting
Putting together a budget may not be the most glitzy part of filmmaking, but it’s a crucial step if a filmmaker wants to actually end up with a finished product. Without careful budgetary consideration, you run the risk of blowing through all your cash without being able to complete every step of the process.
One of the main things that a production company does is hammer out a budget. They’ll be able to take a script, even one still in development, and forecast potential costs for the production. Taking into account details like filming locations, costumes, potential VFX needs, and the size of the cast, a good production company can estimate what the total costs will be.
They can then cross reference that number with the budget that’s available for the project and make cuts where prudent and possibly even pursue additional funding if necessary until all the numbers add up in the black. Experienced production companies, such as Pretzel Logic Productions based in San Diego, can utilize their institutional knowledge to find creative ways to achieve the production’s ambitions while staying within budgetary restraints.
Casting
Casting is about more than finding people to say your lines; it’s about adding new creative energies to a film. You need people who can bring the text on the page to life and infuse it with their own sensibilities. That’s why many production companies take the casting process extremely seriously. Depending on how large the cast is, they may even bring on a casting director just to manage this part of the project.
They can arrange and schedule open casting calls, reaching out to agencies as well as scouting out local theaters to find potential cast members to come in and read for the roles. They can also run callbacks, giving a select number of initial auditioners another crack at the role before elevating them to the producers for consideration. Casting is one of the most pivotal things that a production company does, as it creates a valuable space to vet and test actors as creative collaborators before bringing them onto the project.
Location Scouting
When developing a script, choosing a location is as easy as writing it in a slugline. When it comes time to shoot, however, things become a bit more complicated. One of the things a production company does is manage location scouting for the feature, seeking out possible shooting venues and sussing out the cost and difficulties of filming there. Those logistics can cover the cost of permitting, how easy it would be for the crew to get out there, any amenities or equipment that would need to be brought out, and any number of other wrinkles that might come up.
They might also seek out a studio or soundstage to work in, weighing rental costs and convenience against the budget. Having a dedicated team in charge of locations can take the pressure off the central producing team, allowing them to focus on higher-level issues. Some production companies even have their own in-house studios, making the process all the simpler.
Scheduling
Once a production company has all the pieces of a feature accounted for, it’s their job to come up with a plan of attack. They are able to take a look at the script and come up with a shot list, planning out each setup the film will need in post-production. From there, they take a look at location availability and see when and where each piece can be shot. Finally, they can manage the schedule of the cast and crew, maximizing the time they have everyone on set to avoid wasting valuable shooting days.
Breaking down a shooting schedule and coordinating with everyone associated with the production, as well as external vendors and locations, is a massive task, and it’s one production companies are uniquely suited for. With all the moving pieces shooting a movie calls for, having a production company operate as the central nervous system of a movie keeps everything in sync.
So, what does a production company do before filming starts? The answer is, quite a bit! While each production is different, the basic elements are the same. It’s all about gathering all the pieces you need for the final cut and then putting together a plan to make sure the shooting goes off without a hitch. Preparation is the key to success in the film industry, making production companies an indispensable part of the professional ecosystem.
