Pre-Production Checklist: How To Produce Your First Film
Producing your first film can seem like a pretty daunting task. After all, coordinating a movie requires a lot of patience, perseverance, and planning. That said, with a bit of vision, commitment, and a few simple tips, you can bring your stories to life. Explore some of the things you should add to your pre-production checklist so that you can give your passion a place onscreen.
Write Your Story
Before you can shoot a compelling film, you have to have a blueprint for it. In other words, you need a solid script. But it isn’t enough to loosely commit your ideas to paper.
You have to make sure that your story is well-structured, dynamic, and feasible once production starts. Think of your screenplay as the itinerary for your entire production. After all, you’ll be using it as a reference point for:
Character casting
Set design
Shooting locations
Your script will also help you define how you’ll shoot each scene and edit them together in the post-production stages. So be sure to write a story you’re passionate about bringing to life. You’ll likely be working on it for an extended period.
And don’t be shy about making rewrites and modifications as you go. If your script is continuously evolving, it means you’re doing something right.
Create a Realistic Budget
Most of us don’t have to worry about expenses attached, to say—blowing up an actual airplane to get a perfect shot. But, even white-knuckling it with a camcorder and a few props is going to cost money.
That’s why creating a realistic budget for your film is just as important as writing the script. When you’re learning how to produce your first film, a good tip is to focus on telling simple stories first.
Further, ensure that you’re thinking of a realistic number for your film’s budget. Then, adjust your plans for your production as needed. This way, when you do create your budget, you’re not completely thrown off track by a script you can’t afford to produce.
Form a Game Plan
Of course, once you have your story and budget locked in, it’s time to start building your actual production. This process is going to include all of the following:
Finding a cast and crew (ask friends and family to help you)
Storyboarding your scenes and scouting shoot locations (keep it simple)
Creating a shooting schedule and call sheet (figure out what works for everyone)
Of course, you need to make sure that you have all the proper cinematography equipment you need to bring your story to life. If you don’t own anything of your own yet, that’s okay! That’s where that “equipment” section of your budget will come into play.
Just be sure to do some preliminary research on equipment renters. That way, you’ll know where to go to get what you need and how much it’s going to cost.
Start Shooting
The final and most crucial step on your checklist for how to produce your first film is to start shooting the dang thing! Don’t worry about perfection or being impressive. Worry about making the best version of your movie you possibly can, and the rest will fall into place.
Lastly, whatever you do, don’t give up. Filmmaking is a game of patience and devotion. So if you get frustrated, take a breather, and get back to doing what you love!