Pre-Pre-Production

Exactly one year ago, official pre-production began on CALVIN MARSHALL in Ashland, Oregon.

The two months leading up to it was a period of time we like to refer to at Broken Sky as pre-pre production. This is a very important time where our producing team goes on location and wears many different hats, preparing not only for production but for pre-production.

You can never be over-prepared to make a movie. Thousands of decisions need to made in short order and it's in your best interest to begin making them with your team as soon as possible. All of them will directly and indirectly effect the movie. The ripple effect of pre-production decision making is very unforgiving -- especially on a low budget film.

For example -- shooting at that amazing bar 20 miles away will not only effect transportation but it will totally disrupt the shooting schedule. Not to mention, the true cost of shooting at your favorite bar isn't just the $ it costs to shut it down for a night -- it's also the significant cost of adding an extra shooting day to your already budgeted 25 day shoot.

Suddenly, converting the production office into a bar doesn't seem like such a bad idea. And, it's best to know this up front so you don't have to spring the construction news on your art department in the middle of pre-production when they're already overworked and understaffed.

The truth is that scenarios like this are going to happen anyway. The goal is to limit them as much as possible in advance. That way, pre-production will go smooth, you'll earn the respect and trust of your crew and you'll improve your chances of staying on budget and making a good movie.

Another piece of advice for directors and producers: work through a schedule and budget on your own. Know the details and know them well. The schedule and budget will ultimately be perfected by your line producer and 1st AD but it's crucial you can have a conversation with them about each detail and ensure your priorities are in line so you're working with the right schedule and budget early on in pre-production.