Link to all pre-production work - https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1QsgM4NmcrpngTiLS-MYc1D1BRccncdfR
The Pitch
Our main aim for the pitch was to convey the plot effectively in our timeslot. However as producer I also wanted to ensure that we presented this information in a neat and concise way. I therefore set up a PowerPoint on Canva with a uniform style to match the tone of our film and called a meeting to discuss the allocation of slides to members of the group.
Once we had completed our slides we came together for a meeting to run through the pitch to ensure we were able to deliver the information in our time slot and that we were covering everything we wanted to. We found during this meeting that we had not covered the story in quite enough depth in relation to the original story therefore we spent some time working on this aspect of the pitch.
On the day of the pitch I feel that we were able to explain our idea to the class quite well. I feel that rehearsing gave us more confidence on the day that we knew what we were going to talk about. Overall this experience taught me a lot about organising a large amount of information into small chunks to deliver a convincing argument of why a film should be made.
Scheduling
As producer my initial priorities for the group was arranging a time and day every week that we could meet to discuss progress weekly and to ensure that we have enough time together as a group for planning the film both creatively and logistically.
Once we had arranged this time for our weekly meeting I brought up a production schedule template in a meeting for us to set rough deadlines on essential aspects of planning such as casting, location finding, pre-production document completion etc.
We decided that it was realistic to film at the end of March/early April as this gave us about a month to plan filming. We also discussed the development of the script in relation to this and set the script finalization deadline as the same date we would finalize locations.
Budget
Before embarking on all of the planning it was important to discuss how much money the group were each willing to contribute to form a very small budget for the project in order to cover the cost of costume, props, food and travel.
Once we decided on a set amount I drafted up a budgeting document to for each member of the crew to add there purchases to throughout the project. Then once the project was done I calculated how much each person owed/was owed.
Location Scouting
Our ideal location for filming was a café in Edinburgh with a very contemporary feel to fit the virtual setting of our story. I knew this would be a challenge as we needed two full days of filming and would ideally need the café we were filming in to be shut for sound and continuity purposes. Due to the project being very low budget, however, we were unable to offer much to the cafe's that we were asking which made finding one very difficult.
I felt the best approach would be to contact as many cafe's as possible with simple details of the shoot and await replies as an initial approach. Although I didn't hear back from many cafe's that I contacted there was one café in particular 'Don't Tell Mama' who had a very enthusiastic reply and were really keen to support the project.
I continued to communicate with the owner of the café with details of the shoot and eventually arranged a meeting to get location agreement signed and carry out a recce to check the suitability of the location.
We had decided on our second location very early on in the planning as the flat we planned to use had easy access due to it being a group members flat therefore in order to secure this location I emailed the landlord with an agreement to be signed.
Casting
Once We had secured our locations and filming dates accordingly I started to make casting calls using info for the shoot and short bios for each character. I checked these with the group in a meeting and then go to work posting them out.
To spread the casting calls I posted them on local Facebook groups and looked through previous contacts to find actors that may be suitable for the role and email them out. Once I began to receive responses I used a standardized email which outlined the casting requirements such as dates and locations alongside a request for a self tape. The self tape often required the actor to learn some dialogue from the film or discuss why they had interest in the role they were applying for.
Once we had received some self tapes for the roles I collected them into a folder and sent the link to the group to initially look through. We then had an in person meeting to discuss who we felt were the best candidates and when we had finalized our decisions I emailed the successful cast members confirming their roles.
Booking Equipment
I was very cautious of making sure we booked equipment early on in the process as soon as we know what dates we were filming as I know that equipment can be booked up very quickly. I drew up a basic equipment list for the HoD's to look over and add anything that they felt we needed on set.
Once this list had been approved by the sound recordist and cinematographer I wrote up risk assessments for the two locations taking into account any considerations of our cast, crew, location and equipment and any risks that they may pose to the filming process.
Once these risk assessments were complete I used Siso to book the equipment that we had planned on the equipment list which was mostly available aside from the lighting kit which I had to place two separate booking for. I then made any necessary adjustments to the equipment lists to be used on set as a checklist to keep track of equipment.
Communication
As well as having regular group meetings we decided to use WhatsApp as our main source of online communication. WhatsApp has a very useful feature now where you are able to make a community of group chats therefore I made a community of 3 group chats.
One group chat was for crew only to discuss meetings and any questions or planning we had to do virtually. One group chat was for cast to keep them updated on filming and for questions that they may have about the projects. Finally we had a group chat for extras to also keep them updated on when they would be needed.
Schedules and Call-Sheets
When we were getting closer to production and we were starting to finalize the storyboard and shot list I drafted up an initial schedule for each of the shooting days. I had a couple of calls with the cinematographer to discuss how much time she wanted for each of the shots and what shots should be prioritised for each day.
I felt that although each day on the schedule had a lot to get through we were confident that we could get through them and that if any difficult situations were to occur we could work around them but potentially cutting some shots.
When drafting up the call sheets I checked with the crew when they felt it was best to have cast arriving and made sure to provide specific details of breaks, travel plans and exactly what we would be filming each day.
On-Set Requirements
Another important process to consider once we had cast was ensuring I had the correct contact details for the cast and crew alongside information about dietary requirements and any considerations of mental or physical help which would require specific adjustments being made such as physical or learning difficulties.
To compile this information I made a survey on google forms which would help me to arrange all of the necessary information into one place. I sent out the survey into the different group chats and asked for it to be filled out a week prior to filming.
Catering
Ahead of the shoots I put together a list of food to get for catering on set including snacks and a lunch plan. After looking at the dietary requirements I decided to make cheese sandwiches for on set and gluten free pasta for the director.
I added the costs of the snacks and lunch to the budget and the night before the shoot I shopped for the food and made the amount of sandwiches we needed according to the amount of cast and crew that we have.
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