What are the most common bottlenecks in pre-production scheduling for video production?

The top three common bottlenecks in pre-production scheduling for video production are: Script Development Delays: Slow progress in scriptwriting can hinder planning for casting, location scouting, and shot planning, causing cascading delays in the overall pre-production timeline. Casting Challenges: Difficulty in finding suitable actors can lead to delays in production start and impact scheduling, as casting is a critical element influencing the success of the project. Budgeting Issues: Unclear or changing budget constraints make it challenging to allocate resources and plan effectively, affecting decisions on equipment, locations, and overall project scope. A well-defined and stable budget is crucial for a smooth pre-production process.

Celebrity Schedules. They are in constant flux and Business Affairs need time to negotiate rates. If you are working with "Celebrity talent" start your schedule with their schedule and build from there. Also pays dividends if you have a good relationship with the agent. Also recommend to have available date locked in a binding agreement. Who pays for a change in shooting schedule in the case of talent avail changing?

Yes number one. Also, number one reason I stop work. Imagine going to a restaurant. And you order a big dinner. Then you call the server over and say you know I’d love to order another filet mignon and lobster. But just add that. I don’t have budget to pay for it. How many times is that gonna work? Never. Get it?

Send me good audio! If your audio sounds like it was recorded in a bathroom stall then It's going to take me longer to polish it.

When production doesn't clearly define the budget with creatives or promise money that they don't have, or intend to spend, they often allow everyone to spin their wheels. Time is wasted on material that doesn't end up on screen. Directors are given too much freedom in pre-production, only to have it all removed from them when filming begins.

I avoid scripting all together. I talk clients out of it from the first meeting. It's 1990s production thinking. Often scripted productions look like hostage videos and unless you use expensive trained actors, everyone hates taking part. Instead why not record a 1 hour video podcast where everyone can relax. After 15 mins the gold starts coming!

The key with script revisions, or even any kind of revisions when it comes to things like post-production - is building in and scheduling feedback time and feedback slots in advance. At MEDDICC, we build out each individual project well before it properly begins (using Asana). Our workflow for each project is designed to cater for this by building in feedback slots for each stage of the process, setting clear deadlines for when the feedback needs to be submitted by, and consequently when the feedback needs to be actioned by. By building this in ahead of time, trust me, it saves you heaps of time later on. It also makes you more receptive to feedback as it arrives, by knowing that you have built the time in to action it when it does.

I always limit the number of script revisions for any video production. At some point you need to trust that the message is there and you need to start to move forward. I remember a friend, who is an artist, telling me that she keeps the revisions of her paintings to a minimum. She simply decides to stop, even though she feels she could do more. But she says that there comes a time that, when you keep tweaking/revising, you go overboard and you ruin what was once a great thing. I believe that you can do that with a script too. Trust to stop with the revisions sooner than you may want to. You'll thank yourself for it.

I think getting the script locked prior to shooting is always a must. But making sure the script is locked a week or two before production helps with knowing how you're gonna shoot it and what you're gonna need to execute the shoot properly. Like someone else mentioned, depending on who your talent is and what they're talking about is a huge factor when it comes to performance and authentically getting the message across. If they really know the topics bullet points will often do, but if they don't you might need to lean on teleprompter and heavy directing.

Objective and Clear Brief: Lack of a well-defined objective and a clear brief with a script leads to difficulties in planning, finalizing shoot details, and can result in disruptions if changes occur at the last moment. Location Availability: Identifying and securing suitable locations based on the script and requirements, delays in finalizing other specifications like technical requirements and ground logistics. Budget Constraints: Balancing client expectations with the budget allocated for the project. There is always a difference between client expectations and the allocated budget. Managing this disparity limits pre-production scheduling and requirements to a certain extent.

Pourquoi on choisit une personne et pas l'autre. souvent j'ai vu des réals choisir des actrices uniquement pour des raisons autres que le film.

I speak from the lens of a journalist who also works on Long form news features. For a journalistic video piece, finding credible and expert speakers is an ongoing challenge. To Solve for this I rely on my bank of contacts and also read extensively on the topic I’m exploring. This enables me to find fresh voices and also include multiple perspectives on a given topic, which is key to a good news feature. Scheduling interviews within deadlines can also be tricky hence it’s best to contact more than one speaker simultaneously and see what works out. On the aspect of crewing, I developed a wide network of freelancers who send me ground reports when I can’t travel. They also support me as fixers/producers when I do travel to their location.

Work with people you trust. Keeping a team together, whilst always being willing to look to new areas of improvement. There are no shortcuts...Long term relationships mean production made easy.

To navigate casting and crewing challenges in pre-production, start by nailing down the roles and skills you need. Dive into industry networks, casting agencies, and online platforms to find your dream team efficiently. Simplify negotiations and confirmations by setting clear expectations upfront. Be ready for curveballs with backup options and contingency plans. Kick off casting and crewing early to avoid last-minute scrambles, and embrace tech tools for a smoother ride. Clearly communicate availability needs and keep your talent pool fresh if you want an easier pre-production process, saving time and sidestepping potential hiccups.

Getting the right crew and cast for launching a successful video campaign. I usually get a line producer to hire the technical crew and a casting agency to get acting talent. I keep back up options ready in case there is any emergency.

Using virtual location scouting in pre-production (with real-time engines) could prevent issues months before an outside filmset is built and save going over budget. Film productions utilizing visualisation during their pre-production can prevent potential issues during production of challenging scenes.

The most challenging bottleneck for pre production the last three years in Los Angeles County is permitting. Locations and locations scouts abound…but permits don’t fly through as quickly or sometimes as easily as they have the last 20+ years. This catches many of us off guard because we’re conditioned to believe that if we stay ahead of it permitting is usually painless and not a consistent pain point. You can still usually get what you want you just need to get your permits in at least one full week ahead of time and be rigorous in your contingency planning.

Some municipalities have lengthy processes and multitudes of questions that may not apply to your shoots. Be as specific and detailed as possible when it comes to answering them and call those who work in permitting to explain any air gaps in understanding the parameters BEFORE submitting your application so your approvals go as smoothly as possible..

Securing locations for production always means unavoidable logistical obstacles. Depending on budget, creative vision, shoot schedule and clearance…finding the perfect location that is willing to sign all the appropriate paperwork within your ever-moving, ever-changing timeframe can be a challenge. But even if you get all of the above done, permits are what can upend a shoot. The permitting process ranging by state, city, county, etc and depending on your type of production (scripted/unscripted), can require many hoops to jump through, only to be told - no. I’ve seen massive shoot schedules change because of a permit issue.

getting the right locations that matches your script could be a problem, what we do most times in such situation when we get locations that we can work with is to make little adjustment to the script and add certain features that matches with the location we got in such a way that every thing comes out fantastic at the end of the day

This is why, depending on your needs, you hire experienced companies to handle certain departments' needs. You may have a brilliant LD who owns no gear so perhaps that person consults but you still have 3 companies ready to fill the equipment needs. Once you are clear on locations and conditions of shooting, you can choose one to do the whole job.

I'll keep this one blunt - Any idiot can buy an expensive fancy camera, turn it on, and shoot something. It takes talent and education to shoot something *good*

In my experience, you partner with local companies to get the props you need. Therefore you will not be struggling trying to find any. If loaded weapons are on the property, you need to have specialists handling equipment at all time. Loading and unloading. It is important to have a detailed equipment list. I have been in situations where the production team has had to use an extra belongings because someone dropped the ball. Furthermore, things break and are misplaced. So having extra props and equipment will not hurt.

Equipamentos s?o baseados em suas necessidades. N?o há motivos para ter equipamentos especificos caso n?o haja grande utilidade. Ent?o obter uma lente macro ou um drone pode ser apenas um dinheiro jogado fora caso utilize em apenas um projeto. Aluguel de equipamentos é acessível e possibilita fazer projetos sem ter que gastar muito.

Producing videos requires commitment, dedication and determination. The most interesting thing is that we need to have two or three options so that if one of them breaks, we have an emergency exit.

Similar to my last point on building in feedback time before you project starts - do the same thing with the client. Again, by building this into schedules ahead of time through tools such as Asana, weekly catchup calls on your Google Calendar etc, it makes you more receptive and ready to take on feedback when it arrives - safe in the knowledge you have scheduled things accordingly. When you're on the initial calls with the client - try and think of things from their perspective. Find out their 'why' in terms of WHY this video product is important to them, or to the business they represent. This in turn will help you to better execute their original vision and hopefully it saves you more feedback time in the long run!

Ensure that client approval isn't something you do at the end of preproduction as a last step. Set you and your clients up for success by integrating the client approval process into the entire project plan. Touch base and receive approval multiple times. Make sure all invested parties are present for the kickoff and expectations are set and clear. Then check in regularly to ensure all parties remain happy throughout the process. Final client review should feel almost not necessary by the time it arrives.

As someone who has been the client and the producer… just assume 2-3 rounds of edits after the fact. And make sure to agree on the must-have vs nice-to-have shot list ahead of time. The first cut cannot be the last. But build in the expectation of added costs for more than 3 rounds of review.

Scheduling a weekly call with your client(s) and inviting all stakeholders/decision makers to attend can help make this process run smoother. Consistent reminders on the schedule and how it will be pushed back each time a deadline is missed keeps everyone accountable. Working together with your client and indicating best practices to stay on schedule and budget may feel difficult during the process, however your client with thank you when all is delivered, to scope and the finished content is as they envisioned it!

The most common bottlenecks in video pre-production are: confirming on-camera interviews for the best date, location, and time. Once you have these set, you can go ahead and arrange everything else around them; however, without them, or with no confirmation or a last-minute cancellation, your production could fall apart. A good producer will understand the multiple factors that ensure on-camera interviewees can confirm and commit, and then align everything else so the shoot will work efficiently and effectively (there are many, many more factors that can sink a production schedule. However, once the on-camera work and location are confirmed, everything else can properly progress).

Frequently the day-to-day client who may have control of the project and budget for the job doesn't include someone who has the potential to chance scope, shift budget or should have been included in the original review. This could be: ? someone or a team that is above them (e.g. CEO/CFO/CMO) ? someone or a team that could be impacted by the project's scope (perhaps another channel's work could benefit from this project and may need some adjacent content that may be helpful if their needs are produced with the original planed project. ? have they/you considering properly timed legal and/or regulatory review which can add to scope and timing.

Success in video pre-production lies in meticulous planning and effective collaboration. Clear goals, detailed timelines, and open communication are the cornerstones of a well-managed project.

Apart from all the above in my experience, the most important thing to consider in Pre Production is to have a clear communication. It is very necessary that your client, creative team and the production team is on the same page about the kind of product that is going to be created. If the above has been achieved, it will almost always be a smooth production with a quality product.

To have a successful pre production, there needs to be thorough communication between every team. Every team leads much hold meetings among themselves and discuss the weekly progress in their teams and communicate where they stand and what needs to be done to make the pre production as smooth as possible. They should also have an online communication tool where they keep posting daily updates at the end of the day so they can make decision notes for the weekly meeting. This way every team stays up to date with the progress and the ore production process gets no delays. This process was very helpful to me when I was working as a senior video editor. It ensured the videos were ready much before the publishing date.

One insight not covered by the themes above is 'let clients be themselves' on video. It's our job to create the storyline and the filming environment that brings out people's expertise and personality and insights in a completely natural way. That's when video is really powerful. Plus a few great drone shots. And great music. And intelligent graphics. And getting the duration just right. And working to brand guidelines ...