The Pre-Production Process - Requirements for a Moving Image Production

Type of Production  
I was put into a small group and we were asked to produce a short film for an internet competition. We were given a list of requirements and instructions and was then left to our own devices to plan, produce and edit the short film, consisting of a maximum footage length of 1 min 30 seconds. To distribute our short film, we were required to export it from Adobe Premier Pro and upload it onto the internet; more specifically, YouTube. 

Many types of media have developed and expanded over time. From radio and newspapers being the only source of information, to it now being more widely available and accessible for everyone. Music, animation, advertisement and most famously; Hollywood feature films- have become increasingly common in ones every day life, and are said to have a huge impact on the world we live in. Not only is the internet and television available for distribution, but on demand services such as Netflix and Love Film are also available. Although these are accessed through the internet, they are another way to source a moving image product, and as a result, are another form of support for the industry. 

Finances and Sources of Funding

There are many ways to finance the production of a film, television programme and other moving image texts. The most common and well-known example is lottery funding, which is organised and sought out by the British Film Institute (BFI).
There is also the option of self-funding the production of a film, and this is most commonly the only available option for first time producers, or on a low budget film project. For example, Robert Rodriguez- most commonly known for Sin City- used his own income to fund the production of his first film, El Mariachi.  

Another form of funding a moving image production is through the banks. Although it’s not as common in the modern day, Wall Street and its array of banks have been known to fund many of the millions of films that have been produced in America. 

Occasionally, there is one individual who could be known as the savior of the film industry. Megan Ellison is our modern day savior- “Megan is the Han Solo of film-making”, with her mass contribution to many films, most recently; Zero Dark Thirty- about the killing of Osama Bin Laden- to which she contributed the full funding, worth 45 million US dollars.

In addition to those options, there’s another that is not so common; crowd funding. This is literally what it says on the tin, where a large, or even small, group of people get together and make small, or sizeable, donations to an idea of a moving image product that they are a fan of, to make it more widely known and produced to a better and professional standard. This type of funding is also known as a ‘kick starter.’ This is also when groups of people, or individuals, advertise their ideas for a moving image production, and if the general public are a fan of their idea, they can donate as little or as much as they want towards the production. 

Requirements


For any and every production there is a list of many requirements that must be met- i.e; what the money will be spent on. 

A massive cost will, undoubtedly, be spent on the cast themselves; whether there is a small group of well known actors, or a larger group of not so famous, the cost of their health and safety insurance, as well as to hire and employ them in the first place will be a large expenditure. Another requirement is insurance costs. Not only for the actors and crewmembers, but for the equipment and travel also. This links in to legal issues and other expenditures, in the event of any rights being breached. Another large expenditure will be of the location(s) at which the moving image production is being set, and if the location is at a distance, the travel and costs of staying in a hotel for each member of cast and crew; e.g- James Bond, Skyfall. The props and costume for any moving image production will also require a large source of income. The cost of each aspect will obviously fluctuate depending on the type of media text, and whether it is a low budget or a Hollywood feature film. Nonetheless, every moving image production and media text has a list of requirements that are essential in making their finalised product.

Personnel

 Low Budget Short -  A low budget short moving image production, such as The Blair Witch Project, is less likely to have a large production crew and large expenditures, especially when compared with a Hollywood feature film. To produce a low budget short, the personnel needed is going to be minimal as a result of low funding. This therefore means that the jobs required to produce such texts will be spread out between few people, and that the talent that is available will be expected to perform many roles and have multiple expertise in different areas of the production. As for the cast themselves, it's extremely unlikely that actors such as Robert Downey Jr. and Ryan Gosling will appear, however, a face such as Steve Coogan is much more realistic. 

Tv Programme  - Though this set of personnel would be larger than that of a low budget short, it will still be minimal compared to that of a Hollywood feature film. In contrast to the low budget short, each area of production will have its very own expert and team leader and/or manager, with several colleagues to assist them. The cast for this type of media text will depend on the programme and the context within it, though the crew-members will almost always be of the same amount. Depending on the type and popularity of the programme, will depend on who the production team will hire, and what actors will be used. As an example, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, starring Will Smith, will most certainly cost a lot more to produce than programmes such as Bargain Hunt, who's demographic will be much smaller. 


Hollywood Feature – For a Hollywood feature film, the amount of personnel will be significantly larger than that of any other media text. It would be expected that there is different departments for each specific need, and the funding would most definitely be reflective of that. Within each department there is significantly sized teams to make sure that each deadline is met and that everything runs smoothly. Film series, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, have fluctuating production costs, depending on how well the first fiction is received. The Curse of the Black Pearl, had a production budget of $140 million US dollars, but by the second film only, the budget had increased to $225 million US dollars. This is not only because of how well the first and foremost film was received though, it was also the cast and crew that were costing the production team increasing amounts. With the likes of Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp, it was never going to be a cheap production in the first place. 

Within our small group, we found it worked best when we each contributed to every task given to us. As a result of this, all three of us have gained experience in creating a story board, in addition to the other pre-production paperwork, which beforehand none of us had had experience with. George and Bruce both had previous experience with the performing arts, having taken a GCSE in Drama, and George following it through at A Level. Not having any experience with media or any similar subjects before, I felt that I learnt a lot from this exercise, and many of these skills which I have acquired, I hope to carry on at a degree level. As an example, previously, Premier Pro was a completely new programme to me and I was utterly lost when trying to edit a production. However, after this exercise, I now feel confident and comfortable when asked to use such programmes.  


Contributors 
In addition to the cast and crew members, there is also many other additional contributors that are necessary when producing any type of media. An example of this would be things such as a research team. In such programmes where the information being presented is based on actual facts, such as CSI, it is very important that when talking about certain factors such as 'cause of death', and scientific findings, that each piece of information is not only factually correct, but that it is being presented in the correct context, thus leading to the employment of such research teams.
In addition, another contributor may be make-up artists. Although taken for granted, the make-up and overall presentation of actors, whether it be in a music video, television advertisement, or even a Hollywood feature film, is vital- and plays a very big role on how the audience perceives that media text. 

Time
 

Like in the professional industry, each group was given a time frame to follow, and in turn, meet each deadline. We were allocated a week for each task; planning and pre-production work, production and editing.
 For our planning, we were expected to create a story board, shot by shot, of what we expected our final product to be like. This part of our pre-production paperwork took us roughly 3-4 hours, and the work was split between each member of the group equally. There was plenty more work to be done however, when it came to our pre-production paperwork, and so this was also split equally between each group member, and we all contributed and completed each piece of work before our given deadline.


I think that our group used the time given to us wisely as we met each deadline given to us, and when it came to the planning time allowed, we finished the task before the allocated deadline. 

Unlike our deadlines, if they are not met in the professional industry, then the cost of the production will increase and some may even go unfinished. The longer the deadline is having to be expanded, the more and more money is going into the project, meaning not only is it more difficult to make anything from the production, but it can also tarnish the reputation of the cast and production crew. An example of this is Michael Cimino. 

As the director, producer and co-writer of the 1978 Academy Award Winning film The Deer Hunter, his reputation went off the scales, and unsurprisingly he was head-hunted to produce and/or direct many more films. This was, until, the directing of the “financial failure”, more commonly known as Heaven’s Gate. Rumours about Cimino’s overbearing directorial style meant that the production of the film was pushed to almost four times longer that was once planned, making it to be considered “one of the worst films ever made."

Equipment / Facilities

There are multiple ways to obtain the equipment needed in professional moving image productions. The two most obvious ways are to have previously owned the equipment needed, or indeed to go out and purchase it beforehand or during the production process. Another way is via a rates card. A rate card is a “documentcontaining prices and descriptions for the various ad placement optionsavailable from a media outlet.”

     



As we were only a small project, based on a next to nothing budget and our settings being limited to the local area, our access to equipment was also limited. However, the college were able to allow us to borrow and therefore use for the amount of time necessary, their own equipment, such as the camera and tripod. Some props used in our small moving image production were used courtesy of the college, such as the comic book. Nevertheless, whilst producing our media text, we were lucky enough to have our own props and therefore the only expenditure was that of the apple used. 

Locations

Our initial choice of location was to film outside the front of college, on the park opposite, and down gorleston high street, outside the library. However, because of the weather conditions on our days of filming, we had to make the decision to change our location, and in fact film inside. This was not consistent throughout our whole short film however, and once the weather permitted, we were able to film outside, opposite the front of college. Also, instead of using gorleston library to film in front of, we simply chose a bench located on college premises.


Before filming our short clip, we were required to take 'Location Recce' photographs, to establish and finalise where we were going to shoot our short film. This is when our small group were required to go out and scout for locations that we thought suitable to shoot our short film.  

 Another thing on our list of requirements was to get a 'Location Release' for each destination where we planned on filming. This is when you are required to legal permission from the local authorities if you wish to film in public. As an example, the small group I was a part of had to contact the police, and ensure that they authorised permission for us to film, as we wanted to film outside of the local library.
 However, if the filming is hoped to be taken place on private land, you must get permission off the land owners.  

The reason behind our choices of location was mainly for ease; they were a short distance from college, and with the time frame we were given, travelling far would have not been practical if we wanted to stick to our schedule. 

Before continuing with our production, part of the pre-production paperwork required us to perform a risk assessment on each of our locations. We found that our biggest risk was either when travelling from the college to our location and losing each other, or the damaging of equipment. To overcome those issues, we made sure that we each had one another’s contact details and that we handled the equipment with the utmost care. 

In the industry, their choice of locations would not be as limited, and films such as Clash of the Titans, use several locations to film their production; England, Spain and Italy. Without a doubt, this would increase the funding needed by thousands, if not more, as it's not only the location they're having to pay for. As well as having to hire the location out, the production team are having to fund the accommodation in which they will stay whilst producing the film, and also the travel to get there in the first place.  

Materials

In addition to equipment, crew and cast, there are still some things that are needed when making a moving image text, such as sound tracks or music. When filming a moving image text, there is often ambient sound that is picked up by the microphone, and is more than often not wanted in the final product. This is where sound tracks and additional music comes in, to fill in the silence that would otherwise be there. Sound tracks are also important, as they are often how films, for instance, are remembered.  When considering musical talents, it is crucial that copyright is not breached, and so the producer must either buy into the rights to the music they wish to use, or pay someone to create an original piece. This can also be applied to costumes; an individual, or a group of people are having to be paid to not only make the costumes, but to have the materials and equipment needed, at hand and ready to be used whenever necessary.  Another material that is needed is props and costume. Not every actor / actress would have previously owned the costumes worn in such a film as The Avengers Assemble.

Both of these additional factors mean financial reconsideration for many producers.
It's not only the production of these additional materials, first and foremost its whether they're available at all. As an example, if a group of directors and screenwriters wanted to make a historical documentary, they must make sure that the information they produce is factual, and not a matter of opinion or myth. To get such information, they must research into their chosen subject in great depth, which would be available in library archives. 


Legal Issues

Legal considerations must be taken into account when using certain materials in a media production; the most common being copyright and most definitely making sure that you do not breach that.

Copyright only affected our Depict! Production in one way, and that was for our magazine pages and cover, where we did in-fact, breach copyright and use an original copy of the magazine within our film. Issues did arise however, when it came to our soundtrack. We initially wanted to use music that had been previously been produced, but because of copyright, we used sound effects that had no copyright attachments, and produced some of our own.

Clearance; this is when you are required to get written permission to use every actor/actress and every other thing that appears in your film, whether it be a person or a sign post. You must gain clearance for your script, content, music, location and actors/contributors.  

Public Liability Insurance; this is a form of insurance that covers injuries, even death, to any persons on or around the location of your setting for your production.

Completion Guarantee/Insurance; this is often used in independently funded films to ensure that the producer will complete the film to the agreed standards, and deliver it to the distributors. It’s a form of insurance that is “offered by a completion guarantor company… fee based on the budget.”

 OFCOM (Office of Communications) is known as the communications regulator. It ensures that the general public is protected from scams, and that we get the best out of our communication systems. It is legally bound under the Communications Act 2003, and is not allowed to perform any more, or less, than what is stated in that Act of Parliament.

OFCOM does have some, very minimal powers, to regulate the BBC. However, it can only regulate their “license fee funded television and radio services... not the World Service.” Other than that, until 2007, it was the Board of Governors who regulated the BBC. This has been changed however, and now it is the BBC Trust who is put in charge of regulating the BBC. 


The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) is a non-government funded company that has been running since 1912, and has classified cinema films since then. Its main function is to protect the public from harmful content that is potentially dangerous, whilst respecting the freedom of choice within the law. Most recently, it has certified films such as Gravity and Free Birds. 

A trade union is a group of workers within any particular trade, that is formed to protect their own rights and further interests. They’re important, as they are effective when it comes to communication between employers and employees and ensure that no conflicting issues are taken out of hand.

PACT (Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television) is a trade association based in the United Kingdom, which is interested in supporting the commercial interests of television, animation, independent feature film companies etc. They often engage with government organisations all over the world, and hold campaigns and events to promote themselves and what they stand for. 

BECTU (The Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union) is again, based in the U.K, and is also a democratic trade union representing freelance workers, as well as contract workers. As an independent company, its funding is based solely on the subscriptions from its members, which is at a current rate of 25,000. Its main aim, as any trade unions will be, is to protect the jobs of its members. However, it also stands for the improvement of pay, including the pensions given to workers at their retirement.

A trade association looks at the progression of an industry, and how it can help to further that progression. Whilst also looking at the public relations side of things, its main aim is the standardization between companies. Especially with the current state of the economy being more of a social debate, a trade association will also play a big part in a specific social dialogue.

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