🎬 Pre-Production Planning: Building Your Movie Before You Shoot
Imagine you’re planning the most amazing birthday party ever. You wouldn’t just wake up and say “Let’s have a party now!” — you’d make lists, invite friends, pick a place, and figure out what you need. Making a movie works the same way!
🌟 The Big Picture
Pre-production is like being a super-organized party planner, but for movies. Before anyone yells “Action!”, smart filmmakers spend weeks (or months!) getting everything ready.
Think of it like building with LEGO. First, you look at the instructions and gather all your pieces. THEN you start building. If you tried to build without looking first, you’d make a mess!
📋 Script Breakdown: Reading Your Movie Like a Detective
What Is Script Breakdown?
Imagine you have a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Before you start baking, you read the whole recipe and make a list:
- ✅ Flour
- ✅ Sugar
- ✅ Chocolate chips
- ✅ Mixing bowl
- ✅ Oven
Script breakdown is doing the same thing with your movie script. You read every page and write down EVERYTHING you’ll need.
How It Works
- Read the script page by page
- Highlight different things in different colors:
- 🟡 Yellow = Characters (who’s in this scene?)
- 🔴 Red = Props (what objects do we need?)
- 🟢 Green = Costumes (what do people wear?)
- 🔵 Blue = Locations (where does this happen?)
- 🟣 Purple = Special effects (explosions, magic, etc.)
Simple Example
Script says: “Sarah walks into her messy bedroom and picks up her teddy bear.”
Your breakdown list:
- 👤 Character: Sarah
- 📍 Location: Bedroom
- 🧸 Props: Teddy bear, messy room items
- 👗 Costume: Whatever Sarah wears
graph TD A[Read Script Page] --> B[Find Characters] B --> C[Find Locations] C --> D[Find Props] D --> E[Find Costumes] E --> F[List Everything!]
💰 Film Budgeting: Counting Your Movie Money
What Is a Film Budget?
A budget is like your piggy bank plan. If you have $20 for a lemonade stand, you need to figure out:
- How much for lemons?
- How much for cups?
- How much for a sign?
Movies work the same way, just with MUCH bigger numbers!
The Main Money Buckets
| Category | What It Covers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 🎭 Above the Line | Big stars, director, writer | Paying the main actors |
| 🔧 Below the Line | Crew, equipment, sets | Camera operators, lights |
| 🍿 Production | Actually filming | Food for everyone on set |
| 🎞️ Post-Production | Editing, music, effects | Adding cool sounds |
Simple Budget Example
Making a short film with $1,000:
- Actors: $200
- Location rental: $150
- Equipment: $300
- Food for crew: $150
- Costumes & props: $100
- Editing software: $100
Pro tip: Always save some money for surprises! Things ALWAYS cost more than you think.
📅 Scheduling: Your Movie’s Master Calendar
What Is Production Scheduling?
Remember how your school has a schedule? Math at 9am, lunch at noon, art at 2pm?
A film schedule is like that, but for every single day of shooting. It tells everyone WHERE to be and WHEN to be there.
Why Order Matters
Here’s a secret: movies are NOT filmed in order!
If your story has 5 scenes at a beach and 5 scenes at a school, you film ALL the beach scenes together, then ALL the school scenes together. This saves time and money!
graph TD A[Script Order: Scene 1,2,3,4,5] --> B[Beach: Scenes 1,3,5] A --> C[School: Scenes 2,4] B --> D[Film All Beach First] C --> E[Then Film All School]
The Shooting Schedule Includes:
- 📍 Location for each scene
- 🎭 Which actors are needed
- ⏰ Call time (when people arrive)
- 🌅 Time of day (morning light? sunset?)
- 🎬 Scene numbers to film
Example Schedule Day
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | Crew arrives, set up lights |
| 7:00 AM | Actors arrive for makeup |
| 8:00 AM | Film Scene 12 |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch break |
| 1:00 PM | Film Scene 15 |
| 6:00 PM | Wrap (go home!) |
🗺️ Location Scouting: Finding the Perfect Places
What Is Location Scouting?
Imagine you’re playing hide and seek and need to find the BEST hiding spots. Location scouting is like that, but you’re finding the best places to film your movie!
What Scouts Look For
When you visit a possible location, you ask:
- Does it look right? (Does it match what the script describes?)
- Is there enough space? (Can we fit cameras and crew?)
- What about light? (Big windows? Too dark?)
- How does it sound? (Noisy road nearby? Airplanes?)
- Where do people park? (Cast and crew need spots!)
- Are there bathrooms? (Very important!)
Scout Checklist
- 📸 Take LOTS of photos
- 🎥 Record video (walk through the space)
- 📝 Write notes about problems
- 🧭 Note which direction is North (for sunlight!)
- 📏 Measure the rooms
Real Example
Script says: “A cozy coffee shop where friends meet”
Bad location: A huge, empty warehouse Good location: An actual small café with warm lighting and comfy chairs
📜 Location Permits: Getting Permission
Why Do We Need Permits?
If you wanted to have a big party at a park, you’d need to ask the park people first, right? Same with filming!
A permit is an official paper that says “Yes, you can film here.”
Who Gives Permits?
| Location Type | Who to Ask |
|---|---|
| 🏛️ Public places (streets, parks) | City Film Commission |
| 🏠 Private property | The owner |
| 🏪 Stores & restaurants | The business owner |
| 🏫 Schools | The principal |
What Permits Usually Need:
- 📅 Dates you want to film
- ⏰ Hours you’ll be there
- 👥 How many people in your crew
- 🚗 Vehicles & equipment you’re bringing
- 💰 Insurance (in case something breaks)
Simple Example
Want to film at the local park?
- Call the city’s film office
- Fill out their form
- Pay a small fee
- Get your permit paper
- Bring the permit on filming day!
Without a permit: Police might ask you to leave. Very embarrassing!
🎭 Casting: Finding Your Stars
What Is Casting?
Casting is like picking players for your soccer team. You need the RIGHT person for each position. In movies, you need the right actor for each character.
The Casting Process
graph TD A[Write Character Descriptions] --> B[Post Casting Call] B --> C[Actors Send Headshots] C --> D[Pick Actors to Audition] D --> E[Hold Auditions] E --> F[Callbacks for Best Ones] F --> G[Choose Final Cast!]
Who’s Who in Casting
- Casting Director: The expert who finds actors
- Headshot: An actor’s photo (like a school picture)
- Resume: List of shows/movies the actor has done
What to Look For
When casting, ask yourself:
- Do they LOOK like the character?
- Can they ACT the emotions needed?
- Do they work well with other actors?
- Are they available during filming days?
Casting Call Example
"Seeking actors for short film ‘The Magic Garden’
Role: Lily (age 8-10)
- Curious, brave little girl
- Must be comfortable around fake butterflies
- Filming: June 15-20
Submit headshot and video to…"
🎤 Auditions & Callbacks: Testing the Talent
What Is an Audition?
An audition is like a tryout. Actors come in and perform a small part of your script to show you what they can do.
How Auditions Work
- Actors sign in and get a number
- They go into a room with the casting team
- They perform “sides” (a few pages from the script)
- The team takes notes and maybe records video
- Actors leave and wait to hear back
What Is a Callback?
A callback means “You did great! Come back!”
It’s like making it to the second round. Only the BEST actors from auditions get callbacks. At callbacks, actors might:
- Read with other actors being considered
- Try different scenes
- Show more of their range
Audition Room Setup
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| 📷 Camera | To record and review later |
| 📋 Clipboard | To take notes |
| 🪑 Reader | Someone to read the other character’s lines |
| 💡 Good lighting | So you can see the actor clearly |
Tips for Running Auditions
- ✅ Be kind and welcoming (actors are nervous!)
- ✅ Give clear instructions
- ✅ Let them try more than once
- ✅ Write notes RIGHT AWAY (you’ll forget later!)
- ✅ Thank everyone for coming
Example Audition Process
For the role of “Lily”:
First Audition (50 kids):
- Each reads one scene
- 10 kids get callbacks
Callback (10 kids):
- Read three different scenes
- Act with the kid playing “Brother”
- 3 finalists chosen
Final Decision:
- Watch all callback videos
- Pick the ONE perfect Lily!
🎯 Putting It All Together
Pre-production is like being a super-organized superhero. Every list you make, every plan you create, every permission you get — it all makes filming day SO much easier!
graph TD A[Script Breakdown] --> B[Know What You Need] B --> C[Budget Planning] C --> D[Know What You Can Afford] D --> E[Schedule Creation] E --> F[Know When & Where] F --> G[Location Scouting] G --> H[Find Perfect Spots] H --> I[Get Permits] I --> J[Permission Granted!] J --> K[Casting & Auditions] K --> L[Find Your Stars] L --> M[Ready to Film! 🎬]
Remember:
- 📋 Script Breakdown = Know what you need
- 💰 Budget = Know what you can afford
- 📅 Schedule = Know when and where
- 🗺️ Location Scouting = Find perfect spots
- 📜 Permits = Get permission
- 🎭 Casting = Find your stars
- 🎤 Auditions = Test the talent
When pre-production is done right, filming feels like magic. When it’s done wrong… it feels like chaos!
Now you’re ready to plan your movie like a pro! 🌟