Preparing for filming is a natural and very important stage in the production of any video. Among professionals, this phase is called "Pre-Production." Preparation takes a lot of time and effort, while the customer wants to receive the video quickly and without unnecessary troubles. So is it possible to do without pre-production? And now we will explain why.

What works does pre-production consist of?
Pre-production is a series of actions aimed at coordinating, preparing and approving a project in a specific form. These actions make up a logical chronology. You can not, for example, proceed to the search for locations without approving the script. Let's analyze the sequence by which we begin work:

Technical task
Or in short - TK. This is a document in which the client describes the task in detail: which video is needed, which task it must complete, which timekeeping, genre, who is the target audience and the like. We will not repeat hackneyed jokes, but without TK it is impossible to achieve a sane result.

Script concepts
Having received TK from the client, we analyze the information and establish a brainstorming session. As a result, we distinguish three ideas. You can read more about how we come up with stories in the article “Storytelling in advertising”.

The rendering concept is a short written announcement of the script, a description in general terms. From the proposed concepts, the client chooses the one that is most attractive to him. Without coordination of the concept, difficulties may arise in the next stage - at the script stage.

Scenario
We write the first script based on a concept chosen and approved by the client. The script is a consistent presentation of the plot of the video.

We write scripts in a format that will be available to any professional from the film and video industry. After writing the script, the following facts become known: how many actors, what gender and age we need, what locations are needed, what about the timing of the video, what kind of specialists from the film crew and how many work shifts will be required.

Knowing this information, we can calculate the estimated cost of producing the video. The script becomes the main production document that guides the entire crew.

Storyboard and animatic
When the script is written, the question remains what the video will look like. For the primary visualization of the script, you need a storyboard and animatic.

A storyboard is a sequential schematic depiction of objects in a frame. It resembles a comic book.

An animatic is a form in which a storyboard is animated. You can add draft music, sounds, voice acting, subtitles to it. Animatic creates the most complete picture of what the future video will look like.

Locations
Locations are places where the shooting will take place. Locations are selected in accordance with the scenario. It can be both premises and natural places.

Locator and location negotiation searches for locations. Taking pictures. Based on the photo, explanations are added to the storyboard and animatic. The director and director of photography get the opportunity to plan in advance how to put the light on, where the actors will be, what to choose the camera angles for shooting.

Casting
We are looking for actors and extras individually for the project. For each role, it is necessary to find at least one candidacy of an actor, suitable by type and age. This is done by the casting manager. He collects, organizes and stores profiles of actors.

If necessary, an open meeting is organized where acquaintance and communication with the actors, an explanation of the upcoming work and tasks take place. Without casting, it is impossible to find actors and organize their work.

Commercial offer and estimate
Having determined all of the above items, we are preparing a commercial proposal or explainer video for the client, which indicates the cost of the scenario and a list of work and expenses included in the price.

Coordination of KP also takes some time. If the cost is too high, then the script is amended. For a more complete understanding of the issue, we recommend that you read our article “Cost of an advertising video”.