Production Planning Deke Simon [email protected] Overview.

All students learn basic pre-production, production and post for low-budget features and documentaries. This includes scheduling/budgeting software, and, for features: script breakdown, scheduling (on computer), budgeting, basic production management, job functions, common contracts and forms, and post-production workflow. For documentary: writing the proposal, research, shaping the story and script, choosing equipment, creating a budget and a schedule, casting, crewing up, preparing interviews, on location, post-production workflow, final writing and finishing. Beginning Week 12, screenwriting students apply these skills to their own pre-existing or in progress 15-minute screenplays, and documentary students do the same for their pre-existing or in progress projects. By the end of the course, your narrative or documentary project will be ready for production. NOTE: I have found that working from a common 15 minute short film script that the whole class, either individually or in teams, learns to break down, schedule and budget, is a good way to lean the basics. The script should be fairly simple, mainly character-driven, but with good challenges for location changes and day/night shooting. When they do the budget, I suggest that they prepare a real world budget, not a film school where most things are free. That said, I also give them a crew rate sheet with pre-established day/week/hourly rates for all crew. The students must figure out how many days/weeks of prep/shoot/wrap time, but they have the rates given to them. Other costs, like camera package rentals, grip trucks, catering etc., I ask them to research, and/or make educated guesses from reading Film & Video Budgets. When the students prep their own projects at the end of the course, these are usually projects they will shoot as part of film school, and thus will not have to pay for crew, and most gear. Even so, there will be some costs, and they must think through the time requirements for prep/shoot/wrap, and of course, do all the scheduling. Ive found it to be an excellent prep. I supplement class work with screenings as appropriate, and guest speakers, usually department heads who speak about pre-production, production and post from their particular point of view. Students also prepare and give class presentations on: Copyright /Registering Copyright of the Script/of the Film Chain of Title Others Who May Have Rights in Your Film Title Clearance Clearing film clips /using stock footage Public domain Personal Rights/releases Right to Publicity/Defamation/Privacy Acquiring rights Clearing Music/Hiring a Composer Fair Use/Parody Copyright Infringement /Copyright on the Internet Attorneys/Agents/Managers/Provisions common to most agreements Production Insurance (Entertainment package/General liability/Workers Comp/E&O) WGA/DGA/SAG/AFTRA

Textbook Film & Video Budgets, 4th edition by Deke Simon with Michael Wiese Michael Wiese Productions, 2006 Recommended Books Clearance & Copyright, Everything the Independent Filmmaker Needs to Know 3rd edition by Michael C. Donaldson Silman-James, 2009 Dealmaking in the Film & Television Industry 2nd edition By Mark Litwak Silman-James Second Edition, 2002 Grading is based on: Class attendance & participation Narrative Film Schedule/Budget Documentary Proposal/Schedule/Budget Your project Schedule/Budget Schedule
1 Intro: Script/Schedule/Budget. Intro to script breakdown. Homework: 1. Script breakdown of common scriptdue next class. 2. Reading: Film and Video Budgets Line items pps. 81-125 2 Due: Script breakdowns. Intro to EP Scheduling. Story script vs shooting script. Special breakdown situations. Homework: 1. EP Script Breakdown/Scheduling tutorial. 2. Input script breakdowns into EP Scheduling 2. Reading: Film and Video Budgets Line items pps. 126-171 3 Before Pre-production. Negotiating crew/post deals. Homework: 1. EP Scheduling continue learning program/build schedule of common script into EP. 2. Reading: Film and Video Budgets Line items pps. 171-213 4 Pre-production checklist. Pre-production with all departments. Homework: 1. Continue EP schedule input. Due next week. 3. Reading: Film and Video Budgets Digital No Budget Feature pps. 325-352 5 Due: EP schedules of common script.

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Feature film budget overview. Review Digital No Budget Feature from reading. Budget planning for narrative project. (Budget due Class 7) Homework: 1. Begin to learn EP budgeting and apply it to narrative budget. 2. Reading: Film and Video Budgets: Digital Feature Budget pps. 291-324 6 Budget prep/assigning values for narrative project. Discuss short doc assignment. Homework: 1. Continue learning EP budgeting and apply to narrative project. 2. Prep your short (5 minute) doc proposal idea for next class. (Provide sample proposal/schedule) 7 Due: EP budget of common script. How to cut when over budget. Planning the documentary. Documentary concept/ audience/approach/limitations/research. Short documentary proposals due Class 8. Homework: Short documentary proposals. (Each person or team writes a proposal for a 5 minute doc. 8 Due: Short doc proposal. Shaping the documentary/first draft treatment/schedule/budget. Documentary Pre-production /location surveys/schedules/casting/directing the interview. Discussion: Your short doc proposals/schedules/budgets. Homework: 1. Reading: Film & Video Budgets Documentary Tape Budget (pps. 273-287) 2. Short doc scheduledue next class. 9 SEMESTER BREAK

10 Due: Short doc schedule. Editing the documentary/final writing/narration/finishing. Budgeting the documentary. Homework: 1. Short doc budgetdue Class 12. 11 Editing the documentary/final writing/narration/finishing. Homework: 1. Continue short doc budgets 2. Next class be prepared to discuss your own final 15 minute screenwriting or documentary project for script breakdown (if narrative) or proposal/schedule/budget (if doc) assignment aka Your Project. 12 Due: Short doc budgets. Your Project/discussion/script breakdown/schedule/budget. Screenwriting students begin script breakdown. Documentary students begin pre-production planning/scheduling. Homework: 1. Your Project Screenwriting script breakdowns due next class. 2. Your Project Documentary schedules due Class 14. 13 Due: Your Project Screenwriting script breakdowns.

Individual project class discussions as needed. Class discussions about scheduling/pre-production as needed. Screenwriting students begin EP scheduling. Documentary students continue pre-production planning/scheduling. EP schedules due next class. Doc schedules due next class. Homework: 1. Your Project Documentary and EP schedules due next class. 14 Due: Your Project Documentary and EP schedules. Your Project class discussions as needed. Class discussions about budgeting/pre-production as needed. Screenwriting and Documentary students begin EP budgeting. Homework: 1. Your Project Documentary and EP budgets due Class 16. 15 Your Project class discussions as needed. Class discussions about budgeting/pre-production as needed. Screenwriting and Documentary students continue EP budgeting. Homework: 1. Your Project Documentary and EP budgets due Class 16. 16 Due: Your Project Documentary and EP budgets.