How To Plan A Film Shoot - Indie Film Pre Production Steps

How to plan a film shoot with the proper indie film pre production steps.

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Pre-production is where all of the detailed planning for your film happens. Everything from camera equipment, to props, to how much coffee you’ll need, ps it’s a lot, is completely plotted out. As it should be, because this is the most crucial stage in filmmaking to insure your film shoot goes smoothly and doesn’t become a disaster worthy of the evening news. So let’s jump in and break down indie film pre production steps.

The first step in the film pre production workflow is the 1st Table Read. This is where the director and producer read the script out loud, usually with some friends or colleagues playing the various roles. This is a step that can often be overlooked but I highly recommend it because reading a script to yourself verse hearing it spoken out loud with emotion can really change your vision for the film and quickly identify anything that’s not working.

Next is the storyboarding and/or shot listing phase. This is where the director and/or director of photography plan out the shots that will make up the film. Now, not every filmmaker uses both, some use one over the other. For example, I prefer to storyboard rather than shot list as I’m a more visual person, but it’s ok to choose the method that works best for you.

After that comes scheduling, and I highly recommend that you take the time to do this step because it can dictate your budget. This is where you plan out exactly how many shots you’ll be able to get in a day, how much time you’ll spend shooting each one, and how many days you’ll need to shoot.

Then comes budgeting. Because you’ve spent the time to figure out how many shoot days you’ll need, you’ll be able to come up with a fairly realistic budget for your film. This is key, as costs on a film set can add up quickly. Having a budget as a guide can help keep your film cost from bloating unexpectedly.

Next is casting. This is where you typically hire a casting director who assists the director in casting the film. The director and casting director attending casting sessions where they audition various actors and actresses for different roles.

Then comes crew hiring, and this can often be happening simultaneously with the previous steps. This is where the producer hires the various crew members needed to make the film, such as the camera department, makeup artists, and production assistants, who can make sure you have an endless stream of coffee.

After that come equipment rentals. Now that you’ve hired the crew needed, they can now assess and inform you what equipment will be needed to shoot the film. This can be anything from camera equipment, sound stages, or prop rentals.

Next comes location scouting. This is where the director, producer, and if you have the budget for it a hired location scout, scout out various potential filming locations to see if they will work for the film and if there’s any safety or technical concerns that will need to be addressed. Pro tip, I also highly recommend you bring a camera and shoot some quick videos or stills of the location for future reference.

Next but often simultaneously, is props and wardrobe. This is where any props or wardrobe needed for the film are either purchased or made, and wardrobe fittings with the cast are also done, to ensure everything is fitting and looking right.

Then, and again often simultaneously, is the 2nd table read. This is where the director, producer, and cast get together to read the script out loud once again and discuss characters.

And finally in the film pre production workflow, rehearsal and or test shoots. For rehearsals, the director and the cast get together again and test out the scene with blocking as well as discuss performance and character motivations.

Now that you know the pre production filmmaking steps, you’re film shoot will be sure to go smoothly because you’ll be super prepared and organized!

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[brycepoole]

Awesome, love this breakdown of the pre/production process! Lots of great insights here!

[lilmarisamua]

Love it!!! I even got a few second fame in there lol!

[JarredCordova]

Hey peanut butter falcon was awesome haha I'm definitely working in my process for preproduction especially working with a tight crew. Reading the script as a whole group has been something I definitely try to do Everytime while story boarding or even a shot list I neglect. I'll try and work on that for sure, thank you so much I'm always looking forward to your stuff each week! Do you have any narrative stuff that you've made that I can look at?