Preproducing the Turkey Dinner

It is a week before Thanksgiving and this the perfect time to bring up Pre-Production.

To get a Thanksgiving meal to the table without drama or hysterical improvisation is something to give thanks for. The secret of a flowing, warm holiday spirit is preparation…and the secret to a successful, fun and productive video shoot is…yes, you guessed it, preparation.

Pre-Production requires you to think of and prepare for every contingency.  Researching whom you want to interview and where the best location is to shoot your interview is the beginning  - the equivalent of choosing your frozen turkey and the ingredients for your side dishes. Clearly, your interviewee should be very articulate in expressing his/her ideas, animated to engage an audience and willing to spend the time on camera.  Your location should be easily accessible for a crew with lots of heavy equipment, provide opportunities to create a visually pleasing background for the interviewee, and perhaps, the most important, the interview space itself should be dead quiet.  It is difficult for any interviewee to be continually interrupted because of phones ringing, people talking, elevator doors opening and closing, etc…

Once you know who you are shooting and where….

While your turkey is turning golden brown in the oven, you are most likely not sitting and watching the parades…you are pulling together a wonderful palette of side dishes. In Pre-Production, as you lock down your interviewee, giving them directions to the location, parking instructions, their appearance release and your cell number, you check with your camera person to coordinate the camera and lighting equipment you will need. You need to describe the kind of shots and lighting you want – if you have a sample from another show, get a video pull or freeze frame of what you want and send it to the camera person. You also need to send a release to the location and an insurance rider that shows you and the facility are covered for any liability.  Additional crew you may want to set up are a Production Assistant and a Make-Up person.  Both are invaluable in making sure everything runs smoothly. 

You need to write up a call sheet for everyone involved, informing all about what you are shooting and when, how long for load in, set-up and break down of equipment, (include a lunch break – rule #1- feed the crew well), and when you intend to wrap out of the location. This is your blueprint for an efficient shoot. You can create one online that can been shared by everyone through the internet.

With the correct planning, incorporating time for all the details, Pre-Production can save time, money and major headaches…no one needs crisis or catastrophe during a shoot or a lovely Holiday dinner.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

This guest blog was written by Annie Azzaritti. Find her here. 

Comments

[Marianne Jas]

Thank you for such a clear, concise and innovative way to describe the production process. Loved the Thanksgiving analogy!

[Kathleen Whiteside]

I am really glad you offered the links--they are helpful to me as I ponder how to get my turkey into the oven!