A Quick Guide to Planning your Pre-production Schedule

Pre-production is the planning stage of filmmaking, occurring before the camera starts rolling.

It involves everything from conceptualizing the story to finalizing the shooting script, casting, scouting locations, and budgeting. Think of it as laying the foundation for a home. A well-planned foundation ensures a smoother and safer construction process.

In many ways, you’re setting up for success, and covering all your bases so when things go wrong you’re always ready with a plan-B.

That means, you need a plan for the planning stage. This is your pre-production schedule – a blueprint of all the things you need to do during the planning stage of your film.

How Long Should Pre-production Take?

The duration of pre-production can vary significantly depending on the scope of your project. A short film might require a few weeks, while a feature film could take several months or even a year.

A good rule of thumb is to allocate at least one-third of your total production timeline to pre-production. For instance, if you’re planning a year-long project, aim for at least four months of pre-production. This gives you ample time to address every detail without rushing.

What are the details that need to be addressed? Let me list out the parts in broad strokes.

Parts of a Pre-production Schedule

1 Script Rewrites

Every film starts with an idea. This initial concept is then fleshed out into a story, eventually culminating in a screenplay.

This process can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of the story and the revisions required. During this phase, it’s crucial to also think about your target audience and the message you want to convey through your film.

I wouldn’t call scriptwriting part of the pre-production schedule, because you need a locked script prior to beginning anything. However, what often happens is there are rewrites due to various factors. These rewrites are definitely a part of the pre-production schedule.

2 Detailed Budgeting and Accounting

Prior to commencing a film, a budget is always set. As an independent filmmaker, you already know how much money you have.

Large studios and successful producers can draw additional funds if necessary, but if they are prudent (and they usually are) they will already know the upper ceiling of how much a film should cost.

During the pre-production stage, though, the budget is drawn out in detail. Every line item needs to be addressed and an accounting system put in place so entries aren’t missed. Production companies have accountants and Production Managers, Line Producers, etc., whose job it is to ensure this aspect sails smoothly.

A smaller filmmakers would be wise to get accounting software and ensuring the entries are updated on time and correctly. You have to know your debits and credits.

And most importantly, you need to retain and keep all receipts, invoices, bills, contracts, etc. Creating a detailed budget early on helps to avoid financial pitfalls later. Include everything!

3 The Shooting Schedule

Determine how many days you need for each scene and factor in buffer days for unexpected delays.

Scheduling software can be helpful in this stage, though I’ve never found the need for them. I’ve completed two feature films (and many smaller films) with only Excel or Google Sheets.

4 Casting

Casting is a critical component of pre-production. Probably the most important aspect of making a film. Hold auditions and callbacks to find the perfect fit for your characters. Remember, the right cast can elevate your film, so invest time in this process.

Here’s a video I made explaining my rationale:

Script. Actors. Direction. Editing. What’s the most important?

5 Location Scouting

Your script’s requirements will dictate whether you need to shoot on location or in a studio, or both.

Location scouting involves finding suitable places to film and securing permits if necessary. Start early, as this process can take longer than anticipated.

6 Crew Hiring

Assemble your crew, focusing on key positions first, such as the director of photography, production designer, assistant directors and sound designer. Once the key positions are filled, move on to hiring the rest of the crew.

I hope by now you’re beginning to understand all of these steps need to happen simultaneously. It doesn’t happen one after the other. Get help if you must.

7 Equipment Rental

Decide what equipment you’ll need and start the rental process. This includes cameras, lighting, sound equipment, and any special gear like drones.

You don’t want to keep these for the last minute as they might be rented out for the dates you need. Once your filming dates are fixed, it’s time to lock rentals in place.

8 Rehearsals

Before shooting begins, organize rehearsals with your cast. This is an excellent opportunity for actors to understand their characters deeply and for you to see how scenes play out.

The traditional period for rehearsals is about two weeks for a 90-minute film. I’ve found two weeks is perfect for most feature films.

9 Storyboarding and Shot Listing

The director needs to visualize each scene and prepare some kind of shot list. Storyboards are not always necessary. It depends on the complexity of the production.

I’ve always sketched my own storyboards, but if you feel storyboards are integral it’s best to also start this process early so you can refine your storyboards till you are satisfied.

10 Re-Check Everything

Before moving into production, conduct a final review of everything. Make sure scripts are finalized, locations are booked, equipment is checked, and everyone knows their schedule and responsibilities.

It’s fascinating how many things are taken for granted until the last minute. Don’t assume things are going well. Always call and re-check.

I’ve only scratched the surface! There are various other aspects to a film production that all happens during the pre-production stage:

• Costumes, hair and make-up
• Stunts
• Production design and dressing
• Visual effects
• Music
• Travel
• Food
• Living
• And lots more!

If you’re new to filmmaking, you’ll no doubt have been intimidated by the magnitude of the tasks ahead of you. The sheer number of activities is daunting, even if you’re experienced.

Where do you start, then? How do you plan your pre-production? How many months should you give for it? This guide attempts to answer these questions and more.

A Quick Guide to Planning your Pre-production Schedule

For the purposes of simplification, refer to the chart below (click to enlarge).

The way to do this successfully when you don’t have the relevant experience is to simplify things.

Let me show you how.

The three time-zones

To start thinking about an activity, it is simple to think in terms of:

• Before you begin the activity
• While you perform the activity
• Completing the activity

It sounds over-simplified and redundant, but as you’ll soon see, it is a powerful yet simple technique to organize your pre-production schedule.

Defining a time-period

Tasks take time to complete. It could be a few minutes, hours, days, weeks, whatever.

For the sake of organization, tasks that only take a few hours still need a day. Why?

The principle reason being how the payment terms are defined in our industry. If you hire someone for a task, you pay a day-rate and ensure you get the best out of them. Even if you’re hiring a freelancer for a contractual period, it is highly unlikely the period will last for less than a day.

For this reason, we group our time-periods as follows:

• Days
• Weeks
• Months
• Years

For most tasks associated with filmmaking, one tries to reduce the number of days it takes. To begin organizing your pre-production schedule, the most important skill you need to have is the knowledge of how long tasks actually take.

The two individuals who are burdened with the responsibility of budgeting and scheduling (one can’t live without the other) are:

• The Unit Production Manager or Line Producer
• The First Assistant Director

It is for their critical roles in the filmmaking process that they get first billing during the end-credits.

If you study the chart you’ll notice how I’ve grouped the major time-zones (for lack of a better word) and sub-divided them into time-periods. This is the foundation of each task. All you need to do then is find out how much time each task takes.

I’m going to be using the same classification schemes I’ve outlined in the different stages of Pre-production:

The Different Stages of Pre-Production for your Movie

The following are brief notes on each.

As an important side note: I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase ‘YMMV’, which stands for ‘Your mileage may vary’. With respect to the unpredictabilities of the filmmaking business, I will rephrase that as ‘Your mileage WILL vary’.

Small mistakes add up. You will always be hunting for faster and better ways to do things.

Every film is different. The circumstances are different. The people are different. The journey is different.

Notes on Writing

How the different categories under ‘Writing’ are arranged:

• Screenplay should be complete before you begin, and it might take years.
• Scene breakdowns (and other breakdowns) is a pre-production activity, and usually takes a couple of weeks.
• Research might take a few months. A lot of research goes into the screenplay as well.
• Previz or storyboarding only takes a few weeks.
• The Shooting Script is a document that undergoes changes continuously, based on many factors beyond a filmmaker’s control. This happens even on big-budget films. For this reason, it is only deemed ‘complete’ at the end of pre-production, and takes months.

Notes on Management

How the different categories under ‘Management’ are arranged:

• You set up your office before you begin, and it should only take a few days.
• Your production schedule goes hand in hand with many other factors, and isn’t completely pinned down until the end of pre-production.
• The initial budget is drawn up after the screenplay is confirmed. This is the budget that gets the ‘green light’.
• The final budget is a constantly changing document, and will continue to change during production and beyond; until the film is delivered to the producer/client/studio.
• The Unit Production Manager is hired before you commence pre-production, and it takes a few weeks to do this. Ditto for the First Assistant.
• Meetings are conversations. It’s never-ending.
• Catering starts from the moment the office is set up to the delivery of the film.

Notes on Administration

How the different categories under ‘Administration are arranged:

• Legal and Accounting work must be complete prior to commencing a project. You only hire people once this is in place. You don’t buy or commit to anything until this is in place.
• Permits must be assessed and obtained prior to pre-production. It takes a few weeks if you’ve hired an experienced crew.
• Contracts take a few months. The major signings must happen prior to pre-production.

Notes on Talent

How the different categories under ‘Talent’ are arranged:

• Casting is a long process, even for low-budget films. If you have stars involved, it might take a long time. Unless you are an in-demand Hollywood director, you can think in terms of years for A-list talent, and months for everyone else.
• Rehearsals take a few weeks, but rarely stretches to a month. Some only rehearse for a day or two, others never.

Notes on Locations

How the different categories under ‘Locations’ are arranged:

• Location scouting might take months, and might involve hiring of more than one location manager, who is usually a ‘local’ well versed in that area.
• Approvals take time, depending on the locations. You never have a location until you have it in writing. Even then you always stay on your toes.
• Logistics – moving man and machine – is complicated, and the more the locations the more time it takes to carefully plan everything.
• Arranging transportation is relatively simple once logistics are in place. The biggest problem with transportation is getting the advanced booking down at cheaper rates – if your crew is traveling by plane, ship or long-distance trains. For this reason it might take a few weeks.
• Set Design and Construction can take weeks, but rarely months. Ideally, you’d want to spend as less money and time as possible. You are paying for labor, as well as for the locations.
• Electrical rigging can follow set construction, or can also be independent (street fixture rigging, etc.). Very rarely do you need to spend more than a week in one location for electrical work.

Notes on Production

How the different categories under ‘Production’ are arranged:

• Hiring of crew continues for months, as and when required. This is an activity that needs to be completed before pre-production is complete.
• Production Design takes a few weeks, if you’re working with an experienced Production Designer. If you’re working on a large-scale extravaganza, then it might take months.
• Music takes a few weeks not more. This is pre-production music. Final mixing almost always happens in post production.
• Action and Stunts usually take a week of planning. The actual stunt co-ordination will happen on location.
• Choreography planning takes a few days. Actual choreography will be refined on set. Professional dancers only need a few days of practice to learn their routines.
• Wardrobe, Makeup, Prosthetics and Costumes only need a few days of prep on most productions. Costume dramas and horror shows might have extended periods.
• Rentals are usually only a phone call or email away.
• Props don’t take much time, unless they need to be specially made for the show. Assembling all the props required, and getting them ready for filming, might take months.
• Camera equipment is also a phone call away, and just need to booked in advance. The DP usually inspects all equipment.
• Visual effects work might take months, depending on its scope. This is one item that varies greatly depending on your screenplay.
• Stills and publicity is a simple hire. Usually the person only pops in once a week or fortnight.

I hope I’ve given you a starting point from which you can plan your pre-production. Once you have a rough idea of the time it takes, you can start estimating costs.

A fully drawn-out pre-production schedule will involve actual dates, specific activities and timelines. They just look big, but are only an extension of the chart I’ve given.

I use Microsoft Excel for all scheduling and budgeting work. Not only does it have all the tools, but it is also the most customizable. Once you build a template, you can reuse it for the rest of your career.

Tips for a Successful Pre-production

The pre-production phase is a critical period where meticulous planning can make the difference between a successful shoot and a chaotic one.

Here are some quick tips on navigating this period:

• Start Early: The sooner you begin, the more time you have to tackle unforeseen challenges.
• Be Organized: Use project management tools to keep track of tasks and deadlines.
• Communicate: Keep open lines of communication with your team. Regular meetings can help everyone stay on the same page.
• Be Flexible: Be prepared to adapt your plans. Unexpected issues will arise, and flexibility can help you navigate them smoothly.
• Focus on Storytelling: Always keep the story and your creative vision at the heart of your decisions.

Pre-production is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a phase where careful planning, creativity, and flexibility come together to lay the groundwork for a successful film.

Books on pre-production

Here are a few books I’ve found that specifically deal in pre-production and production challenges:

• The Filmmakers Pre-Production Guide Notebook
• FILM CREW DIARIES: Ready to shoot – 16 Weeks Prep 80 Shooting Days
• Preparing For Takeoff: Preproduction for the Independent Filmmaker
• Script Breakdown Notebook: A Pre-Production aid for Film Students and video creators

By understanding the steps involved and allocating sufficient time to each, you can navigate this complex phase with confidence, setting the stage for a smooth production and, ultimately, a compelling film that resonates with audiences.

I hope you found this guide useful. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.