What is Pre-Production?

Okay folks, so essentially there are three stages of video production: pre-production, production, and post-production. In this blog post, we are going to cover pre-production. What is it? Why is it important? And can you eat it? Just kidding about that last question. But if pre-production were a food, it would most certainly be some sort of appetizer. Perhaps nachos.

Anyway, pre-production. Once a script is finalized and a video project is greenlit, pre-production begins. In this stage of the project you will finalize your budget, scout shooting locations, acquire the proper filming permits, hire key department heads specific to your budget and project needs, create a storyboard and shot list for every scene, hire a cast and crew, plan your shooting schedule and edit schedule, acquire insurance for your shoot, and decide which equipment you will need to purchase or rent. Also, depending on your project and time constraints, you might also want to rehearse with your actors. Some directors and actors favor a more spontaneous approach to their work. Every project is different.

If all that sounds like a lot of work to you, I can assure you it is. Pre-production is time consuming and meticulous work that is done before you shoot anything so that when you do finally step foot on set, you can (hopefully) concentrate on the most important task: getting the shots you need to tell the story you want to tell.

Now you may be asking yourself, "Is there a specific order in which I should complete all the steps of pre-production?" The answer is yes, there is an optimal flow to the process, however it is unlikely that tasks will actually happen in this order. The most important thing is to complete all the steps before you start production. But, in any case, I will share the optimal order of events in pre-production here:

1. Finalize budget and shooting schedule

2. Hire key department heads

3. Create a storyboard and shot list

4. Scout shooting locations, acquire permits, insurance, equipment, and props

5. Hire cast and crew

6. Rehearse

And that's it, people. A whole lotta work condensed into 6 steps. If all of this seems overwhelming to tackle by yourself, contact Haunted Basement at hello@hauntedbasement.video, or use this nifty form. We look forward to working with you. Best of luck on your video.