How to Plan Your Film Shoot
A well-planned shooting schedule can make all the difference between production heaven and production hell. As an independent filmmaker, you may sometimes get too caught up in the creative elements of your film and leave scheduling to the last minute. No matter the scale of the film, taking the scheduling and planning stage seriously will save you a lot of time and effort while shooting.
Before you begin planning the shoot, make sure the pre-production work is done. This includes scriptwriting, the planning of your scenes and shots. Once that is done, you can start creating a schedule. Let’s go through some of the key areas of scheduling a film shoot.
Script Breakdown
The first thing you need to do in planning your shoot is to break down your script. This involves reading through your screenplay carefully and making detailed notes on what is required for each scene.
List all the elements that need to appear within each scene. This includes cast, characters, set design, props, costumes, makeup, stunts, sound, and special effects. Below is a sample breakdown sheet.
Storyboard
Storyboards are a powerful way to organize the composition and actions visually and get a look at the film before you start bringing it to life. Pre-Viz and ShotPro are popular pre-visualization apps that you can use for the purpose.
Post-Production
Before you start shooting, consider how are you taking the film through post? What visual and sound effects do you need? How many cameras do you intend to use? Ask your editor in what format they need the footage.
Location
Even if you are not booking locations in advance, it helps to have a general idea of the rules for filming in each one. For each of your locations, consider the equipment you will need. Check in advance if any of the sites require a permit or involve a fee? At what time of day are you allowed to use the location? Put all these details in the breakdown sheet.
Casting
Casting your talent is a crucial aspect of planning a shoot. Although it is simpler to use independent talent or your friends, it isn’t always the best choice. There are many actors out there, so don’t limit yourself in the audition.
Crew
Are you going to produce, direct, shoot, record sound, and edit all by yourself? Or are you going to have a crew to handle the positions? Filmmaking is a collaborative process, so it helps to lock down these positions before you start shooting, especially for any editing or post-production sound work.
Shot List
A shot list simply is a checklist of each shot you need to capture on the day of a shoot. A shot list usually contains specific shots, visual references, and extra details like camera angles or lighting setup. A clearly defined shot list will make sure you don’t miss a critical scene on shooting day.
Equipment & Production Design
Equipment availability is an important piece in planning your shoot. It is good to have your main camera and sound equipment available throughout the production. For specialty grip equipment like cranes, you might have access to these on particular days.
Props, vehicles, and production design might need longer prep to gather or create before filming begins. It’s a good idea to have a read-through of the script with major crew members present during pre-production. This helps to avoid any mismanagement or crew arguments later.
Visual Effects
On-set/in-camera, or in the post, or both? List out all the special effects you will need.
Budget
Money is an important aspect of the whole production. It helps to know beforehand what kind of money you’re working with. If you don’t have the money, you may have to sacrifice time or quality.
Film shoots are made up of many moving parts, but if you plan well in advance, you can make sure everything runs smoothly. Don’t estimate time for prep and shooting with a best-case scenario me
