This guide is intended for those interested in making independent films. The definition we are using of the term 'independent' is the one more familiar to filmmakers in Britain and not the US, by low budget we don't mean we could only raise £150k from various benevolent sources but that we exhausted the cat's piggy bank and could just guarantee to cover petrol - so long as its local.

 Everything you read will stress the importance of this stage. It is also the stage that most people would rather leave to chance. Planning, more than anything else, will influence the success of the project. It is through the thorough planning of all aspects of the production that any possible problems come to light.

The Idea
We start with the idea. This can take many forms, from a fully worked out script to a desire to communicate a concept, or even with some previously shot footage.

a) The next stage is to give the film a structure. If you are working from a script this has already been done. If you are working from an idea or with pre-shot footage you need to impose a sense of order on the work. One way of doing this involves referring back to traditional structure used by storytelling such as the imposition of a beginning or introduction, middle-problem, end-denouement/outcome. (Other possible ways of providing a structure will be discussed more fully in the section plug in cinema-the on-line aesthetic.) The exact structure and form will be unique to each project.

For more info on Script Writing...

Scr(i)pt Magazine
http://www.scriptmag.com/

b) After the initial structure of the project has been worked out the next stage is to storyboard. In some cases this can mean creating the film shot by shot, but on paper. So, by the time you come to film it every camera angle, every edit has been decided upon. The extent to which this is done varies from filmmaker to filmmaker and even project to project. However, unless you have good reasons to miss out this stage you can save phenomenal amounts of time in post production by making sure that this aspect is complete before moving onto the production process itself.

Here is a sample storyboard with the type of information that it is good to include. It really isn't necessary to spend time on the drawings unless you intend to use the storyboard to obtain funding for your project. If it is just for you, stick figures are fine so long as you understand them and they contain all the information you will need.

Interactive Storyboard exercise
The old adage about shooting for editing can be demonstrated with the following exercise. Click here to go to the exercise

c) Whilst finishing the storyboard you can start gathering together your team. You may want to start gathering key personnel beforehand especially if you intend using a separate camera operator, producer, lighting technician etc. Obviously, the more people that are involved in decision-making, the slower the process - but you will need the creative input of these people.
The amount of people involved will vary depending on the type of project and the budget involved. (Even if it is just you and your long-suffering mate the same jobs still apply, it just means you have to run faster!)

Jobs can generally be broken down into the following categories:

Production - often the role of a producer or a producer/director. They are in charge of the overall concept as well as practical matters - in fact, anything to do with the actual production such as organising sets, props, costumes, filming schedules etc.

Technical crew - lighting, sound, camera.

These are the basic aspects of filmmaking but the extent of job specialisation will depend on the scale of the project and the available budget. Ultimately it is the job of the director to consider all of these aspects and to work with the rest of the team involved to create a clear, comprehensive shooting script, schedule and storyboard so that other members of the team have a good understanding of the project and their part in it.

This is part 1 of the pre-production phase. More to follow...