Coursework: Pre-production planning

 1) Script

Write the full script for your TV drama extract. You'll hopefully have a chunk of this done from your preliminary exercise but now is the time to make sure you have scripted a full three-minute extract that meets the brief. 

*Quick montage with drone of the setting - preferably 15 seconds long*

*Jumps into room with main character and criminal with bag on his head*

Main character- You already told me all the names and now I have no more use for you.

*Takes a knife and slashes the criminal in his head who is in the chair*

Screen fades to black

Cuts back to the character dropping a bloody knife and washes his blood out his hand in the sink. Gets a drink.

Other criminals start to appear and he runs away.

*Drone shot of him running away*

*Main character feels uneasy and starts to slowly lose consciousness*

*faints sound effect following with eerie non diegetic music*

Main character wakes up tied to a chair with the sidekick  pointing a gun to his head.

Main character: What the hell is going on. What do you think you are doing?

Side character: You should be careful what you drink.

Main character: What are you talking about?

Side character: You just don't realise anything do you? After years of being treated like an idiot by you and management. You think I will just let that slide.

Main character: Who was there when you are a weak, skinny twig to come pick you up, tell me who was there to save for your career when management was about to kick you out. I was there for you since day 1.

Side character: Shut up cunt we ain't boys we never were you just wanted me around so you would look good.

Main character: Listen to me you ain't in your right state of mind. Just put the gun down and talk to me.

Side character: I'm done with you and your crap all day long. I am going to take everything from you. Your status, your money, your family.

 *Quick 10 second eye contact between the two to add tension and attention to detail*

*Loads gun*

Side Character: It’s over.

*Shoots him*

Screen fades to black

Title sequence plays

You'll find guidance for writing a script in the BBC Writers' Room (click on the Script Library to read real examples of professional TV scripts). Lay it out like a real script (see right) - it will add a level of professionalism to your production. You can also roughly estimate one minute per page for film and TV scripts so that gives you an idea of how much you need to write (this is only a rough guide depending on how much dialogue or stage direction you are using).

2) Shot list

Write a comprehensive shot list for every single possible shot you plan to film for your crime drama extract. For three minutes of film, that is going to be a LOT of shots - quite possibly more than 200.

Remember, a shot list is a full list of all the shots in your video with information for each of them (shot type, action/movement etc.) Creative shot choices aside, it’s easy to forget that a shot list is a strategic document. Creating a shot list is essentially like creating a shooting gameplan for the day.

Here's our friend Darius with a reminder of the different shot types and angles:

 

Here are some top tips for writing a shot list:

 

Your shot list needs to contain EVERY shot you plan to film for your whole video production AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing. These additional shots are often close-ups, cutaways, alternative angles or similar. Cutaways are useful when editing as they can be used to cover cuts between different takes using the same shot. 

We advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word or Google Docs to set out your shot list - you can find an example from a student's short film here. It makes sense to write your shot list by scene or location rather than a huge list of every shot in the promo video in chronological order. 

3) Mise-en-scene planning

Plan everything that will appear in front of the camera in your production. Remember CLAMPS: Costume, Lighting, Actors (cast, placement, movement and expression), Make-up, Props, Setting.

Costume
What will your characters wear in each scene? What is the costume supposed to communicate to the audience? How does this link to genre or constructing representations?

Lighting
How will you light the different scenes in your production? Day or night? Interior or exterior? If outside, can you use streetlights, shadows, reflected sunlight or other creative techniques to achieve the lighting style you want? If inside, experiment with creative lighting techniques using windows, blinds, artificial lights, phone flashes and more. You may also want to sign out our portable ring light if you are shooting an internal scene off-site.

Actors/performers
The first thing you need to plan is your cast - who will be in your production? Try and cast people who are reasonably similar to the character they are playing (both in age and personality). Next, plan their placement and movement in key scenes - how should the audience react to them? How do you plan to position the audience to sympathise with the right characters?

Make-up
Plan any make-up you require - this can be a useful way to show the genre you are working in. 

Props
What props will you require for your production? Remember, you can't use anything that might resemble a weapon in a public or school location (this is VERY important). Well-planned props can help to communicate genre and narrative quickly - crucial to meet the brief you have been given.

Setting
This should already be largely planned using your script. However, now is the time to specify exact locations. For external locations, try and take pictures of settings or use Google Maps and Google Earth. Spending quality time planning your locations can make a huge difference to the professionalism of your production. AQA also seem to prefer external rather than school-based locations - particularly for a brief like this.

Here's a video guide to Mise-en-scene at degree or film-school level:



...And here's Darius Britt on the top 15 mistakes new filmmakers make - there are a few key aspects of Mise-en-scene in there:

4) Shooting schedule

The final aspect of your pre-production planning is to come up with a comprehensive shooting schedule. How many scenes do you need to film? How long will it take? Which actors do you need and when? Planning all of this out with specific dates and times is a crucial part of the pre-production process.