Unit 1: Pre-production LO1

Comprehensively explain and present to a quality that reflects near-professional standards

fully detailed requirements and sources of requirements for a specific media production
TASK
From all the pre-production you have carried out over the past year you need to pick one
and complete the following task.
You will need to show an excellent understanding of the requirements for the proposed
production and will be able to explain fully why each element is required.
You will give detailed explanations of how these requirements will be sourced and give full
consideration to codes of practice and regulatory issues.
From the table below you need to explain why each element was important to your chosen
production and detail how you would source them.
For example

Finance:
Sources of finance

Type

Equipment
Transport
Talent
Crew
Materials
Facility hire

Importance

Sourcing

Importance
It is important to have finances in place before production starts, as every
producer needs to pay for Equipment used such as Cameras, tripods, green
screen, lighting and sound. For an Advert production for example, a producer
may also need materials such correct costumes, items for correct mise-en-scene
and talent in order to fulfil the desired effect. Crew will also be needed such as
cameraman, soundman lighting engineer researchers editors and runners in order
to produce a professional looking advert.
Once all is complete facilities such as editing suits and postproduction equipment
will be needed and these cost a lot of money.
Sourcing
Crew
Crew can be sourced trough websites such as Creative England
http://www.creativeengland.co.uk/index.php/portfolio/locationproduction-support/
Editing suits such as Dynamic post Production
Facility
http://www.dynamicpost.co.uk/index.php/final-cut-pro-suites/
can be hired for 350 per day. This will include the editor and
sound engineer.
Materials
Materials can be sourced from high street shops, retail outlets
or studio Props departments
Transport
Transport can be sourced via Transport for London
http://www.tfl.gov.uk, National Rail http://www.nationalrail.co.uk,
hertz car hire etc..
A days travel card in London will cost the producer 12 per
person.

List of all items that need detailing

You can either create your own table or upload this one to Weebly
and complete. Either way, a table like the one below needs to be
used.
Finance:
Sources of
finance

Equipment
Transport
Talent
Crew
Materials
Facility hire

Importance
It is important to have finances in place before production starts, as
every producer needs to pay for Equipment used such as Cameras,
tripods, green screen, lighting and sound. For an Advert
production for example, a producer may also need materials such
correct costumes, items for correct mise-en-scene and talent in
order to fulfil the desired effect. Crew will also be needed such as
cameraman, soundman lighting engineer researchers editors and
runners in order to produce a professional looking advert.
Once all is complete facilities such as editing suits and
postproduction equipment will be needed and these cost a lot of
money.

Sourcing
Crew can be sourced trough websites such as Creative England
http://www.creativeengland.co.uk/index.php/portfolio/locationproduction-support/
Editing suits such as Dynamic post Production
http://www.dynamicpost.co.uk/index.php/final-cut-pro-suites/ can be
hired for 350 per day. This will include the editor and sound
engineer.
Materials can be sourced from high street shops, retail outlets or
studio Props departments
Transport can be sourced via Transport for London
http://www.tfl.gov.uk, National Rail http://www.nationalrail.co.uk,
hertz car hire etc

A days travel card in London will cost the producer 12 per person.

Time:

Deadlines
Availability of equipment
Availability of personnel (size
of team; roles)

Importance
It is important for deadlines to be made during pre-production to
make sure that the final production is met for the appropriate time.
For example, a blockbuster film will typically have a summer release
date for optimum box office amounts. Because of this deadlines
must be made during pre-production so that the production is
definitely finished on time. These deadlines can be for a variety of
reasons, wherever it be a deadline for the finished production or a
deadline for which a script must be finished etc.
It is also important to bare in mind the availability of equipment
during pre-production as this will effect overall how the production
will turn out. For example the film Avatar required brand new 3D
Imax cameras that had never been unveiled before this film. This
meant that these cameras had to be available at a certain time to
the filmmakers could use these. If the availability was not checked
during pre-production, this could of thrown the whole production off
the rail. Filmmakers also have to bear in mind the availability of
personnel. Different contracted companies that will work with the
filmmakers will have different rules upon how long their employees
can work, when they work etc. This must be taken into account
during pre-production so that the filmmakers will have the right
people there.

Sourcing

Facilities:

Production equipment
Post-production equipment
facility houses

Importance
The facilities for production must be thought about carefully during
pre-production so that the filmmakers have the equipment that they
need during production. For example the upcoming Avengers films
are meant to be shot entirely on IMAX cameras (being the first film
to be shot only on IMAX), so Disney will have to hire out these IMAX
cameras before the actual production has started.
Postproduction houses must also be thought about during preproduction. Most post-productions will be found during preproduction as they need to think about where the film shall be made
after the actual filming process has taken place. They need to be
found possibly the quickest as this is the longest process during
production. In November 2014 Star Wars Episode 7 finished
production, but it does not come out until December 2015. The
reason the gap here is so large is because post-production takes
such a long time, so it needs to be accounted for during preproduction.

Sourcing
IMAX Cameras can be rented out via the IMAX website at
https://www.imax.com/corporate/technology/camera-rental/
Post production houses can be found simply by searching on Google
Post Production Houses https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?
hl=en#hl=en-GB&q=post+production+houses

Materials:

Original materials,
Archive and library materials
Photo-library materials
Sound library materials,
Internet
Audio
Script (upload an example)
Interviews
Costumes

Importance
It is important to have original material because this means that
the filmmakers can completely visualise what they want in their
film. For example in the Harry Potter films one of the key props were
the wands in it. Each wand was meant to look different from the
other one, so they had to be hand crafted. Archive material would
be used because it can be used for pre-existing materials. For
example the Fast and Furious films will have to use certain cars for
their stunts. Instead of going out and buying a car, the studios will
hire the cars out as its cheaper. Photo and sound library materials
can be used, as part of these archive materials too, as it makes is
easier for the studios to use those instead of making new sounds.
Possibly the famous sound material would be the Wilhelm scream. It
used usually when someone is shot, falls from a height, or is thrown
from an explosion. A lot of these stock materials can be found on
the internet. However, not all materials used are stock materials, as
some sounds do not necessarily exists on these websites. The film
Star Wars Attack of the Clones, the sound engineers required to
make sounds, known as foley sounds, so that they could create the
sound they wanted as it did no exist yet. Scripts must be done
during pre-production as the entire production is practically based
around the script. Interviews can be easily planned out in preproduction, as it only requires people to pay the interviewee via
their agent. Costumes can be either original or archive, and this
must be planned out during pre-production, as it will affect the

budget.
Sourcing
The filmmakers make original material.
Archive and library materials can be hired out through other studios
Photo-libraries can be found online, such as
www.freedigitalphotos.net
Sound libraries can also be found online, such as www.freesound.org
The filmmakers/ sound engineers make audio.
Interviewees can be found through their agents, which can be
sourced online such as Madonna at
www.famousrelationships.topsynergy.com/Madonna/Contact/asp
Costumes can be hand crafted or hired out, such as the National
Theatre letting people hire costumes out at www.nationaltheatre.org

Locations:

Recces (Upload an example)

Limitations and risks:
Distance, access, cost, weather

Importance
Location recces must be planned out during pre-production as it will
help the filmmakers in telling them about their filming environment
and it also is part of the health and safety process. It tells the
filmmakers about the environment they will be filming in. It tells
them the lighting of the area, if there is a large deal of sound
pollution, what the weather will be like during filming, how much it
will cost to film there etc. However, the most important part about it
is that it tells the filmmakers about the health and safety hazards of
the area. If the filmmakers believe that an area is a hazardous area
to film, they will not allow people to film there. This must be all
accounted for during pre-production, as it will allow the film to be
made as quickly as possible.

Sourcing
The location scouts make location recces.

Codes of
practice and
regulation:

Location permissions
Clearances
Copyright
Health and safety
Insurance

Importance
Location permissions are important, especially during preproduction as it means they can check if the land is private or not,
and if they can film there. If this is not done, the landowners can
sue. A famous case of this happening was in 2011 when Rhianna
was filming a music video on an Irish farmers land. The result of this
was that the farmer shut down the filming, so the footage from this
shoot could not be used. Clearances are permissions that mean
everything and everyone in a film can be used. If this is not done,
the film cannot be distributed. If you have breached copyright, you
will be liable and not be able to distribute the film, and could
possibly be sued. This then must be thought about during preproduction so that this does not happen as the filmmakers could
lose a lot of money. As mentioned with the location recces, health
and safety must be taken into account during preproduction as it
means that the filmmakers can check if the place they will be
filming is an appropriate place to film. Insurance of people working
must also be worked out during pre-production, as this is what
covers the people working on a production. All productions will have
their employees on insurance so that they are protected if any
accidents happen.

Sourcing

The below only requires you to discuss the importance

(Choose the one that relate to your production only)
Regulatory
Ofcom
bodies:
Press Complaints Commission
(PCC) Advertising Standards
Authority (ASA)
Pan European Game
Information (PEGI)
Entertainment Software Rating
Board (ESRB)
British Board of Film
Classification (BBFC)
Importance
Regulatory bodies such as BBFC are important as they provide
regulation for the films. This means that they can protect the public
from harmful content, and can advise the public into watching into
what they think is appropriate. A film with a high amount of drug
abuse and sexual content would not be appropriate for people under
18, so the BBFC will make sure that it is age restricted to prevent
them from seeing this.

Trade
unions:

Producers Alliance for Cinema

and Television (PACT),
National Union of Journalists
(NUJ)
Broadcasting Entertainment
Cinematograph and Theatre
Union (BECTU)

Importance
PACT is a trade union that represents people who work in
independent television, film, digital, childrens, and animation media
companies. It supports these people with legal and business
support. It helps to create the best possible regulatory body and
legislative environment for an independent production sector to
grow. It is highly influential on shaping the modern day production
business. It also helps independent UK producers to protect their
intellectual property rights.

Trade
associations:

Importance

Entertainment and Leisure

Software Publishers
Association (ELSPA)
British Interactive Media
Association (BIMA)