The Pre-Production Planning Guide

Preview

What is inside

• Why pre-production decides the quality and cost
• The 12 stages in order, with owners and outputs
• Animation versus live-action planning differences
• Typical timelines and what slows them
• Risk register and a readiness check

A taste of it

In video, the cheapest place to change your mind is on paper. Rewriting a script costs an afternoon. Re-animating a finished scene costs days. Re-shooting a location costs a crew, a cast and a permit. Professional studios spend a third to half of a project's calendar time before the first frame is produced, and projects that rush this stage nearly always pay for it later in revisions. Pre-production is the period from "we should make a video" to "everything is decided, approved and booked". It covers strategy, scripting, visual design, planning and logistics. For animation, it ends when the storyboard and style are signed off. For live action, it ends when the shoot-day schedule, cast, crew and locations are locked.

Sections

1. 1Why pre-production decides everything
2. 2The 12 stages at a glance
3. 3Stage 1 to 4: Decide the foundations
4. 4Stage 5 to 9: Build the creative
5. 5Stage 10: Logistics for live action
6. 6Stage 11 to 12: Schedule and readiness
7. 7Readiness check