U-Save Pre-Production Meeting
At the pre-production meeting all participants in the production process meet with the client to review the script. There may be several of these meetings depending on the complexity of the project. The script, at this point, may be little more than a rough draft. Each participant reviews the script and discusses their role in the production, providing their input and suggestions, and define what elements of the production will be provided by and to them.
Important Discussions About the Script
- Continuity - Ensure that the script maintains a chronological continuity that doesn't jump back-and-forth in time.
- Availability of Archived Video - Verify that video clips and stills assumed to be available are available, and if not, what steps need to be taken to gather those items, this is particularly critical for historical footage and pictures.
- Video that must be shot - After determining what video should be available in archives, determine what scenes will need shot and where the video needs to be shot.
- On Camera & Voice-over talent - discuss male or female talent, who the talent should be, as in professional or in-house.
- Graphics & Animation - Discuss sources of existing graphics and graphics that must be created from "scratch"; anticipated time it will take to create a "look" (colors, backgrounds, font type, transitions, ect.); which graphics will be animated, which graphics will be static, determine the layout and content of text graphics, and other issues relating to graphic treatments.
At this point the budget will again be discussed to affirm if the budget is still firm or if it has to be expanded or contracted. Subsequent pre-production meetings will take place until the script has "final approval".