Pre-Production
The planning phase between green light and filming where all production elements are organized, preventing costly delays during shooting.
Definition
Pre-production is the critical phase between a project's green light and the start of principal photography. During pre-production, the production hires crew, scouts locations, builds sets, fits costumes, rehearses actors, and finalizes the shooting schedule.
The length of pre-production varies from a few weeks for indie films to six months or more for major productions.
Why It Matters
Thorough pre-production prevents costly problems during filming. Every hour spent planning saves multiple hours on set, where time is measured in thousands of dollars per minute.
Rushed pre-production leads to on-set chaos, budget overruns, and compromised creative results.
Examples in Practice
A three-month pre-production period includes six weeks of location scouting, four weeks of set construction, and two weeks of full cast rehearsals.
The production designer presents concept art during pre-production, working with the director to refine the visual approach before construction begins.
Pre-production meetings reveal that a scripted car chase would cost $800,000, leading to a rewrite that achieves similar drama for $200,000.