14 Aug Change of plans

In production, there is typically a very rigid schedule we need to follow in order to make sure a production goes smoothly.  And it’s more than just about making sure things happen the way you’ve planned, if you forget a shot or miss a moment, most times you can’t just got back and retake it.

Because of that, you have to learn how to adapt to your surroundings.  If the weather isn’t cooperating, you learn to go with it.  If you’re running out of sunlight in a day, you make quick decisions on what to keep and what to cut, but you’re always having to change you plans.

It really does require flexibility and the ability to think on your feet just to make sure you have a completed story for your edit.

In order to prevent the need for these constant pivots, we spend days preparing and planning in pre production to anticipate anything that is preventable.  We schedule weather days in case or scheduled day hits some inclement weather, we permit multiple location options, we make sure we have permission to shoot at all the spots we’ve planned to shoot at and we often even bring a back up camera just in case our primary camera has technical issues.

We also make sure to have a storyboard, a shot list, a call sheet, a schedule, a menu for nearby restaurants, we pack enough snacks and fluids to keep crew and talent happy and hydrated and we double and triple check all the gear we’ve packed.  You can never be too prepared for your day of production and if in the off chance you do need to pivot, you’re ready with a bunch of back up plans.