Alice Valentine

Ahh… This time again – Pre-Production. Figuring out who should do what, marking our territories and proclaiming best director, writer, producer, sound designer or camera operator. As if we haven’t already seen each other’s individual work and know what we are each best at. Some would say school is a learning experience and everybody should get a chance to play each role. I agree, completely, when it doesn’t involve my final grade.

We had the previous semesters to figure out, and take chances and experiment but now is crunch time and play time is long over. In my opinion, the best producer fighting to write the script and the best camera operator fighting to produce is a complete waste of precious production time, especially when we are all going to end up in our “best” roles anyway.

This aspect of production is probably the most annoying, yet easiest phase. Get the script done, design the props, find our actors, and figure out production days, getting the proper permission forms and getting them signed, all the “pre” work for the big stuff. Important (clearly), but annoying all the same. Once we have all the paper work done and all the auditions (unless you’re as desperate as we are as college students and will use anybody who is willing to act on their free time… for free with food as the only compensation) are over with, it’s time for the team to get down to business.

Meetings are held and changes to the script are made, shot lists are done, storyboards are drawn up and everybody has a clear picture of what the story should look like – you would hope. Then you get ready for the fun part – Production!