Fix it in pre: The importance of planning before production.

For anyone who has ever been on a film set, you’ve likely heard someone say “We’ll just fix it in post!” This phrase that sends chills down a producer’s spine is essentially a declaration that any mistakes made while filming can just be fixed in the post-production stage. If only this were true!

Issues during filming can range from something as simple as poor lighting or sound interference to a featured product without finalized art or even a sudden construction site starting up at a location you couldn’t scout. The list could go on forever!

Aside from being inconsiderate to pass on the mistakes and messes for someone else to fix, these mistakes could have potentially been avoided. Not to mention any fixing in post can add a lot of time to a job. As we all know, time is money.

So how do we avoid fixing it in post? By fixing it in pre! Pre-production, or the planning phase leading up to the shoot, is arguably the most important stage in the process. By planning a video shoot early on to the best of our ability, we can anticipate these problems before they arise. Some of the most important parts of “fixing it in pre” include:

1. Scouting a location ahead of time to have a complete understanding of it. What is the ideal time of day to film based on the sun’s position? Traffic is loud from 3–5pm, can we record before rush hour? Where do we park? Where can we break for lunch? What if it rains?
2. Understanding the product as much as possible so that when we call action, everything looks and works the way it’s supposed to. Do we have all the necessary components? What do we need to showcase this product’s full potential? Does it need power? Is it heavy? What if it rains?
3. A complete grasp of the creative so we can outfit ourselves with the best possible crew and equipment support within our budget. Do we have c-stands? Do we need a production assistant? What. If. It. Rains.

Yes, there are still hundreds of other things that can go wrong, but by putting in the time to “fix it in pre” before you step on set for the first shot, the team can be proactive rather than reactive when issues arise. As a result, the project will have a much better chance of delivering on time and on budget – maybe even under!

Contact us today about your next video project. CW Studios is here to help you “fix it in pre!”