As Terence McKenna said, “technology is the skin of our evolution” so while making movies involves far more then just technology, understanding digital cinema camera systems and related workflow's will be an integral part of your preproduction planning.

Don't make assumptions now that will paint you into a corner later. The more you know, the better equipped you’ll be to plan the best production path to meet your creative and budgetary needs. Gather a qualified team to help you.

Plan

We’ve seen the caboose come off the track all too many times. Mistakes that could have been avoided in preproduction snowballed into expensive problems in postproduction. So before you start shooting, breakdown each part of the production and organize a logical workflow.

Work flows - if you plan ahead.

It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting on a DV, film or a digital cinema camera, your workflow will largely be determined by the type of camera you choose, your budget and what your final delivery format is.

You also have to plan to navigate the digital realm.  This realm can be as easy as digitizing DV footage to your Final Cut Pro, or as complicated as creating a digital intermediate and visual effects pipeline. 

Your show master and final deliverables will also influence you’re camera selection and postproduction workflow. You probably won’t shoot on DV if you’re producing a feature for theatrical projection. On the other hand, it would be overkill to shoot 35mm if you’re creating a video for the Internet. Likewise, you wouldn’t attempt to do an entire DI for a final film print on you home desktop editing system.

In addition to thinking about your core audience, who are you writing your story for, you also have to consider the growing array of display and distribution platforms. How and where will your audience consume your vision?  Will they see your work on their home 50” flat screen, their 15” laptop, or their 5” iPhone screen?  Do you frame long shots for the former and shoot alternative close-ups for the later.

Benefits of planning ahead:

Preproduction checklist.

  1. Actually commit to a solid preproduction plan.
  2. Confirm your script and budget are in sync (get a second opinion)
  3. Verify your final show master format and deliverables (if you don't know, future proof your production.)
  4. Determine your camera format.
  5. Determine your editorial and postproduction chain
  6. Clarify with your distributor what party is responsible for QC, dubbing, conversion and other media line item costs.

If shooting on RED or another digital cinema camera.

  1. If you’re a digital cinema camera virgin, set up a test shoot to make sure the camera suits your shooting style or schedule (more)
  2. Determine when, where and how you will view digital dailies.
  3. Determine a solid plan to backup, protect and archive your media. Check the requirements of your bonding company.
  4. Make sure your editing system is set up to handle RAW files. (more)
  5. Find out how much drive storage you will need to backup and archive.
  6. Verify your editor is up to speed on RAW (file-based) workflow.
  7. Make sure your post house offers a sound and efficient workflow for file-based post.

Penny wise, pound-foolish.

A few bucks upfront will save you a bunch at the end.

Gather a qualified team of people that understand digital cinematography and file based postproduction. Many post houses and camera rental companies will provide free consultations to help you set up your workflow. However, folks selling services may provide you with great solutions, but ones that you may not be able to afford. It’s a good idea to find an outside consultant autonomous of potential encumbrances or conflicts of interest to provide you with an independent and objective opinion. Most Independent consultants worth their weight will charge you a fee for their brains but its money well spent. Investing in a solid production plan may cost you a little time and money up front but it will save you lot’s more, not to mention headaches, on the back end.

Ok, now that you have your mind wrapped around your story, your production workflow and your distribution strategy, your ready to move on to the next page.

You master your creativity and we’ll help you with the rest.

‹ Back: Overview ^ Top Next: Shoot ›