Pre-production is the part of the filmmaking process that occurs prior to principal photography but after a movie has been “greenlit” or provided financial backing.

Like nearly every part of the filmmaking process, pre-production involves a host of different actions and needs before the movie can be made. The four main elements of pre-production include:

1. Creative preparation and organization
2. Execution of legal and budgetary needs
3. Logistical planning
4. Script finalization

For a larger budget movie with multiple locations and complicated setups, pre-production might last several months. For a smaller project, several weeks to a month might be all that the Director and Producers on a shoot require to get into place the necessary pieces ahead of principal photography.

Even if a studio or production company hopes to keep the pre-production process as succinct as possible, it’s widely acknowledged that pre-production, in general, is a must before the camera starts rolling.

Though sometimes expensive and time-consuming, each stage of the filmmaking process from development to distribution plays an instrumental role in making sure that a quality film is made. Pre-production is no exception!

Pre-production involves the efforts of multiple individuals, some who will only be part of this stage and some who will continue on with the project as it moves into principal photography.

As mentioned, the Director of the film and any Producers on it will likely be the most prominent individuals who are part of the pre-production process. They will also stay attached to the project all the way through post-production, if not beyond.

It’s these individuals who will bring on others such as the Cinematographer, Production Designer, Costume Designer, and 1st AD who will also start during pre-production and continue on into production. Production Managers and Production Coordinators will likewise be hired for a similar span of time.

But some entertainment professionals work primarily during pre-production.

Among these individuals are the Storyboard Artist, Location Scout, and Casting Director. Their expertise lies in those areas that must be addressed prior to production, such as how the film will look from scene to scene, where those scenes will be shot, and who will be in those respective scenes.

Most Filmmakers agree that there are five general phases of filmmaking:

1. Development
2. Pre-production
3. Principal photography (AKA production)
4. Post-production
5. Distribution

As its name implies, pre-production takes place before the cast and crew begin principal photography. Therefore, it occurs early in the filmmaking process, as the following stages of making a movie indicate:

It’s during development that the script from which the film will be produced is written, rewritten (perhaps even dozens of times!), and finalized. That script – often even before the final version – is sent out to production companies, studios, and individual investors who can provide the financial backing to shoot it.

When funds are secured to film a script, pre-production can begin. If a Director is not already attached to the project, this is when they will be brought on board so that they and the Producer(s) can begin making decisions about how the film will be made.

This video provides a concise overview of pre-production and its importance in filmmaking.

While hundreds if not thousands of decisions will occur over the course of pre-production, they all entail making choices on how exactly that script will come to life.

Who will perform the characters in the story? What technicians and artists, including the Cinematographer and 1st AD, will be hired to carry out their respective functions? Where will the film be shot? How will it look?

These are just some of the many questions that will need to be answered before the film moves into principal photography.

Principal photography, also known as production, is the stage of the filmmaking process where the cast and crew are actively shooting the scenes of the movie. Pending the scope of the film, principal photography can overlap with other stages, including both pre-production and post-production.

For instance, some of the more minor roles or Background Actors might be selected after principal photography has commenced. Likewise, footage shot early into production might be sent along to the Film Editor to begin assemblage of the film before principal photography has wrapped.

It’s during post-production that the many pieces of a film, such as the footage, visual effects, and score, are assembled into what audiences would recognize as a completed film.

Post-production is the final internal stage of the filmmaking process where every last frame of footage and piece of audio from dialogue to music to sound effects are polished and put into place before going out for theatrical release and at-home viewing.

That being said, many studios and production companies may send out rough or early versions of the film to test audiences to garner their reviews and potentially make changes to the movie that they believe will yield a more favorable response.

Distribution is the final phase of the filmmaking process where the completed movie is sent out through any number of distribution outlets including theatrical and/or at-home release.

Audiences can now view the film, and in addition, the investors behind it will hopefully reap the financial benefits of the release through ticket sales, rental fees, or similar cost methods.

When you think about it, pre-production is all about making sure that the world depicted in the script can be brought to life once the Director calls out “Action!”

What should you always keep in mind during pre-production? This video breaks down what not to overlook.

That’s why this part of the filmmaking process is often so involved.

The many moving pieces in pre-production typically include:

1. Budget itemization
2. Script breakdown
3. Crew hires
4. Scene storyboarding & shot listing
5. Production scheduling
6. Location scouting
7. Shoot coordination
8. Role casting
9. Scene rehearsal
10. Equipment prep
11. Permit & insurance needs

It’s a lot, right? This shows just how important this stage of the filmmaking process really is and how critical it is to not overlook or shortchange it.

Okay, let’s get into the weeds, shall we?

We briefly broke down what’s involved in pre-production, but the following provides a more detailed look at what each part of that process looks like…

We’ve mentioned several times that pre-production begins when a film has been greenlit or provided funds for principal photography. It’s important to keep in mind that no film gets carte blanche, or limitless financial backing.

What kind of film can you get for your budget buck? This video breaks it down.

Even films with millions of dollars to work with have to lay out a budget that identifies precisely where those dollars are going. Between the Producers, Line Producer, and often the Director, hard numbers must be decided for where those funds are spent.

Setting the budget typically occurs alongside breaking down the script, which means figuring out what is needed for each scene from location to production design to cast and crew.

Every professional on a film will approach the pre-production process differently according to their specialty. This video explains some of the things a Cinematographer considers during this stage.

It’s those many elements that will largely determine the cost of each scene, which then affects where those budget dollars go.

As mentioned, the Producers of a film, as well as the Director in many cases, will begin to onboard other crew members who can help bring a film to life.

A film crew can make or break your movie. This video breaks down how to hire the right professionals for your project.

From the Cinematographer to Production Designer to more specialized roles such as Stunt Coordinator or Animal Handler, every person who plays a role in pre-production or production is typically hired at this stage.

It’s also during pre-production that the scenes described in the script will be storyboarded and made into a shot list to provide a visual representation and blueprint for the Director, Producers, and other key crew.

Here’s a great video that depicts shot for shot how fundamental storyboarding is to the actual filming process.

Both storyboards and shot lists are essential to the pre-production process. They ensure that all essential personnel understand how the film should look and the procession of how it will be filmed.

For budgetary reasons, a film is very rarely shot in chronological order. To do so would require the cast and crew to move back and forth from one location to the next, which would quickly become exorbitantly expensive.

Want to learn more about what goes into a production schedule? Check out this video.

Instead, a production schedule will be drawn up that maximizes the use of a single location with all required scenes shot there before moving onto the next locale. A detailed production schedule is hugely important to the overall success of a shoot, as every single day of production can cost thousands of dollars.

If a studio such as Universal or Warner Bros. has greenlit a film, in theory that movie may be shot entirely on the studio lot and its sound stages. But the reality is that most films – even shorts or indie movies – will have at least one on-location scene.

That means finding where to shoot it.

The right location, like the right Actor, will help to make any world whether it’s Montana or Mars feel believable to audiences. This clip explains exactly what goes into location scouting for movies.

Location scouts are a pivotal part of the pre-production process, as they are the ones who research, review, and recommend locations to the Producers, Director, Production Designer, and others who will be making the final decisions on where to film.

As the crew is onboarded, they will need to start coordinating with each other to ensure that principal photography is a smooth process.

How every space is dressed in a film will help to convince audiences that they are indeed being transported to a specific place and time. This clip highlights some of the most successful examples of production design.

For example, that means the Production Designer and Costume Designer must talk about aligning their respective ideas about the look of the film’s world. Likewise, the Cinematographer and VFX Supervisor would need to discuss specialized shot requirements and everything else in between.

While all the many components of pre-production are equally critical to the overall success of the filmmaking process, often the most attention is put towards who is cast in each major role in a movie.

Casting Director Amy Hubbard explains all that goes into selecting Actors for a project.

Especially when a film is based on an existing intellectual property like a book (Harry Potter!) or comic (Marvel!), fans typically are very interested in who signs on for a film, which happens during this stage.

Truth be told, rehearsal is sometimes a luxury during the pre-production process that doesn’t always end up happening.

Rehearsals by definition don’t need to be perfect, but there is a way to maximize this time so that principal photography runs smoothly. This video explains how.

In particular, a tight budget might mean little to no rehearsal time. In other cases, the Director might forego rehearsing scenes in the hopes that it’ll make for more spontaneous performances on set.

That being said, scene rehearsal is a common enough part of the pre-production process that it should be included as part of it.

What you don’t want on the first day – or any day! – of shooting is to realize you have a broken camera. Or worse yet, no camera at all.

Even the simplest shoots will require the use of film equipment. This video describes what you can expect to need during your shoot.

Cameras, dollies, lenses, light stands… It takes a lot of equipment to make a film happen. To ensure that you’re not slowed down by broken or missing equipment, it’s essential that you properly secure, check, and prep it before principal photography.

Studios, production companies, and Filmmakers must coordinate with other entities such as the state, county, and city in which they film for permission to do so.

Attaining film permits can take some time, so don’t wait on them. This video explains how to get the permits you need in Los Angeles.

That means getting all required permits to avoid getting shut down in the middle of a shoot.

You also want to protect your production and the people working on it from any unforeseen issue from injury to weather problems to sickness. To do so, you must acquire all necessary insurance ahead of stepping foot on set.

When it comes down to it, there’s no production without pre-production. While all the various stages of the filmmaking process play a pivotal role in the creation of a movie, much of the “heavy lifting” takes place in pre-production.

From what is happening on a given day to where it is happening to with whom it is happening – not to mention for how much! – the pre-production process lays out exactly what every cast and crew member can expect throughout the course of principal photography.

Though pre-production may not include a single frame of footage shot, its importance in terms of how each frame will eventually look and cost signals just how crucial this phase of making movies truly is.