Pre Production

Once a project receives the greenlight, it is designed and prepared for the film shoot.

Script Rewriting / touch ups

Before a script can be used to plan a production, it needs to be solid. During the Pre Production stage, scripts will usually go through several phases of rewrites in order to tighten up dialogue, streamline storytelling, or fill in plot holes. Very often scripts will receive continuous refinement until the film is virtually completed.

Once a script is completed into a “final draft”, it is then converted into a “shooting script” which has added elements to help the director and crew keep track of what is going on. Further revisions of the shooting script are often noted in different color pages. When a new scene is altered or added into a script, a new page is inserted that contains the revised material and will be of a designated color so that your crew can easily find the new changes. Although the color order can vary from one studio to another, the typical color sequence used is white, blue, pink, yellow, green, gold, salmon, cherry, and then white again.

The revision process can be a laborious one and if you are looking for a helping hand while you want to focus on other areas of your film then our team is ready to help you.

Location Scouting

Finding the right location can be crucial to telling your story effectively. One of the many benefits to producing a film in South Florida is that we have a rich variety of locations to choose from. We work with the local film commissions to help scout and find the right location for your film. Once we are at a candidate location, we will communicate with the management to take note of availability, hours of operation, available facilities for cast and crew, restrictions,premits, policies, management contacts, and measurements of the location to use in building virtual sets for storyboading.

Storyboarding

The storyboard process is simple in concept but can be complicated to carry out. Storyboards are a series of images that are put into a sequential order to provide a visual representation of your film. They can be fully developed artwork, sketched, photographs, or even just stick figures. Their purpose is to plan how the individual shots will be filmed. It is a time consuming process and many films will use them just for key sequences.

Our method for generating storyboards involves discussing specific shots with the director and cinematographer to get an idea of style and theme. Then we will begin to construct virtual sets in 3D and using measurements taken from the selected locations to make sure that the 3D sets match the real world sets. Real world limits (such as ceiling heights, camera lenses, etc.) will be plugged in so that the same limits occur in the 3D application. This ensures that if a shot works in the storyboard, then it can be carried out on location.

We can also render out screen shots from the storyboard images and set them to temporary dialogue and music to see “rough cuts” of your film before you even begin production.

*Fun Fact: Storyboards as they are used today were developed by the Walt Disney Company in the 1930’s.

Wardrobe / Props

If requested, Fade 2 Black Productions, Inc. can also manage wardrobe and props. In some cases, original props and costumes may be created, or we can assemble a team to manage all props and costumes.

It is important to note, that if your film requires characters to possess firearms, we can manage dummy and non functional guns. However, if you film requires that a character fire a weapon, this can done during post production as a Visual Effect or on set blanks can be used. If a blank is requested, then a licensed gun handler will be hired and put in charge of ALL firing weapons, and we will also make the necessary arrangements with the location and any permits needed.

Production Management / Crewing

The real meat and potatoes behind the pre production phase is the Production Management. Planning a film requires more than just touching up a script draft and jotting down a list of locations. The script needs to be broken into scenes and fit into breakdown sheets, a budget needs to be organized and managed under strict control, storyboards need to be produced, locations need to be found and booked, equipment needs to be acquired or booked, a shooting schedule needs to be prepared, calls need to be made, letters need to be written and lots of” t’s” to be crossed and “i’s” to be dotted.

Additionally another important aspect is managing your cast and crew. The process of casting can be long (you need to find that right person to fill your role after all) and finding an experienced and/or competent crew. No matter how good your story is, the people you choose to work with will make or break your project. And that includes our team if you choose to utilize our services, which is why we treat all projects as if they were our own, passionate creations. If you prefer to focus on the story telling and artistic aspects of your film, then let us handle the grunt work for you.

Permits and Liability Insurance

This is an often overlooked procedure of independent film, as many films are shot “guerilla style”. Sure, the guerilla tactic works great if you need to jump out of the car, shoot a quick scene and then take off. Even the big Hollywood blockbusters will pull that trick now and again. However, what about scenes that can’t be captured in run and gun style? Some scenes need an elaborate light set up, several principle cast members, extras, props, and perhaps even special effects. Many setups will require filming permits in order to achieve this.

If your film takes place in a restaurant or private property, then most of the time the agreement is worked out between the land owner and the production company. However, if your needed location is public property, then you will need to obtain a permit from the county’s film commission that the location resides in. The permits themselves are free and many times you can acquire one without spending a cent, but if your location requires police supervision, shutting down public areas, portable restrooms, extra parking or other necessity then additional fees may apply.

While filming permits are usually free, in order to apply for one, limited liability insurance for a minimum of $1 million dollars is required. If you do not have this coverage, then the city will not grant you a permit for your production. Fade 2 Black Productions, Inc. is licensed and insured and if we helping you produce your film then we can help you get these permits. If you would prefer to not deal with this level of paperwork and days making phone calls then we will happily manage this.