Before We Shoot the Arc and Sound of Dance Mini-Pilot…

The New York City portion of the Arc and Sound of Dance mini-pilot is moving into pre-production. But having a script and knowing what we want to put on camera are not the same as being ready to shoot. Before cameras roll, we are putting the New York production plan through a deliberately rigorous process.

The goal? Make sure the plan as written can work or change it so that it does. Then put the right person in charge of making it happen. Then shoot.

The Story Is Set

We know which portions of the mini-pilot must be filmed in New York and what those scenes have to accomplish. We know the people involved, the locations the story requires, and how the New York filming fits into the larger mini-pilot. The next question is practical: Can we execute what is in the plan and execute it well, or does it need to change to assure success.

What Comes Next? Challenge The Production Plan

We are engaging an experienced line producer to review our shoot plan before we hire the actual line producer who will ultimately manage the production. The review is meant to challenge our assumptions rather than simply confirm them.

• Is our proposed three-day shooting schedule actually achievable?
• Do we have the right crew, in the right numbers, for what each scene requires?
• Are our camera, sound, lighting and grip assumptions realistic?
• Have we allowed enough time for setup, breakdown and moves between locations?
• Are there production problems or hidden costs that we have not anticipated?

Those are among the questions that must be answered before we are standing on a set with a cast, crew and clock running.

Then: Revise Before We Spend

The reviewer’s job is to tell us what should change. If a scene needs more time, the schedule changes. If a crew position is missing – or unnecessary – the crew plan changes. If an equipment assumption is unrealistic, we correct it. If the budget does not adequately reflect what the shoot requires, we need to know that now. The result will be a New York shoot plan that has been examined by someone whose know-how is understanding what actually happens on the ground.

Then: Hire the Line Producer to Run the Shoot

Once the independent review is complete and the plan has been revised, we hire the Line Producer who will take responsibility for managing the New York production itself. The starting point will be a production plan that has already been subjected to professional scrutiny and revised to assure success..

Then: Cameras Roll

The New York mini-pilot becomes the beginning of the Arc and Sound of Dance story itself: bringing its people, ambitions, disagreements and risks in front of the camera.