thus is begins... pre-production

Our production office in Ft. Worth suddenly has more people in it.  It's kind of strange to hear other voices from across the room.  Usually, the office has two people occupying it.  Dan and me.  It's usually pretty quiet around here.  But, not today.  

As I overheard Dan saying today (and so decided to steal it and repeat it here), there are basically 6 steps to making a movie.  These are at the very basic and broad level.  

Step 1 - Development.  This is pretty self explanatory.  The movie is written.  From there more people are brought in to expand those 90 some odd pages into a movie that you see on the screen.  

Step 2 - Pre-Production.  More on that later.  

Step 3 - Production.  Where we put the "film in the can"  More on that later as well.

Step 4 - Post-Production.  (see how easy all of these terms are?)  This is after (post) the production, where the editing, scoring, and coloring take place.  

Step 5 - Distribution - When we have the final movie, together and done, we begin to shop it out looking for distribution - hopefully to a "theatre near you" - to blatantly  use the cliche. 

You know, now that I come to think of it, I can only think of 5 steps.  I wonder what that 6th step was that he was talking about?  Maybe the wrap party?  

Anyway.  

This week, we have more or less "officially" started pre-production - step numero 2.  What does this mean?  Well for one thing, it means that there are more people in the office.  But for other things, it means loads of paperwork, emails, man-power, phone calls, location scouts, casting sessions, script revisions, budgeting issues, and Dr. Pepper - drinking lots and lots of Dr. Pepper.  Or Diet Coke if that's your thing.  

Stewart, our Unit Production Manager (UPM)/First Assistant Director (1st AD)  arrived on Monday and began a process called "breaking down the script".  This is basically where you go through the script page by page and figure out which days certain actors are playing when, a list of the props and who is using them, figuring out the schedule and so on.  It's a tedious job, and one that I find exciting for the first 5 pages.  Then it's boring.  Very boring.  But that's why Stewart is here.  Breaking down the script is not so boring for him.  Thank goodness for that. 

Lisa, our Production Coordinator arrived this morning.  She took over the front desk and will start coordinating the production.  ha.  More on that process later.  There is much more to it than those simple words.     

And so, the process has begun.  Things are rolling into place.  I feel like we've had to kick the ball pretty hard to start the rolling, but it is in fact moving.  This is a very good thing.