Pre-production is where films are won or lost. A production that arrives at day one of shooting with every department prepared, every location confirmed, every cast member contracted, and every equipment order placed is a production that can focus entirely on the creative work.
A production that arrives at day one with a half-finished script, unsigned cast contracts, and no permit for the main location is already in crisis.
This checklist covers every major task in indie film pre-production, organized by phase. Use it as a working document — start at the top, and don't shoot until everything is checked.
Phase 1: Development & Legal Foundation
Script
- Screenplay is locked — no further story changes after this point
- Script registered with the WGA (West or East) for copyright protection
- Copyright registered with the US Copyright Office (Form PA)
- Chain of title established — do you have the rights to any source material?
- Option agreement executed (if adapting from another work)
- Any real names, trademarks, or business names reviewed for clearance issues
Legal Structure
- Production company incorporated (LLC recommended)
- Entertainment attorney engaged
- Producer agreements drafted and signed
- Director agreement drafted and signed
- Option or rights agreements finalized
Financing
- Budget locked at current draft of script
- Financing plan confirmed — equity investment, loans, grants, pre-sales
- Investor agreements reviewed by attorney and executed
- Production escrow or dedicated production bank account opened
- Accounting system established (even a simple spreadsheet at micro-budget)
Phase 2: Core Team Assembly
Key Hires (in priority order)
- Line producer engaged (or UPM if budget allows only one)
- 1st Assistant Director engaged
- Director of Photography engaged
- Production designer engaged
- Casting director engaged (or self-casting plan established)
Production Office
- Production office space established (even a home office for micro-budget)
- Production phone number and email set up
- File system established for contracts, schedules, location agreements, etc.
- Communication platform set up (Slack, email chains, or production app)
Phase 3: Script Breakdown
- Final script breakdown completed — every scene, every element
- Breakdown reviewed by the 1st AD
- Breakdown reviewed by department heads (art, costume, hair/makeup, sound)
- Any practical special effects or VFX requirements flagged and escalated
- Stunt requirements flagged — stunt coordinator consulted if applicable
- Animal requirements flagged — American Humane and wrangler consulted
The script breakdown is the foundation of everything that follows. Don't move to scheduling or budgeting until it is complete and reviewed.
Phase 4: Scheduling
- Preliminary shooting schedule built from breakdown
- Schedule reviewed by 1st AD
- Cast availability windows confirmed and integrated into schedule
- Location availability windows integrated into schedule
- Schedule reviewed by director
- Budget implications of schedule reviewed by line producer
- Day-out-of-days report generated and reviewed
- Schedule locked — version controlled, distributed to department heads
- Cover set identified for weather-dependent exterior scenes
Phase 5: Budgeting
- Line-by-line budget built from locked schedule and breakdown
- All crew rates confirmed (not estimated)
- Equipment quotes obtained from rental houses
- Location fees confirmed (not estimated)
- Post-production vendors quoted
- Insurance quotes obtained
- Union fringe rates applied to all applicable wages
- Contingency line set at minimum 10%
- Budget reviewed and approved by executive producers / investors
- Budget locked and version controlled
Phase 6: Casting
- Casting director has received script and breakdown
- Initial auditions complete
- Callbacks complete
- Principal cast offers made and accepted
- SAG-AFTRA signatory status determined (non-union, fi-core, or signatory)
- All cast contracts executed before any work begins
- Cast deal memos distributed to payroll
- Fitting dates scheduled for all principal cast with costume department
Phase 7: Locations
- Location manager engaged
- Location wish list from director compiled
- All primary locations scouted
- Backup/alternative locations identified for each primary location
- Location agreements signed for all approved locations
- City film permits pulled for all applicable shooting days
- Parking plans confirmed for each location
- Fire, police, and traffic control standby arranged if required
- Neighbors notified (required in many municipalities, and good practice everywhere)
- Hazardous material review complete (lead paint, asbestos in older buildings)
- Location contact sheets distributed to production office
Phase 8: Crew
- Camera department fully staffed and confirmed
- Lighting and grip departments fully staffed and confirmed
- Sound department fully staffed and confirmed
- Art department fully staffed and confirmed
- Costume department fully staffed and confirmed
- Hair and makeup department fully staffed and confirmed
- Transportation department fully staffed and confirmed (if applicable)
- All crew deal memos or contracts executed before first day
- I-9s and W-4s collected from all crew
- Payroll company or payroll system set up
Phase 9: Equipment
- Camera package confirmed and reserved with rental house
- Lighting package confirmed and reserved
- Grip package confirmed and reserved
- Sound package confirmed and reserved
- Camera tests scheduled with DP before production begins
- Any specialty equipment (Steadicam, drone, underwater housing, crane) reserved and operator confirmed
- Generator arranged if required
Phase 10: Insurance
- Production insurance quote obtained and policy bound
- General liability (minimum $1M per occurrence)
- Workers' compensation (required in almost all jurisdictions)
- Equipment coverage (for rented gear)
- Cast insurance (for lead actors)
- Errors and Omissions (required for distribution — may be post-production)
- Certificate of insurance issued to all locations requiring it
- Stunt coordinator has reviewed insurance requirements for stunt days
- Drone/aerial operator has FAA Part 107 certification and appropriate insurance
- Animal handler has liability coverage (required by most jurisdictions)
Phase 11: Script Clearances
- Business names and trademarks reviewed for clearance
- Fictional addresses verified not to match real addresses
- Character names checked against real persons in similar fields
- Phone numbers verified as non-working or cleared (555 prefix standard)
- Fictional TV/radio content cleared or confirmed sufficiently transformative
- Music clearances for any on-set playback or source music
- Stock footage licensed if any stock is planned for use
Phase 12: Technical Preparation
- Director and DP have completed a full location tech scout for each major location
- Shot list prepared by director (at minimum for complex sequences)
- Storyboards completed for action sequences, stunts, and complex visual sequences
- Director has completed table reads with principal cast
- Camera tests complete and footage reviewed — format, lenses, exposure confirmed
- Color chart and exposure tests done
- Playback system tested (if any playback monitors needed on set)
- Any special camera techniques (underwater, crane, aerial) tested before production day
Phase 13: Production Office Logistics
- Production meeting with all department heads scheduled and completed
- All department budgets approved and communicated
- Petty cash float established and petty cash procedure communicated to all departments
- Walkie-talkie channels assigned and radios reserved
- Contact list (all cast, all department heads, all vendors, all locations) compiled and distributed
- Call sheet template prepared and 2nd AD trained on distribution workflow
- Production report template prepared
- SAG daily contract forms or equivalent prepared (if SAG production)
- Wrap gifts / appreciation plan (optional but good practice)
Phase 14: Day Before Shoot Day One
- Equipment truck loaded and sealed
- All actors confirmed for day one — calls acknowledged
- Weather forecast checked — exterior scene plan confirmed or cover set activated
- All locations confirmed accessible — nothing has changed
- Catering confirmed for the correct number of people and correct dietary restrictions
- First day call sheet distributed to all cast and crew by 11pm
- 1st AD has confirmed the shooting order with the director
- Director has a clear plan for day one's scenes
- Get some sleep
The Pre-Production Mindset
Pre-production is not glamorous. Nobody gets excited about pulling permits or executing deal memos. But the discipline you bring to this phase determines everything that follows.
The most common failure mode in independent film is a producer who mistakes enthusiasm for preparation. They have the script, they have the idea, they have the passion — and they assume that will be enough to solve problems as they arise on set.
It isn't. Set is the most expensive environment for problem-solving that exists. Every hour a 30-person crew stands around waiting for a problem to be resolved costs thousands of dollars.
The checklist isn't bureaucracy. It's the difference between a production that finishes the film and one that doesn't.
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