Learn pre-production, one topic at a time

Pre-production

The order to learn film pre-production in: the prep calendar, then breakdown, schedule, budget, and call sheet, with casting, locations, and crew running alongside.

Script breakdown

The order to learn script breakdown in: scene numbers and page eighths, then marking and breakdown sheets, then background, stunts, effects, and revisions.

Shooting schedules

A reading plan for film scheduling: build a stripboard, test how much fits in a day, run the day out of days, check turnaround, then handle nights, moves, and minors.

Film budgeting

The order to learn film budgeting in: budget structure and the top sheet, pricing lines with fringes, the assumptions underneath, then tracking costs during the shoot.

Call sheets

Learn call sheets in order: read one, trace where each block's information comes from, set call times, build and send one, then the reports that follow wrap.

Locations and permits

How to learn film locations work: scouting, releases and fees from owners, city permits and insurance, then how the location plan reaches the schedule and call sheet.

Casting

The production side of casting in order: character and background lists, actor day counts, picking a SAG-AFTRA agreement, deal memos, minors, and the paperwork on set.

Crew hiring

Learn film crew hiring in order: who hires whom, the sequence of hires in prep, union and non-union rates, deal memos and start paperwork, and hiring on union shows.

Unions and compliance

Learn film union rules in order: who each union covers, budget-based agreements, what signing commits you to, meal and rest rules, minors, and the records that prove it.

Film financing

The order to learn indie film financing in: the layers of a finance plan, tax incentives, grants, pre-sales and gap loans, then investor returns and the greenlight model.

On-set operations

How to learn the running of a film set: call times, set vocabulary and layout, keeping pace with setups, meals and turnaround, safety, and the reports written after wrap.

Short-form and vertical

A reading plan for vertical dramas, web series, music videos, commercials, and short films: what changes from feature prep and which guides to read for each format.