Elements of planning and pre-production documents

Storyboard

•Story - Allows the creator to visually see if the story makes sense. Able to check for missing information. Enables organisation of key details.

•Characters – helps to develop personalities. Illustrates actions like movement.

•Dialogue – shows what the characters are saying. Illustrates tone of voice to show emotion.

•Time frame – shows how much time will be used in a specific scene or how much time passes between scenes. Gives over view of overall time.

 •Camera details – shows where the camera should be positioned. Shows the type of shots to be used in certain scenes.

Script

•Scene heading – tells the reader where the scene takes place.

•Action – reader begins to get an idea about the setting and action taking place. Avoid writing camera angles.

•Character name – before a character can speak the writer adds a character name to let the reader know who is speaking.

•Dialogue – so that the reader know what people are saying and thinking. Helps grasp the characters emotions.

•Parenthetical – used to show an attitude. Can be verbal or action. Helps show how characters act and react to their surroundings.

• Extension – a technical note to the right of the characters name that shows how the voice will be heard. This also helps express emotion or sometimes location.

•Shots – tell the reader when the focal point has changed. This can be used to achieve a particular emotion or show something not obvious that may have gone unseen with a specific relevance to the scene or the overall story.

Concept Art

•Research – gathering references to gain a general feel of how the game will look.

•Adding detail – detailed objects, environments and characters are drafted.

•Adding viewpoints – think about what it will look like from all angle front, back, side and top.

•Translating into digital format – usually done by scanning or photographing them. 

Wireframes

•Key elements and their location – header, footer, branding elements etc.

•Grouping of elements – side bars, navigation bars, content areas.

•Labelling – page title, navigation links, headings to content objects.

•Place holders – context text, images.

Call sheet

•Above the line info – make sure you have listed, without contact information, the production company, the director, the executive producer(s) and the writer.

•Production title and general crew call – in the centre of the page is the name of the show, the production itself and below it the general call time.

•Date, day of days, weather and nearest hospital – helps be prepared for emergencies and to make sure they are on track and have optimum conditions for filming and to be prepared for if they don’t.

•Set address – can include a map and information on parking or transportation arrangements.

•Shooting schedule – indicates the pages that will be shot. Only includes the scene not the coverage. Divided into columns: scene no., set and scene description, cast, day or night, pages and location.

•Talent information – everything you need to know about the actors schedule: ID, cast, character, status, pickup, arrive, block, makeup, set and remarks.

•Background talent and stand-ins – information on extras and stand-ins: number, description, report, set call and location

•Special instructions – reminders for particular departments.

•Advance schedule – exactly like shooting schedule but it will have information for the next day.

•Crew list – list of crew that will be on set.

•Walkie talkie channels – reference for crew members.

•Hospital address – hospital address and phone number clearly visible on the bottom of the sheet.