Assignment 4

Group Assignment 4b

Title: Preproduction Documentation
Medium: File -> Submit to to the Server, and Print (duplex)
Planning and Managing Video Production Project
Theme: Preproduction Documentation for Final Project

Description:
To complete the final project within the required time and budget, each group should provide preproduction documents. The documentation should include, but not limited to,

• Project Scope
• Description of the project
• Project Plans & Schedule
• Milestones (Completion of a specified set of activities)
• Budget
• Lyrics (N/A this semester as this is not a MTV assignment)
• Script
• Storyboard
• Resource requirements
• Others (e.g. assumptions, constrains and so on)

Procedure:

• Define your project scope, goal and description of the project (i.e. why do you choose this particular idea to focus on; how to make the idea more interesting; the scope of the project; define your target audience; the motivation to produce this video (i.e. why do you make this video); the objective (i.e. what do you want to achieve after the audience have seen your video) and so on.
• Write project plans (planning your locations, what equipments to bring, shooting and production schedules, schedule for daily call sheets and so on)
• Describe when you need to finish a specified set of activities (i.e. milestone).
• Make a spending plan (i.e. budgeting): financing (money contribution from members, sponsor if applicable); costs/expenditure (of gear, props and others); budgeting procedures (i.e. how do you plan and control the financial resources, and the expenditures of these resources).
• Write your lyrics (n/a this semester) and your script (i.e. explain the meaning of the lyrics; what do you want people to learn or what is the most important idea you want to communicate; specified your dialogue, sciences, setting, time, context and key action (scripting will be briefly covered after recess). Leave as much white space on the page as possible in order to make it easier for actors to read.
• Resource requirement: responsibilities of the personal, hiring personnel (if applicable), casting, location scouting; planning costumes, wardrobe, makeup and hairstyling; planning props, effects, and supplies; equipment rental and purchase where applicable; obtaining rights and permission to shoot, transportations (e.g. renting a van, car), meals and so on.
• Save these documents into one file in a word document.
• Put the cover, write the names of the team members
• Submit through the server ( The finish product should be loaded to the server)

Submission: After Recess (Saturday, March 14th, 2009, 12 noon); the softcopy should be submitted to IVLE which closes sharply at 12:00 p.m..

Presentation: the week following (i.e. March 9 and March 11, 2009; also bring the hardcopy)

• Project Scope
• Description of the project
• Project Plans & Schedule
• Milestones (Completion of a specified set of activities)
• Budget
• Script
• Storyboard
• Resource requirements
• Others (e.g. assumptions, constrains and so on)

A HUGH sigh of relieve spread through the class when Dr Julian announced that the reverse engineering exercise is canceled. This frees up valuable time to complete the final project. I was quite surprised when i opened up the sample file for the preproduction document. There are gazillion tons of information in it and i had no idea there are so much things to be documented in the preproduction document! Lesson learnt : never underestimate any assignments (especially for NM3208). This also goes to show how important the preproduction preparation and documentation is.