Edit The Plan: Part 3 of Production Planning (page 2)

Contributing Editor Jim Stinson is the author of the book Video Communication and Production.

Sidebar: Evil Temptations

As you work, you'll be vulnerable to three terrible temptations. If you give in to them, you risk distorting, degrading, or even ruining the original program plan.

First, never blow off problems. "I'll stick in a dissolve." "I'll run it in slo-mo." "I'll cover it with voice-over," or just plain, "Ah'll think about that t'morra." When you encounter a problem, deal with it, solve it, do it now! If you don't, these little difficulties tend to accumulate until they overwhelm you.

Second, don't talk yourself into inadequate fixes. "That's good enough." "Oh, nobody will really notice." "Those shots cut together well enough." No, no, and no. You're always under deadline pressure and it would really, really help if you could get away with things; but when you screen the finished product, they'll jump up and wave at you every one of them.

Finally, don't make every sequence perfect in and of itself. Always recall what it's supposed to do and how it's supposed to fit in the program as a whole. Sure, you got such amazing footage out of that car chase that you just have to use it all; but makes the sequence way too long and too important in the story as a whole. So don't get hung up cutting each gem, without regard to the whole necklace.