Communication: The Foundation of Production

I once directed an infomercial to sell jewelry during the holiday season. The script writer thought it would be cute to have a scene with our model and a baby reindeer. The logistics and cost of a deer were substantial, so I requested that the writer turn the deer into a rabbit. Three days before the shoot the prop manager left a message for me asking what color rabbit I wanted. I emailed back and said, "Something with mixed colors would be cute." The property manager said she couldn't find a mixed-color rabbit. She did say that she could have one custom painted, but that was going to bang my budget pretty hard. At this point, I decided I needed to pick up the phone and actually speak with her. It was then that I discovered that she was trying to get a Volkswagen Rabbit.

The most important thing a director has to do is communicate. The director must find ways to consistently communicate to everyone who participates in the project, including the producer, client, the designers, crew and talent. I had a director tell me a concept for a solid and original project, but when the project was completed, the concept was just not there. Asking around revealed that the crew and the talent never understood the concept and so the director's vision never found its way into the end-product.

Concept Proposal
As soon as you have an understanding of the scope and complexity of a project, you should write up a concept proposal. A concept proposal details the components of the project in plain English. It should include:

Title - The title is important, but it only has to be a preliminary title and often changes later.

Objective - The project objective states the goals for the project. Even if the project is as simple as shooting a high school reunion, explicitly stating the objectives might reveal that you will need to not only shoot footage of the reunion, but that you will need to interview the participants and collect archive materials (like a yearbook) as well.

Summary - This should be a description of the proposed show elements and how they are to function. For example, "Documentary style with B-roll" or "Talking heads with host and expert."

Talent Requirements - A short list of the required talent, including age, gender and a brief description of each person, as well as what they are required to do. Do you need talent that can act? Will there be any speaking roles? Will you need any extras to be in the background?

Proposed Length - You will need to know a precise total running time up front, even if the timeline is not set in stone. You will also eventually need a detailed timeline, but for now, a simple schedule that details major events such as when the script needs to be ready, proposed shooting dates, posting dates and when the video will be delivered.

Design Elements - This section will detail the artistic feel of the project. For example: "We will shoot this in a loose-camera documentary style which will feel and seem very real. The director will be invisible and the talent will not answer questions or talk to the camera." This important section lets you communicate your vision and immediate stylistic desires.

Resources Required - This is where you state your vision for the scope of shooting. For example, explicitly state that project is to be shot entirely in "Practical homes" (actual locations) or if it will require a studio set. The more detailed you are in this section, the better off you'll be later. Include the proposed crew, equipment requirements, whether needed items are available or need to be purchased or rented, locations and any travel needs.

Proposed Budget - Now you should be ready to estimate a simple budget. Break your budget down into pre-production, production and post-production, talent and travel line…

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