While making my new movie, Lost Cause, I documented the process and wrote a series of essays that examine and reflect on every facet of making, marketing and distributing an independent film in America at this critical and challenging moment.
Read the Prologue (on the challenges and opportunities of the current movie landscape)
Read Chapter 2 (on budgeting, fundraising, pitch decks and personal debt)
Reading Chapter 3 (on casting)
This essay is broken into two parts:
Producer’s Pre-Production Checklist (with accompanying one-page PDF)
Checklist Breakdown
Part one is all killer no filler: (almost) everything a producer must do in pre-production. The PDF at the end of this section can be downloaded and used/adjusted as needed.
Part two is a deep dive into the items on the checklist, with personal examples drawn from my experience making Lost Cause (and maybe other projects too).
If you have any questions, or want to know about stuff not included in the essay, drop a comment below and we will continue the conversation there.
Every film is different. Every pre-production process should be slightly different, adapted to the needs and priorities of the specific project.
This is a general list of the most important tasks for a producer to do before production (not including budgeting/fundraising and casting). They are kind of in chronological order, but also the filmmaking process is fluid, and things happen as they happen. All this stuff is likely necessary, just not necessarily in this order.
Draft Operating Agreement for Your New LLC
Incorporate LLC for Production Using Operating Agreement
Open Production-Specific Business Bank Account
Contract Payroll Company
Open Business Credit Card with Introductory 0% Interest
Purchase Production Insurance
Secure Union Agreement(s) Based On Budget-Level
Research and Hire Crew
Finalize Cast/Crew Contracts
Secure Location(s)
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