Putting a major blockbuster movie together is no easy feat. Not only do directors have to keep the creative energy flowing, but they also have teams in several locations all doing important work. While we may not see our work up on a silver screen, there is a lot we can learn from with these productivity tips!
Remember Post-Production
Not everything on set gets captured perfectly. After the sets are taken back apart and everyone has headed back to the studio, errors in the film can be found. According to FilmSkills errors can come from many different reasons including budget or time crunches. This is where the magic of post production happens. Editing cleans up storylines, CGI drives impact, and music is edited and inserted to drive the impact of a cinematic moment.
Leaving some room for editing in our own processes can be a great use of time. Taking a time block to focus on deep work, then taking a few minute break, finally editing to double check on the deep work can be a great practice.
Scheduling
While a story must flow from point to point to keep a viewer engaged, according to ActingMagazine, they aren’t filmed in order. Its much easier to film all the scenes that use one set then move to the next. Scene 5 and 23 might be filmed back to back to keep budgets smaller, then letting the editor put the scenes in the right place.
Sometimes thinking through a project linearly can limit us from options that might speed us up. Instead of going to a grocery store each night on your way home to grab ingredients for dinner, making one trip and buying for the week is typically faster.
Using teams
According to the New York Film Academy, there are actually 7 stages of film production from developing the idea to final distribution in stores. Each phase has its own key tasks to complete to make the final culmination successful. The director might not accomplish all the planning aspects though. They might use scouts for multiple locations, wardrobe experts, writers, and talent to help them create the final plan.
For us, as we look at a major project, looking at what strengths are on your team can be a great place to start. Have someone skilled in project management? Let them come up with the schedule. Have someone who is skilled at writing? Let them make sure all the paperwork, like a charter, is properly written up. Rather than doing everything yourself, delegation opens up the opportunity for buy in from team members and less stress for you!
Looking at these productivity tips, what can you implement to make momentum?
