Pre-Production That Protects Your Film

What This Course Is About Most short films don’t fail on set—they fail before the camera ever rolls. This course teaches filmmakers how to translate a script into a realistic, disciplined production plan that protects the story, the schedule, and their sanity. It’s not about gear lists or bloated call sheets. It’s about decision-making: what to lock, what to cut, and what to prioritize so the film survives contact with reality. Core Outcomes (What Students Walk Away With) A script broken down for production reality A schedule that serves the story—not ego Clear creative priorities for each shoot day Fewer compromises on set and in post Confidence heading into production High-Level Lesson Breakdown Module 1: From Script to Strategy Identifying the emotional spine of the film and translating it into production priorities. Module 2: Scheduling With Intent How to build a schedule around pressure, performance, and energy—not just logistics. Module 3: Locations, Company Moves, and Containment Why fewer locations mean stronger films—and how to design for control. Module 4: Crew, Roles, and Communication How to staff lean, define responsibilities, and avoid chaos on set. Module 5: Planning for Post Before You Shoot How early production decisions determine whether your film survives the edit. Module 6: Stress-Testing the Plan Identifying the weak points before they cost you time, money, or footage. Who This Is For Filmmakers making shorts with limited time and money Writers directing their own work for the first time Anyone who’s had a shoot spiral out of control and wants it not to happen again