Pre-Production Archives - Bobby Marko

Archives For Pre-Production

Production Minds Beta Preview

December 21, 2012 — Leave a comment

For the last month I’ve been beta testing some new software that for those who are in production, especially pre-production, I think will fall in love. It’s called Production Minds Platform and it’s designed to create, organize and unleash your production project. I’m working on a low budget short film with writer/director David Wilkinson so I thought it was a perfect project to test out the software.

After having the chance to get my feet wet with the software I asked the guys at PM if I could do a little preview video. I knew others would be just as excited as I am about the release of this software. They agreed.

I haven’t been able to utilize all of the features as we’re still in the middle of creating the short film. But as you will see, the software is a tool that you have with you from idea all the way to the first shoot day. The further along you get in creating the production, the more features you will use.

Ok, I’ll stop typing and let you get to watching. Couple of things first: I am sick so I don’t sound my best – I’m on medication so I’m a little flighty with my thought process, sorry if I ramble – and last… follow these guys on Twitter and Facebook and stay up to date, I know you will want this software the day it releases! Ok, now click play! :)

In Gear, How-To, Pre-Production

What’s In Your Folder?

November 26, 2012 — 2 Comments

I thought I’d have a little fun on this post and ask the question “What’s In Your Folder?”

In this digital age on filmmaking, most filmmakers have an arsenal of apps they use as tools for their trade. So I thought it be fun to open up our little black device folders and show what helps us out on a day to day basis. And to kick things off, below of what’s on both my iPad and iPhone.

Some apps are universal and I use both on both devices. However, some of them I use primarily for one or the other. You will see some I’ve already written blog posts about and there’s a few in the works. But if there are some you see that I haven’t written about, please comment below to ask for a write up. I’d be interested to know what you’re most curious about.

Enjoy!

In Cinematography, Gear, Pre-Production, Production apps, digital, filmmaking, ipad, iphone, mobile

Set Lighting: Apps for Film and Video Production

November 15, 2012 — Leave a comment

To continue my reviews of apps for film and video production, I want to talk about Set Lighting. So all of you Gaffers, Grips, Best Boys, etc. this post is for you! But if you’re director, DP, Cinematographer, PA, don’t feel like you need to skip over this article, I believe there’s something here for everyone!

Set Lighting

Ok, let’s dive in: Set Lighting is an iPhone app designed to give you a wealth of information about everything lighting. The different kinds of lights available, support for lighting, acceessories, even power to use for lighting. It’s like having an encyclopedia on lighting in the palm of your hands.

Here is the description from the developers:

The setLighting application was created by people, for people, who work in films, Television shows, commercial, and photography. The application is an instructional and educational tool which is a reference for lighting equipment. The application includes equipment, and specs from the following manufacturers:

Arri, Mole Richardson, Kino Flo, Dedo, CMC, K5600 Lighting, Kobold, Briese, Airstar, and many more.

I’m going to run don the 4 main areas of Set Lighting:
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In Gear, Lighting, Pre-Production, Production app, application, film, iphone, lighting, manufacturers, mobile, production, set lighting, tool, Video

Different Cameras for Different Jobs

October 1, 2012 — 4 Comments

Being in video and film production, with every job you take, a decision has to be made… what camera do you use? A few blog posts ago I wrote about whether buying or renting is better. I think the answer to that, as we saw, was dependent on the type of production you are involved in. Deciding which camera to use is easy when you own your own camera (or are well off enough to own a few cameras). However, if you rent, you understand there are different cameras for different jobs and often choosing the right camera can be a question that looms over you too long. So long that you may let circumstances other than the right ones dictate your decision.

With that in mind, I thought I would throw out a few things to think about the next time you face this question.
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In Cinematography, Pre-Production, Production

Location Scouting: Some Tips and Tools

September 27, 2012 — 2 Comments

Location scouts have a profession of their own. And by no means do I intend this post to simplify or belittle their occupation. Feature film location scouts deserve the large salaries that I assume they receive. I’m in awe the many times I see a film with beautiful locations from start to finish. I find myself asking “how in the world did they find those places?” This type of large scale location scouting is not what this post is meant to address. The audience I am addressing are those of you directors, ADs, and cinematographers who take on multiple roles which include location scouting.

I know you don’t have the resources, the time, or the money to jet set all around the world looking for that one spectacular mountain top just to grab your 20 seconds of screen time with your two actors kissing. With that said, here are few things I do to help find that great location for my productions:
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In Cinematography, How-To, Pre-Production, Production AD, apps, camera, cinematographers, director, filmmaking, lenses, location, scenes, scouting, sunseeker, ViewFinder Cine

Evernote: Apps for Film and Video Production

September 24, 2012 — Leave a comment

As I continue my series on apps for film and video production, it dawned on me that I should actually mention the app I use for most of my initial creations. It’s also the app that I’m using to write this post. Evernote is one of those tools that I think every creative can use. I know business owners as well as artists who use Evernote for a variety of tasks. So, with that in mind I thought I’d share several ways in which I use Evernote.

1. Meeting Notes: I have lots of meetings… yes… I know… it’s unfortunate. However, at times they have their purposes. So, in most meetings I usually start off by opening Evernote and creating a new note for that particular meeting. What’s nice is that Evernote can communicate with my calendar. When I create a new note in a meeting that’s on my calendar, the subject of the note pulls in the meeting name, saving me the time of writing the subject. This way I can get busy jotting down notes.
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In Pre-Production, Production apps, creation, desktop, Evernote, ideas, ipad, iphone, meetings, notes, pre-production, production, to-do, writing

Putting a Price on Your Work

September 17, 2012 — 1 Comment

Several posts back I talked about budgets and some tips on creating one for any type of production to help you stay organized. In this post I want to talk about what happens before you even create your budget….and that is putting a price on your work.

Too often I see people short changing themselves when they price out jobs. They under bid and either lose money in the end or lose the job because the perceived value was based on how low the bid was. But you have to be careful. You don’t want to make it too expensive that you lose the job to someone else. At the same time, you have to factor in whether or not you’re coming out ahead after the project has been completed. So, I’ve created some list items to think of as you price your job.

One caveat, I’m not going to tell you how much to charge. I know many people reading this will want answers to that age old question. First of all, there are too many ways to price out a job to be able to address each scenario in this post, not to mention that production sizes vary widely in scale and budget. However, the ideas listed below will help guide you through the process of estimating the amount you feel is appropriate for your work.
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