How To Make A Production Schedule

How To Make A Production Schedule

Production schedule is a plan that state when certain controllable activities should take place. Production schedules coordinate activities to increase productivity and minimize operating costs. A production schedule can identify resource conflicts, ensure that required raw materials are ordered in time, determine whether delivery promises can be met, and identify time periods available for preventive maintenance. Knowing how to make a production schedule is crucial to the improvement of operation efficiency. Production Schedule Overview Production schedule needs to be flexible. A good production schedule should consider the complexities of the modern manufacturing environment. Production scheduling can be difficult and time-consuming. In dynamic manufacturing environments, managers, production planners, and supervisors must not only generate high-quality schedules but also react quickly to unexpected events and revise schedules in a cost-effective manner. These events, generally difficult to take into consideration while generating a schedule, disturb the system, generating considerable differences between the predetermined schedule and its actual realization. When creating your production schedule, you need to add flexibility in the production schedule to adapt to the change situation. There are different ways to create a production schedule. There are two key fundamental issues in the production schedule: the priorities and capacities. The priorities means that what should be done first? the capacity means that who should do it. Experts should done numerous researches on the issue and come up with different perspectives: the problem solving perspective, the decision perspective and the organizational perspective. Each perspective looks at the task of production scheduling in a distinct way and thus proposes a different approach to improve it. Production Schedule Creation Creating production schedule needs to understand the material inventory level and manufacturing capacity. One of the key objectives of the production schedule is to minimize the operation cost. During the process of planning your production schedule, it is crucial to coordinate the material inventory management and the machine capacity. Production schedule needs to consult with the operation managers and personnel. During the process of creating the production schedule for the department or operation unit, it is necessary to gather relevant information from their perspectives and experiences.

Scritp breakdown

Script Breakdown and Film Scheduling

DECEMBER 30, 2013 BY JASON BRUBAKER

Script breakdown and film scheduling is essential for any serious filmmaker.

Let me share the following, fictional yet typical filmmaking email.

(I get these types of questions every couple weeks.)

Hi Jason –

I wrote this really awesome movie about space travel, time travel, the end of the world and I’m really looking to get it produced. The problem is, I don’t know how much it will cost. Can you tell me how much it will cost me to produce? Thanks!

To some, this type of email might seem a little silly.

I mean, how the heck can anybody take a movie concept out of thin air and decide how much the movie would cost to produce?

Truth be told, there are many factors to consider.

You have to find out if the filmmaker is planning to utilize CG or actual, physical sets. Will the filmmaker cast his next door neighbor or Will Smith? Will this movie be shot on film? On HD Video? Or some crazy mix of 3D?

And those questions only begin to scratch the surface. You still need to think about payroll services, production tax incentives, worker’s compensation… It’s enough to make your head explode. And all of these variables – every single one – influences the budget of any movie.

So these questions, plus about a gazillion other questions need to be answered before you can even think about creating a budget, writing a business plan or seeking investors to get the money. And the bigger question is this:

How do YOU decide how much your movie will cost to produce.

The starting point is taking time to complete your script breakdown and schedule your film.

Script Breakdown and Film Scheduling

Don’t get overwhelmed. You can do it.

And let us be totally frank for a moment…

As a filmmaker, there will come a time in your life when making a feature film becomes a driving, burning desire!

Making your first feature is the rite of passage into the world of professional filmmaking.

Assuming you’ve become comfortable making short movies, then making your first feature will be just another step in an exciting career.

I am  assuming you’ve written, or you control the rights to a fantastic script that you would like to produce. So you next need to figure out just how much your movie will cost.

Script Breakdown

Your script breakdown begins with having a screenplay you are happy with.

Once the script is locked, any modification you make to the story or schedule, no matter how minor or major, will subsequently impact the budget.

My producer friend Forrest Murray always says the script, schedule and budget are the same document. You’ll need all three to make a movie… But in the process, if you change one document, you’re actually changing all three.

This is why your script breakdown is essential. Without it, you will have no idea what your movie will cost.

Action Steps: Script Breakdown and Film Scheduling

I wanted to share a few tips on how to complete your movie script breakdown. Performing this task and then completing a film production schedule is necessary before you determine your budget.

Here are some some steps to help you break down your script.

1. Number Each Scene

Once you lock your screenplay, you should then go through the script and number each scene. You do this by placing a number next to each slug line. What is a slug line? It’s the little line that explains where each scene takes place.

It looks like this in the script:

INT. JASON’S OFFICE – DAY

Once you number each scene, you will want to actually measure the scene. Since screenplays are usually printed on paper eight inches tall, every scene is measured in 8th’s of the page.

You will go through each scene and measure the length.

The reason for this measurement has to do with the length of your movie.

For example, if we assume that each page written in proper screenplay format – Then we can also assume that each page equals at least one minute in screen time.

So if we come upon this scene:

INT. DINER – NIGHT

And let’s say this Diner scene measures 4/8th (or half the page) then you can guesstimate that the scene will be roughly 30 seconds long in screen time.

2. Highlight Each Element

In addition to knowing final screen time, this information will help you determine how long it will take to actually shoot the scene (and also which cast, crew, props and equipment is needed to shoot the scene), which will influence your schedule.

…And your schedule influences your budget. Again, your script, schedule and budget are related!

Speaking of elements, you will want to go through the script and highlight each element, for each scene. Some common elements include locations, characters, props, make up, wardrobe, picture vehicles and special FX…

All of these elements cost money.

You’re “breaking the elements out” so you can eventually put the elements in your budget.

3. Determine Shooting Schedule

Once complete, you will want to figure out when you want to shoot your movie and how long you plan to shoot. You can determine this by choosing how many pages you want to shoot per day. For example, you may decide to shoot 5 days on and 2 days off, or 6 days on and 1 day off. Or maybe you want to shoot your movie over a few weekends.

Keep in mind that unions have rules on how you schedule your movie.

In addition to time constraints, you will want to consider momentum. Filming your indie film over a series of weekends may seem convenient. But doing so can actually diminish the creative flow and can make it tough on cast and crew holding jobs outside of the production. Sometimes it makes sense to just marathon your movie schedule.

Get your movie done so you can get it to market as soon as possible.

Many motion picture professionals make a living just breaking down, scheduling and budgeting movies.

This should tell you it’s a pretty complicated and creative area.

As a first time feature filmmaker, it would be great to partner with an seasoned 1st AD or Line Producer who could guide you through the process. But because a lot of filmmakers do not have money until they actually raise the money, hiring a UPM or 1st AD is out of the question.

So this leaves only one alternative. You must complete your own script breakdown and film scheduling. In my opinion, there are two components to this process. You will need a script breakdown education as well as script breakdown software.

Luckily there are quite a few resources to help you.

And in full disclosure: I believe in the efficacy of the resources I’m about to share. But I do have affiliate agreements with both providers. This means they pay me to promote.  So make sure you conduct your own due-diligence prior to making any purchases, both here and everywhere on earth.

Script Breakdown and Film Scheduling Online Course for Indie Filmmakers:

This online course offered by Industry veteran Peter Marshall answers the ever important question.

“How do I know if this shooting schedule is realistic?”

A lot of new filmmakers go into production on a film and find out a few days into production that their production schedule was completely screwed up. In some cases, these unfortunate filmmakers find out that the schedule was totally unrealistic.

As a result, the cast and crew ended up with tons of overtime pay, a bad attitude and YOU ended up running out of time and budget.

The goal is to avoid these headaches.

Peter worked for over 25 years in the industry.  He know (better than most) that a properly designed shooting schedule is crucial for your budgeting process.

If you would like to find out more about Peter Marshall’s Script Breakdown and Film Scheduling course, click here.

Film Scheduling Software: LightSpeed eps.

One of the most exciting software programs to help you with your script breakdown is calledLightSPEED eps.

In addition to being an awesome script breakdown and scheduling program, LightSPEED eps allows you to centralize your production information and provide secure access from your computer, wireless device, from anywhere in the world.

Watch this brief script breakdown video:

With this web-based production management software, you can provide your your production team with current information from anywhere in the world.

In practical terms, let’s say you are based in LA, but your First AD is based in NYC. You will now have the ability to oversee all aspects of your project. If something changes, you will be able to notify your staff of critical updates in real time!

After getting a face-to-face demo with the management team, I left the meeting convinced that LightSPEED represents the future of script breakdown and production management.

Because these guys are very indie filmmaker friendly, they have provided Filmmaking Stuff readers with a FREE trial for one user. If you would like to find out more about the LightSpeed EPS script breakdown and film scheduling software, click here.

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MANAGEMENT IN MUSIC AND MANAGEMENT ROLES

MANAGEMENT IN MUSIC AND MANAGEMENT ROLES

What is a music manager? In terms of management in music, there are generally six types of music managers that can play a role in the careers of recording artists, record producers, songwriters, and musicians. Most artists will interact with only one or two of these managers, but it helps to know what to expect from each of them nonetheless.

Following is a brief description of the roles of the different types of music managers.

The Music Manager

(aka Artist Manager, Talent Manager, Band Manager, or Personal Manager)
Music (Personal) managers are involved in counseling and advising artists (or songwriters, producers, engineers, instrumentalists/musicians, etc) on all matters related to their musical careers. Traditionally, personal managers primarily focused on shopping for Record and/or Publishing deals for their clients, and then helping to navigate their clients through the deals and beyond. Today, the role of the personal manager has evolved into a much more hands-on approach regarding helping their clients reach fans directly, and assisting clients in running their own recording, publishing, merchandising and performing/touring operations. Even though (for certain types of “mainstream” artists/musicians/songwriters) traditional Record and Publishing deals may still make some sense, the deals that most managers pursue for their clients are in the areas of sponsorship, branding, merchandising, and/or licensing. The personal managers’ job therefore is to - while helping clients run their own “companies” - help figure out which deals (if any) complement the clients’ independent operations and fit into their long-term career plans.

The Business Manager

The Business Manager, usually an accountant by trade, manages the income and expenses of the client. Business managers usually take care of making payments to musicians, background singers, roadies, tour managers, etc., on behalf of the artist. They also assist clients in the areas of assets and investments, savings, taxes (local, state, federal, and International), etc.
Many artists are not well versed in the intricacies of, in particular, the tax obligations that relate to their performance, licensing, sponsorship, recording, and merchandise income; equipment purchases and sales, business expenses, etc. Business managers help their clients organize their money affairs while also assisting with investments, savings, and retirement funds.

The Road Manager

 The Road manager normally takes care of logistics while the artist is on tour (or on the road). Duties include making sure that everything on the road is provided for as spelled out in the contract and all monies are paid on time. The artist can then concentrate solely on performing and interacting with fans, and not be distracted and pre-occupied with whether the promoter, venue booker, booking agent, sponsor or brand partner has met their obligations. The road manager also follows up on items promised as part of the contract such as accommodations, per diems, advances/deposits, rentals, commissions, and so on.

The Tour Manager

 The Tour manager on larger tours coordinates all the Road managers along with the details and logistics of the tour itself. Sometimes, particularly on “smaller” or independent artist tours, the road manager and the tour manager are the same person. The Tour manager is in charge of all the details that relate to the entire tour including communications, merchandising, tour routing, catering, hospitality, etc.

The Production Manager

 Production managers can be found on larger tours involving major record label artists. Production managers work closely with tour managers, helping with certain details having to do with the production of the show; like renting sound, video and lighting equipment, dealing with trucking issues, etc. Production managers also deal with the publicity for the show, as well as assist with scheduling and coordinating both the touring crew and the local venue crew (stagehands, carpenters, riggers, etc.).

The Technical Manager

 The Technical Manager (or Technical Director) is usually the person in charge of set design, construction, and control during the performance. They work closely with the production manager.

How to Become a Music Manager

How to be a music manager is a question frequently asked by people who are interested in the field of music management. Of all the careers in the music business today, the music business management career is simultaneously the most demanding (“why aren’t you doing more”) yet sometimes the most under-appreciated (“well, anyone can do that!”) in the eyes of many in the music community. This can be attributed mainly to the fact that in today’s D.I.Y (do-it-yourself) era the role of the music manager is often seen by some as that of simply the “musician’s helper” as opposed to “career architect” as it should be.

If this is the case, why would anyone want to be a music manager or start a music management company? The answer lies in the potential for rewards and satisfaction that can be achieved when a manager marshals together the necessary resources and connects with the right artist at the right time to execute the perfect game plan that results in success. The path to success, however, is littered with those that have tried ahead of you and failed; so if you are interested in the field of music management you have to enter it with your eyes wide open and equip yourself with whatever knowledge you need to succeed.

Before you focus on how to become a music manager you need to ask yourself what ‘type’ of manager you want to be. There are several types available, including:

•    Personal (or music, band, talent) manager - the one most involved in the actual day-to-day career strategizing and plan formulation and execution with the artist,
•    Business manager – mainly handles the ‘books’ of the artist (income and expenses, making payments on the artist’s behalf, taxes, investments, etc),
•    Road manager – handles all the logistics of a tour while an artist is on the road. On larger tours, a tour manager coordinates all the various road managers involved with the tour and generally manages all the details of the tour itself; while on smaller ‘independent’ tours the road and tour manager are often one and the same.

Once you’ve decided which one of the various managers you’re interested in becoming, you’ll have to determine how you’re going to go about getting the knowledge (or ‘background’ education/information) necessary to enable you to do your job competently. Unlike earlier times when much of what a manager had to think about was shopping for a label, recording an album and then going on tour; today’s managers have so much more to deal with (and therefore to need to know), including how to reach fans directly, song licensing, brand partnerships, sponsorships, social media strategies, creative financing, independent publicity and marketing, etc.

As far as getting information goes, there are several ways to go about getting educated, including:

•    School - several universities and colleges have music business management programs that may be of interest to those that have the money, time and geographical access. Search online for information on which institutions offer music business management programs or courses you can take either on campus or via online learning.
•    Books / Self-study – if you don’t have the access to funding for college or university, another option is to purchase some of the various books available on the topic of how to become a music manager and/or studying much of the material available online in the form of blogs, articles, forum postings, newsletters, etc. You can also attend music business conferences and/or seminars in order to get valuable information from the various panelists and establish connections with attendees and sponsors.
•    Apprentice / Intern – another way to get a music manager job is to spend time interning at a management company. Jobs in music management are difficult to get without a track record, so working behind-the-scenes inside a company allows you to gain experience on the job (which could lead to a job at that company or provide you the experience to start your own company) as well as enable you to develop contacts within the company itself and also with people who the company does business with.

In reviewing how to be a music manager, an important thing to keep in mind about music management is that a manager gets paid a commission (usually 15% - 20%) based on their artists’ earnings. If your artist earns $0, your commission is $0. Therefore, you will need to make sure you have the music management knowledge and information necessary for you to be able to generate substantial income for your artist – and therefore yourself – from multiple sources (including recordings, licensing, publishing, merchandising, touring, brand partnerships, crowdfunding, endorsements, sponsorships, donations, subscriptions, etc) prior to taking on the task of becoming a music manager.

You will also need to evaluate how much time you have available to devote to the task of music management since your (and your artists’) chances of success are directly related to how much quality time you put into the job. You will likely need to have another source of income (i.e., another job) to pay your bills in the meantime until such time as enough income is being generated by your management-related activities to sustain your lifestyle. You will need to make sure you have enough time to create and execute a winning game plan with and for your artists as well as maintain constant communication with the artist in order to evaluate, fine-tune, and adjust the plan where necessary.

These are just some of the things to keep in mind as you research how to become a music manager.

© copyright 2012 Jeremy Rwakaara

Directing Music Video Shoots

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Filmmaking 101: Training for Scriptwriting, Camera, Shooting, Lighting and Video Post Production

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How to Network in the Music Industry: Successful Business Networking Tips, Basics & Career Advice

What is networking about? As the saying goes, "It is not what you know or do, it is who you know." While technology is a reliable tool for artists to spread the word about their music, the most effective medium to get music publicized, heard, distributed or artist booked is through people. DIY (do it yourself) musicians can become successful, but the odds are stacked up against them because being an expert in everything is literally impossible. Writing great songs is a challenging task as it is. Focus on your strengths and delegate everything else to others whose strengths are your weaknesses.

The objective for artists looking to become successful is to delegate tasks to individuals who are experts in those fields. Finding who these people are can be accomplished through networking. You can start with family, friends and then reach out beyond that. This will ensure that you increase your odds for being at the right place and the right time. Sitting at home doing nothing will not get anyone anywhere, however great of an artist one is.

As your network grows, problems become easier to tackle because you can identify people that can effectively solve with those issues. Before you network, it is recommended that you do your homework and figure out the areas where you have weaknesses in and then finding the appropriate network and resources that can help you turn those weaknesses into strengths. It is critical that the networking relationship is a reciprocal one and the individuals you are networking with are appreciated and respected. Successful networking is linking together people who can help each other out through trust and relationship building.

Things to keep in mind:

• Networking is about being genuine and authentic 
• Figure out what you are trying to accomplish so that you can select who can be a suitable candidate to help you get what you are looking for. Focus on quality contacts as opposed to quantity.
• Have plenty of professianal looking business cards to give out and be visible. Do not be shy.
• Make a positive first impression. Make a powerful impression by asking them what they do before talking about what you do. Make them feel comfortable talking to you. Embrace all people, not just the right people. Who knows, they might be the next Bill Gates. Everyone demands respect and a second chance.
• Ask questions that are discussion-friendly. Questions relating to "who, what, where, when, and how" can be more effective than ones that can be answered with a mere "yes or no." This form of questioning opens up the discussion and shows listeners that you are interested in them and makes you more memorable. Questions such as "How did you get started in your business?" , "What do you enjoy most about what you do?" and "How can I know if someone I am speaking with would be a good prospect for you?" can be impactful.
• Honor people's time and pay attention when people are talking to you.
• Become an expert in your field so that others can turn to you for input, suggestions and ideas. make it easy for them to reach you.
• Have a clear perspective about why you do what you do, what you represent and seperates you from the crowd. 
• Learn how to pitch in 3 or less sentences. Keep the pitch under 30 seconds.
• Make small talk, establish common bonds and schmooze. Offer your help.
• Follow up quickly with the people you connected with and thank them for their time. Make sure you let them know that you you found their input valuable and would love to extend the conversations further and keep them in the loop about what you are doing.
• Be a matchmaker. Introduce and help others connect with each other. This is a skill influential and powerful people have.

Artists looking to find people to fill positions that require unique skillsets can reach out to individuals including:

• Managers
• Attorneys
• Accountants
• Booking Agents
• Publicists
• Photographers
• Producers
• Recording Engineers
• Distributors
• Video Crew & Editors
• Web Designers
• Webmasters
• Online Marketer (SEO, SMO)
• Graphic Artists

Musicians can also target people that can help create new opportunities for them as well as introduce their music to a new audience. These people include:

• Music Journalists
• Radio Hosts & DJs
• Bloggers
• Music Website Owners
• Podcasters
• Booking Agents
• Concert Promoters
• Venue Owners
• Video Game Designers
• Music Directors
• Film & TV Scouts for Music
• Companies & Brands
• Other Artists/Musicians/Bands
• Your SuperFans

Networking is all about ongoing relationship building. Build relationships that last and always strive for growth and volunteering your time and resources to others with great need. Online networking can be very valuable as well. Finding communities online with similar interests is the name of the game. Interaction, communication and sharing is what the web is all about. Reach out and touch everyone and your network will expand significantly. Become the ultimate connector.

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