No doubt the old adage “Time is Money” is true in your world,  but in the world of film and video production it’s what we live by!  At the very beginning of a project, a good production company will provide you with a comprehensive Production Schedule.  This schedule is very important, because it lays out the plan for meeting your deadline needs and keeping the production on-track and on-budget.

As soon as possible, be sure to take a few minutes to study the schedule and make note of when there are landmark events to be met by you, the client. These could be things like:

• input meetings with your subject matter experts
• delivery of existing visual assets
• script approvals
• talent approvals
• scheduled shoot days
• rough cut & final cut approvals

If you see something that won’t work with your schedule — let your project manager know right away.  He or she can adjust the schedule NOW much more easily than after the production has begun.

The reality is, delaying a production or needing to speed it up are part of life in the corporate world and a good production company will move heaven and earth to accommodate your needs with as little impact as possible to your budget.

But there are some schedule changes that are more expensive than others.  Say, you want the production company to capture some footage of your company’s operations, but you forget to check if the day in the production schedule actually works for the rest of your company.  The crew arrives and your operations are silent because of a planned overhaul of the computer system.  Result?  An extra day of shooting when operations are up and running.

Maybe you forgot to mention to the project manager that even though the deadline is Nov. 1st, you actually need the film complete and ready for viewing a week earlier because your CEO is out of the country the whole week prior to the first.  Result?  Editing goes into overtime everyday, to finish a week early.

How about that great commercial footage you want to get from your Asian operations, but you forgot that it might take a week or more for them to get it to you?  The edit starts tomorrow.  Result?  Extra editing days when the footage finally arrives.

The Production Schedule is your best friend.  Read is soon.  Refer to it often.  Let your project manager know ASAP if the schedule needs to change.

You get the picture.