Pre-production

Pre-Production

1. What are successful creators' top considerations before they even begin to write a script?

Budget, target audience, production style, and how much they love the concept.

2. Mariah is a new creator on YouTube. She has many ideas for videos but when it comes time to actually discuss them, she can’t remember her former moments of brilliance. What can you suggest to Mariah?

She should write her idea down; any piece of paper will do.

3. You have a really awesome idea for a new video, however shooting on Jupiter is out of the question. You have enlisted some friends for help. Which idea below makes the most sense when you are working on a limited budget?

Get creative and see if you can turn your backyard into a perfect Jupiter.

4. Ling’s view count and subscriber count is steadily rising. She wants to make sure she is creating videos that will be interesting to the audience she has gained. Where would she look to understand the makeup of her viewers?

Demographics report.

5. Geraldine is streamlining her production process and has heard several people talk about storyboards. She isn’t sure what this is. How would you define “storyboard” to Geraldine?

A visual representation of her creative ideas.

6. Storyboarding your ideas can be extremely helpful for maintaining _______________________.

Consistency and efficiency when shooting.

7. You are working with a production crew for the first time. You are on a limited budget and need to make sure the shoot goes as smoothly and as quickly as possible. What could you add to your storyboard to help the crew operate and shoot efficiently?

Useful notes to position cameras, dialogue cues and set layout instructions.

8. Renata is creating her first storyboard. She is quite frustrated because she isn’t a natural artist. One of her friends advised her to use stick figures instead of trying to create a close rendering of her actors and sets. Based on your understanding of storyboards, is this good advice?

Yes

9. What are the primary benefits of creating a script?

Provide actors with dialogue, offer direction for shooting and give guidance to the crew.

10. Lucrezia has a phenomenal idea. She is eager to get it on paper in the form of a script, but can’t 

seem to translate the idea to words on paper. What has Lucrezia encountered?

Writer’s block.

11. Sofia has been speaking with friends in the theater industry. She is discussing her most recent script and they advise her to divide her script into scenes and acts. How many acts does the typical script include?

3.

12. You want to shoot a music video and it will require many extras. What’s a proper way to entice others to participate in your shoot?

Help your other friends in the industry with their latest shoot—pay it forward!

13. Due to your limited budget, you have to make a choice: buy costumes or create videos on a regular schedule. What might be another alternative?

Scour local thrift stores for items you can easily turn into costumes.

14. Monica has a new channel. She has been working day and night to make her new channel a success. She has asked Andres, a more established creator, for advice. What would be the best advice he could share with Monica?

Make a plan by setting goals and deadlines to keep her organized.

15. Your friend Nikita is starting to see some early success on her videos. She has been working long hours on her own to get to this point. You recognize that this isn’t sustainable for Nikita. What alternatives could you suggest?

Collaborate with other creators to get creative input, get things done more efficiently and make the work more fun.