In any design for a media project, you will be expected to create a schedule for your production period. In fact, this schedule becomes an invaluable resource for you as it allows you to ensure that you and all of the people who you are working with for your production are all on the same page – everyone knows exactly when they will be required to be available for your production.
If you are making a FILM, your schedule should include:
- Every day when you will be filming, noting which scenes you will be filming and who you need with you on set. If relevant, you should also include the location of the shoot.
- The dates by which you want to have each scene or section of your film edited. Remember, it’s quite possible that you will have started/finished editing some of your film before you start to film other scenes.
- Time blocked out for contingencies and re-shoots if they are needed. This might be a weekend in the second half of the production period that you have blocked out – and that your actors have blocked out – so that you can re-shoot any scenes that didn’t work as well as you hoped they would, or any scenes that you didn’t manage to film due to issues outside of your control such as the weather or an actor being sick.
- The date when you want the first rough cut of your film to be submitted for feedback.
- The date when you want to pass a full draft of your film to the friends or family who you would like to seek some feedback from.
- The due date.
If you are making a PRINT PRODUCT, your schedule should include:
- Every day when you will be either taking photos or interviewing people, noting which images you will be taking, the location of your shoot/interview, and who you need with you on set.
- The dates by which you want to have each article/page written by.
- The dates by which you want to have each section/page of your product edited by. Remember, it’s quite possible that you will have started/finished compiling some of your pages before you have even started preparing other sections of your product.
- Time blocked out for contingencies and re-shoots if they are needed. This might be a weekend in the second half of the production period that you have blocked out – and that your models have blocked out – so that you can re-shoot any images that didn’t work as well as you hoped they would, or any images that you didn’t manage to obtain due to issues outside of your control such as the weather or a model being sick.
- The date when you want the first draft of each page to be submitted for feedback.
- The date when you want to pass a full draft of your product to the friends or family who you would like to seek some feedback from.
- The due date.
To quickly CREATE YOUR OWN CALENDAR to use for your schedule:
- Go to www.calendarlabs.com.
- Enter the month you’d like the calendar to start in and the number of months you need covered in your calendar.
- Click on ‘Create Excel Calendar’
4. Once you are in excel, you will see that each month has been placed in a different tab for you. You can always cut and paste the months together if you would like to.
5. You can now fill in all of the items that you need on your calendar.
Opening Class 