excerpted from Occidental College Media Arts and Culture
A binder with plastic tabs is recommended.
The production notebook is also called the production bible because it is so essential. It organizes preproduction info, it is vital during the production, and it serves as a crucial archive after the production is complete. The production notebook resides with the project’s producer. It is his/her responsibility to assemble it, but it is the responsibility of all crew personnel to provide the materials they are charged with generating, in a timely and professional manner.
The production notebook will be turned in at the end of the semester for evaluation and grading.
Below is an example of the information a professional production will collect. While you are not expected to gather everything on this list, you will be tested on it. The essential items for your book are boldface- as applicable for the productions you are doing.
A binder with plastic tabs is recommended.
The production notebook is also called the production bible because it is so essential. It organizes preproduction info, it is vital during the production, and it serves as a crucial archive after the production is complete. The production notebook resides with the project’s producer. It is his/her responsibility to assemble it, but it is the responsibility of all crew personnel to provide the materials they are charged with generating, in a timely and professional manner.
The production notebook will be turned in at the end of the semester for evaluation and grading.
Below is an example of the information a professional production will collect. While you are not expected to gather everything on this list, you will be tested on it. The essential items for your book are boldface- as applicable for the productions you are doing.
Production Notebook Materials
The production notebook is crucial to all projects, be they narrative, experimental, or documentary based, though some of the listed components below will need to be adjusted slightly depending on the form of the project.- Continually updated crew list with contact information for all personnel.
- Equipment rental requests- with dates, updated as changes occur.
- Locked shooting script or treatment.
- Principal Crew Responsibilities Breakdown.
- Aesthetic Plan and Reference Materials.
- Script breakdowns—aesthetics; locations; props/costumes, equipment.
- Casting Listing, signed approval by professor before posting.
- Actor Headshots and Audition Information.
- Documentary Subject Leads, Contact Information, and Notes.
- Human Subjects Research and Review Approval (for all 300+ level documentaries).
- Documentary Interview Questions and Shooting Plans for a Location.
- Location Scouting Stills.
- Shooting Schedule.
- Emergency medical forms for ALL cast and crew.
- Assumption of Risk Forms for ALL cast and crew. (Note that there is a separate version of thisform for minors.)
- Actor or Documentary Subject release forms for all cast, subjects, and extras.
- Certificate of Insurance Requests.
- Location Release Forms.
- Permit Request Forms.
- SAG Agreement Correspondence and Confirmation.
- Proof of Worker’s Comp Insurance (if working with SAG, must purchase this).
- Location overheads and lighting setups.
- Shotlists and storyboards.
- Written Proposal and Plan for any questionable activity or content (stunts, weapons, minors, vehicles, water, pyrotechnics, rented equipment or any other normally forbidden activity) signed off on by professor. Failure to do so will result in immediate failure and disciplinary action at the highest college levels.
- Permits.
- Call sheets signed off by professor BEFORE shoot.
- Camera Reports/ Logs.
- Daily Production Report.
- Documentary Tape Logs/Footage Transcripts.
- Directory of Archival Footage, Stills, or Other Supplemental Material.
- Director’s Footage Logs.
- Revised Script for Editor.
- Editor’s Footage Log.
- Editor’s Notes.
- Notes and samples for composer.
- Composer Release Form.
- Opening Title and Closing Credits Copy Signed off on by professor before picture lock.
- Rights and Clearances Log and any necessary proof of rights/clearances.
- Postal Receipts/Evidence that copies of completed project have been mailed to all cast, participants, and crew.
