00DEV – Developement Overview

Client Side or Vendor Side perspective?

This stage of the process can be called multiple names such as New Business or Business Development. It effecitvely is the very first stage of a project being introduced to a VFX studio and the stages invovled are designed to determine if the project is feasible within the studio and if so, it may also require convincing the clients that the VFX work should be awarded to the VFX Studio you represent.

Once the possibility of a new project has been brought to your studios attention, usually via an existing client that your studio has previously done projects with, or possibly a new client that has recently reached out to your studio. The project needs to be evaulated in order to dertimine if the project is technically and financially feasible, in addition to this it also has to be considered if the studio has capacity to take on the addtional work.

The first stage is what is called a Script Breakdown, which is done to understand the scope of the project interms of what VFX work will be invovled.

From there, Bidding is done on the work that has been identified to establish how much it is going to cost. It is in the Bidding stage that the VFX workflows and approach will be documented and quantified in terms of costs.

The combition of the a Script Breakdown and Bidding will both be used to determine if the project is both technically and financially feasible and this is often an iterative process that involves some back and forth with the clients in order to reach a solution that fits the creative demends of the project within the financial restrictions of the budget.

All this determines if the project is a good studio-fit and once that has been established it may also require Pitching , in an effort to concinve the client that your studio is the right studio to go with.

These stages applied to all VFX Project Types, but they often differ due to the common characterstics of each type of VFX Project.

Explore one of the below deep dives into Project Development

VFX Sup : Pre-Production Planning

Pre-Pre-Production (more likely to happen in world of freelance VFX supervisors)

Pre-pre-production is a ten week period during which the Producer, Director, Production Designer and Visual Effects Supervisor and Producer are expected to come up with a road map of how the Director creatively sees the movie, and financially will achieve it. Thus concept art, story boards, mood boards and reels and a little pre-viz and perhaps a proof of concept VFX test.  Most importantly they will want to see a realistic budget based on the latest script. The studio will probably have a number they are expecting to hit to green light the show. Your job is to break the script down to the best of your ability utilising the Director, Production Designer and Producer. As VFX often make up the largest single below the line item we are a major contributor to this period.

You will need to use common sense, artistic interpretation and general knowledge of cinematic construction. Every scene will need to be analysed. Decisions will need to be made about what are virtual builds, sets, extensions and locations that need enhancing. A lot of this information can be worked out with discussion with the production designer and director. Be warned both director and PD will not always want to commit themselves to a decision at this point. Do not be deterred, you will have to make a best guess judgement call and move on.  

Most HOD?s are not hired at this point so we have to make allowances and guestimates for their disciplines as well;  prosthetic makeup needs, special fx expectations, rigs that will be needed, elements that we require, breakaway props, vehicles, stunts/digi doubles, numbers of back ground extras, and finally how many shots will be required per scene? No editor and most directors will not engage in this as there are far too many variables and unknowns.

However, there are a few rough rules of thumb that you can follow:

Most pages represent between 12 and 14 cuts (heavy action may require a lot more, some directors/editors are very cutty, others prefer longer takes, but at this juncture it’s safe to follow an average rule).

Most scripts are 100-120 pages in length.  

Using common sense and a traditional cutting style of master, two shots and singles it is not too hard to get fairly close to the number of cuts required to cover a sequence.

Once we have done this, we then have the process of balancing this number with the number the studio/production had in their budget. Often there is a need to work with director prod designer and producer to help bring this figure back into line. Perhaps redesign sequences, rethink global approaches to the shoot, replace locations with set or backlot to reduce expense of shoot. Work with writer to reduce or change script to help creative needs and budget discrepancies. Suggest omits of expensive items that may be one-offs and not have central story need. Identify repetitions or suggest ways to utilise more cost-effective approaches to the VFX (don?t always need a sledgehammer to crack a walnut).

This often is the time when creative dialogue between director/studio/production either gets the movie green lit or shut down. Once this milestone has been achieved we get the flashing green light and go into full Pre-Production.