Developing an MFPC film, building a team and carrying the work through delivery.
Define the film
Lead the complete production
The Production Director leads an MFPC film from story selection through filming, editing and final delivery. The director chooses the creative direction, recruits the cast and crew, coordinates their work and keeps the Board informed of progress.
Use this guide to agree a practical plan with the people making the film. Each stage should have a clear output, a person responsible, an agreed date and the resources it depends on.
Write a project brief
Start with a working title, the story in one sentence, the intended form and approximate runtime. Identify the script version, cast, locations, props, costumes, picture and sound needs, and the work required to finish the film.
Separate confirmed people and resources from needs still being checked. Name who will resolve each dependency and describe a smaller version of the film if it remains unavailable. Include the next output, its owner and the decision needed to move forward.
Choose the script and resolve permissions
Use your own script, seek public submissions with club support, or work with a volunteer writer. Writing contributions are unpaid. Coordinate any public submission invitation and handling arrangements with the people supporting the call.
Record who created the material and the permission or conditions for its use. Keep track of music, images, footage and other material the film may include. Raise unresolved permission questions with the co-presidents and Board before committing the affected work.
Recruit around real tasks
Describe the roles the film needs. Directors may approach general members first when recruiting smaller teams for their committee. Cast, camera, location sound, production coordination, editing and sound finishing need clear responsibilities appropriate to the project.
Agree each person’s task, availability, next output and handoff. Give collaborators the current brief and relevant script. Revisit the plan when an essential role is unfilled or a person’s availability changes.
Prepare the shoot
Build a feasible plan
Plan a version of the film that works without funding. Add financial support to the plan when it is secured, and confirm the people, equipment and locations actually available.
The Operations Director coordinates routine room and equipment bookings and custody. Co-presidents assist with institutional access and practical coordination. Discuss spending jointly with Operations and the co-presidents and obtain the relevant decision before making commitments.
Schedule the whole film
Break the work into story development, preparation, filming, editing, sound and finishing, review and delivery. Agree dates with the team and bring dependencies to the Board’s schedule discussion.
Work backwards from an agreed delivery target. Allow time for the editor’s workload, feedback, corrections and any pickups. Identify dates that depend on cast, locations or equipment confirmation, and update the schedule when those dependencies change.
Prepare scenes and practical requests
Break the current script down by scene. Identify cast, location, props, costumes, picture and sound needs, continuity details and permissions. Turn this into a shot plan and a shoot schedule that fits the actual crew and resource window.
Send Operations a clear request: the room or equipment, purpose, preferred dates and times, acceptable alternatives, setup and return needs, responsible user and any cost or access question. Keep the confirmation and conditions with the project record.
Confirm the day
Share a call sheet with the date, meeting location, arrival times, scene schedule, contact route, assigned work and preparation. Confirm that cast and essential crew can attend, resources and access are arranged, and responsibilities for camera work, sound and copying the media are covered.
Resolve permission and safe working arrangements for the planned scenes. If a person, location or resource changes, discuss the affected work and choose a revised day, a smaller scope or another workable option before proceeding.
Record and edit
Leave useful notes from the shoot
Follow the agreed schedule and roles. Record scene and take identifiers, preferred takes, continuity changes, sound issues and missing shots. These notes help the editor understand the material and identify pickups.
When the plan changes, check its effect on people, permissions, resources and the next stage. Return equipment according to Operations’ arrangements and report a missing, damaged or late item promptly.
Keep the media recoverable
Copy original picture and sound files to the agreed storage and keep the originals unchanged. Aim for two checked copies on separate available storage devices or services with approved access.
Use a copy tool that compares checksums for every source file and its copy, and save the verification result. Open representative picture and sound files as an additional playback check. Keep the source media unchanged until both copies are verified. If an additional copy or verification is pending, tell the director and agree how to protect the remaining material.
Organise copies in clear parent folders for each shoot day, preserving the original camera card folder structure and media filenames. Keep a media index showing where files are stored and who is responsible for them.
Give the editor a complete handoff
Provide the current script and creative brief, media index, scene and take notes, useful sound files, music and material permissions, credit information and any missing pickups. Agree the next cut and review date with the editor.
Check that the editor can open the supplied media. Preserve the project files and the information needed to reconnect them to the source picture and sound.
Review a named version
Label each cut with a version and date. Consolidate feedback around timestamps, the issue or creative choice, the requested change and the person deciding it.
For example: “Cut 2, 04:18. The dialogue is difficult to hear under room noise. Check the separate sound recording and identify whether a clean replacement is available.” Agree the next action and review it in the following cut.
Finish and deliver
Review the complete film
Watch and listen to the whole film. Check picture continuity, dialogue, sound transitions, music, titles, spelling and the beginning and ending. Resolve remaining permission questions for the material included.
Agree participant names and production credits with the team. Confirm the final title and credit wording before preparing the screening copy and promotional information.
Make a tested screening copy
Ask the screening organiser for the required format, technical specifications and delivery date. Make the export for that agreed use, then watch it through and test the intended playback route where available.
Record the export filename, version, runtime, settings, review date and playback result. Keep the original source media and linked assets, final export, project file, media index and settings so the film can be reproduced. Tell the recipient about any remaining limitation that affects playback.
Hand over the right materials
For an MFPC screening, give the Festival Director the tested copy, runtime, confirmed credits, permission information and technical notes. The Partnership & Development Director can use an agreed factual package when researching other screening opportunities.
Give the Marketing Director the confirmed title and credits, along with stills or footage cleared for the intended publicity. Agree any shared people or radio contribution with the Radio Show Director. Each submission, publication or external commitment follows its relevant approval.
Keep the work transferable
At Board meetings, the Production Director reports the stage reached, completed outputs, next work, responsible people, resource needs and decisions. Raise urgent problems when they arise, with their effect on the plan and options for resolving them.
For a handoff or change of responsibility, leave the current brief and script, schedule, accepted tasks, resource confirmations, media index, cuts and review notes, permissions, credits and delivery record. Identify the current version, unresolved decisions and the next action, and confirm who is taking it on.