Introduction
Hi there! My name is Chloe Burcell and I am a second-year senior at Freestyle Academy for Film Production. Next year, I will be attending Chapman University for Creative Producing at Dodge College! I am not entirely sure what I want to do specifically in the film industry, but I have a strong fascination for the business side of the industry as well as the creative. I really enjoy pre-production work, and I could see myself becoming a production assistant or show runner, or working in public relations.
My Showcase items are the two pre-production packages that I created during my time here at Freestyle- one for my senior narrative, and one for my zenith project.
My pre-production process was lengthy and very focused on ensuring that minimal errors occurred during production and post production. I personally really enjoyed the process of making a pre production package and planning the most out of all the three aspects of film production, and it’s an area where I have grown a lot and proven myself to be strong in. There were major areas where I really realized I have overestimated or underestimated my time needs. Additionally, there were areas where I had definitely organized the spreadsheets somewhat inefficiently. However, all the hard work I put in really helped me speed up the process of filming and by ensuring that my lists of information were organized on the basis of multiple things such as props, set, costume, character, I was able to use my time really effectively and think quickly in unexpected situations, such as when actors failed to show up or canceled last minute. Additionally, the way I organized my shot list has helped me through the editing process, which is making my rough cut go much quicker. Because I really enjoyed the process and have felt so rewarded by all of my hard work in this area, I would love to talk about it and share what I learned to make the best of pre-production. This is why I chose to include all of my files as downloadables on this page- I want people to be able to see my level of detail as well as have a template that they can use. If you like my pre-production package files, feel free to make a copy for your own personal use!
This Zenith project was a new challenge for me because I provided a tutorial explaining what I have learned. I have not made a pre-production package for a television pilot yet, so this will be a new and additional challenge for me on top of this. I had to do a lot of research on my own time to figure out how to make this happen. I used the Friends script as my example for my pre production package. It wouldn’t be my own work, but I am unsure if I have the time to write a quality pilot script given the time that we have. Additionally, I made a video explaining the process step by step. I am still definitely a work in progress with my cinematography skills and my video editing skills, so this gave me a great opportunity to work on my skills as well as showcase my strengths.
What I valued the most from my Senior Narrative pre-production package is the hard work I put in and my ultimate results. I really enjoyed that everything I did was entirely my own, and I liked seeing how my creations differed from those of my peers. I enjoyed the pre production process the most out of all three aspects, and I learned I really have a knack for creative planning in the aspect of film. I also enjoyed the production and post production processes, because I had planned early on in such detail that I was able to avoid serious setbacks. It was so nice to feel like my efforts were for a reason, and it was amazing to see things that I created go from mere visualizations to plans to a final project.
I personally really enjoyed the process of making a pre production package and planning the most out of all the three aspects of film production, and it’s an area where I have grown a lot and proven myself to be strong in. There were major areas where I really realized I have overestimated or underestimated my time needs. Additionally, there were areas where I had definitely organized the spreadsheets somewhat inefficiently. However, all the hard work I put in really helped me speed up the process of filming and by ensuring that my lists of information were organized on the basis of multiple things such as props, set, costume, character, I was able to use my time really effectively and think quickly in unexpected situations, such as when actors failed to show up or canceled last minute. Additionally, the way I organized my shot list has helped me through the editing process, which is making my rough cut go much quicker. Because I really enjoyed the process and have felt so rewarded by all of my hard work in this area, I would love to talk about it and share what I learned to make the best of pre-production.