It all starts with receiving the storyboard, which is sent out by the agency to several production companies. The race to secure the director begins. The rule is that the first production company to call should have the opportunity to present them as their candidate.
From the videos that most closely resemble the storyboard in terms of tone and mood, a showreel is created.
The agency selects about three directors, who are then asked to write a treatment. It's a demanding job. Ideas are sought, and everything must fit within the budget.
The treatment is sent to the agency and the client. If the work is chosen, discussions about the budget begin. It’s usually higher, of course, so it needs to be negotiated, but not at the expense of quality. And that’s when we in production start puzzling over how to make it work.
And off we go.
Hooray, we’ve won! The director has been selected, and the budget and schedule have been approved. Production begins. The crew is called in: director of photography, costume designer, architect, etc. And the whirlwind of meetings, calls, and approvals starts.
After an intense 14 days, kind of exhausted, we find ourselves at the PPM (pre-production meeting) and hope it’s just a formality. But we soon realise that nothing we’ve been working on for the last three weeks has been seen by "THE client.” Our work is shaken to its core.
In the end, our brilliant director convinces the client, the agency supports him, and we peacefully head off to the technical inspections.
But we still love the work.
