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PRE PRODUCTION
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Whereas most production companies can’t even start
until after the scripts are delivered.
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Clients often come to us with a distinct purpose, but a vague idea of how to achieve it. They express a clear directive to persuade, to inform, to sell. Maybe we get a napkin sketch. A brochure. Our Creative Personnel grow these kernels of ideas into full-fledged stories zeroed in on moving the desired audience. Using our collective right-brain we coalesce innovative ideas into creative images and sounds in our scripts, storyboards and pre-visualizations.
SO NOT A SINGLE DOLLAR GETS WASTED.
NOT A SINGLE HOUR SQUANDERED.
Then– because we have more than 20 years of production experience – We figure out all the what-ifs and establish contingency plans before a single frame is shot. Our meticulous process remains constant, whether we produce a 30-second 35mm spot with a cast and crew of 25, a multiple-camera music video with 15 locations worldwide, or a simple one-day office video with a crew of three.
Casting | Location Scouting | Previsualization
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CASTING
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At ThoughtBox Media, the people we hire to work in front of our cameras are not just actors or hosts. They’re also creative collaborators. They help us tell better stories.
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We approach our casting process accordingly.
We are especially drawn to people who can take the story as it exists on the page, and then add something of their own to it, something special, that elevates the material to a whole other level. The chemistry between talent is equally important to us. We’re big advocates of call-backs, screen tests, and whatever else it takes to ensure that our final cast of characters is greater than the sum of their individual talents. Our Casting Directors have long-standing relationships with talent agencies in Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and all corners of the world so we can cast as wide a net as necessary for each particular role.
Once we cull the choices down to a selection of just the very best, we circulate those options to all the various decision makers, and help facilitate the decision making process. When the final choices are made, we negotiate talent fees and contracts with each person, and manage their travel arrangements, rehearsals, wardrobe, and shoot schedule.
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LOCATION SCOUTING
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ThoughtBox Medias’s location scouts collaborate closely with our producers, directors, and production designers to balance the ideal aesthetic choices for each location, with real world production logistics.
Once locations are chosen, location scouts negotiate fees and acquire certificates of insurance. They consult with film commissions and navigate the sometimes-Kafkaesque world of obtaining police permits, re-routing traffic, commandeering parking, and managing neighbors.
We believe a video’s physical location on screen influences
a viewer’s reaction to the production…
…in a multitude of ways, some subtle, others not so subtle. That’s why we work closely with the client to determine the perfect location for each scene, be it a real location or a set we create for a studio shoot.
Armed with extensive location databases and years of production experience, our location scouts seek sites that are practical for accessibility, electricity, noise levels, and other criteria. They present the client with photos, videos, and other pertinent information for the best selections.
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Both locations and studios offer advantages, and the veteran staff
at ThoughtBox Media advises on which is best for each scene.
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As with actual locations, studio facilities vary. We know which studios provide green screens and which have a two-wall hard-corner infinity cyc. We know where to get enough square footage to shoot a college marching band.
We can get camera-ready kitchens for your cooking show. Or book a fully outfitted hospital operating room for your commercial. Need a lot of dressing rooms? How about on-site teleport, fiber and streaming capabilities?
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In addition to our array of video production services,
we also offer full location scouting services including:
• Photographing locations for approval
• Negotiating contracts
• Acquiring location insurance
• Complying with local laws
• Securing nearby parking
• Obtaining filming permits
• Preparing precise directions and maps
• Meeting with local businesses and neighbors
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PREVISUALIZATION
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ThoughtBox Media uses previsualization to take pre-production of
visually-complex sequences to the next creative level.
Our Pre-viz output ranges from 2D animatics
(simple animation of the storyboards)
to complex 3D animation
We use photographs, digital imagery and animation to experiment with storytelling. This frees up the creative process, while saving production time and costs. While still in preproduction the creative personnel and client can see what works and what doesn’t. So we approach the shoot unified, with unprecedented confidence.
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Our editors can also utilize animatics as mini-movie mock-ups.
They help determine the length of shots and the rhythm of sequences before the actual footage arrives. This saves considerable edit time.
ThoughtBox Media editors also create Radio Edits. Without picture, they string together dialogue and narration to bring the script to life and gauge its impact and length. Script changes are much easier before we start shooting.
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SCRIPT WRITING
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This diverse palette of creative talent allows ThoughtBox Media producers and directors to curate the optimal writing team for each project based on that project’s specific creative aspirations and budgetary parameters.
ThoughtBox Media’s creative team will thoroughly research your topic and target audience and will develop a range of creative options for each narrative point and set piece. Once we have all of that work done, the script writing can begin in earnest.
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STORYBOARDS
At ThoughtBox Media, storyboards are an integral part of our pre-production process.
Particularly for visually complex projects, they allow our writer, director, production crew, and client to visualize the script, and explore lots of creative possibilities, before ever shooting a single frame of footage. Our storyboard artists illustrate on-screen talent, action, and dialogue, as well as camera perspective, composition, visual aesthetics, and graphics.
We work in a variety of styles, from pencil sketches
fleshed out with colored markers,
to photo-realistic 3D computer renderings.
Storyboards, mood boards, and style frames give our director and production team the creative freedom to experiment with a number of different approaches, and compare the merits of each, before making their final creative choices.
Once everyone is aligned behind a single vision, that vision can be produced with greater creativity and efficiency, giving us a much bigger bang for our clients’ production buck.