PREVISUALIZATION ("Previz") is a cinematic process used by filmmakers to preview a film well in advance of principal photography. By exploring the visual aspects of a film early on, the production team is given an incredible opportunity to troubleshoot, discuss, share, and refine their cinematic approaches with each other BEFORE arriving on set, so that the entire team is focused on the same goal once production begins. Properly executed, Previz will strengthen your storytelling skills, and help you identify budget concerns, iron out editorial needs, and maximize your film's quality, while saving you time and money.
Comparison of an official previz vs. final version.
Communicating the Vision
Previsualization is literally a preview edit of your film, helping you explore the visual pacing, flow, and perspective of your story by breaking it down into discreet visual moments. The initial step in this process, commonly referred to as STORYBOARDING, is where a filmmaker first experiments with camera framing, shot blocking, camera moves, lighting, and even color choices for each moment in the film. The result is a rough, but cohesive, visual framework for the film, helping the production team focus, while giving them something tangible to discuss, troubleshoot, and build upon as they move forward.
Storyboards are typically hand drawn, but if illustration isn't your thing, don't worry. One of the easiest ways to create a great set of boards is to visit your film's locations with a digital camera and a couple good friends to shoot some mock shots. Using your "actors", start playing with the blocking of your action, and shoot test shots in a variety of different ways. Try your best to squeeze as much visual excitement out of each variation as you can, experimenting with different angles (wide shots, close-ups, from the front, side, above and below…), to see which shots might best move your story along. If possible, bring your DP/Cinematographer along , so the two of you can brainstorm lighting ideas, lens choices, and camera placements right there within the space together. Once you are done, pair your favorite shots from the day with your script, and you've created a very helpful Storyboard document to share with the rest of your production team. This process is easy and highly effective, and I am surprised that more filmmakers AREN'T doing this regularly as part of their filmmaking process.
Getting the Lay of the Land
A nice complement to the storyboarding process is the creation of "blocking documents", or what I refer to as LAYOUT. With many microbudget films, the crew may meet for the first time at an unfamiliar location, and must simply make the best with what they find once they arrive. While many successful films have been made this way, isn't it better for your crew to use their full brainpower on set trying to make a scene look its best, instead of spending valuable time problem solving how to achieve ANY shot PERIOD because of an unforeseen issue? Take some extra time during your "Storyboard Shoot" to walk around and record images of the location itself from all angles. And make sure to bring along a tape measure to record the dimensions of each space you will be working in, including ceiling heights, and the placements and dimensions of key features, like columns, windows, doorways, rocks, trees, and other landmarks. While you are at it, look for power outlets, running water, and existing lighting. Once you've completed your site survey, transcribe all your notes into overhead, front and side views, marked with dimensions. Even a single page of rough notes and sketches like this will do wonders for planning where a dolly can fit, where cameras and lights can be mounted, or whether or not you can use location power instead of a generator. If you want to take full advantage of a location, AND design shots that fully realize what a set has to offer, make the time to visit your sites in advance, and confirm that what you are aiming for is even possible.
Virtualization: Stepping up to the Digital Realm
You may never need more than a good set of Storyboards and Layout notes, but for a really complex sequence, there is a lot of benefit to stepping it another notch. VIRTUALIZATION is where you take your boards, your blocking ideas, the location dimensions, design schematics, lighting concepts, camera notes, and other information, and integrate them into a virtual 3D interpretation of your scene. This last step in the Previz process allows you to "experience" your cinematic ideas virtually, giving you the ability to design, test, tweak and PREVIEW your concepts BEFORE having to implement them for real on set.
In my daily work, I bounce back and forth between digital effects and live action, so I use dedicated 3D VFX tools (Autodesk Maya and Softimage XSI) that are packed with high end features and allow me to go from Previz to highly polished renders in one place. However, these tools can be quite expensive, and are overkill for most independent projects. Luckily, several cost effective options are available that can help even a novice user to build, revise, and render out a virtual preview of just about any scene.
Example of SketchUp Previz picture.
One option is the (FREE!) architectural modeling/design tool recently acquired by Google, called SKETCHUP. It is built around the idea of sketching on paper, but framed within a fairly intuitive 3D modeling space, where you can stretch, push and pull to create customized spaces and shapes, to help you block out and preview your location from any angle. You may not have as much cinematic control as some of these others, but Sketchup may be a good solution if you are looking to create rough blocking models of your locations to share with your crew.
Another option is POSER ($250-$500) which takes a completely different tack by focusing on the design and posing of Virtual Models. This "human figure design tool", gives you near endless ability to create and style custom characters, and comes stocked with a decent variety of camera and lighting controls to help you play with your camera angles. If you are interested in creating and using highly detailed characters for your Storyboards, POSER might just be the tool for you.
Example of FrameForge 3D Studio Previz picture.
But for the best of both worlds, FRAME FORGE may be one of the best options out there. This is a product designed entirely with Previz in mind, and comes with a variety of tools to help you rough out and preview your scenes to share with your team. There are several versions of the software (ranging in price from $399-$899) that can assist you in everything from initial Storyboards, to Layout, to final Virtualized locations, all using libraries of pre built components. By using these "stock" 3D characters, props, cameras, lights, and locations it is a relatively quick process to block out your rough action, compose and time out your shots, and then render your scenes to share with your production team for discussion. From my impressions, FRAME FORGE appears like the best bang for the buck, but make sure to explore which one might be the best fit for you. And remember that any tool that saves your production time and money is an investment in your filmmaking future.
Benefits of Previsualization
No matter how creative you are, you have a limited amount of time, money, and creative juice to work with on any production. With this in mind, taking time to create the strongest production plan possible before the day of the shoot is just good filmmaking. If you create a strong creative base which allows your filmmaking partners to add their own enhancements, your film will be that much better. If you can iron out any concerns the team might have before you get to set, production will move that much faster. If you can identify cost concerns early, you can put backup plans into place, and make budget decision ahead of time, not when everything is already allocated and you have nowhere to turn. PREVISUALIZATION allows the entire production team to aim in the same direction, so your Gaffer is prepared with the correct lighting and grip, your Actors fully understand their blocking, your Cinematographer can come to set with fresh framing for your shots, and your Editor can suggest shot coverage that could make for a stronger story in the edit suite. And with the entire team focused on the same goal, their unified contributions will result in a better, stronger film for you.
CHRIS OLSEN is an Emmy-winning filmmaker whose work can be seen in numerous projects including the award winning PBS documentary "THE ARTSIDERSR"; the hit animated TV series "VEGGIETALES"; film fest favorite "FANCY", and the upcoming animated comedy adventure "KARL DAHL and the GOLDEN CUBE."
