Production Management

(4 Credits)

This course introduces professional production management. The aim of this course is to take independent producers through the steps necessary to get a project "in the can." Students will study the essential aspects of Production Management from the outset of a 6-week prep period which includes topics such as: securing funding in the bank; hiring the most appropriate department heads; creating an inspired budget; managing the money; creating a viable schedule; and managing the team toward successful execution. Students will gain a deep understanding of the various responsibilities within a producer's purview during preproduction, on set production, through the completion of production. Film and television production have many more requirements than simply securing a camera and actors and this course will explore those management elements from the breakdown of the script to completion of principal photography. We will examine: the structure of the crew and the collaborative responsibilities of crew members; some of the legal issues of permits; union negotiations; insurance, rights, clearances and permissions; Screen Actor guild and similar global agencies requirements.