production-planning

name	production-planning
description	Production planning for marketing campaigns — shoot-day checklists, equipment manifests, timeline templates, per-project budget templates, contingency planning, vendor and crew sourcing, on-set logistics.
user-invocable	true
allowed-tools	["Read","Glob","Grep","Write"]

Production Planning Skill

Canonical templates and decision matrices for planning marketing-production engagements across photography, video, broadcast, and cinematic shoots. Used by executive-producer, shot-list-designer, and the /production-brief command. This skill is industry-agnostic; per-profile adjustments are captured in §8.

1. Shoot Day Checklist

Pre-Shoot (day before)

• Camera and audio batteries charged; spare set packed
• Memory cards formatted; primary + redundant cards labeled
• Gear checklist packed: bodies, lenses, lighting, modifiers, stands, sandbags, grip
• Location address confirmed in writing with venue contact
• Shot list reviewed by DP, gaffer, sound op, and producer
• Weather pulled at T-24h and T-2h for outdoor shoots; B-plan rehearsed
• Permits in physical and digital folder on-set; insurance COI attached
• Backup gear identified and accessible (rented body, rental house on speed-dial)
• Call sheet distributed to every crew member and talent

Day-of timeline

Time	Activity	Notes
T-90m	Producer + DP scout	Light walk, blocking
T-60m	Crew arrives, load-in	Lighting + grip first
T-30m	Talent + client greeted	Holding, hair/makeup
T-0	First shot	Hero coverage
T+2h	First break + dailies	Cull review
T+4h	Lunch (union: 6h max)	Penalty after
T+6h	Coverage shots	Wide / med / close / detail
T+8h	Wrap, load-out, sign-off	Talent releases countersigned

Post-shoot

• Transfer to primary + secondary drive before leaving location
• RAW backed to LTO or cloud cold-storage within 24h
• Initial cull (1-star keepers) within 48h
• Edit selects to client by agreed date
• Talent / location releases filed to output/campaigns/<id>/production/releases/

2. Production Timeline Template

Phase	Duration	Deliverables	Owner
Pre-production	2-4 wk	Shot list, schedule, budget, crew booked, locations scouted, releases drafted	executive-producer
Shoot	1-5 d	RAW captures, on-set dailies, signed releases, BTS reference	executive-producer
Post-production	2-6 wk	Selects, color, sound, VFX, motion, finals at all delivery ratios	executive-producer
Delivery	1 wk	Distribution-ready masters, captions, alt-text, archival package	executive-producer

3. Per-Project Budget Template

Category	Estimated	Actual	Notes
Equipment rental	$	$	Bodies, lenses, lighting, grip
Travel / mileage	$	$	IRS rate; flights; ground
Crew — assistant	$	$	Day rate × days
Crew — second shooter	$	$	Photography only
Crew — DP	$	$	Video
Crew — gaffer	$	$	+ electrics
Crew — sound op	$	$	+ boom op when needed
Talent fees	$	$	Day rate + usage
Styling / makeup / wardrobe	$	$	Includes kit fee
Location fees + permits	$	$	City film office + venue
Props / supplies	$	$	Buy-back vs rent
Catering	$	$	$25-50 / head minimum
Post-production	$	$	Edit + color + sound + motion
Delivery / distribution	$	$	DCP, master files, captions
Contingency (10-15%)	$	$	Mandatory line
Total	$	$

4. Crew Sourcing Patterns

Role	Day rate (USD)	Book-by lead time	Sourcing channel
Second shooter	400-1,200	2 wk	Local guild, ASMP, prior collaborators
DP	800-3,500	3-6 wk	Cinematographer roster, Production Hub
Gaffer	600-1,500	2-4 wk	IATSE Local 728/52 (US), referrals
Sound op	500-1,200	2 wk	Production sound mixer roster
Stylist	600-1,800	2-3 wk	The Wall Group, agency reps
Makeup	500-1,200	2 wk	Exclusive Artists, agency reps
Hair	500-1,200	2 wk	Same as makeup
Wardrobe	500-1,200	2 wk	Costume designers guild
PA	200-400	1 wk	Local film-school networks
Talent agent	n/a (commission)	3-6 wk	SAG-AFTRA, ICM, CAA, WME, boutique

5. Equipment Manifest by Project Type

Project type	Bodies	Lenses	Lighting	Audio	Grip / support
Portrait	1-2 stills bodies	35 / 50 / 85 / 135	1 key + 1 fill + reflector	n/a	C-stand, V-flat
Event	2 stills bodies	24-70 / 70-200 / 35 prime	On-camera + 1 off-camera	Lav optional	Monopod, fast-pack
Commercial product	1 stills + tethered	100 macro, 50 mid, TS-E	2-3 strobes + table-top	n/a	Cam-stand, flag kit
Lifestyle commercial	2 stills + 1 video	24-70 / 70-200 / primes	Mixed natural + HMI fill	Lav + boom optional	Dolly / slider
Documentary	1-2 video bodies	24-105 / 70-200	Bounce + practicals	Lav + boom + recorder	Shoulder rig, gimbal
Cinematic narrative	Cinema body (Alexa/Venice/Komodo)	Prime set 18-100	HMI + LED + Tungsten + grip pkg	Boom + lav + mixer + cart	Dolly + slider + crane

6. Contingency Planning

Risk	Plan A	Plan B	Decision trigger
Weather (outdoor)	Original location	Pre-scouted covered alt; or shift day	NOAA forecast >40% precip T-12h
Equipment failure	Primary kit	Same-day rental from local house	Failed body / lens / strobe
Talent no-show	Booked talent	Standby talent on hold; or reshoot date	No contact by T-30m
Permit denial	Filed permit	Pre-cleared alt location	Denial 48h before shoot
Power loss	Venue power	Battery + portable generator	Genny on-site for cinematic

7. On-Set Problem-Solving Heuristics

1. Always have a Plan B for weather, gear, talent, permit, and power.
2. Pull weather at T-24h and T-2h; communicate B-plan to crew at T-24h.
3. Brief crew on the shot list before the client arrives — never in front of the client.
4. Transfer to two drives before anyone leaves the location.
5. Never delete from a card until RAW is verified on two destinations.
6. Hold a 6-minute reset every 90 minutes — energy collapses cause the most reshoots.
7. The producer protects the DP's focus; clients and talent route through the producer.
8. Document any deviation from the shot list in the dailies log within 30 minutes.
9. Sign every release on the day; chasing signatures post-wrap kills downstream usage.
10. Wrap is not over until gear is loaded, drives are duplicated, and releases are filed.

8. Industry Adaptation Notes

• B2B SaaS — mostly digital shoots: talking-head testimonials, screen captures, animated product demos. Lighter crew (DP + sound + producer). Budget heavier on post-motion than on-set crew.
• DTC e-commerce — product photography, lifestyle stills, UGC. High-volume shoot days (60-150 SKUs/day for catalogue). Tethered capture mandatory; on-set art director.
• Professional services — corporate headshots and case-study video. Discreet crew, executive-friendly schedule, NDAs for crew. Confidentiality > spectacle.
• Regulated (health/finance) — every shoot day ends with a compliance review of captures against the regulated-claims-review gate. MLR observer often required on set.
• Creative-production — full filmcraft discipline: cinematic narrative, full grip + electric + camera departments, DIT on-set, dailies pipeline to post.
• Advertising-commercial — largest crews. Agency producer + creative director on-set; client present. Union shoot rules (IATSE / DGA / SAG-AFTRA) typically apply. Dailies and approvals in real time.