Pre-Production Kit

How to use this kit #

Copy the templates you need into your own project doc or folder. Most AI films don't need every one. A good minimum:

Why bother? In AI filmmaking, a generation is cheap but a coherent film is expensive. Planning is what turns 400 random clips into 40 usable shots.

Each template notes the traditional role it stands in for, so you know which "hat" you're wearing.

1. Logline & premise worksheet #

Role: Screenwriter / Development

WORKING TITLE:
FORMAT / RUNTIME / ASPECT RATIO:            (e.g. narrative short / 90s / 16:9)
GENRE + TONE:                                (e.g. sci-fi drama, quiet and melancholy)

PREMISE ("What if…?"):

PROTAGONIST (who + one defining trait):
GOAL (what they want, concretely):
OBSTACLE (what's in the way):
STAKES (what happens if they fail):
TWIST / TURN (what changes):

LOGLINE (1–2 sentences, combining the above):

THEME (what it's really about, one line):
THE ONE IMAGE (the frame you'd put on the poster):
WHY AI? (what this medium lets you do that live action couldn't, or "it's just my tool"):

Check: can a stranger repeat your logline back to you after hearing it once?

2. Beat sheet #

Role: Screenwriter / Story Editor

Choose the version that fits your runtime.

Micro (under 30s): Hook, Turn, Button #

Short (30s–5 min): five beats #

Tip: the opening and final images should "rhyme" — two visually related frames that show how things changed.

3. Character sheet #

Roles: Casting Director, Costume Designer, Hair & Makeup, Character Consistency Artist

Make one per recurring character.

NAME:                         ROLE IN STORY:
AGE / BUILD / HEIGHT:
FACE (specific, distinctive features):
HAIR (style, color, length):
SKIN / COMPLEXION NOTES:
SIGNATURE WARDROBE (every item, colors, materials):
PROPS THEY CARRY:
POSTURE / MOVEMENT STYLE:
VOICE (pitch, accent, pace, voice model + voice ID if used):

WANT:                         NEED:
FLAW / WOUND:
ONE BEHAVIOUR THAT SHOWS WHO THEY ARE:

--- CONSISTENCY LOCK ---
CANONICAL DESCRIPTION BLOCK (paste identically into every prompt):

REFERENCE IMAGES (file names / links):
  [ ] Front    [ ] 3/4 left   [ ] 3/4 right   [ ] Profile   [ ] Full body
  [ ] Expressions: neutral / happy / angry / sad / afraid / surprised
  [ ] Wardrobe close-ups
CHARACTER LORA / REFERENCE ID (model, version, trigger word, strength):
SEED(S) THAT PRODUCED THE CANONICAL LOOK:
KNOWN DRIFT RISKS (e.g. "eye color drifts green in low light"):

Rights check: this character must not resemble a real person without their consent, or an existing copyrighted character.

4. World bible #

Roles: Production Designer, Art Director, Set Decorator, Concept Artist

WORLD NAME / SETTING:
ERA / TECH LEVEL:
GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE:
RULES (what's possible here that isn't in our world, and the limits):

VISUAL STYLE:
  Overall look (one line):
  Reference films / artists / photographers:
  Style reference image(s):
  Canonical style block (paste into every prompt):

PALETTE:
  Primary colors (hex):
  Accent colors:
  Colors to AVOID:

MATERIALS & TEXTURES (e.g. weathered brass, wet concrete, linen):
ARCHITECTURE (shapes, scale, signature details):
SIGNAGE & GRAPHICS (fonts, language, logos — make real text in post):
VEHICLES / TECHNOLOGY / CREATURES:

KEY LOCATIONS (one block per location):
  Name:
  Purpose in story:
  Time of day / weather:
  Lighting (sources, direction, color temp):
  Layout notes / floor plan (sketch link):
  Establishing key frame (file):
  Hero props and set dressing:

5. Lookbook checklist #

Roles: Director, DP, Production Designer

A lookbook is a one-page or short visual summary of the film's look. Include:

• Title, logline, tone words (3)
• 6–12 reference frames (from your own tests, or labelled references for internal use only)
• Palette swatches
• Lighting approach (high-key or low-key, motivated sources)
• Lens and camera approach (e.g. "35mm handheld, intimate" or "locked-off wides, symmetrical")
• Aspect ratio and frame rate
• Texture (grain, halation, clean digital)
• Sound and music references

6. Shot list #

Roles: Director, DP, 1st AD

This is the most useful pre-production document for AI work: your shot list is your generation queue.

Column notes:

• Size / Angle / Move / Lens: use terms from the Terms Glossary §5–9.
• Method: the generation method — T2I, T2V, I2V, V2V, first/last frame, live action, 3D, stock, composite.
• Status: ☐ not started, ◐ generating, ◑ selects chosen, ✓ final, ✗ cut.

Coverage reminder: for important dialogue or action, plan at least a wide, a medium and a close-up (or reaction shot), so the editor has options.

7. Blocking & lighting diagrams #

Roles: Director, DP, Gaffer

A top-down sketch per scene showing:

• Character positions and movement paths (arrows)
• Camera positions for each shot (numbered to match the shot list)
• The 180° line
• Light sources: key, fill, rim and practicals, with direction arrows and color temperature

Hand-drawn and photographed is fine. Tools such as Shot Designer, StudioBinder or a whiteboard also work.

Why: the most common AI continuity errors (flipped screen direction, light switching sides) come from not deciding these in advance.

8. Continuity bible #

Role: Script Supervisor

Track the details that tend to drift:

9. Generation log #

Roles: DIT, Data Wrangler, Workflow Engineer

Log every generation you keep, plus notable failures. This is your camera report, and the raw material for your process breakdown.

File naming convention (recommended):

<project>_<scene>_<shot>_<take>_<model>_<seed>.<ext>
e.g. homecoming_s01_sh02_t03_h3_448812.mp4

Keep rate: at the end, divide kept takes by total takes per shot. It's a useful number to report honestly in your breakdown.

10. Asset & rights tracker #

Roles: Producer, Clearance Coordinator

See Rights, Ethics & Disclosure Primer.

11. Schedule & budget #

Roles: Producer, Line Producer, UPM

Schedule (challenge week example):

Budget:

Rule of thumb: draft at low resolution or on unlimited tiers, and spend credits only on final renders.