Overview
FC projects are expected to follow a defined set of production specifications and content parameters. These guidelines are designed to establish manageable limits for production scope, including factors such as page count, shoot days, cast size, locations, visual effects, stunts, intimacy, animals, weapons, and other complex production elements.
These specifications help ensure that projects can be completed successfully within the available schedule, crew size, resources, and experience level associated with the course. The goal is not to limit creativity, but to help students learn how filmmakers shape strong stories within the practical constraints of time, safety, logistics, staffing, and available resources.
Content specs
| Page count | 4 pages (minimum) 7 pages (maximum) |
| Story runtime | 4:00 (minimum) 9:00 (maximum) |
| Credits runtime | 1:00 for credits + 0:10 for leader |
| Total runtime | 5:10 (minimum) 10:10 (maximum) |
| Quantity of scenes | No limit |
| Quantity of locations | The script can include a variety of locations as sluglines, but you should plan to be able to shoot them all at no more than three actual locations |
| Quantity of characters | No limit |
| Children | Yes |
| Animals | Yes |
| Weapons | Yes |
| Stunts | Yes |
| Intimacy | Yes |
| Visual Effects | Must be approved by the Head of Visual Effects before production |
Production specs
| Shooting days | 3 days by default. Students may petition for a 2-day or 4-day shoot. |
| Length of workday | 12 hours |
| Earliest call time | 6:00AM |
| Latest wrap time | 12:00AM |
| Night shoots | No |
| Locations per day | 1 location by default. More than one location in a given day requires approval from Head of Production. |
| Distance to location | Can make a distant location request for outside the studio zone. Distant locations cannot be more than 2.5 hours from the school. |
| Pick-up days | Can request 0.5 days (not guaranteed) |
Capture specs
| Camera package | RED |
| Frame rate | 24.000p |
| Sensor mode | 7K FF |
| Capture resolution | 2048 x 1080 (2K) |
| Capture aspect ratio | 1.90:1 |
| Approved mattes | 1.37:1 • 1.66:1 • 1:85:1 2.00:1 • 2.39:1 |
| Capture format | MOV |
| Codec | ProRes 4444 |
| Gamma/color space | RWG / Log3G10 |
| Color processing | IPP2 |
| Output color space | Rec. 709 |
| Output tone map | Low Contrast |
| Highlight roll-off | Very Soft |
| Sampling | 4:4:4 12-bit |
| Bitrate | 302 Mbps (VBR) |
| Production sound | Dual system |
Data allocation
| Pages per day | 3 4/8 pages (two-day shoots) 2 3/8 pages (three-day shoots) 1 6/8 pages (four-day shoots) |
| Shooting ratio | 25:1 |
| Data rate | 2.6 GB/minute |
| Data per page | 65 GB |
| Total data | 455 GB |
| Total dailies | 175 minutes |
Post-Production
| Pic edit software | Media Composer |
| Pic edit days | 9.5 days |
| Turnover days | 0.5 days |
| Pic edit location | Post Hall |
| Sound design software | ProTools |
| Sound design days | 10 days |
| Sound design location | Post Hall |
| Sound mix days | 0.5 days |
| Sound mix location | Mix A, Mix B |
| VFX scope | Must be approved by Head of Visual Effects |
| VFX software | Must be approved by Head of Visual Effects |
| VFX days | Variable, based on crew grid |
| VFX location | Digital Artist Suites |
| Coloring software | DaVinci Resolve |
| Coloring days | 2 days |
| Coloring location | Post Hall |