Overview

ATL Prep refers to the planning, meetings, creative development, and coordination work conducted by key creative leadership positions prior to F1 production. During the pre-production week, each group will meet with a faculty committee to review creative, technical, and safety concerns related to the practical execution of each film.

Strong prep work is essential because major creative and logistical decisions made before filming can significantly affect the efficiency, safety, and overall success of the production. Structured preparation helps align creative goals, clarify communication, and reduce avoidable problems once production begins.

Prior to the prep

Each ATL crewmember on a show is required to prepare materials to present to the faculty committee:

1. The Director posts a PDF of the final revised screenplay to the appropriate show channel on Teams before noon on the day prior to your prep so the Filmmaking I instructors can review them. 
2. The Director, in collaboration with their Producer and Director of Photography, creates a setup schedule and posts that document in the Teams show channel so the Faculty can access it at the prep.
3. The Director creates visuals for their presentation, which should include: examples to show tone and key moments; headshots and casting considerations; and examples of key production design, such as the looks of settings, characters, and important props.
4. The Producer prepares a short slide presentation outlining the logistics and status of specific aspects of the project. These would include: Set Up Schedule, Call Time Plan, Meal and craft plan, Location Status, Casting Status (meaning agreement status), and a brief safety report along with any other challenges or concerns.

At the prep

The projects will present in the order of production within the group. All members of the group must be present for all projects, regardless of their position on the project. Each show will present in the following order:

1. The Director presents on the story, casting, and production design of the film, using a visual presentation on the monitor in the classroom. (10 minutes)
2. The Producer speaks on the logistics and status of the schedule, locations, actors, safety, and discusses any other challenges, accomplishments, or concerns. (10 minutes)
3. The faculty committee asks questions concerning any of the presentations. (10 minutes)

The Producer of each project will be responsible for keeping notes of all concerns expressed by the faculty. From these notes the producer will create an Action Plan. The Action Plan will consist of a list of the concerns, with each followed by a description of how each concern will be addressed. All Action Plans must be posted to the shows Teams channel by 5:00pm on the day following the prep.