The Tools Behind FOOH Part II: Pre-Production Planning

In Part I of our blog series, we covered the ideation and concept development process – turning an idea into a strong creative vision with a clear direction. With the creative vision locked in, it’s time to move from big ideas to detailed planning.

Pre-production is where everything starts to take shape. It’s the phase that makes or breaks a smooth production, ensuring that creative and technical teams are on the same page, resources are well planned, and unexpected surprises are minimized. Whether you’re a creative director, project manager, or brand strategist, this stage is crucial to keeping things on track.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the key steps of pre-production and share the best tools to help you manage everything – from project timelines and location scouting to VFX planning and budgeting. By the end, you’ll have a solid roadmap for setting up your FOOH campaign for success.

You stumbled across this article by accident and want to learn more about FOOH? Check out our Beginner’s Guide for Agencies.

The Importance of Pre-Production in FOOH Campaigns

It’s critical that your creative team defines the story behind the FOOH ad in as much detail as possible. What’s the message you want to convey? What’s the purpose behind the fictional event that’s being staged? Whether it’s humor, wonder, or something else entirely, aligning on the vision and concept is the first step toward a successful campaign. A crucial aspect of planning a FOOH production is ensuring that the vision is clearly described and articulated. Even minor differences in expected output can lead to significant changes down the production chain, resulting in considerable increases in costs.

Pre-production is all about foreseeing potential issues and addressing them in advance. If resources aren’t properly planned for or managed, they can quickly become a bottleneck, leading to stress and confusion on set or in front of monitors. Organizing the necessary resources – whether it’s the crew, equipment, locations, or budget – is paramount. With careful planning, you can allocate these resources in the most efficient way possible, ensuring that the production runs smoothly without unnecessary delays or excess costs.

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Pre-production planning involves a variety of tools to ensure that every step of the process runs smoothly, from organizing timelines and tasks to coordinating creative elements and scouting locations. Here’s an overview of some key tools to help you manage the complexities of pre-production, broken down by category:

Project Management

Effective project management is crucial in pre-production, where deadlines, resources, and team collaboration all come into play. Here are a few tools that can help organize tasks, timelines, and milestones:

• Asana: A highly popular project management tool that allows you to organize tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. Asana’s easy-to-use interface makes it great for visualizing tasks and ensuring that everyone on the team is aligned.
• Monday.com: This platform provides customizable workflows for teams, with a focus on task management, project timelines, and real-time collaboration. It’s particularly useful for tracking complex pre-production schedules, such as location bookings or VFX milestones.
• Notion: A flexible all-in-one workspace that allows you to create customized project timelines, task lists, and databases. Notion is great for organizing everything from script breakdowns to production schedules and allows for collaborative team updates in real-time.
• Google Sheets: Is a flexible, cloud-based tool that has found favor among resourceful filmmakers. Its collaborative nature makes it ideal for production teams managing financial planning across various locations.
• Clockify: A time-tracking tool that helps teams monitor resource allocation and optimize productivity, ensuring efficient use of pre-production hours.

Scriptwriting and Storyboarding

Pre-production often begins with scriptwriting, storyboarding, and visual planning to bring the creative vision to life. Using the right software to facilitate these processes can help clarify your ideas and ensure alignment across the team:

• Celtx: A widely used tool for scriptwriting, Celtx also includes features for creating breakdowns, shot lists, and production schedules. It’s a great tool for organizing the creative aspects of a project while keeping everything in one place. Celtx also has a cloud-based option that allows teams to collaborate on scripts and production documents in real time.
• Frame.io: Primarily known as a collaborative video review platform, Frame.io also includes storyboarding tools that help creative teams plan shots, sequences, and visual elements in a shared environment. It’s especially useful for FOOH productions that require seamless integration between live-action footage and VFX.
• Miro: A digital whiteboard tool that facilitates brainstorming and visual planning. Miro is ideal for creating mood boards, visual maps, and storyboards that can be easily shared and edited by multiple team members. It’s particularly helpful for mapping out ideas and collaborating remotely.
• Canva: While Canva is traditionally used for design, it can also be a great tool for creating visual storyboards, mood boards, and simple graphics. It’s an accessible tool for both creative teams and clients to visualize concepts, making it easy to convey the tone and style of the project early on.

Location Scouting

Choosing the right location is critical, and it’s important to scout locations with an eye on how they’ll interact with digital elements. Will the environment accommodate the desired effects (e.g., is there space for a large virtual object to appear within the frame)? Can lighting be controlled to match digital elements? Location scouting should factor in the ease of integrating VFX into these spaces and whether greenscreen or other techniques are necessary.

Here are some tools to help scout and plan real-world environments:

• Google Street View: For FOOH pre-production, Google Street View is a valuable tool for scouting locations, helping you identify ideal perspectives and precise spots for shooting. The extensive data it offers allows you to virtually explore potential locations worldwide, giving you a detailed view of the environment before you even step on set.
• Set Scouter: A platform designed specifically for location scouting, Set Scouter helps you find and book locations for your shoot. The tool allows you to browse a variety of locations, connect with owners, and even negotiate rates. It’s great for those looking to find unique spaces or quickly get details about available venues.
• Sun Seeker: A must-have for outdoor shoots, Sun Seeker allows you to track the sun’s movement based on your location. This is especially helpful when you need to plan shoots at specific times of day to ensure proper lighting, whether for natural daylight or for matching VFX lighting. You can see sun positions for any given day and time, making it easier to choose the best time for shooting.

Using these location scouting tools can streamline the planning process, ensuring you pick the best locations that work within the production’s logistical and creative parameters.

Communication

Clear communication is key to keeping the production team aligned and ensuring that everything is on track. Here are some tools to facilitate communication and information sharing:

• Slack: A popular team messaging app that allows for organized communication through channels. Slack is great for keeping in touch with your team throughout the pre-production phase, allowing you to quickly discuss and share updates, files, and documents.
• Google Workspace: Google’s suite of collaborative tools – including Docs, Sheets, and Drive – helps teams share documents, spreadsheets, and schedules in real-time. It’s ideal for working collaboratively on script drafts, production timelines, and other essential pre-production documents.

Check-List: The 9 Key Steps in FOOH Pre-Production

Pre-production is all about planning ahead to avoid delays and misalignment. From securing permits to VFX planning and client communication, this checklist will ensure a smooth and efficient production.

1. Permits and Legal Requirements

Obtaining the necessary permits and ensuring compliance with local laws is one of the first steps in pre-production. Filming in public spaces, private properties, or any controlled environment requires permission to avoid legal issues or fines. Every city and country has different regulations, and even specific landmarks can have unique usage rights – such as restrictions on filming the Eiffel Tower at night due to its illuminated design being copyrighted. Proper planning allows time to navigate these bureaucratic processes, ensuring location approvals, city permits, and talent releases are in place before production begins.

2. Planning VFX Elements for Production

For FOOH campaigns, where 3D VFX elements blend into real-world footage, meticulous planning is essential. Pre-production defines the timing of visual effects, ensuring proper lighting to match digital elements, and planning the placement of markers or tracking points on set. This planning isn’t just for the shoot – it’s the foundation for everything that follows, allowing both the on-set team and VFX artists to work seamlessly with a clear roadmap, minimizing costly revisions and reshoots.

3. Briefing the Production Company

A key part of pre-production is ensuring that both the production company and post-production studio are fully aligned on the project’s goals, creative vision, and technical requirements. The production team needs a clear understanding of where VFX elements will be placed, how to frame shots accordingly, and how actors should interact with unseen digital elements. Light conditions, camera movements, and scene composition must be carefully mapped out to avoid mismatches in post-production. A thorough briefing ensures that both teams have the necessary resources and information to execute a seamless integration between live-action footage and VFX, preventing costly mistakes and reshoots.

4. Actor Briefing

When actors interact with digital elements that don’t exist on set, a solid briefing is essential. They need to understand where the VFX elements will be, how to react convincingly, and how their movements align with post-production requirements. While minor adjustments can be made on set, once in post, any misalignment becomes much harder to fix.

Key tip: Cast experienced actors. Acting against VFX requires strong spatial awareness and imagination – not everyone can convincingly react to something that isn’t there.

5. Managing Weather and Environmental Factors

Since FOOH ads aim to feel like they’re captured by an everyday person, environmental factors like background noise, weather, and the surroundings should be planned carefully. Is the location an area where people are likely to gather, which will provide a natural, realistic vibe? Are there elements in the environment that could distract from the ad’s central focus or interfere with the final visual effects?Whether it’s rain, wind, cloud cover or extreme heat, weather can cause delays or necessitate last-minute changes. Thorough pre-production allows you to build in contingencies for these challenges, such as alternative shooting schedules, or weather-specific equipment.

6. Lighting Considerations

Lighting plays a critical role in creating the desired atmosphere and ensuring that VFX elements blend naturally with the live-action footage. Pre-production gives you the chance to evaluate the lighting conditions at your chosen location at different times of the day. If shooting outdoors, you’ll want to assess natural light and plan your shoot accordingly. If using artificial lighting, this phase allows you to map out what gear is needed and how it will interact with both the environment and the digital elements. With proper pre-production planning, you’ll avoid issues where the lighting doesn’t match the VFX or the shoot doesn’t happen during the optimal time of day.

7. Organizing and Renting Equipment

If the concept involves specialized equipment, it is essential to brief the production company as soon as possible to ensure they have ample time to secure everything needed. Certain gear, such as vertical video rigs, stabilizers for handheld footage, or greenscreen setups, may not be standard in-house items, and sourcing them at the last minute can cause delays or impact production quality.

8. Communication with the Client

Since FOOH advertising may push the boundaries of traditional advertising, it’s crucial to keep the client fully informed and involved throughout the pre-production process. A solid pre-production phase involves regular updates, meetings, and approval points where the client can review and provide feedback on key aspects, such as the storyboard, location choices, or the VFX design. This level of communication ensures that the client feels involved and in control of the project. It also minimizes the risk of major changes or surprises later in production, as any potential issues are addressed upfront, aligning everyone’s expectations and preventing scope creep.

9. Testing and Previsualization

Because FOOH ads are often conceptually new and unconventional, using test footage and mock-ups can help align the creative vision between the team and the client. Early visual tests can help identify potential challenges in VFX integration, acting, or overall execution, providing an opportunity for adjustments before the full shoot. It can help clarify the story or the narrative being told. By reviewing these early samples, the team can evaluate pacing, framing, and emotional impact. If something feels off – whether it’s the actors’ performances, the timing of a VFX effect, or the overall flow – it can be reworked before committing to the full production, ensuring a smoother, more cohesive final product.

Previsualization serves as a visual reference for clients, helping to align their expectations with the creative direction. By this, you can ensure everyone is on the same page, minimizing the risk of last-minute changes or misunderstandings. Moreover, this step can also help identify aspects of the production that may require more resources or time than originally anticipated. If a VFX element requires additional resources or a location has unforeseen challenges, these can be flagged during the testing phase, allowing you to adjust the budget or timeline as necessary before the full production begins.

Final Thoughts

Thorough pre-production is like setting the stage for a performance: the more detailed and carefully prepared it is, the smoother the execution. By planning out all aspects of the project ahead of time – from creative direction to technical execution – you minimize the risk of surprises during production and ensure a seamless workflow. This comprehensive preparation allows the team to focus on the actual creation process, knowing that all the groundwork has been done to support their work. In short, pre-production is the key to turning a creative vision into a reality without unexpected hurdles.

Ready to Take Your FOOH Campaign to the Next Level? Don’t miss out on our upcoming article titled Part III: Shooting and Capturing Footage, where we’ll dive into the production phase of FOOH campaigns. Subscribe to our newsletter or follow this series to stay up-to-date with all the insights you need to execute successful campaigns. In the meantime, try out some of the recommended tools we’ve shared to streamline your pre-production planning and set yourself up for a smooth production process. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks!

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