Production Diary Guidelines
We encourage DIARY writers to use their own voice and sensibilities to express their daily creative, tech, financial, social intercourse, and personal challenges facing them during their development – pre-production – production – marketing – and distribution phases.
1. Provide a short bio of all key DEPARTMENT HEADS and TALENT you want to include in your Diary. These can be added later on as you acquire more cast, staff, and crew. But please include at the very minimum your own bio to kick things off.
2. Please include a description of your project. Depending on the nature of your project (film, video, webisode, music, art, book, product, etc.) include a short synopsis of your project’s story – or you may also choose to just include log lines, etc.
3. It's good to describe the genesis of your idea and the inspiration you had for your project. This allows your followers to really get a grip on who you are and what you had in mind for undertaking this project.
4. Dates and times are important to be given since this is a DIARY of your project.
5. How often should you provide a DIARY post? Ideally daily – but often there are delays between events and you just might be too pre-occupied to post. So how should you handle this? Well, if you can get someone to say they are posting for you because you are off on a plane or such-and-such that is totally cool to do – just credit that person who is taking over the writing. If you know you are going to be off and busy for a while – please alert REAP that this is taking place so we don’t worry about you disappearing – and also include a POST on your DIARY that you will be back in a few days or as the case may be.
6. Pictures/images/video clips are great to have in your DIARY. Send us some good pix with descriptions of what they are and we will use them – likewise with an interesting video clip. You could also just shoot yourself reflecting on progress and your current state of mind or your colleagues' states of mind.
7. It’s great to be as honest as possible in your DIARY posts but we have a great sensitivity at REAP that we DO NOT WANT TO HURT PEOPLE’S FEELINGS. For instance: If you just auditioned an actor and they weren’t of your liking please don’t tell us this actor's name or their picture if they aren’t being cast in your production. It’s best to respect the artist’s privacy. Remember that REAP is a SUPPORTIVE site for creatives and techies and we don’t want to be specifically targeting anyone. FOR INSTANCE: You can generally say that your Director of Photography was not working out for you or you had creative differences and you had to replace him/her with so-and-so. It’s not necessary to say that they couldn’t light a scene to save their life. You get the picture.
8. Whenever possible break down your posts into sections and sub-sections. For example: LOCATION HUNTING/EXTERIORS/INTERIORS – CASTING LEADS/SUPPORTIVE – REHEARSING – BUDGETING – PRE-PRODUCTION – POST PRODUCTION – SOUND MIXING – PUBLISHING – INTERVIEWING – MARKETING – FESTIVALS – STORY BOARDS, etc.
9. You can include interviews with your crew, actors, producers, composer, graphic artist, etc., but must receive written permission from them for these purposes of being uploaded onto REAP for viewing, etc., as part of our PRODUCTION DIARY SERIES. You may use film clips and trailers, etc. Long form clips should be discussed via email with us so we can decide the placement for them.
10. Details are important to provide so readers/followers of your production journey can learn from you. Such as: Camera you are shooting on – lighting kit/technique – dolly/crane/jib/steadicam – generators – how many crew members and what do they do – grip truck – craft services - how do you deal with viewing dailies and work with an editor – what software are you using – production design challenges – how do you get your props, costumes, etc.
11. It’s fine to use quotes from other people involved in your production and please credit them correctly and let them know you are doing an online DIARY for REAP. Again be sensitive here that you don’t quote someone and it’s about a highly personal situation. No kiss and tells. Try to keep these quotes about the day-to-day professional happenings on the pre-production – production – and marketing end, etc.
12. It’s fine to discuss how exhausted – frustrated – confused you are feeling about what you are doing because this is the nature of the beast of producing anything creative. It’s a tremendous daunting challenge but also incredibly rewarding. Feel free to reach out for ongoing support from your followers and any ideas they may have to help you through difficult times.
Ok – That should pretty much cover the guidelines but never hesitate to contact us via email with any questions or concerns you have. We’ll respond as quickly as possible. REAP wants you to be successful and is trying to continually provide more and more services and resources to help you live your dreams. Thank you for participating in our PRODUCTION DIARY SERIES and we hope great things come your way from the experience!
