Prior to working in film/tv I used to work in the business / non-profit sector as a creative media producer. Part of working in the corporate world was filled with team meetings and trying to figure out how to improve the organization as a whole. One process that I actually enjoyed involved After Action Reports, which where utilized after an event or program was finished. It was a tool we used to analyze the success or failures of said event and provided ways to learn from our mistakes.
When you wrap a film or tv show do you ever wonder how things could go differently? What would you do so that the next project would go smoother? Below I have listed 10 questions to ask yourself at the end of each shoot is complete?
- Which crew members would you hire back or recommend again? Why or Why not?
- Did all of the locations or sets work for the scenes in the script? Were there any locations you wish you had more options for?
- Did you end up picking the best time of year to film? If you had to start over would you choose another season of the year to film in?
- Which processes or systems were missing that you would put in place next time?
- Was there a dept that was lacking prep or man-power? How could you you predict this in the future?
- Did any dept go over budget? How did this happen and how could it be fixed in the future?
- Were there any specific scenes that took longer than planned and what was the cause of the delay?
- Did any of the cast present issues or prove to be difficult? Was this handled appropriately?
- Did you have enough dept mtgs during prep? Was prep a well oiled machine or lacking structure/systems?
- Was there any drama behind the camera and how could this be minimized in the future?
Whether or not you do an official AAR with your team, its a good practice to do by yourself or one or two other crew members.
