Coursework: Pre-production planning

Coursework: Pre-production planning

Pre-production is an essential part of the filmmaking process. You now need to plan your THREE TikTok videos in detail to ensure you capture everything you need when filming.

There are four key elements to pre-production: treatment, mise-en-scene planning, a comprehensive shot list and a well-planned shooting schedule.

Create a new blogpost on your coursework blog called 'TikTok pre-production' and work through the following planning tasks:

1) TikTok video treatments

You may already have THREE detailed TikTok video treatments from your summer project and/or preliminary exercise - definitely use or develop those if it works with your project. 

However, you may need to update your treatment or even change it completely now you have finished your preliminary exercise. 

Remember the brief lists the following possibilities:

• interviews/AMAs with band members 
• content created by band members 
• performances, live shows or personal appearances 
• band members taking on a TikTok challenge 
• the band interacting with fans 
• fan-made content 
• merchandise or promotion of the band’s music 
• any other content or combination of content you think would be appealing to the audience and promote the band effectively.

TikTok 1 – “The Grind” (Performance & Identity)

Concept: This video captures the essence of KSS’s work ethic and dedication to his craft.

Structure:

Opens with a studio shot — KSS adjusting his mic and headphones.

Dialogue clip: “Every day’s another session.”

Beat drops; montage of handheld clips showing studio lights, lyric writing, and microphone close-ups.

Inter cuts between performance takes and behind-the-scenes moments.

Text overlays: “Focus.” “Vision.” “Discipline.” timed to the rhythm.

Ends with a profile shot of KSS looking into the camera under blue LED light, establishing his brand tone.

Purpose: Show authenticity and creative focus — key qualities valued by hip-hop audiences.

TikTok 2 – “For The Fans” (Connection & Engagement)

Concept:

This TikTok centres on audience interaction and the participatory culture of TikTok.

Structure: Opens with Q&A overlay: “What inspires you the most?”

KSS replies with a voiceover: “The people who listen.”

Beat drops — quick edits of fan duets, live performance reactions, and user-generated clips.

Uses box-frame split screens to show KSS reacting to fan content.

Inserts close-up shots of KSS smiling, fist-bumping, and signing merch.

Ends with KSS pointing to the camera and saying: “This is all for you.”

Purpose: Encourages community engagement while positioning KSS as humble and appreciative.

TikTok 3 – “Closer Than Ever” (Cinematic Storytelling)

Concept: A stylised, cinematic edit exploring KSS’s self-confidence and progression.

Structure: Opens with a dialogue skit: “Are you really the closer?” — KSS smirks.

Beat drops — montage of him walking through the city at night, illuminated by car lights and reflections.

Inserts of studio shots, mirror reflections, and luxury minimalism (car, glass building).

Uses smooth tracking and slow-motion transitions.

Final text overlay: “KSS – Closer Than Ever.

Purpose: Builds the artist’s persona as focused and aspirational while keeping the realism of a grounded urban lifestyle.

2) Mise-en-scene planning

Plan everything that will appear in front of the camera in your TikToks.

Remember CLAMPS: Costume, Lighting, Actors (cast, placement, movement, expression), Make-up, Props, Setting.

Costume
What will your artist wear? What other costumes will be required? What is the costume supposed to communicate to the audience? How does this link to genre or constructing representations?

Lighting
How will you light the different scenes in your videos? Day or night? Interior or exterior? If outside, can you use streetlights, shadows, reflected sunlight or other creative techniques to achieve the lighting style you want? If inside, experiment with creative lighting techniques using windows, blinds, artificial lights, phone flashes, ring lights and more. You may also want to use our professional lighting set-up with a white or greenscreen background depending on how you plan to conduct the interviews - speak to Mr Ray if you want to arrange this for an after-school filming session.

Actors/performers
The first thing you need to plan is your cast - who will be in your production? The key casting is obviously your artist but you may have other characters too. Try and cast people who are reasonably similar to the character or performer they are playing (both in age and personality). Next, plan their placement and movement in key scenes - how will the audience get to know them? How do you plan to position the audience to connect with your artist?

Make-up
Plan any make-up you require - this can be very important for music artists.

Props
What props will you require? Remember, you can't use anything that might resemble a weapon in a public or school location (this is VERY important). 

Setting
This should already be largely planned using your video treatments. However, now is the time to specify exact locations. For external locations, try and take pictures of settings or use Google Maps and Google Earth. Spending quality time planning your locations can make a huge difference to the professionalism of your production. AQA also seem to prefer external rather than school-based locations - particularly for a brief like this.

If you have a bit of budget to work with you may want to look at booking a rehearsal studio to get more of a band or performance feel to your music video. Pirate studios are an example of a rehearsal and recording studio with several London locations.

Costume

Main outfit: black hoodie, cargo trousers, white trainers, silver chain.

Occasional outfit changes for visual variety — bomber jacket, denim jacket.

Symbolises urban authenticity and understated confidence, typical of Drake’s aesthetic.

Lighting

Exterior: Night scenes lit by streetlights, car headlights, and LED accents (blue and red hues).

Interior: Studio lighting with ring light or phone light for intimacy.

Contrasts between natural city light and controlled LED tones for emotional variety.

Actors/Performers

KSS – main artist; expressive through subtle gestures, confident body language, and eye contact with camera.

Supporting characters: 1–2 friends in background for realism in gym and city shots.

No scripted extras — maintains authenticity.

Make-up

Minimal and natural; lighting will define facial contours instead of artificial styling.

Any make-up used will be subtle — matte finish to reduce shine under LED lights.

Props

Phone (for self-filming moments).

Microphone, notepad, and pen (studio scenes).

Car, headphones, and LED light strips.

Gym equipment, coffee cup, and laptop for realism in daily life shots.

Setting

Rooftop (intro scene).

Urban streets and car park (night walk).

Car interior and roundabout (performance).

Tube station and bridge (urban flow).

Gym and common room (real-life fragments).

All locations accessible within London for feasibility.

3) Shot list

The final aspect of your pre-production planning is to write a comprehensive shot list for every single possible shot you plan to film for your videos. For one minute for each video, with lots of jump cuts, etc. that is going to be a LOT of shots - quite possibly 30-40 per minute.

Remember, a shot list is a full list of all the shots in your video with information for each of them (shot type, action/movement etc.) Creative shot choices aside, it’s easy to forget that a shot list is a strategic document. Creating a shot list is essentially like creating a shooting gameplan for the day.

Comprehensive Shot List

4) Shooting Schedule

Day 1 – Rooftop + Intro

Record establishing skyline and logo projection.

Capture both handheld and tripod versions.

Time: 5:30–7:00pm (sunset).

Day 2 – City Night Walk

Film walking sequences and car reflections.

Capture ambient sounds for atmosphere.

Equipment: phone camera + stabiliser.

Time: 7:00–9:00pm.

Day 3 – Car Interior Performance

Parked car shots + slow driving takes.

Mix of front-facing and POV lip-sync shots.

Time: 6:00–8:00pm.

Day 4 – Transport + Urban Flow

Film at tube station, bus, bridge, and riverside.

Capture trains and boats to show motion.

Equipment: tripod + phone.

Day 5 – Interiors + Gym / Uni

Gym floor and reflection sequences.

Reshoot any weaker clips for smoother editing.

Time: 4:00–6:00pm.

Editing Week

Organise footage, cut to That’s How U Feel beat.

Add overlays, filters, transitions, and test sync timing.

Export multiple versions for refinement.