PRE PRODUCTION: 3 Simple Steps You Should Always Take Before Filming

Sign up to Milanote for free (no time limit): milanote.com/markbone
Our Documentary Course is back!: theartofdocumentary.com
GRADED WITH MY CINEMA PRO LUTS: bit.ly/2UUKAjC
SIMPLY THE BEST CAMERA BAG: tinyurl.com/y5j2grbo
Watch our latest documentary: tinyurl.com/y6hm5sxa
MY FAV DOCUMENTARY LENS OF ALL TIME: geni.us/iu7Asjt
Helios 44-2 58MM | My Favourite VINTAGE lenses (Amazon): geni.us/pBfMZl
The Lens Adapter I Use (Amazon): geni.us/UwOzGB8
FREE TRIAL OF THE BEST MUSIC FOR KZbin: tinyurl.com/yxvh8kx4
THE MOST CINEMATIC MUSIC COLLECTION: tinyurl.com/y5h3zpfl
GET HIRED FOR FILMMAKING/PHOTOGRAPHY: tinyurl.com/y5ada8u4
THE LIGHTING GEAR I OWN/USE ------------------
BEST SMALL VIDEO LIGHT (F7 Falcon) (Amazon): geni.us/M0FMDH
Falcon Eyes 818 - RGB LED | MY GO TO INTERVIEW LIGHT (Amazon): geni.us/DJwP
Falcon Eyes F7 Mini RGB LED (Amazon): geni.us/JiYW
Aputure COB 300D (Amazon): geni.us/7dK2lZ
MY PRO CAMERA GEAR ------------------
MY FAV DOCUMENTARY LENS OF ALL TIME: geni.us/iu7Asjt
FX9 | - MY FAV CAMERA OF ALL TIME (Amazon): geni.us/p99qvXX
Mavic Pro 2 | Favourite Drone (Amazon): geni.us/UQjMpaB
Canon FD 50MM | My Favourite VINTAGE lenses: amzn.to/2OGXXjx
Sears FD 28mm | Most affordable but also DOPE lens (Amazon): geni.us/yec5
Vintage Lens Adapter (FD to E-mount) (Amazon): geni.us/mgAET
Vintage Lens Adapter (FD to EF-mount) (Amazon): geni.us/abUbpsP
Vintage Lens Adapter (Amazon): geni.us/d8SKBuq
MY Matte Box (Amazon): geni.us/j76RBZ
AK4500 | MY FAV GIMBAL (Amazon): geni.us/SkkSh4
VLOG SETUP ------------------
Gorilla Pod (Amazon): geni.us/m7CzWAl
My Camera (Amazon): geni.us/WrCtU
My Lens (Amazon): geni.us/UARBntQ
My Memory Car (Amazon): geni.us/2NcNa
Camera Mic (Amazon): geni.us/awOjzC
My Filter (Amazon): geni.us/ESq9O1q
My Mic Stand (Amazon): geni.us/dfw88
MY EDITING SETUP ------------------
iMac 2020 | My Computer (Amazon): geni.us/iiAZiuf
Apple 15.4" MacBook Pro with Touch Bar | My Laptop: amzn.to/2RSmvbA
HEADPHONES | - 99 CLASSICS (Amazon): geni.us/1rxbS
Loupedeck CT | BEST TOOL TO SPEED UP YOUR EDITING (Amazon): geni.us/3bVxJsB
LG5K | MY 5K MONITOR BEAST (Amazon): geni.us/xuNZH4P
Edifier Speakers | Speakers (Amazon): geni.us/LrOw
OWC Dock (Amazon): geni.us/EFk0Ws
RAID Harddrive (Amazon): geni.us/fLKvO
25% OFF THE BEST SOUND EFFECTS, USE: "MARK25" bit.ly/2KpRCXE
OTHER GEAR I USE OFTEN ------------------
Top Handle | EVERY FILMMAKER NEEDS THIS: TOP HANDLE (Amazon): geni.us/mRQRBVp
Top Handle + Cage | TOP HANDLE + CAGE (Amazon): geni.us/BnUM2ET
Lens Rings | ADAPT ANY SIZE FILTER (Amazon): geni.us/AVcY
HAZER (Amazon): geni.us/Kgb8Lx
FOLLOW FOCUS (Amazon): geni.us/fHkl
CONTACT ME/SEE MY WORK: markbone.com
Follow me: / markandrewbone
My Reel: vimeo.com/markbone
WANT TO CHAT ABOUT YOUR FILM/CAREER? tinyurl.com/ybfs65al
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
This Video was sponsored by Milanote

[@ScientiaCras2]

Mark, I rarely ever say this, but man, this video is so amazing and helpful! Thank you for taking the time and showing your "sauce" 😃💪👍

[@flochfitness]

The biggest thing I learned from this video is that when you are doing run and gun documentary work, you can still set up shots and lighting to Better tell your story without taking from the authenticity. Most appreciative Mark!

[@MrDivinemethod]

6 minutes in and I have gotten more out of this video than anything else I've seen on KZbin in the last month. So incredible -- I hope you continue doing incredible work and inspiring all of us.

[@markbone]

What is your favourite PRE PRODUCTION ritual?

[@alghufrankhan9093]

Roll a fat blunt, share it during production day, so everything turns out allllllriiiiight. jking lol I look at others peoples work and find inspiration for colors, ideas, and movement.

[@tuckerkanderson]

Pre-production is so important! I'm in pre-pro for the biggest short-film I've ever tackled as a DP right now. So cool to see how you operate and your workflow Mark, thanks for sharing!

[@markbone]

Go crush it Tucker!!

[@tuckerkanderson]

🙏

[@marius_thsch]

Super helpful, thank you so much for sharing this! My wife and I are doing a short doc on her grandparents while we’re visiting them in Portugal, and these tips will come in really handy 🙌🏻

[@regnismada4936]

Mark it’s so easy to just sit and watch you analyse. Incredibly valuable. Thank you

[@propellavideo]

Fantastic as always. Great advice. Love it.

[@dbaldwin]

Mark thank you... thank you so much for this.

[@BlakeDavis42]

Really love seeing everyone switch over to milanote. A lot of really really practical and great tips in here. Thanks for your constant great content. I've definitely been inspired by some of your visuals from my own films!

[@markbone]

You're so welcome!

[@JackTaylor138]

Super helpful!!! As an independent videographer without much training or collaboration, I love learning how to make my corporate projects and passion projects even better! ❤️

[@estuardoruiz5373]

Thank you for the video, great insight!

[@gregstotts1638]

Loving all the tips, especially Milanote. Thanks so much.

[@ihavemetnate]

This is so good, thanking you!

[@anishfolorunsho]

Thank you so much once again Mark. Everytime a video comes out from you, I know there will certainly be something to learn. I am grateful that you mentioned milanote. Can't wait for the Art of Documentary class.

[@markbone]

Thanks Anish! Makes my day knowing my channel is helping! Stoked to have you a part of AOD!

[@Ethansmov]

Definitely gonna be trying this out. Seems like a very beneficial process thanks for the vid

[@AllenPenner]

Best way to start a Monday morning. Thanks Mark!

[@markbone]

Morning!

[@terryshapiro5537]

I enjoyed watching as listening fro you on producing a documentary film

[@virtualfeedback820]

Amazing! thank you

[@benjicpg]

Dude your channel is amazing. Thank you for all the content.

[@johnbaikiefilm]

Thank you for this - just what I needed to see at the moment. Working on pre production for an exciting doc next month, and trying to get things set up in a very tight time frame!

[@brianbassett5468]

Mark is the best video/film/KZbinr that educates how to create..... Love this guy! You rock Mark!!

[@stevenvprasad5029]

As always Much Love Mark ❤️❤️❤️

[@markbone]

Thank you Steven!!

[@christianschmeichel9757]

Literally breathing in all this content. Thank you so much! Yes also the hint with Milanote ;)

[@pho977]

Thank you Mark!

[@henriquefaria]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@sylvanwho176]

Great video! Super helpful, I love all the resources as a beginner filmmaker, and also your ease and vibe as a content creator/presenter. Thank you for these videos.

[@umefoto]

Hi, Thank you so much for sharing your way of working! I am really looking forward to the course this fall. Wish you a continued wonderful summer!

[@markbone]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 thanks mate

[@TheYarbros]

Thanks for a peek into the process. Much appreciated!

[@ClaudioDesideriFilms]

Absolutely loved this one Mark! Drawing ideas from the look of films I love is definitely a big part of my pre-production too. What I do often is even taking screenshots on my smartphone of the scenes I love and that helps me so much visualizing the final result. The last music video I shot I had this "duel" idea between the 2 main actors and I ended up downloading pics of the final scene of "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" from Sergio Leone. When I was finally filming it was so nice to draw inspiration from those shots!

[@MOMENTSbyRonSonedecker]

I started using Milanote because of your other video where you briefly touched on it. I also signed up for Shotdeck from that video as well - they actually have a student discount (even for 48 year-old students like me, lol) that they don't immediately advertise (you have to email them about it). Pre-production is ALWAYS going on in my head, and usually it's just me playing lots of music (epidemic sound channel on spotify, in the car, working in the shop) and me putting things together in my mind (think "day dreaming") but now with these tools I can get it down "on paper" and it helps to ground my day-dreaming and get to script so much easier. When it comes to music in pre-production, I thought I was "strange" as it seemed that no one other than me that I had ever talked to in the local program ever used music to inspire their thought or plan, until we had an open interview with Joe Robert Cole (Black Panther screenwriter) and he adamantly said he always plans and writes to music - then I didn't feel so strange. Thanks for sharing and for providing such helpful videos.

[@booksmedia1171]

Love this. THANK YOU

[@intrinsiccinema7374]

Great work

[@JasonAllenMusic]

So helpful thanks!

[@MarioSoMedia]

Didn't know about shot deck! Thanks for sharing your preproduction process. I have been using the free version of Milanote so far and I like it.

[@itsryanwilkes]

Awesome stuff Mark! This is 100% my favorite channel on KZbin. Hope to work with you one day!

[@gabrieljackson5512]

Really like the style of this one - super informative, thank you 🙏🏼

[@ivanblancovilar]

Another amazing video with your pre-prod breakdown... thanks for this man, it's golden! 🤗

[@markbone]

🙏🏻

[@charliepiazza1]

This has so much value! Absolutely informative

[@markbone]

Thank you Charlie! Glad you liked it

[@66jensen66]

I’m new to making film. My god this is soo helpful & inspiring. Can’t thank you enough. 👍🏼

[@theampedlife]

Thanks for this Mark. I’ll be enrolling for your course, look forward to learning, making, sharing.

[@markbone]

thank you!! can't wait to see you inside!!

[@seansims2475]

I’ve been wanting to get into shooting docs and I’ve watched a ton of your videos but I had no idea how much I needed to see this one.

[@markbone]

Yeass! Love people seeing the value

[@AmeliaHeldt]

Another ridiculously informative video!! I'm not a proper filmmaker or documentary maker but this is so relevant for any visual storytelling/video creation. So much i can apply immediately. Continually shocked with how much value you put in these vids Mark! Thanks for sharing!

[@markbone]

Preproduction is for everyone in any creative field

[@innatemusic]

Great stuff, man!

[@TyroneLT]

I just started using Milanote a few weeks ago. Loving it so far!

[@markbone]

Yeah I've been blown away over the past year how easy it is

[@crabfilms4031]

oh man shotdeck is crazy helpful! thanks for that!

[@Yellilaresan]

Really loving this weekly videos brother! And thank you for those tips! It was really useful .

[@markbone]

🙏🏻 thank you!!

[@bernios3446]

Such great content....

[@Hervebutoyi]

Very insightful

[@kapu2878]

Just found your channel, great content! Thanks for sharing

[@gregk1075]

checked out the trailer for 58 hours. And man, the cinematography is on a different level! Looking forward to watching it!

[@markbone]

Thank you!!

[@filipzamec9671]

Such a great tips, thank you. I would like to hear more about your grading process, because films look amazing!

[@markbone]

I use my LUTS and tweak from there 😬 no joke

[@ohiogrudgeracing]

Thanks for the great info.. again, always helpful!!!

[@markbone]

You’re most welcome Ohio!

[@JamesStonley]

Love your channel. I'm making my first ever documentary and I've learned so much from you. You're the best man thanks

[@markbone]

💯💯💯 so glad James

[@Trudno_Byc_Katolikiem]

Wonderfull tips ! thanks a lot!

[@markbone]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@telepooort]

Useful video, also inspired me))

[@exploringautism]

Thanks for the very informative video Mark! I will use these strategies to help me make videos for my channel. I would love to hear more about the film you are working on about ASD. My son is a budding film maker. He spends most of his day recording videos on his iPad. I really love your channel. Keep up the great work!

[@oldmachinesicecreams7609]

I wish I’d found your channel years ago. This is phenomenal and exceedingly valuable to me as a DP. Thank you!

[@ilizrdz]

Will definitely set a reminder to watch 58 hours. Always enjoy learning from your videos.

[@troybedenbaugh1740]

Love longer videos so I can really see how you think about / approach things 🔥

[@markbone]

💯

[@AlToneTech]

Another Great video. I have sooo much to learn. :-)

[@connorbowden_creative]

MORE PRE PRODUCTION TIPS PLEASE!!!! - THESE ARE AWESOME!

[@markbone]

More!!

[@Kamau.bakerr]

Amazing video man! I'm not even done watching yet and it's great so far

[@markbone]

Mid video comments!! Love it!!

[@itsmikebotkin]

I now feel less crazy for how I story and block my shoots! I've used GoogleSlides in the past and recently started using Milanote. LOVE how you can use that to convey the vibe, flow, and aesthetic of your story. Embedding references is a great help for me when I'm sharing ideas with other teammates. Great rec for Shotdeck! Looking forward to using that in the future.

[@markbone]

Shot deck & Milanote are my ritual!

[@shimonyamaura8302]

thank you awesome video

[@markbone]

My pleasure mate

[@FilmQi]

Nice video! very useful, thank you for sharing

[@markbone]

🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@levidaragiu]

Thank you, Mark. You're now my favourite KZbin Role Model and go to guy for inspiration and lessons.

[@markbone]

Love it! So glad I can be of help

[@levidaragiu]

@@markbone and we love u.

[@KobusGevelspar]

Nice one! I see filmmakers showing up without a plan all the time. You also have to be a designer and prepare well to make a story work. It also saves time, knowing what you want to do.

[@eSysmanSuperYachts]

Wow this was great. At the start of your video I was thinking ‘this is way over my head, I’m an amateur and I’d never do this. But as I watched you looking at these still images I started thinking of all the cool shots I’ve watched in other videos and how I could grab those to plan a video I’m shooting soon. Brilliant idea.

[@markbone]

Prepro is for everyone.

[@DiscountForkliftDenver]

@@markbone Prepro sounds like a nutritional supplement for old people. 'Is your loved one getting old? Get Prepro to keep them healthy!'

[@themediaclinic]

Thanks Mark! Good solid info. Really interested in you ASD film. Looking forward to hearing more about it.

[@markbone]

Yeah cannot wait to release it! But it’ll be a while yet

[@Superbustr]

The preproduction inspiration images are most useful to pump people up and convince people that your vision is cool and worth spending the time / money on. In reality you don't need 100s of inspirational images. If you have seen hundreds of classic great films all of those films and their imagery will be stored in your subconscious whether you know it or not. I have ideas for visuals but for the life of me I cannot find references. I know exactly what the shot will look like and at the same time don't need to rely on directly copying someone to gain inspiration as a great vision does not copy any one source but instead mixes many different styles and technics into something unique. Lastly I have given up on detailed wordy shots lists. Wordy shots lists are a complete waste of time. A storyboard is many times more powerful in expressing a vision over a shot list. A shot list is just a document to make sure you stay on schedule and tick boxes.

[@BEYONDIMAGES-AI]

Thanks for the Link to milanote.

[@RobertJohnsonEYT]

Pre-production is critical and by extension writing down and organizing your thoughts and processes is key because it's one thing to conceive an idea, then it's another to plan it and by the time you're ready to execute it's another story. Having a systematic approach will always help in getting the best results because nothing ever ALWAYS goes to plan but having a plan as a foundation will keep you focused and on track.

[@derrekord]

How simple Milanote is to use is *chefs kiss*... I just wanna be able to drag and drop things everywhere

[@wisecomvidevide4874]

Thank you Sor.

[@DeedreCousins]

I’m very intrigued by the ASD film

[@angel_pradol9662]

Thanks for the tips, and I´m gonna check Milanote.

[@markbone]

thank you! I love the program

[@kimisnaps]

So excited to watch 58 Hours!! I looked it up online and it premieres Saturday, July 31 at 9PM ET on CNN!!!

[@markbone]

Yeaassss!!

[@GajanBalan]

Never heard of Milanote and damn, this is a game changer 🤯

[@kieranarmstrongproductions4743]

Been using Milanote for about two months. It is INVALUABLE. My advice: Get it, get it, get it

[@dr.rajkumarjha1671]

Just waiting for you to upload . ✌🏼✌🏼

[@markbone]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@dansherman4182]

You're like an angel Mark. So generous with your knowledge. So appreciated by this almost 73 year old transitioning from vids to docs. PEACE! ~ One Man Dan PS "Not like that Angel in "it's a Wonderful Life." Always thought he was a tad creepy.

[@RussellVineyard]

OK. Well your timing could not be more perfect for me. Tomorrow morning I'll be pitching my first documentary.

[@Ethansmov]

Good luck

[@timsnider336]

Thanks!

[@markbone]

Thank you Tim! Sincerely appreciate it

[@timsnider336]

@@markbone Hope to meet you one day. You've made a huge difference in my film making journey. All the best.

[@kwameryan]

Was SOOO proud to see you do your interview with Phil on CNN presenting your video. I was like, I KNOW THAT GUY FROM KZbin! Planning to watch it when it next airs. Way to go Mark 👍🏾

[@markbone]

Thanks Kwame! That’s so fun you got to watch it

[@lawrenceofbrooklyn]

I just heard about Milanote from YC Imaging. I am going to use on an up coming music video. It looks user friendly and it makes it easier for filmmakers to put everything together.

[@markbone]

🙏🏻

[@YannickFilms]

🔥🔥🔥

[@florianbarras]

Dang I missed a few vids and now you're rocking long hairs. Good vibes ! Cheers.

[@markbone]

🤟🏻🤟🏻🤟🏻

[@mystercraig]

That police siren visual on Joel is insane. I've never felt so motivated to capture and recreate something.

[@joemamamia1751]

I love Shot Deck. Been on the beta for a little over a year now. So much went into making it AMAZING!! 🙌🏼⚡️🤙🏼 PS: Millanote looks pretty dope as well. The combo of both Shot Deck and Millanote is potentially game changing for a lot of folks. 🤘🏼🤓

[@markbone]

They are a powerful combo!!

[@smartmediaug1074]

Hello Mark Bone, thanks for the guide. Where can I get that inspiration images?

[@lionroots11]

Man this is so great thank you. but 1 question if i wanted to match a color in final cut pro that i see and like from shot deck. do they have software can match my color in final cut pro you know off?

[@davidsklubal]

Thank you so much for these tips! really helps take my filmmaking to the next level

[@Codywpreston]

Thanks for this man! Question for you. When I drag and drop photos into a new board, they automatically go into "Unsorted" and don't lay out perfectly in the board like you showed in your video. Any Ideas?

[@matthewdylan5893]

lets keep shot deck underground haha, just kidding!! Great vid Mark

[@markbone]

😂

[@adamethancrow]

As a professional director I either gain a little knowledge from your vids, or feel like I’m chatting with buddy about process. thanks 🙏

[@markbone]

🙏🏻

[@tjwalkup7155]

Woe! You are a great film maker. One point I must disagree with is “scripting” when making documentaries. Narratives yes. Script questions but be open to the changes in direction that come with the wonderful surprises that happen in the field. Werner Herzog said when making documentaries a script is a “cowards” tool. I guess a biopic PR piece would make a script useful again. Really documentaries are revealed not pre determined. I don’t want to be overly critical, I think you offer a ton of value and some beautiful examples of work that add value to the world and the craft of documentary work.

[@shellyanncowan8872]

Hey, I'm basically just starting out as a freelance director, could you recommend the ideal camera and computer for production. Thank you

[@fidelis-okeidaniel]

Hard!

[@markbone]

So hard

[@schoeferfilm]

I basically approach a project like you, Mark. You need such a framework for your film, otherwise the film project will have failed right from the start. What kind of light was that (changing blue - red) that you used on the mna fighter? Looks really awesome 👏 best cinematic greetings from a still little but motivated german filmmaker

[@markbone]

Hello, I give a full gear breakdown in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIW6YWZvaaaVedk

[@cosmonaut1961]

Thanks for the video! It's definitely a cool project manager platform! I'm planning to get a subscription. Only one thing - can i ask (just out of curiosity) why you don't have a lot of projects you've planned in Milanote? Thank you!

[@markbone]

Great question Kolya! Because I cannot show the intellectual property or names of so many of the projects I’m pitching/working I started a new account for this video. I recently had some of my videos demonitizied because large corporate clients didn’t want anything shared, so I’m taking no risks.

[@cosmonaut1961]

@@markbone thank you for the reply! Totally makes sense! Thank you again for showing such an amazing tool 👍