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Production board

A production board, stripboard, or production strip is a filmmaking term for a chart displaying color-coded strips of paper, each containing information about a scene in the film's shooting script.[1] The strips can then be rearranged and laid out sequentially to represent the order one wants to film in, providing a schedule that can be used to plan the production.[1] This is done because most films are shot "out of sequence," meaning that they do not necessarily begin with the first scene and end with the last.[2] For logistical purposes, scenes are often grouped by talent or location and are arranged to accommodate the schedules of cast and crew. A production board is not to be confused with a stripboard used for electronics prototyping.

Historically, strip boards were manually assembled by hand on specially-made multi-panel boards made of vinyl or wood, about 15 to 18 inches tall (38 to 45 cm), whose panels could be easily folded up.[3] In the 21st century, such boards are obsolete, and aspiring filmmakers are no longer routinely trained in how to use them.[3] In contemporary filmmaking, a digital version of a strip board is prepared with dedicated computer software applications, of which the most popular one is Movie Magic Scheduling from Entertainment Partners.[3] Other popular applications include Celtx and Scenechronize. It is also possible to create a digital strip board by customizing general-purpose spreadsheet software such as OpenOffice.org Calc or Microsoft Excel.

  1. ^ a b Goodell, Gregory (1982). Independent Feature Film Production: A Complete Guide from Concept Through Distribution. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 85. ISBN 9780312304621. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  2. ^ Goodell, Gregory (1982). Independent Feature Film Production: A Complete Guide from Concept Through Distribution. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 87. ISBN 9780312304621. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Honthaner, Eve Light (2010). The Complete Film Production Handbook (4th ed.). Burlington, Massachusetts: Focal Press. p. 82. ISBN 9781136053061. Retrieved 24 February 2024.

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