Principal photography

Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Besides the main film personnel, such as actors, director, cinematographer or sound engineer and their respective assistants (assistant director, camera assistant, boom operator), the unit production manager plays a decisive role in principal photography. They are responsible for the daily implementation of the shoot, managing the daily call sheet, the location barriers, transportation, and catering. In addition, there are numerous roles that serve the organization and the orderly sequence of the production, such as grips or gaffers. Other roles are related with the preparation of a daily production report, which shows the progress of the production compared to the schedule and contains further reports. This includes the storyboard with instructions for the copier and the editing room, the continuity notes for compliance with editing details and a report on unforeseen events. In addition, a sound report is created, which, similar to the production report, contains detailed information on the recorded material, but with regard to the sound recordings. Additional typical roles during filming include the script supervisor to record changes to the script and the still photographer to produce images for advertising and documentation. Principal photography can take place in a studio or in an actual setting, and the choice of location depends on artistic and economic aspects. While shooting in a sound stage offers more accurate planning, constructing sets may be expensive. Costs and artistic reasons (see French New Wave and Dogma 95) are the main drives behind filming on location. However, outdoor shooting requires more effort because equipment and personnel must be transported to the location. In the early days of cinema, filmmakers tried to film outdoors as much as possible, as sunlight was needed to ensure adequate exposure of poor-quality early film stock; nowadays, due to the increased use of , more shooting is done in a studio.