The most expensive words in post-production are “we’ll fix it later”. Most of those fixes could have been avoided with a short conversation before the shoot.
What a breakdown session covers
We read the script together with the director, producer and DOP, and go sequence by sequence:
- Which shots genuinely need VFX, and which can be solved practically.
- How each VFX shot should be photographed — lenses, frame rates, screens, markers.
- What reference we need on the day: HDRIs, lidar, witness cameras, clean plates.
- Where the budget risk sits, so contingency is planned rather than discovered.
The return on two hours
A green screen lit evenly, a clean plate shot after every take, a tracking marker placed where it will not cross hair — each of these is a minute on set and potentially days in post.
We have never regretted being involved too early. We have often regretted being involved too late.
Bring the right people
The session works best with decision makers in the room. A supervisor from our side, your producer and ideally your DOP are enough to settle most questions in one sitting.
