One of the first steps to evaluate and measure the success of your pre-production project is to set SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These criteria help you to create clear and realistic objectives that can guide your planning and decision-making. For example, a SMART goal for a pre-production project could be: "To create a detailed script, storyboard, and shot list for a 10-minute documentary film about urban gardening by April 30th, 2024."
Another way to evaluate and measure the success of your pre-production project is to establish feedback loops with your stakeholders, collaborators, and target audience. Feedback loops are channels of communication that allow you to gather and respond to input, suggestions, and criticism throughout your pre-production process. For example, you can use surveys, interviews, focus groups, or online platforms to collect feedback from your potential viewers, clients, or funders. You can also use peer reviews, workshops, or brainstorming sessions to get feedback from your team members or experts.
To evaluate and measure the success of your pre-production project, conduct a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It is a strategic tool that helps you to identify and assess the internal and external factors that can affect your project's performance and outcome. For example, you can use a SWOT analysis to evaluate your pre-production project's strengths (such as your unique vision, skills, or resources), weaknesses (such as your gaps, limitations, or risks), opportunities (such as your market demand, trends, or partnerships), and threats (such as your competition, regulations, or challenges).
KPIs stand for Key Performance Indicators, which are quantifiable measures that reflect how well you are achieving your goals and objectives. Metrics are specific data points that can help you to track and analyze your progress and performance. For example, some KPIs and metrics for a pre-production project could be: the number of revisions, the quality of the deliverables, the adherence to the budget and timeline, the satisfaction of the stakeholders, or the engagement of the audience.
A post-mortem analysis is a retrospective review that helps you to reflect on what went well and what went wrong in your pre-production process and outcome. It also helps you to identify the lessons learned, the best practices, and the areas for improvement for your future projects. For example, you can use a post-mortem analysis to evaluate your pre-production project's achievements, challenges, feedback, KPIs, and SWOT.
In my experience; measuring the success of pre-production as a documentary filmmaker involves assessing factors such as achieving documentary goals, budget and resource management, adherence to schedules, team collaboration, securing appropriate locations and permissions, planning creative processes, and managing risks. Evaluating these aspects helps gauge the effectiveness of the pre-production phase, ultimately enhancing the likelihood of success during filming and subsequent stages.