You may say that business folk and creative folk are opposites, but there are concepts that both use… just with different vocabulary.
In business project management, it’s important to schedule a project considering the “critical path” – the minimum steps in the most condensed order to ensure the project will be completed (on time and on budget). With more time and resources (money, people, equipment…), you can add extras to the “critical path” in order to deliver a truly dynamic project. If unforeseen circumstances happen and you have to condense the schedule, you cannot condense it to shorter than what’s on the “critical path” – all the essentials are here for the project to deliver.
Now over to producing a script. It’s important schedule a production considering capturing the “story on screen” – the minimum essential scenes and story points in order to ensure the complete story will be filmed during principal photography (on time and on budget). With more shoot time, cast, crew and equipment, you can add extras to the “story on screen” in order to produce a truly dynamic film. If unforeseen circumstances happen and you have to shorten the shooting day or schedule, you have to focus on those essential scenes and story points because you need them to capture the “story on screen” for post production to craft into a finished, coherent film.
Interesting parallel, eh? Looks like business folk have more in common with creative folk than it first seems.
Cheers and a good story on screen to you,
Deb