Series X is a highly successful dramatic series conceived and produced by Series Corp for two ‘lead’ broadcasters: one domestic and one international as a qualifying domestic production (Cancon). The series has been produced for a number of seasons, albeit with much uncertainty as Series X has always been ‘renewed’ for only a single season at a time, which is typical in
television production. Despite this uncertainty, there has been remarkable stability with the crew of Series X as many of the key core group (i.e. Department Heads) and other individuals have been with the series since its inception. Many of the crew members of Series X arrange their schedules to ensure that they are available when production for the next season begins.
The crew’s high level of commitment to Series X persists despite the challenges
presented by the relatively modest budget for a project of such stature. There is an unmistakable pride of place among the crew of Series X and unusually cordial relations between the cast and crew. These contribute to the high level of production values (i.e. the quality of the image, sound, and storytelling) that Series X delivers on its relatively modest budget. The Line Producer spoke about his role navigating the creative aspirations of the series given its financial
parameters:
My role is really finding the balance between the two and ensuring that either one doesn’t suffer because if one suffers, it’s not a success. If you go over budget too much, it’s not a success because […] the company that is executive producing and creating the show, is going to lose money. […]And if you don’t produce something where the creative needs are met, for the sake of staying on budget, the reality is you’re probably going to
incur additional expenses anyhow, because there is generally going to be negative feedback which will create a situation where you have to shoot additional stuff (Line Producer).
Season 6 of Series X (the research period) consisted of an 82-day shooting schedule with a 2-week hiatus planned for the middle of the shoot. Over the course of this 6 to 7 month period, the cast and crew collaborated to transform 13 individual scripts into 13 different finished
products. The 82-day shooting schedule for Series X was segregated into eight different shooting blocks, each comprising one or two scripts. Wherever possible on Series X, scripts are grouped into pairs within a longer shooting block to give the crew 13 days to prep and 13 days to shoot both scripts. While the prep crew is going through the planning process for one shooting block, the shooting crew is filming another. Table 5.1 provides an overview of the concurrent functions of each group over the course of the series calendar.
The tight timelines on Series X combined with the modest budget creates the need for an experienced crew, and individuals are selected based on their reputations for delivering a
compelling product within the parameters of the budget. Consequently, Series X is a union shoot in order to attract crew members with the level of experience required. Most of the department heads on Series X have at least 20 years of experience in the industry, giving them expert status in their area of specialization.
An incredible level of planning is required to bring the disparate array of elements together that comprise the inputs required to transform each script to reality within the limited time available. However, most of the detailed planning cannot be done in advance of the 82-day shooting schedule because the scripts are not yet written so the elements required to transform them to reality cannot be identified. Consequently, detailed planning is a continuous process that
takes place throughout the 82-day shooting schedule as each script is released to production. This includes cost estimates from the department heads for each shooting block, as well as weekly meetings to review the progression of the project in relation to the budget.
Detailed planning also includes developing the shooting schedule for each block. Series X is shot in studio as well as on location. In the studio, the standing sets include many of the familiar places – offices, homes and meeting places – that form the world of the series. Different locations are also found for a number of scenes in every script. Shooting on location is more challenging to coordinate given the need to transport all of the crew and equipment to the particular destination selected for different scenes in different episodes. This makes Series X an attractive research setting as there are more variables involved than for a series that is shot entirely on standing sets.
The crew of Series X faces an additional coordination hurdle with respect to locations since part of the project financing includes enhanced tax credits available to productions using locations outside the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). It is impossible to miss the maps that adorn the walls of the Locations Department on Series X. The red boundaries that outline the perimeter of the city represent the boundaries of the location search: suitable locations must be found outside these markers to ensure the show qualifies for the enhanced tax credits. At the same time, the ideal locations should not be too far outside these boundaries in order to minimize travel time for the crew.
Table 5-1: Series X Production Calendar
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 Stage Scriptwriting B B Planning Prep (Block) A B B C Shoot (Block) B B Notes:
AProduction office opens for current season B2-week hiatus (summer vacation) CProduction office closes
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3
Stage Scriptwriting Planning
Prep Art Department (includes construction), Props, Sets, and Costumes Shoot
September October - December
Series X Production Schedule Overview (Departments)
January - April May June August
Showrunner, Line Producer, Production Designer, Production Manager and Assistant Directors (ADs)
October - December Series X Production Schedule Overview (Functions/Phases)
July
January - April May June July August
Assistant Directors, Camera, Electrics (Grips), Lighting (Gaffers), Continuity, Editors
Months Weeks Months
Principal Photography - 82 Days
Story Department (Writers)
Months Weeks Months
Taken together, the preceding paragraphs suggest that time and money both play key roles in coordinating the creative inputs required for production on Series X. While the literature on the film industry certainly suggests the importance of project budgets and their links to planning, there has yet to be an in-depth exploration how this varies across different stages and groups. I combine time (Chapter 1), coordination (Chapter 2) and control from the management accounting literature (Chapter 3) to induce how creativity and control are (re)balanced within and across the four different groups on the project.