Going the Last Mile in Production

Going the Last Mile!

I know you have heard about going the extra mile but you have to go the LAST MILE first! At JBP, we often get called in for what I’ve termed “Last Mile” production. Last Mile is a term used in the shipping industry to refer to the final leg of delivery from a distribution center to the final destination. The scheduled pickup or new package drop-off is comparatively easy. Going from hub to hub, easy. Getting to the nearest distro center on a big truck or plane…EASY! Coordinating the delivery of packages, pallets, and other sundry items to a ton of disparate locations…HARD. Amazon makes it look easy these days but it is still the hardest part of the process.

So, back to production. The last mile in theatre, video, and event production is when all of the ideas and planning meet the venue. This can be taking a Look Book and Concept Images and realizing a workable set. It can also be taking the (literal) magic in the Disney musical Frozen and turning it into lighting and video effects. It could be the stage management that makes an event WORK day of. It could be a well-organized rehearsal.

At JBP we have started talking about the last mile as part of our planning process. Here is where it falls in a timeline:

1.       Season Planning / Budgeting

2.       Funding / Grant Applications / Call for Artists

3.       Concept / Collaboration / Planning

4.       Marketing / Presale

5.       Artist Rehearsals

NOW ENTERING THE LAST MILE!

6.       Construction / Design / Load-in / Integration

7.       Technical Rehearsals / Set Decoration / Cameras

8.       Event / Filming / Livestreaming

Now, this isn’t to say that the design and construction of a set are always in the last mile. Many theatres in Pittsburgh are designing, CADing, and building sets well beforehand. We see scenery in this category when the venue isn’t available ahead of time or when an entity doesn’t have enough staff to get the set done in advance.

We have been talking internally about what makes the LAST MILE an easier drive. This new article series is meant to explore these things. Here is our short list:

1.       High but Prioritized Standards

2.       Quality Scheduling (coming soon!)

3.       Proper Equipment

4.       Finding and Retaining Staff

5.       Sustainable Scenery

6.       Accurate & Realistic Budgeting

7.       Understanding the Venue & Its Limitations

8.       Last Mile Decision-Making

We may specialize in Last Mile production but that doesn’t mean that is our goal. We want to be in the process around the Budgeting, Concept, and even the Artist Rehearsals phase for many of our productions. We find though, that many people are forced to plan and budget for an event in a vacuum. Folks are figuring out what they need by pricing things online, looking at last year’s costs, and making a SWAG judgment (serious wild-ass guess). This situation is never ideal. If you don’t know the parts and pieces needed, you can’t budget for them. Your production will either be overbudget or will suffer a reduction of quality.

The benefits of understanding Last Mile Production will help you to avoid a Last Mile Crisis! It isn’t cheap to fix one and we hate it when our customers bring us in to fix one. It often gets into deeper costs, more overtime, and a level of crew fatigue that isn’t productive.

Join us as we dive into our first article in the shortlist Last Mile Production: High but Prioritized Standards.