On a commercial, the PPM is the last time the client, the agency and the production company look at the same film together before it exists. Whatever is approved there becomes the order; whatever stays vague gets paid for later, on set or in post.
This guide covers the meeting itself: who it serves, who attends, what gets locked, how it usually runs, which documents prepare it and the mistakes that come up most often. Preparing a commercial shoot as a whole is covered in a separate guide.
In short
- The PPM brings the client, the agency and the production company together a few days before the shoot to sign off everything that will be filmed.
- It locks the shot list, casting, locations, wardrobe, product, schedule and deliverables. The budget is usually approved before, when the job is awarded.
- It runs on one central document, the PPM book (or deck), and ends with written minutes listing decisions and open items.
What is a PPM?
PPM stands for pre-production meeting. It takes place between the award of the job to a production company and the first shoot day, usually a few days before the shoot, once locations, casting and wardrobe are far enough along to be presented.
It differs from two other meetings. The pre-PPM is internal: the production company and the director go through the book and decide what will be presented. The production or tech meeting, often held after the PPM, brings heads of department together to organise the shoot itself. The PPM is the only one where the client is in the room and where decisions bind them.
Who the PPM is for
Each party comes for something different, which is what makes the meeting worthwhile: it forces all three to sign off the same document at the same time.
- The client checks the film matches the brief, the brand and the legal constraints on the product.
- The agency makes sure the creative idea it sold survives intact in what will be shot.
- The production company gets sign-off on what it is about to commit: locations, talent, crew and kit. Written approval protects it if the client changes their mind later.
- The director presents their approach and secures the agreement needed to shoot without renegotiating every shot on set.
Who attends
The line-up depends on the size of the job, but the same roles nearly always appear. Some heads of department only join for their part.
| Party | Who | Role at the PPM |
|---|---|---|
| Client | Brand manager, marketing or communications lead | Approves the film on behalf of the brand and has the final say |
| Agency | Creative director, creatives (copywriter, art director), agency producer, account team | Protects the creative idea and links client and production |
| Production company | Producer, line producer, director | Presents the book and answers on feasibility, schedule and the impact of every change |
| Heads of department (as needed) | Director of photography, production designer, stylist, casting director | Present their part and take technical questions |
What gets signed off
The PPM reviews everything that will be on screen or that shapes the shoot. The budget, on the other hand, is usually approved when the job is awarded: the PPM does not reopen it, but any decision that goes beyond its scope has to be costed separately.
- The shot list: storyboard or shooting board, shot by shot, with durations.
- Casting: a first choice and one or two alternatives per role.
- Locations: recce photos and what will be changed on site.
- Wardrobe, hair and make-up: outfit boards, fittings if needed.
- The product: versions, quantities, condition, packshot, legal mentions.
- Props and vehicles that appear on screen.
- The schedule: shoot dates, draft shooting schedule, weather contingency.
- Post-production and deliverables: lengths, formats, cut-downs, music and rights.
A typical PPM agenda
A PPM often lasts one to three hours. The order usually follows the book, from creative to operational, so that the decisions others depend on are made first.
- 1. Recap of the brief and the approved script, so everyone starts from the same reference.
- 2. The director's approach: tone, look, pace.
- 3. Shot list, shot by shot.
- 4. Casting, role by role.
- 5. Locations and recces.
- 6. Wardrobe, hair and make-up, props and product.
- 7. Technical points: camera, lighting, effects, sound.
- 8. Schedule and shoot logistics.
- 9. Post-production and deliverables.
- 10. Recap of decisions and open items, each with an owner and a date.
The documents to prepare
The PPM book (or deck) holds the essentials; the other documents feed it or follow from it. It has to reflect the real state of the job: a book showing an outdated schedule or cast wastes half the meeting.
It is also the hardest document to keep current, because it repeats information that lives elsewhere. In Soldum, the production book is assembled from the project data (approach, locations, casting, shots, schedule, budget total) and frozen when sent, so the version shown at the PPM stays viewable exactly as presented. The recipient opens it through a revocable link that does not show the budget breakdown.
| Document | Contents | Prepared by |
|---|---|---|
| PPM book (deck) | Approach, shot list, casting, locations, wardrobe, product, schedule, deliverables | Production company, with the director |
| Director's treatment | Tone, visual references, directing choices | Director |
| Storyboard or shooting board | The film shot by shot, with durations | Director, storyboard artist |
| Casting boards | First choice and alternatives, photos, audition clips | Casting director |
| Recce pack | Location photos, access and permit constraints | Production, locations team |
| Wardrobe boards | Outfits per role, hair and make-up | Stylist, hair and make-up |
| Draft shooting schedule | Shoot days, scene order, call times | Line producer, 1st AD |
| Deliverables list | Lengths, formats, versions, cut-downs | Production company, agency |
After the PPM: minutes and updates
The meeting only counts once its minutes are out. Sent quickly, ideally the same day, they list the decisions made, the open items with their owner and deadline, and any request that changes the costed scope. That document, more than the meeting itself, is what settles a disagreement on set.
Decisions then flow into the shoot documents: a recast role, a dropped location or a moved scene changes the shooting schedule and then the call sheets. When those documents come from the same data as the breakdown, as they do in Soldum, the update is made once instead of being copied by hand into every file.
Common mistakes
Most difficult PPMs are decided before the meeting, in how the book and the options are prepared.
- Presenting a single casting or location option: a rejection stalls the meeting instead of prompting a choice.
- Bringing a book that no longer matches the current schedule or cast.
- Not getting the product signed off in detail: version, quantity, condition, legal mentions. It is often the last surprise of the shoot.
- Forgetting deliverables and cut-downs, which weigh on post-production and sometimes on the shoot itself.
- Leaving open items without an owner or a reply date.
- Agreeing to a request in the room without flagging its cost, then having to price it afterwards.
- Not sending written minutes, or sending them too late to serve as a reference.
What's your pre-production challenge?
Frequently asked questions
What does PPM stand for?
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Pre-production meeting. It is the meeting where the client, the agency and the production company jointly sign off everything that will be shot, a few days before the shoot.
How long before the shoot is the PPM held?
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Usually a few days before: early enough to absorb the requested changes, late enough for casting, locations and wardrobe to be presentable. On a tight schedule the gap can shrink to two or three days.
Who prepares the PPM book?
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The production company, with the director. Heads of department supply their sections: casting, recces, wardrobe, shooting schedule.
What happens if something is not signed off at the PPM?
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It becomes an open item in the minutes, with an owner and a date. It is then settled in writing, or at a second PPM if the stakes justify it. If it changes the scope, it is costed separately.
What is the difference between a PPM and a pre-PPM?
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The pre-PPM is internal to the production company: the book is reviewed with the director and the team decides what to present. The PPM brings in the client and the agency, and its decisions bind them.