Projects and production

A project is the studio’s working home for a client photography job. The Studio Manager records its name, owner, start date, due date and budget. The owner can then see the deliverables and production work connected to the same job. When a shoot changes direction, the team has a single project to review before it changes assignments or delivery dates.

The project moves from Planned through Approved and in production. Review is the point to check finished work against the agreed delivery. Delivered closes that client job; Cancelled remains a distinct outcome. A project status should reflect an actual decision by the Studio Manager, not merely the arrival of another file or proof choice.

• Project ownership. Each project names a person who can answer schedule and delivery questions.
• Assigned tasks. A task has its own assignee, due date, completion date and work status, all linked to the project.
• Cost lines. The studio can record a category, amount, date and Draft, Approved or Paid status for each project cost.

Decide who may change the project budget and who decides that a planned job is ready for production. Decide how the studio names projects so producers can find the right job when assigning tasks and content. Agree when work is considered complete: the task’s Completed status should follow actual completion, while the project’s Delivered status follows the Studio Manager’s review of the client handoff. A cost marked Approved is still distinct from one marked Paid.

The same project can have several content deliverables and production tasks. Its budget and cost lines give the Studio Manager a practical review of spend, but the team should agree where payment and accounting entries are handled. Set an owner for correcting a wrong project link before production work accumulates under it.

A studio accepts a portrait assignment with a planned start and delivery date. The Studio Manager names the project owner and approves the job. The Producer assigns editing and proof preparation as separate tasks, each with a responsible person and due date. When the editor finishes one task, the completion date and Completed status explain that handoff. The Studio Manager can compare the approved cost lines with the project budget during review, then mark the project Delivered after the content handoff is accepted. If the client changes the shoot date, the owner reviews the project date and the affected task dates together.

• Projects In Flight — Jobs in active production or review, with owner, schedule, budget and status.
• Open Production Work — Assigned work still open, in progress or under review.
• Production Tasks Timeline — Dated assignments and their completion states.

Start with project planning, then follow content production as the work becomes deliverables. Use the data model to plan project and person imports.