Pre-production is one of the most overlooked aspects of filmmaking. Working in the film industry for 10 years; I saw first hand how hard filmmakers would work to conceptualize their ideas. I saw directors working past midnight, finishing a commercial treatment. Cinematographers who would pause a movie, just to break down the positions of a light. Set designers who would spend hours on Pinterest to build a look-book for a period piece. This hard work would go completely unnoticed to so many - but for them, it is crucial to their process.

Almost every aspect of the pre-production process revolves around inspiration. In particular, visual inspiration is key for shaping a project. Filmmaking is a visual medium, so being able to see the world you want to create is essential for understanding how to execute your vision. Thousands of producers, directors, set designers, students, production companies, makeup artists, and more all rely on visual references to help share their ideas.

It's no secret that finding visual references, especially for commercials and music videos, can be nearly impossible. Scrolling through Pinterest, endlessly command 3'ing Vimeo, or (if you're desperate) opening Google images can be a painful experience, to say the least. Whether you're creating a commercial treatment, a music video mood board, or a shot list for an upcoming short film, it's hard to know where to start.

We created Frame Set to assist filmmakers in finding visual inspiration for their projects. With the first version of Frame Set, our goal is to organize all still images from moving pictures, which we call "frames," in a universally accessible library. We believe this will empower filmmakers to discover inspiration that is truly unique to them, and to the projects they create.

When our team began creating Frame Set, we sat down with a number of filmmakers to understand their process. We asked them how they found inspiration and how they used the inspiration for pre-production. The answers we received were somewhat varied, but a few things became clear to us:

Firstly, we realized that providing a quality search was critical for finding inspiration. However, the problem was that searches varied dramatically, from abstract ideas to very specific ones. To address this issue, we designed Frame Set to be versatile enough to help filmmakers with both. This platform allows filmmakers to search for something as specific as "Anton Chigurh standing in a doorway" or as abstract as "Inspired by the movie; No Country for Old Men".

Secondly, we understood that having frames from a variety of mediums, including commercials and music videos, was crucial in helping as many filmmakers as possible. Our goal is to assist filmmakers at all stages of their careers, from new directors creating their first short film to producers working for large advertising agencies. To serve this diverse community, Frame Set includes an ever-growing collection of frames. This collection is comprised of over 2,885 feature films, 5,373 music videos, and 8,445 commercials, with new titles being added every month.

Finally, our team realized the importance of creating a community. Many of the filmmakers we spoke to mentioned that they found inspiration from their peers. In response, we created Frame Set with community in mind. Our goal is to create a platform where filmmakers can share their work, get inspired by others, and collaborate on new projects together.

Our team is in the early days of this journey, but we are committed to building a home for all filmmakers to find inspiration. When we look to the future, we hope to inspire countless films for thousands of filmmakers. If you're a filmmaker, we invite you to join us on this journey. Create a free account on Frame Set today and start finding inspiration for your next project.

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Sincerely,

Caleb Farmer, Founder & CEO.