Proper Production Stage Options

Hi IMDb, I truly believe you should have more accurate options for a project that is not shooting yet. I have been wanted to express this for probably over a decade. There can be steps or after "script" when a project is ready for shooting, but before a project is in "pre-production". Pre-production means you technically have funds (partial or full). Script does not mean Shooting Script (it means Reading Script). You can't really seek financing without a Shooting Script, so there should be a Shooting Script that comes after Script (and maybe change Script to Reading Script). A few common terms you might hear after Shooting Script: In Breakdowns – when producers have a shooting script that is now with a Line Producer/UPM having a shooting schedule and budget draft being prepared, to be used to secure elements like director, lead actors, key partners to present to financiers (studio or independent). In Packaging – when producers are attaching elements like director, lead actors, or key partners to make the project more attractive to financiers. In Financing – explicitly used when producers are seeking investors, studios, or distributors to cover the budget. In Packaging / In Financing - common for independent films to need to run both of these simultaneously. Pre-sales Stage – used especially in indie/foreign financing, when producers secure distribution rights in certain territories to raise funds. Greenlight Pending – not an official stage, but shorthand for a script that’s developed and awaiting financing approval.