When Does a 'Visual Manifesto' Slow Down a Lower-Budget Shoot Too Much?

Hey everyone,

I'm Lucas Andersson, a gaffer, and I'm genuinely trying to wrap my head around something. I've been on a few projects lately, mostly indie narratives and some commercials with tighter turnarounds. We're often shooting on an FX9 or a C300 Mark III, with a few SkyPanel S60-Cs and some amaran 150cs as our main lights.

I've seen some DPs really push for a detailed 'Visual Manifesto', mood boards, specific lighting ratios for every scene, color palettes meticulously planned, often before pre-production even really kicks off. On a well-funded, slower-paced gig with an AMIRA, I get it; there’s time to breathe and implement all that.

But on these faster, lower-budget projects where we're moving quickly, sometimes scrambling for locations or battling unexpected daylight shifts, I just wonder... when does this rigorous process become counterproductive or impractical?

Has anyone found a point where sticking to a super detailed manifesto actually hinders efficiency or forces compromises that aren't worth the pre-planning effort? Like, are we trying to achieve champagne results with a beer budget, specifically in terms of planning time, and then feeling stressed on set because reality isn't matching the manifesto?

Looking for your thoughts and experiences.