Film Making

Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story idea or commission through scriptwriting, shooting, editing and finally distribution to an audience. Typically it involves a large number of people and can take anywhere between a few months to several years to complete. Filmmaking takes place all over the world in a huge range of economic, social and political contexts, using a variety of technologies and techniques.

Development. The script is written and drafted into a workable blueprint for a film.
Pre-production. Preparations are made for the shoot, in which cast and crew are hired, locations are selected, and sets are built.
Production. The raw elements for the finished film are recorded.
Post-production. The film is edited; production sound (dialogue) is concurrently (but separately) edited, music tracks (and songs) are composed, performed and recorded; sound effects are designed and recorded; and any other computer-graphic 'visual' effects are digitally added, all sound elements are mixed into "stems" then the stems are mixed then married to picture and the film is fully completed ("locked").
Sales and distribution. The film is screened for potential buyers (distributors), is picked up by a distributor and reaches its theater and/or home media audience.
Development
This is the stage where an idea is fleshed out into a viable script. The producer of the movie will find a story, which may come from books, plays, other films, true stories, original ideas, etc. Once the theme, or underlying message, has been identified, a synopsis will be prepared. This is followed by a step outline, which breaks the story down into one-paragraph scenes, concentrating on the dramatic structure. Next, a treatment is prepared. This is a 25 to 30 page description of the story, its mood and characters, with little dialog and stage direction, often containing drawings to help visualize the key points.
The screenplay is then written over a period of several months, and may be rewritten several times to improve the dramatization, clarity, structure, characters, dialogue, and overall style. However, producers often skip the previous steps and develop submitted screenplays which are assessed through a process called script coverage.
Pre-production
In pre-production, the movie is designed and planned. The production company is created and a production office established. The production is storyboarded and visualized with the help of illustrators and concept artists. A production budget will also be drawn up to cost the film.
The producer will hire a crew. The nature of the film, and the budget, determine the size and type of crew used during filmmaking. Many Hollywood blockbusters employ a cast and crew of hundreds while a low-budget, independent film may be made by a skeleton crew of eight or nine (or less). Typical crew positions include:

• The director is primarily responsible for the acting in the movie and managing the creative elements.


• The assistant director (AD) manages the shooting schedule and logistics of the production, among other tasks. First AD and second AD are different jobs with different responsibilities


• The casting director finds actors for the parts in the script. This normally requires an audition by the actor. Lead actors are carefully chosen and are often based on the actor's reputation or "star power."


• The location manager finds and manages the film locations. Most pictures are shot in the predictable environment of a studio sound stage but occasionally outdoor sequences will call for filming on location.


• The production manager manages the production budget and production schedule. He or she also reports on behalf of the production office to the studio executives or financiers of the film.


• The director of photography (DP or DOP) or cinematographer creates the photography of the film. He or she cooperates with the director, director of audiography (DOA) and AD.


• The production designer creates the look and feel of the production sets and props, working with the art director to create these elements.
  The art director manages the art department, which makes production sets


• The costume designer creates the clothing for the characters in the film working closely with the actors, as well as other departments


• The make up and hair designer works closely with the costume designer in addition to create a certain look for a character


• The storyboard artist creates visual images to help the director and production designer communicate their ideas to the production team.


• The production sound mixer is the head of the sound department during the production stage of a film. He or she records and mixes the audio (dialogue and occasional effects) on the set. He or she works with the director, DOP, and 1st AD.


• The sound designer creates new sounds and enhances the aural feel of the film with the help of foley artists


• The composer creates new music for the film


• The choreographer creates and coordinates the movement and dance - typically for musicals. Some films also credit a fight choreographer

Production

In production the movie is created and shot. More crew will be recruited at this stage, such as the property master, script supervisor, assistant directors, stills photographer, picture editor, and sound editors. These are just the most common roles in filmmaking; the production office will be free to create any unique blend of roles to suit a particular film.
A typical day's shooting begins with the crew arriving on the set/location by their calltime. Actors usually have their own separate calltimes. Since set construction, dressing and lighting can take many hours or even days, they are often set up in advance.

Post-production

Here the film is assembled by the film editor. The modern use of video in the filmmaking process has resulted in two workflow variants: one using entirely film, and the other using a mixture of film and video.
In the film workflow, the original camera film (negative) is developed and copied to a one-light workprint (positive) for editing with a mechanical editing machine. An edge code is recorded onto film to locate the position of picture frames. Since the development of non-linear editing systems such as Avid, Quantel or Final Cut Pro, the film workflow is used by very few productions.
In the video workflow, the original camera negative is developed and telecined to video for editing with computer editing software. A timecode is recorded onto video tape to locate the position of picture frames. Production sound is also synced up to the video picture frames during this process.

Distribution and Exhibition

This is the final stage, where the movie is released to cinemas or, occasionally, to DVD, VCD, VHS (though VHS tapes are less common now that more people own DVD players), Blu-Ray, or direct download from a provider. The movie is duplicated as required for distribution to theaters. Press kits, posters, and other advertising materials are published and the movie is advertised.
The movie will usually be launched with a launch party, press releases, interviews with the press, showings of the film at a press preview, and/or at film festivals. It is also common to create a website to accompany the movie. The movie will play at selected cinemas and the DVD is typically released a few months later. The distribution rights for the film and DVD are also usually sold for worldwide distribution. Any profits are divided between the distributor and the production company.