Film

Film

The production process

There are 3 distinct stages of production

Pre production

• Hiring staff
• Casting the characters
• Creating pre production documents- Mood boards, storyboards etc. 
• Writing the script

Production

• Filming 
• Sound

Post production

• Editing
• Distribution and Marketing 

Pre production

• After the development stage, and a project is greenlit pre-production begins
• Financing will be confirmed
• Principal cast members, director and cinematographer are set
• The screenplay is finalised
• The script is broken down into individual scenes and storyboarded
• Locations, props, cast members, costumes, special effects and visual effects are identified
• An extremely detailed schedule is produced
• Sets are constructed
• The crew is hired
• Financial arrangements are put in place and a start date for the beginning of principal photography on set.
• There will be a read through of the script. 

Production

• The shooting of the film, Lights, Camera, Action. 
• Involves the camera crew, lighting department, sound department, directional department, runners, location crew, security, drivers, stunt crew, actors, 'talent', caterers, rush runners.
• Producers and line producers are not necessarily on set, as they often stay behind and co-odinate from the production office. 
• Low budget films might be shot over a period of 5 or 6 weeks.
• Sometimes this will involve 18 hour days, often six days a week.
• High budget films will take much longer to film (75-120 days), and may require multiple film crews in multiple different locations. 
• Eraserhead, by David Lynch, was filmed over a period of years due to budget restraints, whilst the narrative of Richard Linklater's Boyhood required a decade of periodic shooting.

Post-production

• Principally involves editing and sound
• The editing suite was, at one time, known as the cutting room, because reels had to be cut and spliced together.
• More often than not achieved digitally now, often on PremierPro, Avid suites, or Macs.
• Also involves sound design, with dubbing mixers and foley artists. Could also involve special effects, depending on the film. Editors cut films together, grade them, add filters etc.

Pre production

Screenwriter

• Screenwriters write and develop screenplays for a film or TV drama. They do this either based on an original idea, by adapting an existing story into a screenplay or by joining an existing project.
• The minimum amount a script writer can get paid for a low budget is $41,740. For a high-budget film, the minimum amount a script writer can get paid is $85,902.

Casting director

• Casting directors find the stars to bring the characters in a film or TV drama to life. 
• They are hired by the production company to match actors to roles. 
• Casting directors read scripts and meet with producers and directors to get a sense of the type of person they are looking for.
• According to a professional in the field, some casting directors take a percentage of an actor's salary or a straight weekly salary. This can mean anywhere from $100 per day up to $800 – $1000 per day.

Cinematographer- set designer 

• Mostly, they are responsible for crafting the look, colour, lighting, and framing of every shot. With low-budget films, the cinematographer may be asked to be more involved in the setup or post-production, and may act as the camera operator during filming.
• According to self-reported statistics from Payscale, the national cinematographer salary average is $56,775 per year.

Set designer

• The set designer, also known as the scenic designer, is responsible for designing the scenery, and more broadly, the artificial environment in which a stage, television, or film performance takes place.
• The set designer must co ordinate and integrate the scenery with the other elements of the production: costumes, lights, sounds, actors, staging needs, and special effects. 
• The effects of all these elements should be integrated as a whole.

Post production

The editing of audio and visual materials to create a film.

Production

When shooting begins

Runner

The hands and feet of the production team. They copy the call sheets, sides, scripts, health and safety notices and other paperwork and run around distributing it to the crew. They take lunch and breakfast orders for the production office, do runs to the post office or other suppliers.

Editor

Manage material such as camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics and special effects to produce a final film or video product. This is a key role in the post-production process and your skills can determine the quality and delivery of the finished result.