Filmmaking Process

The Idea:
    Making a film takes years and involves hundreds of people. All films start with an idea which is then pitched to a Producer, a Director, a Writer and then Financiers - who will then decide whether or not to fund the film so the project can go ahead.
There are lots of sources of inspiration for a film.
Books  - such as with the Harry Potter Series
Real life events - eg. Soul Surfer
Remakes - such as King Kong
Original Idead - like Inception
Films can also be spin-offs from other films, such as Alien Vs. Predator.

Development Finance:
   Next the rough idea must be turned into a final script which is ready for production. This costs money.
The producer goes to a number of people to get money, such as production companies , private investigators or public funding bodies such as the Uk Film Council. They make a Treatment (an outline of the plot and main characters) to pitch to people for development money in order to make a script. While doing this, the Producer can offer future salaries and broadcast rights to sales companies, broadcasters and distribution companies in order to get money to Develop a script.

Script Development:
   The writer and the producer work closely to produce a synopsis. After this, most writers will produce a step outline - short descriptions of each scene that will show them in more detail than the synopsis. The writer will then produce a first draft of the script which will then be edited over and over again until everyone involved is happy with it when it will become a final draft. Finally a sales treatment is made which is a synopsis designed to sell the film to potential financiers and to be an advert for the script, focusing on selling points of the story.

Packaging:
   When the script is complete the director and producer decide how they want to film it and who should be employed to help with the project. A rough budget is decided and actors are decided to attach to the project - the more well known they are, the more likely it is for the movie to sell. Heads of departments are decided like the Editor, the Production Designer and the Director of Photography. The producer must know how much time and money the film will take to make so draws up a budget and production schedule. Finally the producer makes a finance plan, showing how to raise finance for the film, and a recoupment schedule, showing the estimated revenue of the film. After the film has been packaged into a viable commercial product it is time to see what people make of it.

Financing:
   Film making is expensive so the producer needs to get enough funding to make it at the highest possible standard. They try to attract investment from places such as the film finance market place -  which is international, private individuals and public bodies. They can also attract money from pre-sales, banks, and Gap Funding - which is a loan to cover the difference between what has been raised so far and the budget of the film. Sometimes Completion bonds have to be put in place to protect the financiers interests. Once all funding and insurance has been sorted a film has been given the green light to go ahead.

Pre-Production:
   Once financing is secured the full cast and crew are hired so detailed preparation begins for the shooting of the film. The shooting script is given out and no major changes are made to it from this point on. The casting director, Producer and Director begin to decide what actors should be in the film and which character they should be. Storyboards are made so every shot can be planned in advance, then production designers plan how every aspect of the film should look and hire people to design and build every part. Special effects have to be planned in much more detail due to the fact they take longer to design and build to a good quality. 

The Shoot:
   The camera department is responsible for getting all the footage ready for the Editor and Director to tell the story. Lighting, sound and make up departments all play a vital part in the film, once they are set up shooting can begin. Actors must bring the story to life, capturing the hearts of the audience and adding depth to the film. Special effects are filmed with strict health and safety guidelines to minimise the risk to cast and crew, stunt doubles are often used instead of the main actors to perform risky stunts.

Post Production:
   This usually starts during the shoot - as soon as the first raw footage and sound are available. As the processed footage comes in the Editor puts it together in scenes to create a narrative sequence for the film. Once the picture is sorted, the sound department works on audio to make it more realistic and to fit with the picture. Digital effects are added as well as the titles and credits. The Telecine operator (colourist) adjusts the colour and establishes the aesthetic of the picture and then the sound is set to the final levels. When the final cut is finished it is ready for duplication.

Sales:
   The producer secures a specialised sales agent to help sell the film and trailer is made to show the most marketable aspects of the film. After the film is taken to market the producer aims to have it screened at a high profile film festival. Deals are then made with distributors around the world.

Marketing:
   As finishing touches are being made to the film, distributors plan a strategy to market it. The marketing team run test screenings to see how an audience reacts to the film. Advertising is crucial as it introduces potential audiences to the film using posters, trailers, merchandise and other materials. Press and media coverage can also help spread a positive word-of- mouth about the film, and using the internet can help target people who are most likely to watch the film by advertising on other forms of media that are similar to the genre of the film. To get the film to audiences the distributor must negotiate with cinemas to get the film screened.

Exhibitions:
   Cinema exhibitions are still the main way films reach their audiences and box office success is crucial for financial success. High profile premieres will launch the film into the spotlight and create a huge media buzz around the film, causing people to want to go and see it. Distributors will supply the exhibitors with copies of the film to broadcast on their screens.  If a film is a box office hit then the exhibitors will be more willing to prolong the showing of it to create a higher revenue, however if it is under performing they would wish to cancel it and replace it with the showing of a different film. Exhibitors will take their cut of the box office receipts and then the revenue is distributed between those involved.

Other Windows:
   A successful run in cinemas can lead to the film becoming a sought after product which can then be used to generate more income. 'Hospitality' sales can be made, which would be used for hotel channels or in-flight entertainment. DVD and Video are very popular to release after a film as British audiences spend more on DVDs than they do in the cinema. Television is another source of revenue - rights for films can be sold and then broadcast to TV audiences. Rights for computer games that accompany the film can also be sold, which would be very profitable. Each of these would cause a great deal of revenue and increase the popularity of a film, maybe introducing it to new audiences.
Once the film has made a profit, the key creative people can be rewarded with their share. The final income of a film is never known as revenue continues long into the future from things such as DVD sales and maybe even a re-release.