The Idea:
Sources of Information: We find inspiration from everywhere and when you're a filmmaker so look out for anything that remotely sounds like an interesting concept for a film. All areas of the media can spark an idea for example looking in a newspaper and see a interesting story for example the story that inspired the film, The Impossible, was a true story. Reboots, Remakes, Conversations (original ideas), Factual Events, Book Adaptations can be made into films.
Examples of each source of information:
Examples of each source of information:
- Reboot - Casino Royale was a reboot of James Bond starring Daniel Craig. Also The Amazing Spider-man starring Andrew Garfield was a reboot of the trilogy of Spider-man films in the early noughties starring Tobey Macguire.
- Remake - The Great Gatsby is an example of a remake.
- Factual Events - As said before, The Impossible was based on real life events of María Belón's and her family's experience of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
- Book Adaptations - The Fault in our Stars, a teen cult novel, is currently in production and it is based on John Green's book of the same name.
The Producer: Once the idea has been conceived it goes to a producer to be made into the reality. Normally the producers see a lot of films so they know what ideas sell in the industry. Producers then develop the film further, they handle the financial side as well as sometimes the creative and commercial side of the whole production. It takes skill and care to develop a film and make it a success and only very few can manage it efficiently. It is a quality that all producers must process.
The Director: The creative development of the film mainly involves the director as they are the one with the vision to see what the final outcome of the film will be. Their involvement begins early on the the production process. Sometimes the director will actually have the idea of the film and approach a producer to help them develop it further. If the director is well known then they should have the credibility to produce a good quality film for the audience, this can also help them get a good writer to get the most out of a good looking film and good quality script.
The Writer: The relationship between the Writer, Producer and Director is key in the development of the whole production. If all these three elements are all present and correct then the outcome of the film will be worthwhile. The writer will either write the script or give treatment to one to make sure that what is on the page will be a success when brought to life on the big screen.
Treatment: The next stage of the film making process will be that the writer will write a treatment of the script/story, it is a description of key events and and the characters. It is basically a synopsis that tells whoever reads it what the general idea of the film is and whether it is a interesting watch or not.
Pitch: In the pitch, the Producers will try to sell the idea to financiers and the pitch will also contain all the information that the film currently has. They need the financiers to help commission a script. The pitch will include: a one-liner describing the film briefly, the genre of the film to help set the scene, discussions of who the target market will be so they know exactly who to aim the movie at, a list of all the people who are currently attached to the project, a rough budget of how much it'll take to produce the film, and also a brief synopsis extended from the one-liner.
Development Finance:
This stage starts off with the pitch and the producer uses the treatment and the written pitch to persuade financiers to give them money to develop the script. The producer could also approach film production companies to help with the financing however the production companies have to be persuaded and they also have to right to have a large part in the film making process. The producer can also offer the future sales and broadcast rights to Sales, Distribution and Broadcast companies in exchange for money to develop the script further. Producers can also go down the public investment route which means a public funding body such as the UK Film Council will give the producers a development grant which also means the script can be developed and then eventually made into the actual film. Producers can also go for a private investment which is when they ask somebody with a lot of money for funding for the project if they think it is interesting and worth developing into a film. The investors have a share of the project so the producer has to work closely with them, after this though the producer now has to tie down a writer to complete a number of drafts of the script to work out which will be the most successful.
UK Film example: The World's End is an example of a British film
US Film example: World War Z is an example of a American film
Script Development:
The writer produces a synopsis for the film and he and the producer will decide on the key events and scenes that happen in the film then the first draft of the film is written. Some writers produce a step outline to plan out how to write their script. The first draft of the film is crucial to whether the writer gets paid or not. Once the Writer and Producer are happy then the draft is sent to the financiers and they will have their own ideas about the script. One everybody is happy with the script it is locked off and becomes a 'final draft' then the writer gets paid.
Packaging:
The Producer and Director now package the script which means they put the final draft, the sales treatment and rough budget into a pack this makes sure that it is ready for full commercial proposition, ready for financing. Next the cast are decided as the aim of the producer is to attract well known stars to add commercial value. Next the knowledgeable financiers discuss with different heads of departments to decide how the film will look and how it will be made such as discussing with the Production designer and the Director of Photography. Now the budget has to be officially decided to make sure everything is set. Investors also ask the Producer now how they will raise the money to pay for the film and how they will be paid back. Finally the Producer has packaged the film into a viable commercial proposition.
Financing:
The Producer has to travel now as the financiers can be located all over the world and they need to secure the investment. The Producer's Lawyer now draws up contracts to 'seal the deal'. The Producer can also raise money from pre-sales, which means people are sold rights to the film before it is made. Once the essential funding and insurance has been secured the film can get a 'green light'.
Pre-Production:
The Heads of Department are hired and the scripts are passed around and discussed. The Casting Director, Director and Producer begin the long process of deciding who to cast in the project. The script is then story boarded and the shots and the design aspects are decided and made to make sure the whole cast and crew know what they are letting themselves in for. Special effects scenes are made in advance because of the sheer amount of detail that has to go into into them.
The Shoot:
The Camera Department is responsible for getting all the footage needed to be able to tell the story of the film. Once the Lighting, Sound and Hair and Makeup have been checked then the shoot can begin. However the actors are the crucial part of this production stage because they have to create this emotional world and make us believe they are the characters. All the special effects scenes are filmed very carefully so they don't cause harm to the cast and crew.
Post-Production:
As the footage comes out of the shoot, the Editor organises it into a sequence and a narrative that the audience will understand. Once the picture is locked then the Sound Department step in and work on the audio track laying, creating the sound as well. The Digital Effects teams are now responsible for adding the special effects and the opening and closing credits. The final stage is to make sure the colour and actual aesthetic in the film are up to scratch. After the picture is locked the film is then sent to the dubbing theatre so the rough sound mix can be completed and the sound mixer sets the final levels of the sounds of the film. The film is now a final cut.
Sales:
The trailer is made to entice people to see the film, and it is the most marketable aspect to the film as this the first thing people see of the film. The Producer and Sales Agent collect everything they need to sell the film to the distributors. Film Festivals are essential to putting the film out there for people to see and normally they are very high profile as well and they are good for generating 'heat' around a film. The film is now a hot project so distributors all over the world can negotiate with the Producer now.
Marketing:
The Marketing team do a lot of work to make sure that the film will be accepted in the audience. They will run test screenings to see whether the target market will actually accept the film in the industry. The potential audience are also targeted by posters, cinema trailers, TV spots and other marketing methods. Newspapers and the Internet also help giveing a positive word of mouth.
Exhibition:
A high profile premiere is held with A-list stars attending to draw attention to the film. After that the film is shown either nationwide or worldwide and the people involved in the production hope for a success. Once the distributors have been paid the investors can recover their investments.
Other Windows:
The film can gain extra profit from hospitality sales such as in flight showings and hotel channels. The DVD sales and profits are higher in the UK than cinema ticket sales so this can really compensate for how well the film does. Television and Game rights are sold and licenses can be extremely useful to the profit. Once the film has made the profit then the Producer and the Key Creative people can reap the rewards. The film may be made into a sequel or even be re-released in the future.
Treatment: The next stage of the film making process will be that the writer will write a treatment of the script/story, it is a description of key events and and the characters. It is basically a synopsis that tells whoever reads it what the general idea of the film is and whether it is a interesting watch or not.
Pitch: In the pitch, the Producers will try to sell the idea to financiers and the pitch will also contain all the information that the film currently has. They need the financiers to help commission a script. The pitch will include: a one-liner describing the film briefly, the genre of the film to help set the scene, discussions of who the target market will be so they know exactly who to aim the movie at, a list of all the people who are currently attached to the project, a rough budget of how much it'll take to produce the film, and also a brief synopsis extended from the one-liner.
Development Finance:
This stage starts off with the pitch and the producer uses the treatment and the written pitch to persuade financiers to give them money to develop the script. The producer could also approach film production companies to help with the financing however the production companies have to be persuaded and they also have to right to have a large part in the film making process. The producer can also offer the future sales and broadcast rights to Sales, Distribution and Broadcast companies in exchange for money to develop the script further. Producers can also go down the public investment route which means a public funding body such as the UK Film Council will give the producers a development grant which also means the script can be developed and then eventually made into the actual film. Producers can also go for a private investment which is when they ask somebody with a lot of money for funding for the project if they think it is interesting and worth developing into a film. The investors have a share of the project so the producer has to work closely with them, after this though the producer now has to tie down a writer to complete a number of drafts of the script to work out which will be the most successful.
UK Film example: The World's End is an example of a British film
US Film example: World War Z is an example of a American film
Script Development:
The writer produces a synopsis for the film and he and the producer will decide on the key events and scenes that happen in the film then the first draft of the film is written. Some writers produce a step outline to plan out how to write their script. The first draft of the film is crucial to whether the writer gets paid or not. Once the Writer and Producer are happy then the draft is sent to the financiers and they will have their own ideas about the script. One everybody is happy with the script it is locked off and becomes a 'final draft' then the writer gets paid.
Packaging:
The Producer and Director now package the script which means they put the final draft, the sales treatment and rough budget into a pack this makes sure that it is ready for full commercial proposition, ready for financing. Next the cast are decided as the aim of the producer is to attract well known stars to add commercial value. Next the knowledgeable financiers discuss with different heads of departments to decide how the film will look and how it will be made such as discussing with the Production designer and the Director of Photography. Now the budget has to be officially decided to make sure everything is set. Investors also ask the Producer now how they will raise the money to pay for the film and how they will be paid back. Finally the Producer has packaged the film into a viable commercial proposition.
Financing:
The Producer has to travel now as the financiers can be located all over the world and they need to secure the investment. The Producer's Lawyer now draws up contracts to 'seal the deal'. The Producer can also raise money from pre-sales, which means people are sold rights to the film before it is made. Once the essential funding and insurance has been secured the film can get a 'green light'.
Pre-Production:
The Heads of Department are hired and the scripts are passed around and discussed. The Casting Director, Director and Producer begin the long process of deciding who to cast in the project. The script is then story boarded and the shots and the design aspects are decided and made to make sure the whole cast and crew know what they are letting themselves in for. Special effects scenes are made in advance because of the sheer amount of detail that has to go into into them.
The Shoot:
The Camera Department is responsible for getting all the footage needed to be able to tell the story of the film. Once the Lighting, Sound and Hair and Makeup have been checked then the shoot can begin. However the actors are the crucial part of this production stage because they have to create this emotional world and make us believe they are the characters. All the special effects scenes are filmed very carefully so they don't cause harm to the cast and crew.
Post-Production:
As the footage comes out of the shoot, the Editor organises it into a sequence and a narrative that the audience will understand. Once the picture is locked then the Sound Department step in and work on the audio track laying, creating the sound as well. The Digital Effects teams are now responsible for adding the special effects and the opening and closing credits. The final stage is to make sure the colour and actual aesthetic in the film are up to scratch. After the picture is locked the film is then sent to the dubbing theatre so the rough sound mix can be completed and the sound mixer sets the final levels of the sounds of the film. The film is now a final cut.
Sales:
The trailer is made to entice people to see the film, and it is the most marketable aspect to the film as this the first thing people see of the film. The Producer and Sales Agent collect everything they need to sell the film to the distributors. Film Festivals are essential to putting the film out there for people to see and normally they are very high profile as well and they are good for generating 'heat' around a film. The film is now a hot project so distributors all over the world can negotiate with the Producer now.
Marketing:
The Marketing team do a lot of work to make sure that the film will be accepted in the audience. They will run test screenings to see whether the target market will actually accept the film in the industry. The potential audience are also targeted by posters, cinema trailers, TV spots and other marketing methods. Newspapers and the Internet also help giveing a positive word of mouth.
Exhibition:
A high profile premiere is held with A-list stars attending to draw attention to the film. After that the film is shown either nationwide or worldwide and the people involved in the production hope for a success. Once the distributors have been paid the investors can recover their investments.
Other Windows:
The film can gain extra profit from hospitality sales such as in flight showings and hotel channels. The DVD sales and profits are higher in the UK than cinema ticket sales so this can really compensate for how well the film does. Television and Game rights are sold and licenses can be extremely useful to the profit. Once the film has made the profit then the Producer and the Key Creative people can reap the rewards. The film may be made into a sequel or even be re-released in the future.
A fairly concise (that's good) summing up of each of the key stages of film production. An understanding of all these areas is vital to achieve success this year. Well done Lauren.
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