How a film is made

By Charlie Callaway

1.The Idea • A film is made by someone having inspiration. The idea can come

from anything in everyday life E.g. From a newspaper,Magazines,Hobbies And just every day life.

• After you have and idea you need to go out and find a producer who is willing to make the film for you.

• After you have a producer you need to get a director which will help develop your idea into the making of the film.

• Once you have your producer and director on board you need to get a writer who will write the script for the film.

• The writer will then write a treatment. A one page description of the main story and characters of the film.

• You need to make a pitch which will help you to sell the project to financial backers. Your pitch must include The Genre of the film for example Horror such as Saw, The target market, from 18 years old and mainly males, list of people required for the project, a rough budget and a brief synopsis.

2.Development Finance • First thing to do is to pitch to project. Its basically when you turn the

idea into a finished script it can take a long time And a lot of money.• If The producer can afford to she can invest money herself into the

project. If she does she will own all the rights.• Once the script has been writing they need to take it to company and

try to persuade them to invest money in to the project but they will ask for some of the profit that will be made.

• The producer can offer the future sales and broadcast. Theirs usually 3 main people in this “The sales Company”, “The Broadcaster” and “The Distribution Company”

• The producer can also apply to a public funding body E.g. “Uk film council” The uk film council operates a limited development designed to invest into the uk film talent.

• The producer will pitch to a private investor and hopefully they will help the project.

• If the producer has managed to get a development deal it includes an agreement from the sales distribution and broadcast.

3.Script Development• For the writer and producer to make a good film they need to have

stuff in common and get on well because it’s a stressful job. And if one day one has an idea they need to discuss it rather than arguing.

• When making a film you need do the step outline it contains short written description of all the scenes that they will edit and eventually it will make the script.

• Part of the writers fee is conditional on delivery of the first draft. This can be the hardest part of screen writing.

• Once the producer and writer are happy the draft is sent to the financers .All of whom will have there own ideas.

• When everyone is happy with the script. It is locked off and becomes a final draft. Then the writer gets paid.

• The final stage of the script development process is the creation of sales production

4.Packaging • What is packaging? Packaging is when the producer director

must now package the script into a full commercial proposition ready for financing.

• One common way to make the project more commercial is to attach well known stars to the script .

• Respected. Commercially successful heads of department carry considerable clout with knowledge financers.

• To turn the film into a proper business proposition. The producer must know how much it will actually cost to make.

• Potential investors will want to know how the producer plans to raise the money. And how she plans to pay them back.

• The producer has packaged the film into a viable commercial proposition now its time to see what people think of it.

5.Financing • Financers can be anywhere in the world. To secure the

investment she needs to make the film . The producer will have to travel.

• Private individuals. Production companies and public bodies all invest in films. The producers lawyer draws up contracts to seal the deal.

• The producer can also raise money from “Pre sales” selling the rights to the film before its out.

• There are departments of banks that specialise in film finance they invest in commercial projects. And also offer also loans.

• Most financers insist on a completion bond is in place before they agree to invest. This is insurance for the production.

• Once all the essential funding and insurance is secured. The film gets the “Green Light” and producers get drunk ;).

6.Pre-production • Once all the heads of the department are hired. The

shooting script is circulated and pre – production begins in the earnest.

• The casting director with the director and producer. Begins the long process of identifying and casting the actors.

• Story boards are the blue prints for the film. Where every shot is planned in advance by the director and the dop.

• The production designer plans every aspect of how the film will look. and hires people to design and build each part.

• Effects shots are planned in much more detail than normal shots. And can take months to design and build.

• The 1st ad, The producer and production manager make up the key logistics triangle of the production.

7.The Shoot • This is the key moment in film production, Shooting begins,

Funding is released. And the production breaths a Hugh sigh of relief.

• The camera department is responsible for getting all the footage for the director and editor need to tell the story.

• Once the lighting and sound are set up and hair and make up have been checked The “Shot” Can begin.

• In the midst in all of this commotion. The actors must create an emotional world and draw the audience into it.

• Every special effect is carefully constructed and must be filmed with minimum risk of injury to cast and crew.

• Film productions are run with military precision if they fall behind schedule the financers and insurers may step in.

8.Post production • As the processed footage comes in. The editor it into

sequences and creates a narrative sequence for the film.• Once the picture is locked. The sound department works on

the audio track laying. Creating and editing every track.• Digital effects are added by specialist effects compositions

and titles and credits are added in composition suite.• The final stage of the picture edit is to adjust the colour and

establish the fine aesthetic of the film.• After picture lock. The rough sound mix goes to a dubbing

theatre where the sound mixer sets, The final levels.• After the film cut the film reaches “Full lock”. It is now

finished and ready for duplication but who gets the final cuts?

9.Sales• To help her sell the film to distributors. The producers secure

the services of sales agent a specialist in film sales.• To help sell the film. A trailer is made to show busy film buyers

the most marketable aspects of the film.• The producer and the sales agent collect everything they will

need to sell the film distributors.• The market is saturated with films. So the producer must go

to great lengths to attract attention for her product.• A high-profile screening at one of the top film festivals can be

great for generating “Heat” around a film.• The producer now has a hot product. And can negotiate good

deals with distribution around the world.

10. Marketing • To help her sell the film to distributions the producer secures

the services of a sales agent. • Knowing the audience is essential. And the marketing team• runs test screenings to see how the film is received.• The potential audience for the film is targeted with posters.

Cinema trailers. T.V spots and other marketing materials.• Television, radio, newspapers and magazines can all help

create a positive word-of-mouth about a film.• The birth of digital media and the internet has flooded the

world with information. But also made niche marketing imposable.

• In order to get the film to audiences the distributor must negotiate a deal with the cinemas to screen it.

11.Exhibition • A high-profile. Star studded premier is used to launch the film

to the public with an explosion of media coverage.• The uk has more than 3.500 cinema screens. Although not all

are British owned or show British films.• Distributors supply the exhibitors with prints of the film. The

more screens the film is shown on the more prints are needed.

• The exhibitors take their share of the box office receipts. After which the distributors recoup there marketing costs.

• Once the distributors have been paid. the financers