Monday 31 October 2011

Film Industry: Introduction!

                                      How Does a Film Get Made?

1. Idea:
This is the foundation for any film. Someone gets an idea to what they think could develop into a successful, popular and selling film. It is important to understand the genre you want the film to be and establish the narrative and the main characters. In order to do that the creator can usually write a short pitch to outline the main details.
2. Pre Production:
Once the idea is there, the next thing to do is to express it. This can be done with a script and a storyboard. The script ofcourse does not need to be a final version, but at least a rough draft of it is very important to present, as this will make it easier to explain what it is about and make it clearer whether the film is actually worth making. The storyboard is also very important, as by trying to create drafts of different scenes, the creator of the film will be able to see for himself if his idea is realistic and quality material. If the drafts are seen as successful, the next step is to think about the best location for the film, the director, the cast members, the props, the costumes, the special effects and the visual effects. It is very important to find a good location for the film and see whether suitable sets can be constructed. When it comes to choosing the cast members, it is not cheap to choose someone famous, but in most of the cases it will pay off, as the people will be more likely to go and see the film. The props and the costumes also have to be found, as without them the film will be boring and they have to be picked according to the content of the film. The creator needs to be realistic about the effects when it comes to adapting the film, as in some cases not everything can be made the way it is firstly planned.
3. Funding:
This is part of pre production and has to be decided along with it. It is not very easy to sell an idea to someone if you are new to the film making industry. A famous director like Steven Spielberg will have no problem with getting someone to fund his idea, as he had a lot of experience and his films have proven to be successful. However if the creator is sure in his idea and has thought it through and picked a good cast, it is a possibility that someone will agree to fund it, in the hope of making back more money then it was originally put into the film. The decision on the funding will influence the final decisions on location and the cast, as it will be clear what can be afforded and what can not. At this stage the story rights of the film are also decided.
4. Production:
This is the actual filmmaking process-cinematography. This is recording and shooting the raw elements for the final film. This is a quite long process and it usually takes several months. The director is usually in charge of controlling the whole process and everyone has to listen to him. The reason that the process takes so long is because all the lighting and cameras have to be checked and ready, all of the cast needs to have hair and make up done and they need to put their costumes on and finally what is very improtant is to shoot different scenes several times, so in the next stage the best ones can be chosen; also they need to be shot from different angles, to then be edited.
5. Post Production:
This is the stage where the whole film is assembled and put together by the film editor. This also takes quite a lot of time, as several months worth of footage has to be cut down to usually the length of about two hours. The best looking scenes have to be chosen and put together, sound effects and soundtracks have to be added and special and visual effects also have to be implemented. The titles of the film and the credits at the end are also factors that get made and put into the film at the stage of post production.
6. Marketing and Distribution:
Once the film is completely ready, the next stage is to make it known. This can be done in different ways. A very common way is to have film premieres, which for very high budget films even happen in different locations around the world. This is the chance for the audience to see the cast of the film and it often makes them want to see it more. This is also the chance for the cast to get together and see the complete film for the first time. Then there are trailers, posters and stands, which would be displayed in the cinemas. Trailers and interviews with the stars will be on TV and Radio. Trailers and adverts will be posted on internet on websites such as "youtube." Finally merchandising will be made for the films with higher budget, which will attract the audience for the film and help make more profit.
7: Exhibition:
This is the final stage. This is when the film is released in the cinemas for all of the audience to see. There will be ratings ofcourse, which means that children for example would not be able to see restricted films that are only suitable for adults. After the film is shown in the cinemas roughly for about a time period of a month depending on the success; it is released on dvd and blue ray for the audience to purchase it and again bring more profit to the makers. Some films even have video games made after them, which also helps to bring profit.

No comments:

Post a Comment