film production

• Step 1: Concept and Idea Generation

  •A film concept is the very basic thought of what it can be. It's the spark of a story or situation and the central characters you will follow.
• Pre-production • The earliest phase in the film production process, pre-production is the preparation part.
• Step 1: Concept and Idea Generation • Suggested questions a film concept might answer: Who is the main character? What problem, predicament or journey will they face? Where and when will this take place? • In movie-making, the high concept idea is preferable.
• Step 3 - Idea Development •At first, it's about adding story details to the concept so you have something you can write and film. Brainstorming, alone or with other people, helps find new creative paths.
• Step 4 - Screenwriting & Scriptwriting • With ideas ready, it's time to write them down. Every film works from a "screenplay" or script, detailing each scene, setting, and person interaction. • Scriptwriting is mostly about dialog and how the various characters speak. Descriptions of place or situation set the scenes but primarily you want a script that tells the story through their words.
• Step 4 - Screenwriting & Scriptwriting • Tips for writing a good film script: Make every word count. Feature film scripts average 90- 120 pages, so snappy and sharp dialog gives good exposition. Write how people talk. It might seem obvious, but telling a realistic story key. Study scriptwriting by taking a course or a reading a book. Format it well for easy readability and sharing.
• Step 5 - Hiring, Recruiting Cast and Crew

  •We all need help occasionally, so adding personnel to the production is likely.

  Lower budget "indie” films use volunteers to reduce labor costs. Friends, family, and local film students become actors, set dressers, or even camera operators!
• Step 6 - Scouting locations & production design • Finding suitable locations for the film shoot is known as scouting. Scouts search for interior and outdoor places that best fit those described in the script. . Find adaptable, versatile spaces rather than changing the script to fit. . Get permission to film. Seek and secure permits if required. Shoot in one place or use green screening for virtual backdrops.
• Step 7 - Storyboards and shot lists • Storyboards are like a script for the camera to follow. Instead of words, they describe key scene shots and camera angles with illustrations • Shot lists go alongside to describe the contents of every shot or scene, what will happen and what's needed.
• Step 8 - Production schedules • A production schedule helps with keeping the film production process organized. It typically takes the form of a day-by-day calendar, spreadsheet, or chart that timetables the filming. Divide script pages into days, allowing extra time for complex scenes. • Make breakdown sheets and production strips for scene elements. • Schedule in practical filming order rather than in script order. • Call sheets can then be created to instruct the crew on what needs to be done, by who, where, and when.
• Production •With the project all planned, production can begin. This requires filming (or shooting) all the scenes you've scheduled, including both the visuals and audio.
• Step 9 - Shooting • Shooting or filming is the main single step here. It's all about capturing the raw video, all the shots and sounds that the script demands. • Assuming all the other elements are in place, the main concern will be your equipment. Foremost is a suitable affordable camera of course, along with microphones and any lighting too. • You may decide to capture alternative camera angles with different lighting or even adjusted dialog. Keep in mind that staying flexible with your vision will allow you to tell the story in the best way.
• Post-production •Post-production is all the work performed on the film after shooting. Once recording "wraps" and the footage is in the can, it's time to finalize the project ready to show!
• Step 8 - Production schedules • A production schedule helps with keeping the film production process organized. It typically takes the form of a day-by-day calendar, spreadsheet, or chart that timetables the filming. Divide script pages into days, allowing extra time for complex scenes. • Make breakdown sheets and production strips for scene elements. • Schedule in practical filming order rather than in script order. • Call sheets can then be created to instruct the crew on what needs to be done, by who, where, and when.
• Production •With the project all planned, production can begin. This requires filming (or shooting) all the scenes you've scheduled, including both the visuals and audio.
• Step 9 - Shooting • Shooting or filming is the main single step here. It's all about capturing the raw video, all the shots and sounds that the script demands. • Assuming all the other elements are in place, the main concern will be your equipment. Foremost is a suitable affordable camera of course, along with microphones and any lighting too. • You may decide to capture alternative camera angles with different lighting or even adjusted dialog. Keep in mind that staying flexible with your vision will allow you to tell the story in the best way.
• Post-production •Post-production is all the work performed on the film after shooting. Once recording "wraps and the footage is in the can, init's it's time to finalize the project ready to show
• Step 10 - Editing • Start by storing and logging the filmed footage in a way that makes sense. Pick the best takes and make them findable as you "cut" several versions. • First Assembly places logged footage into a basic, linear timeline. Rough Cut starts trimming the first assembly into an overall first draft. • Fine Cut goes deeper into refining individual frames and each cut between shots. • Final Cut is the fine cut with color grading, sound, and VFX, etc, all added.
• Step 10 - Editing • Taking time and a lot of skilled work, editing is crucial to telling the story as written in the script and drawn in the storyboard. •Tip: Short films run up to 40 minutes, with features averaging 75-210 minutes long.
• Step 11 - Sound design • This step is typically about the creation of additional sounds not recorded on set. Sound design typically includes adding extra sound effects including 'diegetic sounds' (sounds that exist in the scene) or 'non- diegetic sounds' (sounds that are used for emphasis or to aid in telling the story) to create a 'soundscape' that helps build an immersive atmosphere around your visuals. Sound design is basically any audio used that isn't music or dialogue.
• Step 11 - Sound design •How you use, edit, and mix these elements can have a big impact. Sound can "bridge” together scene transitions, build tension, or deliver narrative cues. •Tip: Treat film sound and music as a character or storytelling device.
• Step 12 - Color correction • Not to be confused with color grading (which is more creative and we'll cover later on), color correction is the process of adjusting the colors in your footage to make it look more ‘true-to-life'. • One of the most important (and most challenging) parts of color correction is getting realistic skin tones.
• Step 13 - Visual effects •Visual effects or 'VFX' is the adding of images to the film that were impossible or impractical to shoot in the production stage.
• Distribution and promotion •With the film ready to go, it's time for release. Distribution is about how and where the finished product gets screened. The ways in which the audience hears about it is promotion.
• Step 16 - Distribution • Finished films are marketed and shown by a film distributor. Separate from the film's main production team, the distributor releases the film to the public. • Disney, Warner Bros, Sony and Universal are four of the top film distributors in the trade. By working with theatres or even airlines, they set the release dates and run the advertising.
• Step 16 - Distribution • Global film releases may also need extra work. Foreign language subtitles and regional age certification are often handled by the distributor too. • Film distribution is changing, however. The rise of streaming TV platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ offer new ways to première movies. • Tip: Consider using online services and platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo to distribute your film.
• Step 17 - Promotion • Top techniques for making an effective film trailer: • Get shorty. Cinema trailers average 1.5-2.5 minutes with TV spots 15-60 seconds. • Tantalize viewers. Give glimpses of the most exciting scenes without spoiling plot. • Speak easy. Try using a voice-over or text titles to explain things fast.
• Step 17 - Promotion • Promoting a film is any work done to make people aware of it. This includes the marketing campaigns that are usually devised and run by the film's distributor. • See how we created a trailer for our Star Wars-inspired fan film 'Rise of the Dark Side'. • However, most film promotion starts with a preview or trailer. These are in fact made by specialist agencies rather than the production team to achieve maximum impact. Shown in cinemas, on TV, and online, they play a central role in attracting audiences.
• Step 17 – Promotion - •Film promotion today leans heavily on social media, like Facebook and Twitter. These still will link back to an official website or YouTube channel hosting the trailer •Tip: Think about using similar channels to freely spread the word about your own films.