Institutional Context

To start the making of a film, you start with the idea. This involves a source of inspiration, where you get the idea from. e.g. a book, a conversation or something that has happened to you. Then the producer decides whether to make the idea into reality. After that the director can visualize how to put the script onto the screen. The writer then defines and clarifies the idea, the story and main characters. The relationship between the producer, writer and director is the key creative triangle in the film business.

You then move onto the development finance and pitching the project to raise funds to make it happen, also approaching production companies. The producer can offer future sales in return for money to develop the script. The producer can also pitch the film to private investors in hopes to support the project.

After that, the writer has to put together the product the financiers and producer want. Firstly the writer creates a synopsis which is the first step to a good script. Most writers create a step outline to help them with the script. The draft is done next and can be the hardest part of screenwriting as the writers fee depends on their first draft. Once the writer and producer are happy, it is sent of to the financiers, whom all have different ideas of their own. Only after everyone is happy it gets locked off and the writer is finally paid. After, the producer will create a sales treatment.

With the script complete, the director and producer decide how they want to film it, and who they will employ to help them. The financing is sorted out and the cast is chosen as well as the head of departments. To turn the film into a proper business proposition, the producer must know how much the whole project will cost. The potential investors would want to know how the producer will raise the money and how they will get paid back.

There is yet again more investment searching, and the producer most likely has to travel to find some money. However this is difficult as there are many others doing the same, with sometimes the same package as them. Once all the essential funding and insurance is secured,the film gets the 'green light' and the producer can celebrate.

After the head of departments are hired, the script is passed round. The casting director, with producer and director, starts the process of casting the actors. Then the storyboarding takes place by the storyboard artist, with sometimes the DoP (photography) present. The production designer plans every aspect of how the film will look and hires people to design and build each part. The special effects are also planned carefully.

The filming can then start, and the filming team are responsible to capture everything the director and editor need to tell the story. Once the sound are lighting have been set up and the hair and make-up have been checked, the shot can begin. The actors need to be good to make the film a success, as they are the only ones being seen on screen by the public. Every special effect is carefully constructed and must be filmed with minimum risk of injury to anyone. Film productions need to be kept on schedule, otherwise they may go over budget and the insurers and financiers may step in.

The editor then makes a rough cut and puts the scenes into order. In post production sound and special effects are made and added, as well as the credits and titles. The colour may be tinted to establish the aesthetic of the film, also in the post production. After the final cut, the film reaches full cut and the film is ready for duplication.

The producer then secures the services of a sales agent to help sale the finished product. A trailer is made and highlights the most marketable aspects of the film, to make it appealing so people go to see it. The producer and sales agent collect everything together they need to sell the film to the distributors. The producer must go to extreme measures to attract attention for their product. As it turns into a hot product, the producer can negotiate good deals with distributors from around the world.

For marketing the marketing team runs test screenings to see how the film is recieved, knowing the audience is essential. The potential audience of the film are targeted with posters, cinema trailers and adverts. Also with newspaper reviews and T.V and Radio can help make a film a success with good reviews. To get the films to audiences the distributor must negotiate with cinemas to screen it. Then a premiere is used to boost the appeal with the stars that have feature in the film. With being shown in cinemas for the audience, the exhibitors take their share of the box office receipts, after which the distributors recoup their maketing costs.

There are then other windows the product can be taken. For example DVD and Video, being the most likely, but also a video game of the film or inflight movies, and the last source of revenue, terrestial tellevision or pay-per-view.