The Film Industry

DEVELOPMENT

The Idea
A lot of films are based on real life events, they can be found anywhere. For example, books, the internet, personal experiences, or someone telling you their own experiences. Remaking an existing film is also common, but there is a risk of the audience preferring the original film. Adaptations are another way, turning books into films. The most famous example could be, Harry Potter. Original ideas, is the best way for a film business, however, you must protect your own ideas, as well as not copying others. Producers are always looking for great ideas; they have to know what the audience want and when they want them. Once they have an idea, which they think is great, it is their responsibility to make it happen. Directors are very important in film making; they deal more with the creative side. A director may have an idea for a film and approach a producer, or a producer may approach a director with an idea. The director will work with a producer to turn the idea into something that can be filmed. If the director is well known, for example like Steven Spielberg it will attract more audience. Writers themselves will have an idea, and also have a script written. Most of the time it is the producer who brings the writer on board to write the script for them. The writer will then write a treatment, which is a one page description of the main story and the characters in the film. A pitch contains all the information the producer needs in order to sell the idea to financiers to commission a script.

Development Finance
The producers must use the treatment and the pitch to get money for the film. The producer approaches production companies for development money, but they could have other projects which they must deal with. The producer can offer future sales or broadcast rights to the film in return for money, which they can use to develop the script. The producer can also apply to a public funding body, such as the UK film council for a grant. The producer can even pitch their ideas to private investors, so that they can support the project.

Script Development
First the writer produces a synopsis, and the writer and producer must both agree on the key scenes of the film. Most writers create a step by step outline to plan their script. The step outline contains short written descriptions of all the scenes that will eventually make up the script, detailing the action in much more detail and showing where the scene breaks occur. Drafts can be the hardest part of screenwriting, film scripts whether first draft or final, don’t just contain dialogue. They also contain the action and events that will be seen on screen, and sometimes transitions between screens. Once the writer and producer are happy, the draft is sent to the financiers, whom will also have their own ideas. When everyone is happy with the script, it becomes a final draft and the writer gets paid. The final stage of the development process is the creation of a sales treatment. The producer will write a sales treatment based on the final draft of the script. A sales treatment is a synopsis designed to sell the film to potential financiers.

Packaging
The producer 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 the well known stars to the script. Respected, commercial successful heads of department carry considerable clout with knowledgeable financiers. 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 they plan to pay it back. The producer has packaged the film into a viable commercial proposition, so that they can see what people think of it.

Financing
Financiers can be anywhere in the world, to secure the investment, the producer must travel. Private individuals, production companies and public bodies all invest in films. The producers’ lawyer draws up contracts to seal the deals. The producer can also raise money from pre – sales. Selling the rights to the film before its even been made. There are departments of banks that specialise in film finance. They invest in commercial projects and offer loans. They regard films as business propositions, and have expertise in the risks of film investment and who to invest in. Most financiers insist that a completion bond is in place before they agree to invest. This is insurance for the production. Once the essential funding and insurance is secured, the film gets the green light.

Production

Pre – Production
Once all the heads of departments are hired, the shooting script is circulated and pre – production begins. The casting director, with the director and producer begin the long process of identifying and casting the actors. Storyboards are the blueprints for the film, where every shot is planned in advance by the director and the director of photography. 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 first assistant director, line producer and the production manager make up the key logistic triangle of the production.

The Shoot
This is the key moment in the film production, shooting begins, and funding is released. The camera department is responsible for getting all the footage that 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 of all the 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 financiers and insurers may step in.

Post Production
As the process footage comes in, the editor assembles it into scenes 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 sound. Digital effects are added by specialist effects compositors, titles and credits are added in a compositing 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 final cut the film reaches full lock, it is now finished and ready for duplication.

Distribution

Sales
To help the producer sell the film to distributors, they secure the help of a 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 need to sell the film to distributors. The market is saturated with films, so the producer must go to great lengths to attract attention for their 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 distributors around the world.

Marketing
To help the producer sell the film to distributors, they secure the help of a sales agent, a specialist in film sales. Knowing the audience is essential; the marketing team run tests, screening the film to see how the film is received. The potential audience for the film is targeted with posters, cinema trailers, TV spots and other marketing material. Television, radio, newspapers and magazines can all help create 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 possible. In order to get the film to audiences, the distributor must negotiate a deal with the cinemas to screen it.

Exhibition

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 screens, all though all are not 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 their marketing costs. Once the distributors have been paid, the financiers can recover their investments, as laid in the recoupment schedule.

Other Windows
Hospitality sales for hotel channels and in flight entertainment can bring in millions in additional revenue. UK audiences spend more on DVD’s than on cinema tickets, so success on DVD and compensate for box office failure. Television is the final source of revenue; rights are sold separately for pay TV showings and Terrestrial broadcast. Rights for computer games and other product licenses can be extremely lucrative sources of additional revenue. Once the film has made a profit, the producer and key creative people can reap their rewards. The final income of a film is never known, distribution continues in perpetuity, and it may even be released in the future.