Film Making process
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It all starts with an idea. A film, like all forms of art, sees its genesis in the human mind. In fact, could it be said that that’s all any piece of art is? Alas, that would require us to delve into a metaphysical realm that cannot easily be escaped. Thus, we must content ourselves with knowledge of the physical process of making a film.
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How do ideas get translated into a story, or into a screenplay? First, the producer selects one of many stories that they feel is viable to be converted into a movie, and the production process begins. The story could come from a variety of sources: plays, novels, video games, or even original ideas. They then start working on fleshing out the story and characters, and make an initial draft of the screenplay. The first draft might not include any specifics at all. In fact, most of the time, it is an outline of the direction the narrative is going to take, and it contains several illustrations to help visualize the scenes better. Once this is done, a screenwriter writes the screenplay over a few months, developing the plot, the characters, and all the dramatic elements in detail. The next step is arguably the one that makes or breaks a film.
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The producer and the screenwriter now prepare a pitch that they deliver to actors and directors. At this stage, a lot of movies go through development hell, and do not find a crew that are willing to work on it. Moreover, the difference between independent movies and mainstream ones is clear. Most producers approach big production houses and film studios to back them, and if the film receives a so-called “green light”, it is well on its way to being made. However, there is an alternative. The director and the film studio may not be a part of mainstream commercial cinema, and may be running on lower budgets than is normal. If the film gets made by such an organisation, it becomes an independent film.
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Next, casting. Once the lead roles and actors for those roles have been finalized, a casting director works closely with the director to find actors for the numerous supporting roles in the film. It is not uncommon for a supporting actor to be replaced multiple times during the whole process. All of these steps count towards the pre-production, which is an intensive process in which each shot of the movie is carefully designed and planned. Finances are sorted out, a budget is fixed, and insurance is procured. Next stop: production.
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A film is normally shot over several months. Extras may be recruited at this stage, and a lot of the logistical crew as well. The shooting process is especially taxing because there is no such thing as a normal routine. Scenes are shot depending on a variety of factors, including natural lighting, so directors often do dozens of takes for the same scene. Furthermore, films are rarely, if ever, shot in chronological order. The entire timeline of the screenplay may be turned on its head! It is very important to maintain continuity, so there is usually a designated assistant who takes note of all the continuity issues.
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After the filming process comes to an end, and the task of the actors is (mostly) finished, we come to post-production. This is arguably the most strenuous, and time consuming, part of the entire journey, where all the pieces come together like a jigsaw puzzle. The audio and video are synced, the footage is sorted and the best takes are filtered out, and any special effects are added. The music composer also comes up with an original score for the film. Editors, after completing all of the above steps, finish the film’s production process. This is when a film is considered “locked”.
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Distribution of the movie comes next. This usually involves a lot of advertising, press coverage, and red-carpet premieres, and often screenings at film festivals such as Cannes or Venice. Independent movies are largely reliant on such festivals for their proliferation. However, streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube have increasingly backed independent producers in distributing their films and reaching a wider audience. With this form of internet distribution, filmmakers do not see the need to approach wealthy commercial entities or film studios.
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To make a film requires dedication. It requires money, time and energy. It is a very intricate form of art, where the final product is a mere fraction of the whole. And yet, this fraction has the power to move, to captivate, to excite and enthrall and horrify. It has the power to change a person and to influence entire cultures. Such is the power of cinema.
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