Home Film Production

FILM &
FILM PRODUCTION
Prepared by
Mr. Bryan Dexter Almayda
Instructor
 Home Film Production

WHAT IS
FILM
PRODUCTION?
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Film production is a lengthy, multi-step

process of making movies that can
sometimes take years to complete. Film
productions go through five main
phases. The first step of film production
is the development stage, where all the
initial details of the movie are figured
out before entering pre-production,
which focuses on research, casting, and
location scouting.
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After pre-production is
complete, shooting can
commence. Shooting time
varies between projects, and
the type of film you’re making
(short or feature-length) will
determine the length of the
production phase.
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After shooting concludes, you’ll

move into the post-production
phase, where footage is edited
and arranged into a complete
narrative. The production will
then move into the distribution
phase, and the final product is
sent to theaters, DVD, or a
streaming service.
 Home Film Production

FIVE STAGES
Development
Pre-Production
Production
Post-Production
Distribution
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DEVELOPMENT
The development stage is the first step
in film production. This phase of the
production process includes fleshing
out the story idea, writing a draft of the
script, and figuring out the financial
logistics of the project. Depending on
the type of film you’re making and who
you can get involved, development can
last anywhere from a few months to a
few years.
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PRE-PRODUCTION
When you get the green light to start the
pre-production stage, you’ll establish a
production company and set up a
production office. This is where the
planning of your film shoot will take place.
Pre-production involves finalizing the
shooting script, finding shoot locations, and
figuring out the production budget. You’ll
establish your shooting schedule, as well as
all the equipment and gear you’ll need
before setting foot on your film set, and the
casting director will start auditioning actors
for the director’s approval.
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This is also the stage where you’ll

acquire key film crew members for your
production team, like the director of
photography, assistant directors, unit
production managers, and costume
designers. Once all the pieces are in
place, creative planning begins. Each
department works with the line
producer to break down what each field
needs to properly execute the director's
vision. This is also where creatives
finalize the sound design for the
auditory experience of the film.
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PRODUCTION
The production stage, also known as
principal photography, is when shooting
begins. During this short timeframe,
additional crew will be hired—like a script
supervisor to check for script continuity
while filming, and a property master to
acquire and oversee any of your film’s
props. The hair, makeup, and costume
departments will handle the actors' visual
appearance, and actors will rehearse their
lines and block scenes.
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Your production coordinator will

supervise the day-to-day and make
sure all supplemental departments like
catering, billing, and scheduling have
the necessary resources to stay on
track. Camera operators and grips will
follow the shooting plan set by the
director and cinematographer,
capturing all the necessary footage.
Picture and sound editors are also
hired during this time, choosing the
best takes of the day and assembling
them into a sequence so that a rough
cut is ready by the time filming ends.
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POST-PRODUCTION
Post-production phase is when the audio
and visual materials are cut together to
create a film, and happens after principal
shooting is complete. An editor assembles
footage shot-by-shot, adds music (either
original or licensed), and incorporates other
sound and visual effects. Some elements of
filming, like pick-up shots, voiceover, or
ADR may be included in the post-
production phase. These elements are
woven together to create a multi-sensory
experience we call a movie.
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DISTRIBUTION
Distribution is the final stage of production,
which occurs after your movie has been
edited, and is ready for viewing.
Promotional marketing will advertise the
movie, and any commitments to investors
and rights holders will be completed.
Depending on your distribution deal, your
film may be released into theaters, on DVD,
or onto an alternative digital media
platform.
 THE ROLES
OF THE
PRODUCTION
TEAM
Producer

This person is essentially the group leader and is

responsible for managing the production from
start to finish. The producer develops the project
from the initial idea, makes sure the script is
finalized, arranges the financing and manages the
production team that makes the film.

The producer also coordinates the filmmaking

process to ensure that everyone involved in the
project is working on schedule and on budget.
Without the producer at the helm, films do not
get made.
 Director

The director is primarily responsible for

overseeing the shooting and assembly of a film.
While the director might be compared to a
novel's author as a film's primary visionary, he or
she would not be able to make the film without
the help of numerous other artists and
technicians.

In fact, the notion of the director as an author is

misleading because it assumes the director, like
an author, does everything. A director works at
the center of film production, but is inextricably
linked with dozens of other people who get the
job done together.
 Screenwriter

While the dialogue in a film may seem natural

to the viewer, a writer carefully crafts it;
however, the screenwriter does far more than
provide dialogue for the actors. He or she also
shapes the sequence of events in a film to
ensure that one scene transitions to the next
so that the story will unfold logically and in an
interesting way.

Like the producer, the screenwriter's role is

generally overlooked by the movie-going
public, yet is essential to the completion of
any film. If there is no script, there is no movie.
 Production Designer

Before one inch of film is shot, the production

designer is the first artist to translate the script
into visual form. He or she creates a series of
storyboards that serve as the film's first draft.

A storyboard is a series of sketches on panels that

shows the visual progression of the story from one
scene to the next. Creating this sketch of the film
on storyboards also ensures the visual continuity
of the film from start to finish. Storyboards serve
as the director's visual guide throughout the
production and will be a template to follow
during the editing process.
 Art Director

The art director is responsible for the

film's settings: the buildings, landscapes
and interiors that provide the physical
context for the characters. This person is
responsible for acquiring props,
decorating sets and making the setting
believable.
 Costume Designer

Costumes convey a great deal about

the film's time period and the
characters who wear them, including
their economic status, occupation and
attitude toward themselves. Be sure to
think about how costuming can show
something about the character visually.
 Cinematographer

The director of photography, or DP, is responsible

for capturing the script on film or video. The DP
must pay attention to lighting and the camera's
technical capabilities.

When the director wants a shot to achieve certain

visual or atmospheric qualities, the DP achieves it
through his or her choice of lighting, film stock
and careful manipulation of the camera. This craft
is referred to as cinematography.
 Editor

Shortly after shooting begins, the editor begins

to organize the footage and arranges individual
shots into one continuous sequence. Even in a
single scene, dozens of different shots have to
be chosen and assembled from hundreds of
feet of film. The editor's choices about which
shots to use, and the order in which to place
them, have a profound effect on the
appearance of the final film.
 Actors

Responsible for portraying the characters in

a film, actors work closely with the director
and cinematographer. Considering an
actor's role within this larger context also
suggests that his or her job is much more
difficult than just appearing on the set and
reciting lines.