The Process of Film Making
Offering the unique ability to visually and audibly convey a story, films remain a cornerstone in modern society. Combined with a viewer’s desire to escape the everyday parameters of life, and the excitement of enthralling themselves deep into another world, many people enjoy what films stand to offer. With the rising popularity of films across the world, the amount of film makers increases every day. Many technological innovations mark the advancement of film making, but the essential process remains the same. Pre-production accounts for everything taken place before any shooting occurs, followed by the actual production of the film, post-production will then consist of piecing the film together, and finally the film must reach an audience. Each step of this process contributes to the final product, and does so in a unique right. The process of film making will now start chronologically, stemming from the idea of the story, producing that story into a film, editing that footage together, and finally delivering that story to its viewers.
Before any physical shooting can take place, a series of preparation steps must occur to ready the production crew and actors alike. The beginning of any film starts with the story, much like a novel. Instead of words in a book, however, a script serves as the backbone of the film, containing all of the characters, settings, and action that takes place in the story. The script’s story will comprise of a conflict posed at the main character, a goal for that main character, and some sort of resolution. The elements of storytelling generally stay the same for scripts; the format for writing the script accounts for largest difference to that of a regular novel. Instead of writing strictly to tell a story, the script writer must also consider the director and actors’ needs. This means individually labeling which actor says what lines, describing the setting in respect to what the viewer will visually observe, and also expanding on the action of each character within that scene. A novel, written to entertain, differs from a script, written to explain what the viewer will see and hear throughout the film.
("Matrix, The Script at IMSDb.")
Upon acquiring the script, the next steps will encompass preparation for shooting the film. Choosing locations to shoot at, photographing stills of these locations, creating floor plans, designing storyboards, and developing a shot sheet will all assist with the technical aspect of producing the film. In addition, these steps help share the director’s vision for the film and eliminate hours of wasted time on set. Ensuring the production crew and actors share the same vision accounts for much of the film’s quality. If clashing viewpoints regarding the vision occurred on set, it would create an awkward situation for both parties involved, and undermine the director’s authority for the rest of the shoot. Even more detrimental, a struggle...
