AUDIENCE AND INSTITUTION

AS Media Studies

Film Industry

Production

Stage 1: The idea

An idea occurs to someone such as a Writer, Director, Producer, or Actor. In this competitive industry, ideas need to be fresh and marketable. Whether the idea moves forward from this point, and how quickly, depends on who comes up with it.

Stage 2: Development

An idea has to be evaluated before any significant money is spent on developing it into a full-fledged screenplay. The idea has to be original yet have an air of familiarity to be marketable to a broad spectrum of people. The budget is taken into account at every point of the process. If the idea manages to jump successfully through all the requisite hoops, a writer is hired under the WGA contract and a TREATMENT of the story is completed.

The treatment may go through many committees and studio executives before the process is allowed to continue to the actual screenwriting stage. Typically the writer who pitched the idea and worked up the treatment is hired to do at least the first draft. The screenplay usually goes through the same obstacle course that the treatment did. Major rewrites may continue right up to the first day of shooting, and daily rewrites throughout production are a common occurrence.

Stage 3: Pre-Production

Once all the ABOVE-THE-LINE people are reasonably happy, the project moves into official preproduction. It is during this stage that any additional above-the-line personnel are hired. As the production start date becomes imminent, BELOW-THE-LINE crew are called. More often than not, the Director and at least one A-LIST star are asked to commit during development. Most films, both studio and independent, have a difficult time being financed without the interest of a major corporate or financial entity. As momentum for the project builds, schedules are created and a “realistic” budget is calculated. If not enough time is spent or shoddy work is done during preproduction, all efforts later on, during production and beyond, will undoubtedly suffer.

Stage 4: Production

During this twelve-week period the words on the page are turned into pictures and sound by a cast and crew of over one hundred skilled and typically union (IATSE, DGA, SAG,Teamsters) employees. Every shot featuring the principal cast is filmed by the FIRST UNIT crew. If additional photography is needed that doesn’t necessarily involve the main cast, such as stunts or elaborate special effects, a SECOND UNIT or SPECIAL EFFECTS UNIT is assembled to shoot simultaneously at a different location.

Stage 5: Post-Production

Postproduction is usually considered the period when all of the film is edited. The truth is that during actual production, an Editor has been cutting the DAILIES continually. By the time the shooting schedule ends, the Director will have a nearly complete movie to look at. Some Second Unit and effects work may continue far into the post production schedule. The Director and Producers will alter the Editor’s work as they please until they are happy. Location sound is fixed with ADR, SOUND EFFECTS, and a music score is married to the completed picture.

Marketing

Three ways of marketing a film:

1. Social Marketing:

It refers to the design, implementation and control of programs to increase the acceptability of a social cause or practice among people e.g. No Smoking campaign in Delhi University, publicity campaign for casting vote.

2. Augmented Marketing:

It refers to providing additional services by way of innovative offerings and benefits to the customers to increase his level of satisfaction e.g. free home delivery service by Supermarkets.

3. Direct Marketing:

Marketing through various advertising media that interact directly with consumers, generally calling for the consumer to make a direct response, e.g. Catalogue Selling, Mail-order, Tele-calling and TV shopping.

Exhibition

Wide Release

The most common release pattern, in which the film is released nationally in all markets. This is the pattern used by the majors, since this type of release pattern requires a heavy investment in prints and national advertising, which while having reach into all markets, is expensive. With a wide release, the producers and distributors can realize revenues to recoup their investment in a shorter time period (provided that the film is successful). Finally, revenues from DVD sales can also be realized faster from a quickly-executed theatrical release (the shorter the time period between the theatrical release and the DVD release, the greater the potential for DVD income).

The Modified Wide Release

The film will open in a few major markets and expand week by week to build awareness and allow positive word-of-mouth reputation to develop. This type of release would initially be supported spot advertising (advertising in a specific geographical area, such as a city) and may move to national advertising once it expands to other markets.

Exclusive and Limited Runs

Exclusive and limited runs begin with engagements at a limited number of screens, traditionally in large urban areas, such as Toronto. Based on favourable reviews and positive word-of-mouth, the film may move slowly to additional theatres. This release pattern is almost always used for upscale 'art-house' or foreign films and may be part of a platforming strategy, where critical acclaim in an important market will assist in providing momentum for a wide release.