In this era of modern entertainment, movies or films control the lion share and is the currently the one preferred by most audiences. Over the years it has overtaken novels and other printed materials and has almost kicked theaters out of business. Most audiences prefer movies because they are cheaper and more entertaining. The movie industry has also become an area of interest even to the government due to a large amount of revenue generated by this sector. The industry is also praised for creating employment opportunities to a very large number of individuals of different professional other than acting (Tepperman, 2014). To create a movie requires a lot of professionalism and is not as simple as most people believe. Developing a movie from nothing until its completion is time-consuming, require a huge budget, high level of creativity among others. Such requirements often hinder independent filmmakers from excelling in this industries especially lacking enough capital to produce a movie. In making a great film, several significant aspects and elements must be considered for it to be successful.
Significant Elements in Movie Making
The movie making process follows five major elements which include; development, pre-production, production, post-production, and movie distribution. Each of these major elements consists of other minor ones. During development, the filmmaker starts with; story development, writing the screenplay, re-writing the screenplay, and lastly, financing the movie. Pre-production consists of; casting, locations, shot list, script breakdown, tech scout scheduling by the 1st AD, and production design. Production involves of; principal photography and setting up, rehearsal, setting up shots, and checking the take. Post-production contains; editing, sound mixing, music, and test screenings. In movie distribution, there is no well-elaborated structure because how the movie is distributed is dependent on what the filmmaker chooses.
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Development
This stage also referred to as “development hell.” The process of development may be viewed from two different angles; that of independent movie makers, and that of movie makers in Hollywood system. But we will focus mostly independent movie makers because it follows the guidelines of how movies are developed worldwide. The movie development consists of similar activities which may overlap depending on different individuals and are as follows:
Story Development
Every great movie has its base on how the story was developed. Major creativity is required at this stage because with a poorly developed story, others stages may do very little to make such movie great. A good writer needs to the three-act structure for his or her story to be perfect, and these structures include; the set-up or beginning, middle or confrontation, and resolution or the end. The set-up stage is where the writer should create an overwhelming introduction which will be able to catch the attention and interest of the audience. The confrontation stage is the story itself and takes the longest time of all other stages showing event after the other according to how the writer had planned. Resolution is the end part of the story, and for a story to be great, it ending should be great. A good ending may increase the ratings of a movie more compared to other stages.
Writing the Screenplay
Screenplay begins when the writer has a crystal-clear vision of the plot points, the structure, and an outlined scene. Writers who run directly into the screenplay without first developing an actual script, often run in different kind of problems such as loss writing materials after only a while or losing sight of the structure of the screenplay. The screenplay can be formatted in different ways such as the use of word processor but for the best results, a screenwriter should use a software like Final Draft because it saves both time and money (Tepperman, 2014).
Re-writing the screenplay
Re-writing the screenplay is an important aspect in the development of a movie. It helps the writer to improve the quality of his script by adding new and better ideas to the previous ones as well as correct mistakes that he or she could have done in the previous drafts. A number of talented writers re-write at least three or four drafts before they get satisfied that the screenplay is perfect.
Financing the Movie
This is the last stage in movie development. This is the stage that is usually the most painful and frustrating for almost all independent filmmakers. To produce a movie, require a huge amount of money and the greatest headache of a filmmaker is of how to secure financial support until the movie is completed. To get funding of producing a movie may take even decades, so most filmmakers blow their own money and if the movie is unable to bring higher returns, marks the end to most of them in this industry. Lack of financial support has made a lot of independent filmmakers get stuck at this stage. All other elements of creating a movie depend heavily on this stage due to their high appetite for money, therefore, they cannot operate without money (Absi et al, 2018). Each movie has its own budget and therefore, no two movies that can have exactly the same financial requirements.
Pre-Production
A filmmaker can only proceed to this level if he or she is in the capacity to take of all the bills that will arise in the process. This is the preparatory stage where the process of movie-making begins and where the selection of key crew members starts. Activities involved in pre-production frequently overlap and the include:
Casting
Casting is the process of finding actors who equal the director’s provisions and Casting Directors are the ones entitled to this work. Even though the last decision in the selection of actors lies with the director. Casting directors do a lot of tedious work which is also time-consuming in finding the right actors for the job. Casting directors have a large pool of actors and know which actor is best for a certain role and they tend to follow the career of all of these actors. They usually compile the career history of actors for future use and also for easier selection. Even though directors love casting directors, most actors hate them because they are a barrier to their success especially if one is not on their favorite list.
Locations
Appropriate locations can always be found, but the real problem is their cost. For example, if you need a spacious office in Los Angeles, one is required to pay a rent of up to $10,000 per day which is deemed as very expensive. This is now where location scouts come in, even though they may charge a lot, these guys know a lot of good locations that can suit the proposed budget. They help the filmmakers secure excellent locations for their shooting and remove the burden of finding the best locations that are cost effective.
Shot List
This is a framing description and other details such as camera movement, focal length, remarks of the shots, and other issues are put in a numbered list of shots. Every director has ways of shot listing because it is a personal document (Absi et al, 2018). A good short list should include: a unique number for every shot in order to prevent confusion, every short should be described in a way that professional crew members will understand, and also some remarks on the shot that would have editing implications
Script Breakdown
This is the process where every item required in the movie’s shooting is identified. This includes props, effects, location, and anything else that would be required. In order to make the shoot successful, a real movie producer is needed to do this.
Tech Scout
These can be referred to as taking the reconnaissance of movie’s shooting locations. The director production designer, cinematographer, 1st AD, and line producer visit each and every location. The director then explains exactly what each shot will entail: what the will be doing, details of camera movement, where the camera will be positioned, how the scene will look like and so on (Absi et al, 2018). It is during this tech scout that heads of department may warn the director of any problem that may arise and affect the quality of the shooting.
Scheduling by the 1st AD
The 1st AD uses the director’s shot list after the tech scout to develop a schedule for each of the shoot. Mostly, the shots are scheduled in order of camera setup or lighting and director requires an experienced 1st AD for this.
Production Design
This is the last stage in pre-production, and it is where the production designer together with the costume designer designs and supervises the production of required set pieces as well as procurement of anything that will be required during the shoot
Production
This stage is not as stressful as the previous one because the main stresses include; sheer creative bliss, excitement, and adrenaline which are considered as positive stresses. The production contains the following segments: Principal photography, this is also referred to as the setting up stage. At this stage, every crew must report to the location and 1st AD begin to oversee as the crews set up the place as required for the shooting (Absi et al, 2018).
The second phase is the rehearsal, this is an important phase especially in actions movies, where the actors are supposed to perfect their performance before shooting. The third phase is that of setting up shots. At this stage, the cinematographer is directed on where to put the camera, which lens to use and camera movement details.
The last phase is that of checking the take. The director checks each and every shot and orders on which shots should be done again until he or she is satisfied with the quality of such shots. Most filmmakers also like to monitor the shots so as to make sure the quality of the movie is being maintained.
Post-Production
Post-production requires highly qualified professionals because they will determine the quality of the end product which is what attracts most audience. Post-production involves the following. The first process is editing. Editing includes visual effects and also a combination of the different shot in order to come up with a movie (Deldjoo et al, 2016). The second process is that of sound mixing, it involves adding sound effects that are necessary, setting level as well as making soundtrack as seamless as possible.
The third process is adding music to the movie. Music is important in setting different emotions in the movies such as joy, sad among many other. Music is also used to enforce acts that could not be captured perfectly in the shots (Love, 2014). The last process is that of test screening. A test screening is very important because it helps in siting mistakes done during the process of editing.
Movie Distribution
This is the last stage in movie production and usually a very tricky one for independent filmmakers who are producing their first movie. If the filmmaker does not know the right channel of distributing the movie, he or she may end making huge losses (Tepperman, 2014). Therefore, one should do a study on how to distribute his or her movie and be able to make a profit from it.
Significant Aspects in Movie development
Every great movie is the one that is capable of fully impressing its audience. A movie may be perfectly produced using a lot of money, but if all aspects are not working it is deemed to fail the proposed target. The best movies are those that contain the following aspects; truth, script, tone, acting, cinematography and lighting, special effects, casting, costuming, music and audio design, editing, expense, and polysemy (Luo, 2014).
Truth and Script
For a movie to attract a great a number of audience, it should be intelligently and cleverly written and should be economically viable. Creative thinking is required in creating a script so that the movie can have some uniqueness as compared to other movies because it will help it stand out. A filmmaker should also create a script that is economically viable when it comes to production. Some script, are usually abandoned because they require a huge amount of money in production than what the filmmaker can afford while others the requires more money than the amount the movie can make once produce which may lead to losses (Luo, 2014).
Also, most film-goers like movies that are made based on truth on human nature. Most movies which have been produced without considering this aspect, usually get criticisms from a lot of people which may paint a bad picture of anyone involved in its production. Movies produced against human beliefs usually attract a small crowd of people and in some cases, the filmmaker, the director, and the movie producer may find themselves on the wrong side of the law for producing such movies (Luo, 2014). This aspect has been well utilized by even by filmmakers who write horror and science- fiction film who include some fundamental truth in them in order to satisfy the expectation of their audiences.
Tone, Acting, and Casting
In a movie, the tone is used to prescribe a certain feeling or desire. This characteristic is almost indescribable but the best movies are able to invoke it which spices them to be great. Tone help the movie to be; scary, funny, oneiric, sarcastic, violent, hyperbolic, erotic etc. (Absi et al, 2018). If a filmmaker is unable of incorporating tone in his or her movie, no matter what he or she does, the movie will not be of the expected standard.
Acting requires someone who will be able to act his or her character exactly or even better than what the writer expects. The actor is supposed to convey the message or the impression just it is required to. Falling short of this may change the original meaning of the act and this may result in the failure of the movie to reach to its expectation. Therefore, the director is supposed to vet each and every actor to make sure they qualify for the roles they will be assigned.
Casting is important in making sure the act capture whatever that wants to be portrayed. A well-casted movie is able to create the best image which makes the movie looks more real. For this to happen, it requires the director also to choose an actor whose physical looks matches with the story (Absi et al, 2018). For example, if a film is based on the cultural practice of Jews, it requires that almost all actors should be of Jewish origin or else it will not be able to express the required message.
Cinematography and Lighting, Special Effects and Costuming
The cameraman is required to the scenery in the most magnificent way. He or she should use the best camera movement, framing, and composition to twang the story being told. They should also be able to brand actors look they are most expressive. Costuming is very important in the cast because it adds up the required feeling such class, situation, sheer beauty, historical period, among other. The correct costumes help the movie to attract the desired audience (Deldjoo et al, 2016).
The filmmaker should put special effects that make the movie to be more admirable but should caution not to overdo it. Special effects can be able to create a completely different landscape or background than the one the movie was created in. even though some of these special effects work are expensive; they bring a new to the movie which may make it earn more.
Music and Audio Design and Editing
Every great movie is appreciated by the quality of how well it was edited. A well-edited movie is able to create the desired mood from their cuts, set up a pace and many more things to prevent the audience from getting bored. Music and audios encrypted in the movie are supposed to engage the narrative purpose of the movie if done in the correct way. Movies with audio in them create a special feeling that makes the audience to love it (Love, 2014).
Expense and Polysemy
The cost of a movie is an important aspect when marketing the movie. Most customers prefer to buy movies that cost a lot during production than those that didn’t. some producers have been able to come up with a trick producing a movie cheaply but making it look expensive. Polysemy is where something has more than one meaning. If a filmmaker is able to make a movie that is polysemic, he or she is more advantageous because he or she can be able to attract a different kind of viewers.
In conclusion, the movie industry is a very competitive industry and for a filmmaker to survive it, he or she requires to consider all important aspects of movie making. A filmmaker is also supposed to adjust himself with the emerging issues in the industry so as to avoid being sidelined.
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