Filmmaking is a process and for that reason it has various stages that one needs to follow in order to achieve the needed success.
These various stages of film production are meant to be followed one after the other because there is no way you can jump one and get to two.
Basically, so many filmmakers have classified these various stages into 3 basic stages which are the pre-production, production and post-production. But in this article we are going to break down all these various stages in order to help you understand how to get around them one after the other.
But before we get started with this article, I want to help you understand that in order to achieve the needed success while implementing these various stages of film production, you must have the collaborative and team-working spirit because there is no way you will ever stand alone and succeed in making a film.
That said you must first and foremost go out there and scout for all the persons that are instrumental to the production of a film. For example, you will need a cinematographer to give you the basic shots and angles as well as a director who will be calling all the shots.
Well, if you stick around and read this article to the end, you will get to understand all am trying to convey to you in this introductory part. So without any further ado, let us get started with this article.
The 7 stages of film production.
The 7 stages of film production are listed and explained in the order below:
- Screenwriting.
- Budget and funding.
- Pre-production.
- Production.
- Post-production.
- Premiering.
- Marketing and distribution.
1. Screenwriting.
The very first stage of film production is the screenwriting, some usually love to refer to it as the development.
Screenwriting actually begins with the screenwriter or story teller having or coming up with a rough idea of the storyline. These idea often ranges from a true life story experienced or gathered from any source, a dream, an imagination as well as an inspiration.
Once the main idea for the story is in place, the screenwriter or story teller must start the screenwriting process by writing a synopsis which is an overview or outline of the whole story.
Armed with the synopsis, the screenwriter can then move ahead to write the screenplay proper which will detail the locations, actions, dialogues and most times the shot angles. With this being done, the screenwriter will be ready and through with the first draft of the whole film.
Once the first draft is done, the screenwriter can then go through the story again and again to add or even subtract the scenes that will help to interpret the whole story appropriately.
The first stage of film production usually comes to a close once the final draft of the screenplay is written, typed and probably duplicated for the film crew and casts.
2. Budget and funding.
The second stage of film production is the budget and funding.
Once the final draft of the screenplay is done and dusted, the film producer can use it to determine the actual cost of making the whole film as well as how to raise the needed funds.
It is worth noting that the film producer is basically the person who is going to provide the needed funds for the film production, and how he sources for that fund is entirely his own responsibility. And once the budget is determined and the funding is in place, the third stage of film production can be implemented immediately.
3. Pre-production.
The third stage of film production is the pre-production which usually involves gathering the cast and crew that will work together to interpret the whole story into the big screen.
This is the stage where the collaborative and teamwork spirit must truly come to play, this means that all the professionals who are going to be involved in the filmmaking process interact regularly in order to understand each other’s vision and working style.
This stage usually begins with the director auditioning and casting the actors for the characters they are respectively going to play or interpret in the movie. By the side, this stage will also oversee the location manager finding and finalizing the locations where the scenes are going to be shot.
This stage can only come to a close when all the contracts related to directing, cinematography, photography, music, make-ups, costumes, props and sets, lightings, etc. are delegated or awarded to their respective professionals and all hands are on deck to make the main shooting of the film a reality or big success.
4. Production.
The fourth stage of film production is the production stage which entails the main shooting of the entire scenes which are going to help interpret the story properly.
At this stage, all the professionals that were hired for the film production must have interacted with each other and understand their working style and vision.
The production stage must also ensure that all the casts and crew are camped in a particular place or location so as to enable everybody turn out in time for the daily shooting of the film until the day they call it a wrap.
The only person who is sometimes exempted from this stage is the editor who is going to handle the post-production all by himself, or sometimes assisted by the film producer or director.
5. Post-production.
The fifth stage of film production is the post-production which entails the editing of the visuals and sounds of the whole film.
As I said earlier, this particular stage is handled by a single individual known as the editor, and unless there is going to be a voice over or the need arises for the producer, director and continuity to help him understand some complicated scenes, the editor is going to be working alone in this entire stage.
It is also worth noting that the cinematographer oftentimes turn out to be the film editor. I am a good example of this.
One advantage of having the same person working as the cinematographer and editor of your film is that there will be an ease of editing since he will have the opportunity to figure out the editing process while taking his shots and angles.
Am saying this from experience because anytime I am shooting a film I am also going to edit, I will already figure out the best camera movements, shots and angles that will align or fit with the particular scene I am shooting at the moment.
6. Premiering.
The sixth stage of film production is the premiering which can also be referred to as the presentation or launch.
At this stage the whole film have been edited and stored in whatever format the producer and editor have chosen that will make it easy to be showcased to the proposed viewers.
Most often, premiering is a very good opportunity for you to start getting a return on your investment if you are presenting to an audience that will have to pay in one way or another to watch it.
Mostly, the best place to premiere a film is at the cinema where people will have to pay to watch the film before it reaches the general public.
Before you however premiere your movie in a cinema you must ensure an agreement is being reached with the owners for a percentage share of the profit or income that will be gotten from those who will view the film.
7. Marketing and distribution.
The last stage of film production is the marketing and distribution, and this is the stage where the movie producer will aim to make a profit from what he invested in the filmmaking process.
In this =digital age the best place to market and distribute your film is on a “play-on-demand” app like Netflix, Disney, Tubi etc.
You can also start a YouTube channel and monetize it to help you make money while people are watching your film on YouTube.
