Film Making
What are the stages of film production?
Before we dive into the individual stages of the film production, let’s get some definitions straight and address the different categorizations that people use when they say “stages.”
First, when we refer to “film production” in this article, we’re referring to the entire process of a film’s inception, creation, and release. Production is sometimes also used to refer to one of three steps in the film making process, where the cameras are actually rolling
Second, let’s outline a few different ways people divide up the film making process into stages. The most widely agreed-upon, and the method we’ll be going by, contains 3 distinct stages:
1.) Pre-production
2.) Production
3.) Post-production
Some people will subdivide development and distribution, resulting in more stages. Strictly speaking, however, financing really is a part of the development process, and marketing part of distribution. They are distinct elements, but they fall under the umbrella.
Different type of Stages 'or' branches like
4.) Development
5.) Photography
6.) Wrap
7.) Financing
8.) Marketing
9.) Distribution
10.) Produce Your Own Films and TV Shows At NYFA
Some more branches:
11.) Concept and idea generation
12.) Budgeting
13.) Idea development
14.) Screenwriting & scriptwriting
15.) Hiring, recruiting cast and crew
16.) Scouting locations & production design
17.) Storyboards and shot lists
18.) Production schedules
19.) Shooting
20.) Editing
21.) Sound design
22.) Color correction
23.) Visual effects
24.) Sound mixing
25.) Color grading
26.) Distribution
27.) Promotion
Some more branches also available but first 3 types good for work that is my opinion.
------------>> 1.) Pre-production << -----------------
Preproduction is when you figure out what you need to make your film, how much it’s going to cost, and who you can hire to help you.
What Is Preproduction?
Preproduction comes early in the filmmaking process, after development and before production. It involves finalizing the script, hiring the actors and crew, finding locations, determining what equipment you’ll need, and figuring out the budget. Preproduction is the planning stage of a film, where you solidify all the details of your project before producing content.Why Is Preproduction Important in Filmmaking?
The preproduction phase in filmmaking allows you to organize everything you need before you start rolling the cameras. Preproduction is when you figure out what you need to make your film, how much it’s going to cost, and who you can hire to help you. Effective preproduction can help you save time and money (the two most limited resources in filmmaking) when shooting your project. An outlined budget means you are less likely to waste resources (or run out of money), which can derail an entire project. Detailing the schedule is also integral to a smooth production process, as it gives the crew a set idea of where time should be allocated for an efficient shoot.
7 Elements of the Preproduction Process in Film
The stages of preproduction vary depending on the type of project you’re filming (for instance, a 10-minute short film will have a significantly shorter and less involved preproduction period than a 90-minute movie). However, for most film production, the preproduction process follows similar steps:
How to create a film storyboard in 6 easy steps
Mark up the key parts of the story by highlighting major beats such as actions, locations, wardrobe, staging, narrative arches, and major plot points. This will help you form the frames for the storyboard and figure out how you’ll move from one scene to the next.
6. Finally, reference it on the day
1. Script breakdown:
After a project is greenlit, you’ll need to finalize your shooting script. Once the script is locked, the first AD will comb through the screenplay and create a breakdown of all your times of day, locations, characters, stunts, extras, special effects, props, vehicles, animals, sound effects, music cues, and costumes—everything that is significant on a logistical level. The more prepared you are, the fewer surprises you’ll encounter during shooting or postproduction.
2. Budget:
Once you know the logistical elements to prepare for, you’ll have to figure out how much it will cost. Whether you have a low budget or a high budget, now is the time to determine how you can achieve the vision of the film with the resources you have. Research the costs of everything you’ll need to figure out which funds to allocate where. 3. Schedule:
Your production schedule (or shooting schedule) will help you figure out which scenes you shoot when, where you shoot them, and how many you shoot per day. Time is a valuable resource, especially if you have to deal with elements like daylight or weather.
4. Crew:
4. Crew:
Assemble your crew members and valuable department heads. You’ll want to hire a director, a first assistant director, a production manager, a cinematographer (known as the director of photography), a casting director, a production designer, and a costume designer. As preproduction moves along, these departments will expand, filling out your crew.
5. Planning:
5. Planning:
Each department works with the line producer to break down what they need to properly execute the director's vision. The planning stage also includes location scouting and securing permits, creating a shot list and storyboard, and figuring out props and equipment. Once you establish those needs, the line producer (or production manager) will check and revise the budget to make sure everything fits within the established parameters. You may want to remove some settings or props—or even rewrite scenes—to fit within your budget.
6. Talent:
The casting director auditions talent for all the roles according to your script breakdown and director’s notes.
7. Rehearsal:
At the end of the preproduction phase and before your film shoot begins, you’ll likely want to rehearse with the cast, figuring out the emotional and physical logistics of each scene. Meanwhile, your department heads will be heading into their final prepping stages, working with the production coordinator to ensure that all the pieces are in place. When everything is ready, it’s time to send out call sheets to the whole cast and crew, which outline the schedule for every shoot day during filming as the production phase begins.
Visualize scenes for your film with a storyboard
Follow this simple step-by-step guide to learn the modern process of storyboarding
Planning a video or sequence in a film doesn’t come second nature to most filmmakers. Serious prep is required. Lucky for you, there are tools to make this easier. Laying out your vision in a storyboard is one way to do it. What is a storyboard you may ask? It is a roadmap that will guide your journey from script to screen.
To really grasp the benefits of storyboarding, we’ll go beyond a simple storyboard definition to explore how filmmakers rely on this fundamental process and how easy it will be for you to do the same on your next project.
1.) 2D Storyboard
2.) 3D Storyboard (3D Previsualization)
Storyboards are a powerful way to visually organize the composition, action and look of a film before you start filming. As director, producer and screenwriter Martin Scorsese said, “The storyboard is the way to visualize the entire movie in advance.”
Traditionally, a storyboard would be sketched on paper, but with a modern digital tool, you can use photography, animation, notes to highlight key characters and scenes and easily go back and make edits. Many people devote their entire careers to story-boarding and they are one of the key tools used by directors, producers, and many other film crew members to communicate and bring a film to life.
Whether you’re creating a storyboard for a documentary, animation or feature film, this guide will take you through every step to refine your process and create a modern storyboard.
1. Identify key scenes in the script
When creating a storyboard, it’s crucial to know what story you’re telling. The best starting point is to break up the script or narrative you’ll be working from.Mark up the key parts of the story by highlighting major beats such as actions, locations, wardrobe, staging, narrative arches, and major plot points. This will help you form the frames for the storyboard and figure out how you’ll move from one scene to the next.
2. Map out the key scenes
Next, map out the scenes you identified in the script. Give each one a number and a relevant title so it's easy to link them back to the broader story in the script.
3. Add images or sketches
3. Add images or sketches
Now it’s time to begin visualizing each scene. This part of the process has been referred to as “idea landscaping”—a place to brainstorm the visual features of each beat within the landscape of a story.
Some storyboard artists might begin sketching with a pen and paper first, but with modern storyboards you can collect reference photography, illustrations, screenshots, location shoots, and even motion from anywhere.
4. Describe what happens in each frame
4. Describe what happens in each frame
While each frame is a static image, try to communicate how it will look and feel as a moving sequence. Describes the style, mood, and behavior of characters. As you write out the details of each scene, consider some of the following:
Composition and Framing: Decide how characters and objects will be framed within each shot. Use the rule of thirds and other compositional techniques to create visually appealing and balanced frames.
Transitions: Plan how each shot transitions to the next. Smooth transitions create a cohesive flow, while abrupt changes can be used for dramatic effect.
Character Blocking: Determine character positions and movements within each shot. Show how they interact with each other and the environment.
Emotion and Expression: Define a character's facial expressions and body language to capture their emotions and reactions.
Annotations: Use additional notes or captions for things that can't be easily conveyed in the visuals.
Dynamic Action: For action scenes, break down fast-paced movements into a sequence of panels to ensure clarity.
5. Share it with your team
When you're ready, invite your team to review your storyboard and share their feedback. This is the perfect moment to see how others interpret your vision for the story. It's also a great opportunity to make any final tweaks while in pre-production. Adjust the order of your frames or edit the content based on everyone's feedback.
Traditionally, you'd print out your storyboards to refer to on the day, but online storyboards can be accessed on phones or laptops. This way, you can reference it with ease as you prepare for each scene.
Now that your storyboard is complete, you have a clear vision for your film! Remember, just as creativity and inspiration are constantly evolving, so are ideas. Come back and edit your storyboard when inspiration strikes. Use the template below to create a new storyboard in minutes or check out our full guide on how to plan a film.
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------------->> 2. Production: << ---------------
While production refers to all of these stages, this particular use of the term refers specifically to the shooting of the film.
Production phase: From storyboard to first shot
The production phase is the stage where the planned vision comes to life. You shoot the first scenes of the video or render them in a digital environment. It is the most exciting and challenging stage because it requires a lot of coordination, creativity, and technical skills.
Production involves various tasks such as:
Creating video footage:
For ease of discussion, we are going to call it creating video footage. Today, video can be created the old way using a camera or even digitally rendered using animation software. The latter is the most preferred choice of marketers and the businesses they serve.
To create any video, follow your storyboard and shot list. If you are following the old way of shooting video, you might also want to specify the best camera angles, subject movements, and techniques to capture your video content the right way.
Monitoring and controlling lighting, sound, and other technical aspects:
Making a single frame in a video is also a collaborative effort. There are so many technical aspects to be monitored and controlled like lighting, sound, and other technical aspects such as color, exposure, focus, and white balance.
Also, you have to use the appropriate equipment, such as microphones, lights, reflectors, and filters, which will have to be used to make the specific type of video. For example, documentaries and animated videos require a whole different set of equipment.
The Production phase refers to the period of time when the film is actually being shot.
Some aspects of production include
1. Direction
2. Camera Operation
3. Lighting
4. Sound recording
5. Acting
During production, these roles are usually delegated to the production departments listed on the next two slides.
Production Departments
Direction
Director (oversees all aspects of the production)
Co-Director (second oversees all aspects of the
production)
Assistant Director (drives the set)
Second Assistants Director (works with the actors)
Camera
Cinematographer or DP (oversees camera operation)
Camera Operator (operates the camera)
Camera Assistants (loads camera, pulls focus)
Clapper/Loader (loads film and slates scenes)
Lighting
Cinematographer (oversees lighting design)
Gaffer & Electricians (control the lights)
Key Grip & Grips (control the Shadows and
do special rigging)
Sound
Sound Mixer (records the sound)
Boom operator (positions the microphone)
Clapper (displays the clap slate for the cameras)
Talent
Actors (perform before the camera)
Miscellaneous
Production coordinator (scheduling)
Continuity "script girl" (watch for continuity errors)
Make-up Artist (apply make-up to actors)
Production Assistant (various jobs)
All of the departments and positions described on the last two slides serve one goal: to tell the story. Although going into every detail of production is far beyond the scope of this course, let's consider the "nuts and bolts" that go in to filmmaking.
----------->> 3. Post-Production <<---------------
Post-production: where the video is reborn
Post-production is the stage where you edit and polish your video footage and add the finishing touches to your video project. It is the most creative and technical stage because it requires a lot of skill, patience, and attention to detail. In a way, it is post-production that chisels away the unnecessary parts of your video, refines it, and makes it suitable for mass consumption.
Post-production activities are mainly made up of:
1.Video editing and revisions
Raw footage is never ready for distribution. You need to cut, trim, and arrange your video clips and create a smooth and coherent flow for your story. Further, if you have plans to publish the video on social media channels, you should also consider transforming the video dimensions, format, and file size to meet platform-wise requirements.
2.Color enhancement and manipulation
Even if you use a high-end camera, it is necessary to do some color correction and grading to get the color, contrast, brightness, and saturation in the right ratio. There could be scenarios when you also need to apply different color schemes and styles to your video, and match the color of different shots and scenes.
3.Audio editing and mixing
No video is complete without supporting audio. One of the important tasks in post-production is to edit and improve the sound quality of your video footage, and remove any unwanted noise, distortion, or echo. This is also the stage where dialogue, music, and sound effects are added to the video to create a clear and immersive sound experience for your video.
4.Effects and animation
Raw video footage often needs to be enhanced with the help of effects and animation. Most marketing videos require video overlays and watermarks to make them suitable for promotion. This part of adding effects and animation takes place in the post-production phase.
5.Delivery: Distributing the video to your target audience
Delivery is the stage where you optimize and distribute your video project to your target audience and platform. It is the final and most rewarding stage because it allows you to showcase your video project and measure its performance and impact. Delivery involves various tasks such as:
6.Video uploading
Video uploading is the stage where the edited final version of the video is uploaded to the cloud or storage system for delivery. Uploading one or more videos on a daily basis is a manageable tasks, however, uploading several videos regularly demands manual effort and more bandwidth. There are video APIs that simplify the task of uploading videos at scale to cloud and also manage them effortlessly.
7.Video optimization and transcoding
After all the editing and applying effects and animations, your video file size could bloat unexpectedly. A bloated video file is not compatible for online streaming. You have to optimize and compress your video file, and reduce its size and bandwidth all without compromising its quality and resolution. This process of reducing the video file size and making it suitable for uploading and delivering is referred to as optimization.
Further, you also have to transcode the video file, meaning it has to be converted into an appropriate file format that is compatible with the destination channel/platform. There are video transcoding APIs and tools that make this task easier.
8.Digital video delivery
Videos are no longer delivered using films. They are converted into digital files that can be uploaded to chosen platforms and channels. The most common channels are websites, social media, or an OTT streaming service.
No matter where your video content is getting delivered, your audience should be able to view it without buffering issues. Video buffering usually happens when a heavy video file is being streamed across the internet to a viewer who could be located in a physically distant place. Using a video CDN helps with delivering the video content from the nearest available server to the viewer’s location.
How can a DAM system help across the video production workflow process
From pre-production to delivery, a DAM system can be the backbone of the video production workflow. It brings to the table several capabilities that will allow the video creators, technicians, and the users of the video asset to collaborate and publish the video effortlessly.
A central perk for video collaboration
A DAM system facilitates collaborative planning by providing a centralized platform for teams to share and iterate on video concepts, storyboard images, and related creative assets.
No more duplicates with Version Control
It ensures version control, preventing confusion by keeping track of revisions and iterations of video plans and storyboards. Further, it maintains a comprehensive revision history, preserving the evolution of video and images giving you efficient tracking of all changes, from scratch to screen-ready version.
A safe home for all video assets
A DAM system serves as a centralized repository for various pre-production assets, including images, videos, documents, and graphics. It also ensures accessibility to casting videos, location images, and other assets for all relevant team members involved in decision-making processes.
Easy file tracking with Metadata Management
Efficient metadata tagging in a DAM system allows for quick searches and categorization, reducing the time spent searching for specific assets.
Wondering which would be an ideal DAM system to optimize your video production workflow?
Introducing:
ImageKit is a powerful and easy-to-use digital asset management (DAM) system that can optimize your video production workflow. With ImageKit, you can:
Guided by the director and your previously-agreed storyboard / script, a video editor will piece together your film. A schedule will be drawn up so you know how soon you'll be able to see a first cut of your film.
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