FACTSHEET ON THE FILM INDUSTRY

1) The Idea
- Sources of Inspiration

• Some films are based on real life events.
• Interesting storylines can be found in newspapers, magazines, biographies as well as personal experiences.
• Original ideas are extremely valuable in the industry and it is important to protect your idea.
• Remaking previous films is very popular now, as it adds security and helps define the market. However the audience may not respond well with the same ideas already seen on screen.

- Producer

• Producers always look for good ideas for films.
• It is their job to make an idea into a form of reality.
• Producers handle the financial as well as creative aspects.
• Producers need an inspirational idea that can be financed, so they attract a good writer and director. If the script is written the producer would ive tips to improve it.

2) Development Finance
-Pitchingthe project

• Developing is money used to support the producer approaches the film production company for developing money and the company asks for rights in returns.

3) Script Development

• First the writer produces a synopsis and the producer helps and disagrees or agrees on key scenes and events in the film. Step outline is made which contains a short written description of all scenes. First drafts made, include dialogue, actions and events that will be on the screen. Drafts are sent to the financees and is changed by the script editors. The final stage is the sales treatment.

4) Packaging

• Packaging is the producers key responsibility. Producers assistant collects elements of the package for the producer. The package is the main tool to get production money. The producer must add key elements to make it a tempting prospectfor the financers. The producer takes the sales treatment and the final script and comes up with a rough budget which is the estimate on how much funding expected to secure for script and where it is intended to go.

5) Financing
-Market

• Very competitive business and this is where contacts and powers of persuasion are needed to recieve maximum funding.

-Investment

• A private financee is a nembe of private individuals willing to invest in a film.

6) Pre-production

• Once all the heads of department meet, the shooting is circulated and the meeting begins.
• Casting Director, Producer and Director to find costs for actors and films.
• Storyboards and blueprints are produced
• Production designer designs every inch of the show
• Effect shots are produced
• Producer and Manager makes logistics of the productions.

7) The Shoot
 -Five Main Teams

• Chain of command
• Special effects team
• Camera team
• Lighting and sound team
• Actors

Roles within these teams play a vital role ensuring that the film is well made.

8) Post-production

• The Assistant editor assembles a variety of clips which are suitable , the editor then creates a rough cut.
• The Sound department creates the audio depending on the rough cut
• The Score is written for the film.
• The credits and effects are added.
• Operators adjusts the colour so all the shots look consistent and increases continuity.
• The sounds are layered and blended. They are edited by producers for the final cut.

9) Sales

• The final cut is sold to a distributor.
• Trailers are used to advertise the film without revealing too much.
• The job of a sales agent is to estimate how well the film will do.
• Producers create a hype based around the film to create awareness of the existence and premierre.

10) Marketing

• The Marketing Team= a group of people who market the film to the audience.
• The Audience= marketing team runs test screenings to see how the film is recieved by the viewers.
• Advertising= the audience for the film is informed using posters, cinema trailers and TV spots.
• Press and Media Coverage= positive word of mouth. (e.g TV, newspapers, radio.) Getting the product endorsed by a third party.
• Selling the Film to Exhibitors= Distributors negotiate with cinema's to screen the films

11) Exhibition

• Fame= success. If the star is high profiled, the more likely that the film will be a hit.
• Low profiled stars also create a successful hit.
• It is importnt that the film hits the market.

12) Other Windows

• After the movies release, the first ways the fims are sold is in flight entertainment and hotel pay preview channels.
• DVD purchases have increased drastically which means that film distributions have transformed.