Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production

Maintaining continuity

A major challenge for editors is to ensure that there is continuity in the scenes. This occurs when the editor cuts between two shots that do not match in action or looks. Continuity issues can also occur when there is a significant shift in the location, time, or sequence in the storyline. These shifts can lead to breaks in sequences and can cause confusion in the story.

Marketing campaign

A marketing campaign is a plan to communicate messages through a selection of media that will reach the desired audience. Posters and trailers are the most popular media for creative works such as films and plays.

Making a production schedule (pre-production)

A production schedule is a master plan for a production. It shows when activities such as design, casting, rehearsals, and shootings will take place. It is the schedule of how the film or play will be made or produced. Directors create a production schedule for the entire production process many months in advance. They coordinate with set designers and casting directors to work out detailed schedules for their respective responsibilities. They set up enough time to prepare shoot locations (for a film), sets, crew, cast, equipment, and other details. They schedule a list of tasks that need to be carried out each day and week. They also make plans to scout locations and arrange for all the equipment that the production will need.

Hiring designers and production heads (pre-production)

After a budget is created, the producers and directors hire designers, production heads, and directors for specific roles. These professionals support a director in putting together a production. Some positions include casting directors, production designers, art designers, and costume designers or wardrobe stylists. They also include makeup artists, hairstylists, wardrobe managers, lighting designers, cinematographers, sound designers, choreographers, carpenters, painters, and location scouts.

Creating a budget breakdown (pre-production)

After every element in the production has been listed and organized, a dollar amount is assigned to each activity, or set of activities. For films, the budget breakdown is generally related to the script breakdown, the cost of hiring the cast and crew, and the total length of the script. Big-budget Hollywood films are typically shot at a pace of about one script page per day. Medium-size films with a modest budget are shot at about four to five pages per day. Low-budget films may be shot at over eight pages per day. For a play, the budget breakdown is related to the costs of hiring cast and crew, hiring costumes, renting props, renting theaters, and building sets.

Why do editors constantly save work?

Also, film editors constantly save and back up work done during the editing process to avoid loss of data. An electronic glitch, a damaged disk, or a surge of power can result in the loss of many hours, or even days, of work.

how else are films and plays marketed?

Apart from posters and trailers, films and plays can hold contests to win premiere tickets and offer other merchandise related to the work. Some popular merchandise includes t-shirts and action figures.

Hiring cast and other crew

As directors begin to refine the script, they may want to hire certain actors for some roles. Casting directors or casting associates recommend the actors required for a production. They hold auditions for actors. They also help to negotiate the terms of a proposed contract between the actor and the producer.

Steps specific to a film

At the end of the pre-production process, filmmakers often use call sheets. A call sheet is the final outcome of the pre-production process. It tells the cast and crew where to be and when to start production on the film. The call sheet includes the location, time, and what the cast and crew should be prepared to undertake that day. It also contains important contact information for the crewmembers, hospitals and restaurants nearby, and so on, to ensure that the cast and crew have access to everything when production starts.

Funding the production (pre-production)

Before any film or play can be made, producers must be found to fund the work. Producers typically float a production company that gives the business foundation for a play or film. The business side of a production provides a legal and financial framework. This includes using bank accounts, generating and using funds, hiring people, and dealing with legal issues. Producers ensure a flow of funds, and act as business administrators and publicists. They keep a check on expenses and schedules. They usually have the final say over who the cast and crew in the work should be. Most producers choose the director very early in the process.

Refining the budget and schedules

Budgets and schedules often need to be revised and refined. There are time and funding limits for every production. Therefore, the entire production must be aware of and stick to the budget constraints. The producer, director, and others make many difficult decisions at the refining stage. When creating schedules for starting work on the production, they also keep the health of the cast and crew in mind. People need periods of rest so that they can do their jobs efficiently and effectively.

what do directors review about the film?

Directors, as well as editors, must continue to review the film as it is put together shot by shot. They need to make sure that the film makes sense. It must flow easily from one scene to another. The entire film must ultimately look and sound consistent, and the storyline should flow smoothly. At the end of post-production, sound and music are added. These are the finishing touches that complete the experience for audiences.

Distribution

Distribution also plays an important role in the success of theater and film productions. For plays, distribution means finding performance spaces or theaters where the play can be performed live. While a movie can run simultaneously in multiple theaters, a play can only be performed at one theater at a time due to its nature. The producers should select cities and theaters that suit the play. For example, smaller experimental theaters are ideal for non-mainstream plays.

how do editors fix continuity breaks?

Editors correct such breaks with "transitional shots." These are clips of images or music that go with the style of the story and lead from one scene to the next.

How much footage do editors typically have to work with?

Feature films typically have an average run time of two hours. However, the film shoot may often generate about 20 to 40 hours of raw footage. This footage includes the original or unedited shots. From these shots, the director and the editor select the best shots for the film.

What is done after tech rehearsals?

Full dress rehearsals are done after the tech rehearsals. These often are scheduled shortly before the first performance. Dress rehearsals involve running the entire production from beginning to end as if for a live performance, but without the audience present in the theater. Dress rehearsals include full scenes, costume changes, makeup, set changes, sound, lighting, and everything else. Small tweaks can be made at this stage to ensure that the production runs smoothly.

What is one of the most effective distribution channels for films?

Hollywood is one of the world's most effective distribution channels for movies. Hollywood's distribution power has enabled movies to spread popular American culture around the world. Film distributors need effective business plans to reach huge audiences. They must be able to time the release so that it does not clash with the release of other major works. They must set up business distribution deals with channels such as theaters and electronic media companies.

Production

In a film, the production process basically consists of shooting the actual film. Therefore, it is also called "filming." The director must keep track of all the essential points in the story. The aim is to make sure that all the shots are captured. There should be no missing links or awkward jumps in the final edited version.

film post production

In films, post-production refers to the activities after the shooting or filming. post-production processes for a film are extensive. Much of the film is completed in post-production. Editors work closely with sound and voice actors, as well as the director. The main tasks include editing the raw film footage, adding of sound, adding special effects, and correcting color.

Post-Production in Theater

In theater, because the live performances in front of the audience happen in the production stage, post-production mainly involves cleaning up. This includes taking down sets, removing extra lighting, and so on. This process is called "striking" or "breaking down." The crew strikes (or cleans up) everything on stage and either recycles it or puts it in the trash. At this stage, the director makes a report about how well the production went. The report enables producers or investors to decide how long the play should continue to run.

Steps specific to theater

In theater, storyboards are always used for new plays. For plays that are well known, based on literature, and have been performed over the years, most producers still prefer storyboards. The set director and lighting manager will be familiar with the scenes; however, the use of storyboards makes scenes clearer. They can use storyboards as a starting point, and then improvise and use their own ideas to give even old, well-known plays a new flavor.

where does production begin in theater?

In theater, the production process begins with the first technical (or tech) rehearsal. In a technical rehearsal, the entire production crew is present, but the actors are not required to be there. The crew works out their sequence of activities. They rehearse all the lighting cues, sound, set changes, and so on.

Creating a script breakdown (pre-production)

In this step, the director works closely on the script to make a master list of what is needed for shoots or rehearsals. The list must be extremely detailed. It must anticipate what each element in the script will require, and from whom that can be acquired. The list should cover locations (for film shoots), cast, crew, props, stunts, sets, effects, sounds, colors, costumes, and so on. This list is then sorted into different categories.

what is pre-production?

It is the preparatory stage for a play or film. In a film, pre-production includes everything before a shoot. These are tasks such as scriptwriting, reading and analyzing the script, casting, and so on. In theater, pre-production also includes writing the screenplay and casting. However, it does not include activities such as location scouting.

Target audience

Marketers and producers must identify the target audience before marketing films and plays. The target audience refers to the typical kind of people who would find their production appealing. Identifying the target audience helps producers and marketers to set the tone and language of promotional messages. There are some common factors that determine audience segments or demographics. These include factors such as age, interest, gender, culture, and ethnicity.

why do filmmakers make multiple backups of the material?

Most modern film production is based on digital recording and working with digital data. Digital data can easily be erased by accident. Therefore, filmmakers make multiple backups of the material to keep the data safe. Losing shots or sound can be disastrous for a film.

Acquiring the material

Once a budget and schedule are in place, the next step is to acquire the necessary equipment and services. This is a big shopping list. It includes cameras, lights, props, and other materials noted in the script breakdown. It also includes the booking of locations, buying or building sets, booking theaters, renting costumes, and so on.

posters

Posters are visual and text compositions that may be printed or digital and that are used to alert and tease audiences about an upcoming film or play. A poster must be designed to look attractive. It should tantalize viewers with creative graphics and text to convey the idea of the play or movie vividly. It should also communicate information about the actors, the director, the producer, the date of release, and the venues for performances or screenings. However, the poster should not give away too much information about the story of the film or play.

why do sound designers record sound from shoots even without dialogue?

Re-recording dialogue is time consuming and expensive. Sound designers record some sound from locations, even without dialogue. For indoor shoots, they also record the sound of the empty room, which is called room tone.

trailers

Several months before the play or film is premiered, trailers are released to theaters, TV, and social media. A trailer is a teaser of the film or play. It is a promotional tool that aims to excite people about the film or play. The trailer makes them want to see the production.

Working with sound

Sound is a critical part of any film. Sound designers generally make a live recording of the dialogue when shooting a film. A boom operator works with the sound designer to position the microphone that records the production audio. The boom operator must make sure to position the camera so it captures the dialogue, but does not get in the way of the actors or cameras.

what is a typical set of actions in a film shoot

The camera crew sets up their equipment, and the actors take their places. When the shoot is to begin, the camera operator says "All set." The director raises a hand and says something such as, "Silence please" or "Quiet on the set." After the set becomes silent, the director points to the camera and says, "Ready to roll." The camera operator turns the camera on, verifies that it is recording, and says, "Rolling." The director allows for about 10 seconds of silent shooting and gestures to the actors to start or says "Action." The actors go through their scene. They act out the scene, say their lines, and remember their cues. The director allows a 10-second gap again at the end of the scene and then says, "Cut!" or "Stop Rolling." The camera operator turns off the camera. The production assistant notes the shot on the shot list.

what is a rough cut?

The first step in editing is to connect the best shots in a rough cut. A rough cut gives an idea of how the film flows as a story. It gives a sense of how the complete movie will turn out. The rough cut also includes information about the source of the film. It includes the recording date and the geographical locations of every shoot.

Editing

The main process in film post-production is editing. It is important to have an editing plan because of the many steps involved. It is also important to organize the material. For example, the shots should be sorted according to the sequence of the story. Editors can clearly visualize the entire shot sequence with the help of the script and the storyboards for the film. This allows editors to put together the shots in the correct order. This also lets editors experiment with changes in the storyline to evoke a stronger reaction or interest in the audience. Using the storyboard and script, editors can also judge what works best for each scene and they edit the shots accordingly.

why is recording room tone important?

The room tone helps to give a consistent quality to dialogue from different points in a set. It can be edited out partially later to improve sound quality.

Time of release

The time of release is a significant factor in the success of a play or movie. Films or plays that run to empty theaters lose money. The release of a film or play should be timed strategically to ensure that many people attend each show. The best time to release animated movies targeted at kids and families is during summer and major school holidays. Children don't have school and people are more likely to spend money during these periods. Also, seasonal movies should be released at the appropriate time. For example, a movie based on the New Year should be released around the new year. A romantic comedy is likely to do better if it is released in February around Valentine's Day.

Creative planning (pre-production)

This step takes the production schedule a step further. It typically includes the creation of a storyboard. A storyboard is the visual representation of a script or screenplay. It is a set of drawings or pictures created by storyboard artists. A storyboard helps the production team to understand the director's vision quickly. In a film, the storyboard represents the planned shots or scenes. It includes information on camera angles, light setup, character framing, and dialogue. It is the basis for creating a detailed shot list. A shot list is a list of the scenes that will be filmed and what is required for each shot. Notes are made if special equipment is required for a scene, such as drones, lenses, or props. A shot list speeds up the production process because everyone knows what to do next. In theater, the storyboard helps the team understand how each scene will look and what is required for each scene. It helps the cast and crew get organized and speeds up the production process.

why does the director capture a few seconds before and after the scene?

When shooting starts, the director and camera crew capture actions a few seconds before the scene begins. They also let the camera continue to roll for a while after the scene ends. This ensures that no part of the scene is cut off abruptly. The extra footage is also helpful because it captures the sounds at a filming location. These sounds can be added at during editing, if needed.

Blocking

When the actors arrive on the set, each scene is rehearsed before the shoot begins. At this stage, the director works with the actors to block moves. The director tells actors how and where they will enter or exit a scene. The actors' movements are coordinated with the positions of vehicles, the equipment on a set, and the crew. In a film, the director uses camera positions to block views that the audience will see on the screen. These views are called camera angles. The principles of blocking in a theater or a film are similar.

Adding extra shots

While shooting a film, it is useful to capture plenty of extra shots in a scene. A shot is a continuous section of film recording. Shots convey different meanings, and they can be edited for duration, drama, or impact.