Institutional research - Mark

Financing

Attracting and investor can be the hardest part of the film making process. This is a very competitive business and the producer is up against a huge number of other producers with similar ideas to theirs. This is where the producers powers of persuasion become really important. The director may be able to help especially if he is already well known in the industry. The film financing market is international and to maximise chances of getting the funds they need producers need to be prepared to travel.
Private individuals, production companies and public bodies all invest in films. The producers lawyers draw up contracts to seal the deal.
The producer can also raise money from 'pre-sales,' selling the rights to the film before it is even made. Contracts between the producers and pre-sales financiers are very complex legal documents that determine how much everyone will get and in what order. In return for finance, the sales company will want the right to sell the film to distribution companies in some or all territories, and to take a percentage of the resulting revenue. In return for finance, a broadcaster will ask for the right to play the film on certain television channels.
There are departments of banks that specialise in film finance they invest in commercial projects and also offer loans. They regard film as an investment and invest in lots of different films with different risk levels to try and even out returns.
Most financiers insist that a completion bond is in place before they agree to invest. This is insurance for the production. Completion bonds are guarantees that if the production runs out of money, the person who supplied the bonds will fund the rest of the film.
Once all essential funding and insurance is secured the film gets the 'green light'

Script Development

Once all the heads of department are hired, the shooting script is circulated and pre-production begins in earnest. The heads of department are:
*The casting director - who will need to start a shortlist of actors for all the roles required by the script.
*The Editor - The editor will be required to choose the people needed when the film moves into post production. During pre-production the editor works with the director to ensure that transitions described in the shooting script will work on screen.
*Head of Sound - they are responsible for hiring a team of sound recorders and boom operators
*Director of photography - He has to work with the director and the production designer to ensure everyone knows what style of film they are going to shoot
*The production designer - they need to hire a whole team to that all the sets are designed and the construction team builds them to the correct specification. They also oversee props and all objects that are going to be used in a film.
* The 1st AD - They are responsible for keeping the production on schedule and will be present in pre-production to help the producer, line producer and the production manager to plan the shoot
* The line producer - is responsible for handling every person and issue during the making of the film.
The casting director, with the director and the producer begins the long process of identifying and casting the actors. Storyboards are the blueprints for the film where every shot is planned out by the director and the director of photography. The production designer will plan every aspect of how the film will look and hires people to design and build each part. Effects are planned in much more detail to normal shots and can take months to design and build. The 1st AD, the line producer and the production manager make up the key logistics triangle of the production.

Packaging

A large film production can involve hundreds of people and it is a constant struggle to keep it on schedule and budget. The 1st day of principal photography is a key moment in film production, shooting begins and funding is released. The camera department is responsible for getting all the footage that the director and editor need to tell the story. Once lighting and sound have been set up and hair and make-up have been checked, shooting can begin. In the mist of all the commotion the actors must create an emotional world and draw the audience into it. Every special effect is carefully constructed and must be filmed with minimum risk to cast a crew. Film productions are run with military precision and if they fall behind schedule the financiers and insurers may step in.

Post Production

As the processed footage comes in the editor assembles it into scenes and creates a narrative sequence for the film. Once the picture is locked the sound department works on the audio track laying, creating and editing every sound. Digital effects are added by specialist effects compositors. Titles and credits are added in a compositing suite. The final stage of the picture edit is to adjust the colour and establish the fine aesthetic of the film. After a picture lock, the rough sound mix goes to a dubbing theatre where the sound mixers set the final levels. After the final cut the film reaches full lock it is now finished and ready for duplication.