What Are The 5 Stages Of Filmmaking

With new terminology, technology, and technique emerging every year, one thing in film making that has not changed a bit is the stages of film making. Every filmmaker has to plan out a total of 5 stages of film making, from development to distribution, before they begin making their film. Each of these phases has its purpose and is extremely important for creating a successful movie. These stages also require different lengths of time as they carry varied responsibilities in the process of film making. Let us explore these stages of film making.

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Film Development

This is the birthing stage of film making, where ideas for a fresh story that will enthral the audience are carved out. During the film development process, the story is created, written, planned, and organised. The preliminary budget is usually made at this stage of film making; here, the key cast, creatives, and locations for the film are discussed and decided upon. With so many different aspects involved in this phase, it can take months or even years for the actual process of film development till the film gets the green light.

How to get a film developed?

The initial crew required for the development of a film is minimal; you need to put together a team of creatives and other executives who will craft the story and work within your budget until you get financing for the film. The amount of money needed will vary depending on the type of film you want to make and whether it is studio backed or self-financed. Once all the finer details of the project are chalked out, you are ready to move to the next stage.

Pre-production

If you are wondering what happens in the pre-production of films, it is simply the stage at which you adjust the plans created in stage one. These may include amendment of scripts, altering budgets, casting actors, scouting new locations, and amending shooting schedules. In the film pre-production process, the preliminary work, like designing and building sets and costumes, final fittings for costumes, and other details of the film are planned.

Here are a few things included in the film pre-production steps:

• Scriptwriting

• Casting

• Budgeting

• Location scouting

• Wardrobe

• Rehearsal with the actors

• Prop shopping

• Set design

• Pre-visualization

• Pre-lighting

• Pre-composition

Pre-production of films plays a significant role in the film making process as this ensures a seamless experience when the cameras actually start rolling. Here the crew grows from just a few creatives to include more people like the casting director, director of photography, assistant directors, unit managers, and costume directors.

Production

Among all the different stages of film production, this is where the camera runs the most, which is why it is also known as principal photography. The writers, directors, producers, and other creative team members finally get to see what is in their heads on the screen. Although this part of the film production process is the most important, it is also the shortest of the five stages of film making. You will use most of the budget in this short time as the crew size can grow by the hundreds. In this stage, you will need a property manager to look after the props, a script supervisor who ensures the film’s continuity, and hair, makeup, and costume teams who look after the visual appearance of the actors. While your movie is in production, a production coordinator will also need to take care of daily activities. Camera operators, cinematographers, and directors are responsible for the film’s actual shooting and ensuring they capture the footage required before moving on to the film’s post-production.

Post-production

If your film has reached this stage, most of the work is done, and a lot of the budget is spent, but the film post-production process has just started. This is where your rough footage starts to resemble an actual film. Here audio and visual material is pasted together to create the film. An editor spends hours assembling the footage, shot-by-shot, before adding music and other sound effects. This stage starts as soon as the first day of shooting ends. When post-production film editing works simultaneously with the production phase, it helps reduce the time needed to complete the film and identifies any additional shots required so you can take them without disrupting the shooting schedule too much.

Distribution

Once all the above stages of the film are completed, it’s time for the film to reach the audience. To have a successful movie, it is crucial to understand how film distribution works in India. In the planning stage itself, you need to create a robust and stringent distribution strategy, or else all the work done before this can be in vain. Find out the film distribution process, and decide whether you want to sell it to a cinema or a TV network. Streaming services are now a popular choice when it comes to the film distribution business.

Ensuring that you move smoothly through all the stages of film making starts with choosing the right script, the right actors, the right location, as well as the correct method of distribution. If you want to learn how to make a movie and want to know about all that happens in a film making journey, join our film making courses. Seamedu focuses on bridging the gap between academia and the industry with industry-relevant courses that benefit our students.

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Written by: Arun Gupta

Last updated: 15-03-2024

Arun completed his post-graduation at FTII with motion picture photography as his specialization. With more than two decades of industry experience as a Cinematographer and as a Producer he has more than 300 projects like television commercials, television shows, Music videos, corporate films, Short films and documentaries to his credit.

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