Film Production

Three Phases of Production

1. Pre-Production - Developing the script

2. Production - Shooting the script

3. Post-Production - Editing the film and

adding the sound tracks

Screen Play

1. A description of the scene (INT. EXT.),

time of day (NIGHT, DAY) and action

2. A description of the composition (LONG

SHOT, CLOSE-UP, POV)

3. The dialogue spoken by the characters

4. An indication of how the scenes are

joined (DISSOLVE, FADE OUT)

Raiders of the Lost Ark

(1979)

Evolution of a Screen Play1. The writer begins with an idea or

concept.

2. It is fleshed out in an adaption (or story),

a narrative describing how the concept

will appear on the screen.

3. The final step is the development of the

screen play or shooting script.

4. Each step my be developed by a

different writer.

Many Film Are Adaptations of

1. Novel

2. Play

3. Television series

4. Comic Book

5. Another Film

Three Visual Artists

1. Director - Compose each scene

2. Cinematographer - Saves the director's

compositions on “film”

3. Film editor - Piece the shots together to

create dramatic scenes.

Story Board

Bones

(2001)

A series of drawings illustrating the

shots outlined by the writer

Story Boards

Shallow Grave (1994), BBC

Films are not shot in sequence

• Typically all scenes set in one location are

shot before the production moves on

• All scenes involving a high priced star will

be shot in a few days

Film Language

Types of shots

• Long shot

• Master shot

• Over-the-shoulder shot

• Close-up

Establishing Shot

Vertigo (1958)

Long Shot

Master Shot

Emma (1996)

Over-the-shoulder Shot

Vertigo (1958)

Close-up

Psycho (1960)

Setups – Coverage

Continuity Error

• Setup – The location of the camera in

relation to the action

• Coverage – The number of different

setups from which a scene is shot

• Continuity Error – The subtle difference

between takes

Master Setup

Mildred Pierce (1945)

Two Shot

Mildred Pierce (1945)

Setups for a Dialogue Scene

1. Master shot

2. Over the shoulder – Character A

3. Close Up – Character A

4. Over the shoulder – Character B

5. Close Up – Character B

5 Shots

Visual Special Effects

• Process shot

• Matt shot

Process Shot

(Blue Screen)

Soldiers

(1998)

Matt Shot

The Truman Show

(1998)

Shooting Schedule

The larger the budget, the more time can be

spent shooting the film

• A feature film – 2 ½ days (Little Shop of

Horrors, 1960) to 163 days (Titanic, 1997)

• Hour long television show – 6 to 8 days

A day normally starts @ 6am and runs 11 to

13 hours

Editing a Film

On a Moviola

flatbed

On a Computer screen

Editing

• Connecting individual shots (master shot,

over-the-shoulder…) to create scenes

• Taking a 1000’ (11 minutes) of raw

footage and cutting it into a 100’ (1 minute)

dramatic scene

• Delivering the maximum emotional and

story telling impact the material is capable

of producing

Editing…

• The editor begins work during the

production phase

• Rough cut is generally finished 6 weeks

after principle photography wraps

• Final cut – 6 months

• TV show – 2 to 3 weeks

Sound Tracks

1. Dialogue – recorded during filming

2. Music – composed after film is cut

3. Cued Sound effects – car crashes, gun

shots, squealing brakes

4. Foley – foot steps

5. Ambiance – background “noise”

Recording the Music Track

Foley Artist

Film Distribution

• Number of prints – 250 (“Art” film) to 3,000

(“Summer Block Buster”)

• Released to larger communities first

• Local theatre keeps 10% to 65% of the

ticket price

• Summer releases – Memorial day to Labor

day (June – August)

• Oscar releases – November & December

Distribution…

• First Summer Blockbuster – Jaws (1975)

• First “General Release” – King Kong

remake with Jessica Lang (1976)

• Generally a film is released to the video &

DVD market 6 months after it is in the

theatre

• A Summer Blockbuster is available before

Christmas