A1 - report
This report was written with the aim to explain the pre-production process that takes place before the creation of any creative media product.
Pre-production is the sequence of plans and events that occur before you start to film and develop your media product. It has many different stages like casting, securing your locations, and creating a screenplay. One of the initial stages of pre-production is casting and finding your crew. Casting can happen in a variety of ways. This can involve planning auditions, looking at everyone's audition tapes, and finally, picking and choosing you final selection of personnel. Within smaller productions, it's not uncommon for family and friends to be asked to take part. Gathering your crew is quite different. Your crew will consist of people from your hair and makeup team, all the way to your camera crew and editors. The next thing is finding and securing the locations for your film. Some films can have well a hundred sets and you'll need permits for the majority of them to legally film there. Most likely, the director will attend checks to look over the locations to see if they're safe for filming. Schedules are also very important to the pre-production process, making sure everything is done on time. Schedules make sure that the cast and crew know exactly when they start filming right up to when they wrap up for the day. Another key part of pre-production establishing the initial look of the film. This includes things like colour schemes and figuring out if and when special effects will be used. Next, there's a high possibility that, to make your film, you'll have to build at least a few sets. This often occurs when a film requires scenes to be filmed in places that can't be accessed or involved fantasy and fiction. A good example of this would be when producers want to film a scene based on another planet with extra terrestrial life. Another thing to consider when preparing for your film is help for the cast. This means there's a chance that you might have to hire people such as stunt coordinators or dialect coaches to help the actors during shooting. Screenplays are essential to this process. Things like the breakdown of the script and table readings are done to finalise everything, knowing that it's ready for the filming to start. Looking after the members of your team is the main priority once they've been hired. This means making sure everyone has the necessities such as: water, food, maps, access to medical care, etc. It's always key to have a call list durning production as a whole. Getting your shot list is also key. During this, you'll also need to wok out the logistics. Planning a filming schedule is needed for any form of visual media product. If a certain location appears multiple times during a film, it would be most time efficient to shoot all of the scenes that are set in that location in the same duration of time.
There are two main types of film when thinking about what you want to make as a production. Those are short form films and feature films. Short form films are usually seen by the majority of the public at the beginning or end of a feature film. Feature films tend to tell a full story, or lead up to the point where the producers are in a position to make a sequel. However, short form films are usually made to convey a certain message or bring a specific topic to light to the public. Most people interested in the film industry start out making shorts. They use these to post on social media platforms and sometimes to show higher up producers how they work. Feature films, most of the time, have a much higher general cost. This is because they will need to take into account the amount of actors, props, sets, tools, etc needed and the publicity strategy. Short films will be on a lower spectrum of costs as they have less screen time to start with. For example: there's likely to be fewer actors in a short form film compared to a feature film. In the film industry, short films can be used as an easy way for directors to critique a persons work style. Feature films also take a significant amount of time longer to produce. It can take years to get from a simple concept to the final film being shown to the public.
Finance is a huge part of any production. Public and private sectors both have their similarities, however, they also have their many differences. The private sector is made entirely out of businesses owned by members of the public, such as shops within the larger shopping centres. The private sector consists of people who earn their way to gaining a profit. However, in the public sector, the government will use the taxes to fund itself. They decide when and where the money should be sent to be used. Unlike the private sector, the public sector has higher costs and poorer services. Within the private sector, more money can be spent on services which makes them significantly better than the public sector services. Also in the private sector, there is often quite a bit of competition which can influence the price and quality of products being sold. The public sector needs the money to continuously be flowing into the companies otherwise they'll end up going out of business. They are mainly focused on the general purpose of providing the necessary services of a community as well as making sure they are at a decent standard. The public sector is also mainly monopoly, politics have a huge impact on it and means that the public sector produce masses of paperwork to justify their works. I think as a new filmmaker, you're most likely to get funding from both public and private sectors. Private sectors would fund you because if you're a new filmmaker, you could possibly attract the attention of some producers who are in the private sector as that's run by the companies. They are also good as they have such better services so as a new filmmaker, you'd most likely lean more towards that. On the other hand, you could get funding from from the public sector as well because some people might not want to invest loads on someone new to the industry with little experience. Some new directors just want a starting platform. Therefore, I think that any new director should chose to try funding from the public sector as it's more realistic at that stage in their career.
The two industries involving film and television have many similarities that connect them and also a number of differences that help to separately define the two. There are some very obvious things that they have in common. Such things as: both needed a large amount of people to produce the project, the majority of crew members are freelancers, and scripts being overlooked and finalised before shooting. Alongside those, there are the basics that are involved. This can include anything from casting the actors all the way to creating a set schedule for filming etc. The differences are a bit more varied in terms of what is more common for a production. This could include: television shows need to approved by the relevant broadcasters, client managers for television are always up to date with each milestone that the production passes, television production for shows will last longer and therefore need a longer storyline to fill the season, and shows on television are set a stricter time schedule due to regular episode releases.
Next, you'll have to look closer at the finances surrounding your project. Finance within production looks at the following aspects: equipment, crew, transport, talent, clearances, materials, and facility hire. When thinking about the equipment, the bottom line is acknowledging what you need in order to make your film, apart from actors and crew. Some essentials are items like a camera, tripod, lights, sound equipment, and storage units such as SD cards. Your crew will be the people who help bring your production to life. Most crews have what I'd call the 'essentials'. They are usually accompanied by another large group of people within the crew. However, sometimes a newer or low budget production will have what's known as a skeleton crew. This type of crew only consists of the 'essentials' with no one else. Transport is a large part of any production, making sure everyone has a way to get from A-B in the most efficient time and in time for anything they're needed for. In regards to the requirements of finance, you would need to consider how much it would cost for your cast and crew to travel to the set on a daily basis. This will need to be factored into your budget early on as it's extremely important. Actors and actresses that feature in your film are also know as the 'talent'. As the director, you will need to decide during the pre-production stage whether you will be using semi-professional actors through an agency or whether you'll be using family/friends. It's not uncommon for newer directors to use relatives or friends/mutual connections to act in their production as it tends to be a lot cheaper and more efficient for the project as a whole. Clearances are crucial for productions to take place. It refers to the process of ensuring you have asked for permission to use music, footage, etc that was originally created or owned by another person to avoid lawsuits. When making a short film, you have to ensure that everything you use is either your own or signed off by the original owner to say it's able to be used. Most of the time, you'll either have to pay a waiver or set an agreed price with the owner to be able to use what's theirs. Any extras that you have to get hold of or buy for your production are known as materials. Some examples could be costumes and archived library materials. Facility hire refers to the various locations you'll actually be to shoot your production.
Organisation is a key quality and overall part in producing a film. This covers everything from making sure the crew and cast are where they're meant to be at the right times to checking all equipment is in order and ready to go. Filming doesn't work without a shooting schedule. This entails what days you're shooting which scenes and how long the personnel will be working for each day. There are certain aspects of production that have multiple stages in them. One of these multi-layer stages is locations. Not only do they need to be scouted for, but also set with all of the right clearances and recess taken place before shooting. It's always vital to make the council aware of how long you're filming in that area for incase the public need to be notified in advance to filming of any road closures or events taking place. Your personnel are what bring the production to life, without them, there wouldn't be a final product. Even with animations you still need people to voice the characters unless it's full of non-speaking roles. The word personnel covers everyone involved in the production from the director to the editors. As a director, you have to make sure everyone is accounted for. Lastly, timescales are what hold the line of production together, in other words, this could be called deadlines. Another important part of any film is what's known as the money shot. This refers to the one main shot of the film that captures what it's all about.
Production equipment refers to all of the equipment used on a film set. In other words, production equipment includes anything used to shoot your film. There are many different sections within production equipment. These include: lighting, grip equipment, camera package, camera movement, and post production equipment. Lighting plays a huge part in the appearance of any film production. Within the lighting, there are many things considered. Lighting is mainly used for creating the scene with a specific mood or atmosphere. Light stands are used to hold the lights up in the right position for each shot. Generators are large power outlets for any and all on set equipment that needs it. Gels are used for colour exposure along with diffusion which is used to soften the light. Other accessories within lighting are as follows: filters, grip stands, reflectors, and grip accessories. Another aspect of equipment is what's known as the camera package. Apart from the camera you'll be shooting your film on, there are a lot of things to consider that involve either the camera or the production. These are stock or media, lenses, filters, and tripods. Camera movement involves items which are accessories to the camera rather than whole new items of equipment. Another key element of production is the sound equipment. Audio quality is essential to the success of your film, it's one of many thing that will decipher whether a film will get watched or not. Most sound equipment consists of the following: a sound recording unit, headphones, microphone holders, cables, a boom, wind shields, and microphones. There are two main types of microphone: omni directional and uni directional. It's important to chose the right type for you production. The phrase " post-production" covers the various technical phases, after production, that put the film together and make it ready for release. These phases include: picture editing, sound editing, visual effects, grading, and tilting. Usually, it's only higher end productions that use editing facilities such as grading.
Most websites I visited when looking for equipment seem to charge per day or for permanent use. However, the website I used for the products listed previously charged for a five to seven day use. This turned out to be a lot more practical when you think of the overall cost of the production. The lighting equipment was most time consuming to find as it was difficult to pick out exactly what products we needed and which ones we didn't. If too much time is taken up sorting out equipment then you run the risk of falling behind schedule for the whole production. This could lead to not being able to get the right equipment on time which could make the result a lower quality. It also means that the products that you do manage to get could be problematic. As much as researching other companies is time consuming, you can find the cheapest or most efficient equipment for your shoot, without looking at the more websites, you could waste a lot of the productions money. Prop houses are companies that hire out a variety of props for video production (sometimes for theatre and film interchangeability).
The size of a production will always affect ideas of personnel such as roles being distributed differently and having varied skill sets among the crew. For a big budget production there's likely to be a much larger crew including experts within their specific fields and more money to spend on significant changes. Medium budget films tend to have a significant scaled down crew and the crew will be experts in their fields. Low budget productions include people in the crew that will vary in experience. A micro budget means that some people may have to double or triple up on roles and there will be limited amounts of staff. Producers first try to re-employ hired crew who have already been put through the test and who has been shown good time management and team building skills. Secondly, they listen to recommendations. Thirdly, they rely on recruitment agencies, production databases and crew CV's.
A skeleton crew can vary. It is most commonly known as a crew consisting of at least two to three people or can be as large as twelve to fifth teen people. In other words, it's the minimum amount of people needed to make a film or media product. There are five essential roles that a skeleton crew needs. They are: director of photography, makeup and hair, production assistant, location audio, and a gaffer/grip. The director of photography has many key roles throughout production. One of these is being able to understand and help develop your ideas. Working without a director of photography can work against you very quickly. Having one on your crew will make the process a lot quicker and more efficient. Makeup and hair show major creativity within the production, they push the actors to look and act more like the characters they're trying to portray. It also makes the production look more professional. A production assistant helps to split up the amount of work between people so that the pressure isn't all on the director or producer. Location audio is crucial to your production. Having a good audio and a bad visual look makes your production look more professional than a good visual and bad audio. When choosing your location, your have to consider things like echoing and sound quality in general.
A small budget production and a large scale, feature film vary in many different ways, one of these key differences is the crew. By this, I mean the size, quality and specific members involved within that. Starting with the crew size itself, for a small budget film production, it's common sense to guess that it'd be a smaller selection of people. This is usually where a Skelton crew would come in handy and become more relevant to the process. A skeleton crew consists of the fewest amount of people needed for a production to be completed at a certain standard. These types of crews usually consist of the more basic personnel for productions. They are typically: director of photography, makeup and hair, production assistant, location audio, and the gaffer/grip. These are the most essential roles that are needed to be filled for any production to work. However, a larger scale production will, understandably, have a much larger selection of personnel for their crew. Where a small budget production would have a crew of around fifteen people at the most, a crew for a larger production can be within the hundreds. On top of the members of the crew that a small budget production has, a feature film production has so many more in addition to create a powerful and effective team dynamic. Feature films will most likely have crew members such as: camera crew, light operators, set and costume designers, prop makers, stunt coordinators, dialect coaches, safety crews, a publicity crew and media sponsors. As well as this, the post-production process entails having skilled and experienced editors to bring the project together to make the vision that the director would want. Both crews contain similar members to make sure the production runs smoothly, but a larger scale production will have more personnel alongside the basics.
Within a short film, crews range from a basic skeleton crew to a crew which can contain up to fifty people at the very most. In my opinion, the most essential roles to fill in a short form film are as follows: director, DOP, makeup and hair, production assistant, location audio, and a safety crew. Having a director is crucial to any production, without them, there’s no vision to build a production around to start with. They supervise the crew and cast from start to finish a director of photography is needed because they create all of the shots within the production. Having an experienced director of photography can mean that your film appears more professional than amateur. Makeup and hair are always underrated, but people forget that they help to create the characters that the actors are there to portray. A production assistant is needed to relieve the responsibilities of the main producer. They share out the jobs needed to be completed so that the producers isn’t overwhelmed. This way, the producer can put more time and energy into different aspects of the making of the film, hopefully improving the quality. The audio at each location needs to be managed very carefully on short form films as you have less time to tell your story. Short form films have a limited amount of time to make their good impression, so it’s imperative that the aspects that are within the production are done to the best of their ability. Depending on the location, the audio quality will be hindered. If you were to shoot a scene at a beach, the wind would alter the overall quality. This could mean possibly moving location or just altering the current location. Finally, a safety crew is vital for any production, short or large scale. The safety and well-being of your cast and crew always has to be a top priority during production. They’re the ones turning your original idea into a film, there’s no production without them, so they must be looked after.
If I were to bring together a skeleton crew of my own from my class, the majority of my classmates would be a huge help to the project. Personally, I have a lot of experience with photography, therefore I could be helpful when it comes to the lighting and potentially some of the recording aspects. The set construction and design could go to the people who’ve had experience with dt and art in the past. Editing can be done by the photography students who took media for their gcse as they’d have a lot of experience with that subject. All around, I think the creativity and skill of the group as a whole could bring together a great production.
Employers are required to have a management system in place to control the risk to employees and others from their work. The industry uses large numbers of independent companies and freelancers and it is sometimes difficult to decide. Locations have to be checked multiple times by different members of the safety team and crew. This also makes sure that the area is deemed safe for people to film in. It cancels out safety risks in every location and ensures that there’s not a risk of damaging any equipment. Health and safety refers to the various precautions that producers and crew members have to take to ensure that everyone involved in the production is kept safe and well. The key personnel involved in health and safety include: producer, production manager, first assistant director and the crew même vers who have a duty of care which is recognised by the law. The function of a risk assessment is simple. Its purpose is to draw attention to anything that could cause potential harm to anyone or anything during a shoot. This could be harm on the personnel, equipment or even the location itself. Health and safety considerations and risk assessments are vital for the protection of any personnel and equipment used in the process. Failure to protect them can end in law suits and failure to produce any form of production. Each person and each piece of equipment is necessary to help the completion of the project. One missing could mean that it sets the process back a large amount. Deadlines wouldn’t be met and quality might not be as good as you first hoped. Risk assessments consist of four main parts: systematically look at the activities, identify the hazards, asses the risks they could cause, and fond ways to eliminate or control the issues. The risk assessment you carry out should include consideration of what your business might cause harm to and how. It should take into account any controls which have already been put in place and identify if any further control is required. You should be able to show from your assessment that a proper check has been done and that all people who could potentially be affected are considered. Insignificant risks don’t need to be included but they are worth writing down just incase they appear later on as a larger problem. You do not need to include everyday risks unless your work activities increase them. Any paperwork that is produced should help with communicating and managing the risks in your business. The basic way to think about a risk assessment is standing in a certain location and imagining everything that could go wrong and finding a way to avoid it from happening.
(Information found on The BBC website).
A copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the authors of 'original works of authorship'. A copyright holder can prevent others from copying/using their work without consent. It is a legal right that protects the use of your work once your idea has been physically expressed. For a work to be original it must be the product of your own skill and labour or intellectual creation and should not replicate the work of someone else. For something to be tangible, it means that it can't just be an idea you've had. Instead you need to have expressed that idea in a physical form. When you make up a tune in your head, it is only protected by copyright from the moment you write down the musical score or record a performance of it.
Within film crews, there are countless roles that need to be filled for the production to run smoothly and be a success. (All information regarding roles was found on https://www.screenskills.com).
They include:
Producer...
They are the overall decision makers in the production process. They will come up with the story ideas and most will choose to hire a writer or choose and secure rights to the scripts. They also decide on the scale and budget of the production and begin the source financing from investors, studios and distributors. Working alongside the director means that they work with creative ideas form the director themselves and approve the overall production costs. Approving locations and hiring a team of staff for the production and setting responsibilities means that the whole production process can move forward. It's also key for them to create and maintain a good working environment with clear communication to keep things running smoothly. Without this the production could be slowed down and majorly disrupted. They have the responsibility of locating and solving potential problems throughout the production process. Lastly, they have to keep on top of the legal responsibilities for the health and safety of the crew on set and the delivery of the completed film at the end of the production process. During production, it is essential to have a focused person for this role so that you know that someone responsible can handle the tasks needed. If the wrong person is chosen for the position of the producer, it could bring up many problems. Some examples could be: running the risk of going over the budget, not completing the whole project, and resulting in a bad reputation for every member of the crew.
Director...
Directors are the creative leads throughout the entire production process, they hold the original vision which they have developed into what can turn into the end product. They start with a script, and work with a screenwriter and sometimes a script editing team. Their main job is to visually imagine the script as if it was being performed. once the production has collected enough money to start, the director will begin to work closer with members of the crew, such as: the director of photography, assistant director and production designer. After this, they will proceed to work alongside the producers and casting directors to select who they think is best suited to represent the character/s they have in mind. The director of photography will be brought in for them to establish a filming style and overall style of the film. they also focus on making sure they have the right shots for the film. Some directors will instinctively stay to watch over rehearsals with the lead actors ahead of the shooting. They tell the cinematographer/s how they want the lighting for each shot. they also assist with how they want the look of each character to be. e.g. wardrobe, hair, and makeup. the director will also lead the editing of the film after it's filmed. a production physically can not work without a director as they are the ones with the vision, so without that then there isn't anything to film. However, if the position isn't filled by the right person then things can go downhill very quickly due to the fact that the director has some of the most stressful and important responsibilities within the entire production process.
1st assistant director...
The job of the 1st assistant director, in its simplest form, is to be the director's right hand. They are in control of planning the filming schedule. During this, they will be working alongside members of the crew such as the director and the director of photography. Other heads of departments might be brought in as well to assist. This is to ensure that the shoot is done to the correct standard and runs smoothly. during the pre-production process, the assistant director has many essential responsibilities like the following: brewing down the script, analysing it, helping with casting, locations, equipment and crew. They also lead the recess to ensure that the locations are best suited for the shoot and production as a whole. after this, they then input the scripts into a movie magic software, which helps them work out what to film and when to film it. However, this is all dependant on the availability of cast and locations. they write the shooting schedule and work out how long each scene will take to film and obviously take that into account when writing the schedules. during the actual production and filming, the assistant director will be managing the sets, which then leaves the director to the job of focusing on the actors and framing the shots. Without an assistant director, all of the pressure and work in that area of expertise would be put on the director. Having an assistant director means that those responsibilities are shred and each person can then focus on an area of the production more, which in turn, would lead to a better end result.
Production manager...
They act on the main decisions made by the visual effects producer. they're responsible for creating the schedule for the production and watching over the budget. They also watch over other members of the crew such as the production coordinator while scheduling the work and might also be involved in the casting and hiring process alongside the director. On occasion they might have to assist with drafting contracts for cast and crew members. Most importantly, they ensure that all deadlines are met on time and to the best standard. If their job isn't done by either the right person or isn't done to the best standard, it could slow down the entire project.
Location manager...
The location manager plays a very important role in the film industry. Not only do they have to find the locations for the film, they also have to ensure they're safe for people and the equipment to be around without risk of damage. They have to make sure all of the location permits are in order and make sure they're a good face for the production. The public are always considered when addressing issues that arise during production. The role of location manager has to be filled by the right person so that the film ends up looking the best that it can. Locations play a huge part in that, without the right location, the audience could get the wrong message about the film as a whole.
Assistant location manager...
During pre-production, the assistant location manager is responsible for the following: writing and distributing letters to local residents informing them about the filming, talking between crew and location owners, and assist the preparation of the locations chosen for the project. Their job makes it easier for the location manager to do their job most efficiently which benefits the whole film. When this role is filled properly, all of the responsibility in that area falls onto the location manager which can mean the job isn't done to the best it could be. this could lead to the film looking amateur.
Production designer...
The job of the production designer is to create the overall look of the production. This includes the mood, atmosphere, lighting, composition, colour and texture of each scene. They'll start with the script and begin to visualise the screenplay. These ideas are spoken about with the director so they can further develop them. they will usually research and collaborate with the director and director of photography and other department heads about the final choices for the film. Production designers are usually freelance. another part of the job is writing up the budgets for the things needed to create the final look of the production. They have to prioritise the work schedule and allocate the management of finance to team members who are performing certain tasks. Its an essential job that needs to be done right in order to make the production successful. it can cause countless issues if it not done right.
Property master...
They deal with any props or property. This can include anything from as little as a hat to a kitchen unit. they run the property department which makes, stores and transports the props as well as preparing them for when they are needed in a scene. They start working long before anyone else in the crew does, except for the directors and producers. They work alongside many members of the crew throughout the production to ensure that the directors vision is created as close to the plan as possible. when the shooting if finished, they return everything to where they'd hired it or find a way to safely dispose of everything. Each crew member has a set of responsibilities that are essential for the completion and success of the whole production. Should a member fail to complete the tasks needed to be done, the responsibilities then fall onto the rest of the crew which means it could hinder the quality of the tasks at hand.
Prop maker...
They work with the department heads to work out which props are needed for the production in each individual scene. Next is figuring out if those props need to be made or hired out. Prop makers use a wide variety of materials, techniques, and tools to design the props needed. A lot of the time, they will have to alter props that thy hire out to suit the film. Props are used in a lot of major films/film franchises such as Harry Potter. They are necessary for the film to look professional and of a good quality.
Construction manager...
Their job is to look after the making of various studios and sets. Their aim is to make it look as realistic or as close to how they want it as possible. Checklists are important in construction, this can be things like: is it safe for the environment?, how long will it take to build?, and how many people need to help to build it. Then they hire the workforce which can consist of the following and potentially more: carpenters, painters, riggers, and plasterers. Finding the materials before making can also take up a large amount of time. what machines will be used? How much money will be spent on materials? All things that the construction manager will have o think about and draw up solutions and budgets for. Finally, they are also responsible for taking apart all of the sets after shooting, and ensuring that all materials are recycled as far as possible, or put into storage.
Director of photography...
They read the screenplay and work closely with the director to discuss the look and feel of the film. After, they research how to create the look through lighting, framing, and camera movement. also thinking about what they will need in terms of kit and crew. Each day of filming they show up early to rehearse. they do blocking, which is deciding the exact movement of both the camera and actors. t
They have to consider any special camera moves and lighting requirements. Each shot is marked up for focus and framing. Throughout the whole production, they oversee the lighting of the set for the first take. every shot is usable and is flagged when they're not. They view the raw footage and work closely with the colourist in post-production.
Camera operator...
Is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera. The DP may operate the camera themselves, or enlist the aid of a camera operator. First assistant cameraman is responsible for maintenance of the camera. The second assistant cameraman might be employed to load a film, slate scenes, or maintain the camera report. A camera operator in a video production may be known by titles like television camera operator. Their skills include: choreographing and framing shots, knowledge of and the ability to select appropriate camera lenses, and other equipment. This is a super important job that needs to be taken seriously. Each part is so specific that means it has to be done right or it risks the look of the entire production.
Art director...
Art directors are responsible for the visual style of the film, more specifically, how the characters, props and environment are going to look. Start by examining the script and working with the director to understand the vision for the film. they create their designs and determine the tone, mood, and colour palettes. Their work is very specific and directive. They determine the 'language' of the design. requires an understanding of what the final, on-screen image will look like and how to get there. they usually work in 2D design at this stage of pre-production. These ideas are then presented to the director and producer and possibly to the investors in the project. They're involved inn the process right up until the release of the production so they can supervise the other artists.
Assistant art director...
An assistant director is a junior level creative professional who helps plan and execute the production. In their position, the assistant art director may have more routine duties, such as basic design. Also may be tasked by a supervisor or coordinating illustrator. They help reduce the workload of the art director so that the work can be done most efficiently. It's essential that they do their job so the production can run smoothly.
Customer supervisor...
A customer service supervisor oversees, leads, and trains a company's service staff. They investigate and solve product and service complaints. Also known as customer service manager. The customer service staff are important to making the team feel secure in knowing their complaints and queries are being taken care of.
Costume assistant...
Tasks vary depending on the scale of the production. Might carry out research for the costume designer or work with a costume assistant to detail requirements, photograph garments and note changes in the continuity book. They're likely to help with setting up workrooms, ordering supplies, and may help with pattern cutting or the ageing and distressing of costumes. Also sometimes help with packaging costumes. during the shoot, they make sure the outfits are ready for the actors and help the standbys by making simple alterations. Might be asked to collect garments and supplies, clean and iron them or do returns for the designers.
Makeup and hair designer...
Hair and makeup designers help actors to portray their characters by using hair and makeup to create the looks. They work closely with the director to understand the style of the story. They breakdown the script, noting their ideas for various looks throughout the production and the requirements like who they need to recruit to the team. They make appointments for actors for wig fittings, prosthetics, and dental appointments. they also work alongside the camera department on test shots to see how the hair and makeup looks under different lighting conditions. They are one of the first to the set in the mornings, leading the team, keeping everyone to schedule and managing the budget for their area of work. In larger productions, hair and makeup are two separate roles.
Sound designer...
Sound designers create the soundscape for the film. sometimes there are no natural sounds so they have to be made from scratch. They decide which sounds to use to create the right atmosphere. discuss with the director and decide what effect they want and then find creative ways to achieve this. Might create sounds from scratch on a computer, known as synthesis. they could record real life sounds to use, this is known as foley. Foley often involves recording one sound to use it as something else. animation sound designers are highly imaginative, especially when designing what a fantasy creature or environment might sound like. They edit their chosen sounds and using time codes, they put them into the film and they work to tight deadlines.
Supervising sound editor...
Manage the team that looks after each part of the sound of a film. this includes those responsible for dialogue, additional dialogue recordings, sound effects, background sounds and foley. Their roles vary depending on the budget of the production. Lower budget films they start work when the picture editor has achieved picture lock. in larger scale, big budget films, they start work before the shooting begins and appoint specialist sound editors to supervise separate teams for each area of work. Supervising sound editors attend a "spotting session". They discuss any concepts for the overall feel of the sound. They check every sound effect and line of dialogue to see what's needed. Their role is quite hands-on in creating the overall. soundtrack. They're also responsible for the sound budget and for organising the workflow, sound editorial, foley recording, ADR sessions, pre-mix to final mix- and making.
Script supervisor...
They're usually shot entirely out of sequence. Its the job of the script supervisor to check how each filmed scene can be edited so it will make sense in the end. In pre-production, script supervisors prepare a continuity breakdown. This is a document that analyses the script in terms of cast, actions, wardrobe and props in scenes and story days. They closely monitor what's happening to check no dialogue is overlooked and the actions and eye-lines of the actors match. Keep detailed written and photographic records of dialogue, action, costumes and props. They keep a progress report of each day's filming and these records are invaluable. They mean that when different takes are edited together, the film is consistent and makes sense.
Storyboard artist...
Storyboard artists help the head of story to create a visual representation of the animation's narrative. They translate the script and director's vision into pictures. They produce a series of panels of images to plan the shot and ensure continuity between them. They may be asked to compete partly-drawn panels and ensure they are in the right style for the animation project. Storyboard panels might need to be cleaned up after feedback, so that they are tighter and more accurate. If the panels are being sent overseas to be animated this is particularly important. Storyboard artists might also need to fill in background details or they may be asked to revise scenes already drawn by senior artists. They may be required to work using various different software to prepare panels for editing. Their job is usually an in-house animation studio.
The effective crewing of a production, whether it's an industrially sized blockbuster, a more modest independent or a student shoot, is crucial to the overall success of the film. A well crewed production will run on time, secure all the required footage and stay within budget. A poorly managed production will run over time, not manage to secure all the required shots and go over the budget.
Working with a medium/larger film budget, most of the time, means they will have more key roles that need to be filled. casting directors will usually be hired to find the right people to fit these roles. They will pick and choose exactly who they think is best and will be fairly brutal within the audition process. in some cases, the casting process is bypassed. Certain scripts are written for specific actors rather than a generalised idea of a character. for example, the Disney movie 'Moana' features a well known character by the name of maui. Disney spoke out about this role and admitted that the role was made for the actor 'the rock' to play. the character himself is both based off of the look and parts of his personality.
Skills that most actors will need...
Memorisation is key when you're in the acting business. this will particularly help when it comes to remembering your script and possible stage directions. if an actor is unable to memorise their lines, their are two main things that could potentially happen. the first is that they might be replaced by someone who can fulfil the role better. the second is that it will slow down the production of the film majorly, which can cause huge problems in finance and the publicity of the film. Part of being an actor in the first place is being able to be creative. this can be a huge influence in events all the way from an original audition to improvising a scene in a film. creativity is the root to everything within film. an example would be one of the last scenes in the recent avengers films, 'avengers endgame'. in this scene the actor tom holland improvised some of his lines and they made it into the final cut of the film. without creativity, there isn't much of a film. creativity spans from how you read the script to things like facial expressions and how characters interact with each other. actors may sometimes suggest changes to the script of directions in their scenes. in simpler terms, directors may end up changing certain scenes based off of actors suggestions. Reading is a big part of acting, especially in the reading of scripts. being able to read, understand, and interpret scripts is a major part in production. this includes be able to understand stage directions and how you have to be for the role you are given. this also raises the problem of being able to keep up with the other actors, cast members, and the crew members requests or directions. Whatever roles you take on as an actor, the likelihood is that there will be a very large verbal aspect of it. remembering to adapt your voice to the certain role you're given is a difficult skill to grasp. this is also the section of production where extra crew members like dialect coaches are brought in for the actors. Teamwork is so important within a group of actors. regardless of everything else, if there's no sense of teamwork among the cast and crew the the production is likely to fail or end in a poor result. imagine a set where you have people bickering left, right, and centre and trying to get them ready for a scene. Actors have to have certain traits and skills to be successful in the industry. a respected skill within this is improvisation. improvisation is the ability to be able to spontaneously complete something without any planning prior to it. during auditions, some directors may ask you to improvise a scene or part of a scene to test things like your creativity and ability to take on a role and make it your own. it also lets them know how well you deal with being put on the spot. for example, say an actor is in the middle of a scene and forgets their lines, they could begin to improvise the rest instead of restarting. this has happened many times in some recognisable films and tv shows. Communication isn't just aimed at the actors, it's also very much aimed at everyone including the cast and the crew. during a production, most of your time will be taken up by it. each person needs to keep up with their roles for the process to work. this means they have to be fully committed to the project for it to work. failure is inevitable in anything, this means that you will make mistakes but if you're completely committed, you will be reliant and keep moving forwards with what you need to do. Being involved in productions will have its drawbacks and will cause you to make some changes to your lifestyle. this could include anything from being able to work longer hours and being up and ready whenever the director needs you for a scene. whether this is on set or at a separate location, you need to be able to keep on top of where you need to be and be able to get there for the right time. filming a scene itself can become very challenging in terms of having the right stamina for it. the atmosphere of a scene plays a huge part in this. for example, if a scene involves two people sitting down having a cup of tea together, you won't need a lot of stamina for it. however, if the scene involves high levels of stress like arguments or physical activity of any kind, naturally you will need more stamina to keep the scene going until it's finished. Being organised for an actor means being able to balance the responsibilities of the job as well as learning lines at home and having your life outside the production. acting takes up a great amount of a persons time, this means they have to be extremely organised and committed to the project. it also means that when they're not working on the film, that they still organise events or days to have separate in their personal lives. it also means knowing where you're needed and when. Adaption is something all actors will have to come to grips with during their career. some films start with one original idea and stick to it throughout the entire production. however, most films end up changing and evolving along the way to production and the release of the film. this means that an actor has to be able to adapt to the changing conditions of each scene they film. Actors are constantly being given directions in the overall production process. as a whole, due to this, they will need to be willing to listen to the people giving those directions. being able to listen to feedback as an actor can mean you can go away and improve on what the director, or whatever member of the crew it is, has critiqued them on. whilst a team of good listeners would be ideal for any production, sometimes that's not the reality. a team with people who aren't willing to listen will become a problem for the whole production and could very quickly cause it to go downhill. another consequence of having a member of the team not listen to others is that they might cause the whole process to slow down majorly and end up giving the film a poorer end result.
The casting process:
The casting process is a key part of pre-production. it's the section that allows the director and producer to select people they think will fit the roles they are trying to fill. this could be actors, dancers, etc.
Stages of the casting process:
The director and the producer will create the role descriptions. After this, the role descriptions are sent out to various agents. If the talents fit the descriptions, the agent will send over. headshot and certain info about the client. Once this is received by the director and producer, the talent will be called in for an audition. Some roles are written for specific actors, so this means that the info will be sent straight to the actor's manager or a member of their team to review with them to see if they are available and want to take the role on. in theses cases, the casting process isn't necessary unless the actor becomes unavailable for the role. Each audition takes place and they are all filmed to be reviewed later by the team when they're choosing who they want to fill the role. After the original auditions, the casting director and producer will select the people they ant to have a callback and contact their agents to notify them of it. A callback is a request for an individual to return for a second audition. The process is repeated however many time they deem necessary until all roles are cast with the people they think are right to fill them.
The job of the casting director is to assist the current team in selecting the right people to fill the roles within their production. They follow along with reading the script and figure out what type of actor they're looking for. The directors will have a sense of what they'd like both the appearance and personality of the actor to be like. the casting director just helps to find that person in the most efficient time. Depending on the director, they may have little preferences or they could be very picky about what they want to see from the actors. Casting directors will often attend theatre events to get more of a feel for the talent that's out in certain areas. They organise things like headshots, demos and reels. If the team don't allocate a certain amount of time to the casting process, there could be countless consequences for the production as a whole. it is vital that there is enough time to complete this process efficiently to make sure that, not only are the right people cast, but to make sure its the most cost efficient for the production. If the casting process doesn't start early enough within pre-production, again it's a matter of trying not to rush the process or the people involved into making what could be one of many wrong casting decisions. hiring a casting director with little experience can be either a big problem or not one at all depending on the size of the production. a smaller production can probably risk hiring a non-experienced casting director. it may risk the production quality but it might be the most cost efficient solution. however, with a large scale production, the risk of poor quality will have a much more severe consequences. without casting the casting net wide enough, you might miss the type of people you are specifically targeting for these roles.
extras...
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, who appears in a nonspeaking or consigning capacity, in the background. on a film, background actors are usually referred to as junior artists, atmosphere, background talent, background performers, background artists, background cast members, or simply, background. the term 'extra' is rarely used. casting criteria for background actors depends on the production. it is not entirely true that background cast members require little or no acting experience. punctuality, reliability and the ability to take direction also figure prominently for these cast members. background actors are often selected on short notice, after all other preparations of the shoot have been finalised.
https://www.castingcollective.co.uk - notes
They're recognised as one of the best UK background casting agencies. With over 40,000 supporting artistes available across the UK, productions can search online by age, vital statistics, skill and type of look. During (and outside) office hours, a booker will be dedicated to your production. All their artistes are pre-checked so you don't have to worry. they do individual background checks to ensure that they are all legal to work within the UK. They check and scan: national insurance number, passport photo ID, ad work permits, biometric residence permit or residence card. Their team of 10 bookers are supported by their office support including quick and efficient finance. They've been quoted saying "we know how important it is to only provide supporting artistes who are safe to work on set." All disclosure and barring certificates from artistes are individually checked. working alongside PACT and equity to safeguard all under 18's onset no artistes with convictions contained within the sexual offences Act 2003 or any serious unspent convictions will be provided.
types: specialists, experts, talent and public.
Specialists are people with advanced skill sets in particular areas. They're often hired for: highly technical operations overseas, to train and learn the skills needed in a short amount of time, or to undertake key production roles. If there isn't enough of a budget to hire these people, it can run the risk of making your production look less professional. Technical specialists have a very specific skillset. for example: if there was a scene with an arial dogfight involving two fighter planes, there would be two specialist pilots hired to fly the planes. It's not as safe or easy to create certain scenarios in films without having at least one technical specialist. Specialist trainers are the people who train the specialists. for example, if there was a dance sequence in a film, the specialist trainer would teach the actors the routine and moves until they're right for the film. They're needed to make sure that the actors know what they're doing in scenes with any form of routine or steps that need following so without them, it would look messy and unprofessional. Production specialists are even more specific specialists such as someone flying a drone for aerial views in a film. A budget needs to be allocated to hire these people so that you can film your production the best it can be. aerial views shot on drones could be an essential part of a film, without someone to fly it, it could hinder the project as a whole and create a bad review. During the research and development stages of a project, many producers will recruit experts in particular fields to make sure that representations of individuals, types, groups, places, activities, or events are constructed in a way that is authentic and accurate. for example: in a war film, the producer or director will hire a research expert to make sure that the events are near enough what happened in real life to avoid making a mockery of past events. Implications of not having the right budget to hire these experts could lead to a huge backlash on your production. you run the risk of not only getting significant events wrong, but then offending anyone who feels strongly about the subjects should they think you've made a mockery of it. Talent in films refers to the specialist performers... actors, singers, and dancers. The word talent is usually used to refer to A list celebrities and those actors who have been cast in principle roles.Their achievements naturally stem from having developed, highly specialist performance skills. Without the correct budget to hire the talent, you have to rely on actors you already know which would be of a lower standard. this doesn't necessarily mean your production will be worse but it runs the risk of not reaching its full potential.
Occasionally, the public bodies and the public itself will be invited to play a key role in a production.
a city may enable production by allowing or supporting filming in particular locations within its limits. The public may be asked to congregate for crowd scenes. Without them, the scenes won't look as real and authentic as they could without hiring out loads of extras. A contributor biography is as it sounds. Experts, specialists and A list talent who undertake key roles or perform key roles on a production will usually be represented by a bio in any marketing for a film, such as press kits. Key above the line production personnel will also be given biographies in a press folder: These people are: producer, director, screenwriter, and principal actors.
There are many types of materials involved in productions. This includes the following: original materials, archived and library materials, photo library materials, sound library materials, internet, assets, audio, scripts, animatics, graphics, interviews, costumes, properties, and recorded music.
Original materials...
This refers to the materials made 'in-house' by members of the team. Nicholas Robatto was a staff props maker for Doctor Who, Torchwood, and The Sarah Jane Adventures. Most episodes of doctor who through the series 6 and 7 were ones he'd worked on. Sometimes it was uncredited work, particularly in the early RTD era. he made a range of sonic screwdrivers which were a large part in the Sarah Jane adventures.
Properties...
A prop , or property, is any moveable item that can be seen on a film. it could be a hat, gun, cushion, glass, lightsaber, carpet, kitchen unit, or aircraft. prop masters run the property department which makes, stores and transports the props as well as preparing them for any scenes. Property masters. usually start work a few weeks before shooting begins. They work with production designers, set decorators, and art directors to work out what props are needed. They research and draw up ideas and property lists, deciding on what things can be hired or made. They create a 'set and strike' schedule to share with location and construction departments. When shooting is finished, they return all hired props and organise the sale or safe disposal of everything else. They are good at: understanding film, historical knowledge, craftsmanship, moving items, communication, and organisation. They work with members of the team like the department heads and directors. All roles within production need to be done by the right people with the right experience. failure to have that means you could risk the entire quality of the production.
Like any job, there are a certain number of skills that you need to be qualified for the job. A knowledge of building and construction, to be thorough and pay attention to detail, knowledge of maths, to be able to work well with others, patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations, the ability to use, repair, and maintain machines and tools, being able to work independently and sensitivity and understanding are all essential.
Throughout the job you'll take part in many aspects of the production. Some examples are: discuss what props are needed, interpreting plans, from rough sketched to detailed deigns, carrying out historical research to make authentic looking items, experimenting with different materials
using power tools and hiring, buying or repairing props.
Prop makers might make anything from fake jewellery to an entire rooms worth of props like lamps or seats. They use a range of different skills to create props, such as carpentry, sculpting, casting, sewing, painting, welding, and computer aided design.
To be a prop master, you need to be good at solving problems and be able to pay close attention to details, have patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations, have the ability to use, repair, and maintain machines and tools, be able to work independently and be understanding.
Costume...
Costume is everything in film. As well as contributing to the look, it helps actors to embrace their characters and feel emotionally connected to them. They research, sketch, and draw clothes to communicate the style of the film. They'll do fittings, alterations and sometimes photoshoots as the characters during filming days. Once shooting starts, they are always on set whenever there are new actors or new looks.
Costume designers have many skills that are helpful throughout the whole production process. This includes: styling, costume history, storytelling, making clothes, organisation and communication.
In 1813 Daniel Angel arrived in London with barely a word of English. He started off selling second hand clothes and later opened a second hand clothing shop with his son. He provided a service for those who wanted good quality clothes at a affordable cost. The quality and style of the clothes was high, and soon theatrical managers were asking for pieces he was selling to use in musicals. As the film industry was beginning, Angels began a relationship with them that lasts to this day. he made them costumes for any films necessary. After madam Tussauds was destroyed by fire, Angels re-dressed all of the waxworks and provided uniforms for the staff. Some productions he assisted with are: the crown, bohemian rhapsody, rocket man, Aladdin, beauty and the beast, and black sails. Without an efficient and experienced costume designer, your production can end up looking cheap and unprofessional. It could also cause a large backlash on the production's reviews from the public.
Archive and library materials...
A collection of films that have been preserved because of their historical or cultural interest. Types of archives that are available to film makers are as follows: BFI national archive, east Anglian film archive, imperial war museum, Londons screen archives, media archive for central England at the university of Lincoln, north east film archive, north west film archive at Manchester metropolitan museum, northern Ireland screen digital film archive, Scottish screen archive, screen archive south east, south west film and television archive, the national screen and sound archive of Wales
Reasons to chose stock footage over filming yourself...
To start with, it's more expensive to film raw footage yourself. It's easier to chose stock footage which makes it a quicker process. Hollywood films use stock footage, shows its of a good quality
it's already available to you, no preparation needed.It doesn't always look like stock footage
it saves you paying for permits for certain locations and you don't have to pay for journeys
Photo library materials...
Stock photography is the supply of photographs, which are often licensed for specific use. The stock photo industry, which began to gain hold in the 1920s, has established models including traditional macrostock photography, midstock photography, and microstock photography. The BBC offer copyright bbc images for editorial use in digital and print media. Without proper time allocated for this part of production, the production could look incomplete. A sound library is a collection of audio recordings maintained. th recordings date back to 19th century and include many rare items such as speeches by public political figures, folk music, British dialects and sound effects. These are extremely useful for films to use. For example: a political speech could be used on a television as background noise in a scene filmed at someone's home. The internet can be easily underestimated when thinking about how much is effects the production as a whole. research plays a massive role in pre-production. Unless a production company is prepared to research everything necessary with books, the internet is an essential asset to this part of the process. It also offers up materials such as sound libraries and online images. Using the internet to find your materials can also be very time consuming. for example, finding music or images that aren't copyrighted can take a lengthy amount of time. Given that the research is such a huge part of production, things could go down hill very quickly if its not done efficiently and with the right amount of time. having deadlines and certain time allocations to parts of production is key to it becoming a success. for example, if the right information isn't collected in the set space of time, the deadline will not be met and on top of that, will push the production back as a whole. without the internet, things like the sound libraries won't be accessible for the production or will take an extreme length of time to get a hold of.
Types of materials...
ACME graphics have assisted all kinds of productions including film, commercials, and television shows. some productions that ACME graphics have been involved in are as follows: films - baby driver, bad education the movie, the Inbetweeners movie and ms browns boys. Commercials - British Gas, next, amazon, Asda, Vodafone, BT, Skype, just eat, and o2. Television shows - loaded, up the woman, otherworld, birds of a feather, and siblings. They've created all sorts of graphics for various productions over the years. their work varies. it could be digital design and many other pieces are done manually. examples include: drawings, paintings, and illustrations using pencils and paint brushes.
To carry out the creation of these graphics, there are certain skills that a person needs. there's no doubt that whoever is creating theses graphics has to have a creative imagination and mindset. Without the creative mindset needed for this position, it will make it a lot harder for an individual to think of ideas and visions for their work. Communication is also important for this process to work. the graphic designer has to not only understand, but also visualise what the client wants and needs to be able to work with them to get the best end result. Client feedback is needed with any project otherwise the client won't get what they originally hoped for. Typography is another skill that covers things as little as the font of the text used if there is any.
Within films and productions as a whole, graphics can play very large parts. Animations play a huge part in some films and other forms of media production. other aspects of production like advertisement have huge graphic design departments to ensure branding is done right and appeals to the public. Graphic designers also have to have a growing relationship with the clients they're helping (the directors and producers).Graphics refers to everything animated in a sort of way within production. such examples may include things like special effects. Without investing enough or any money and tie with graphic design, the production may start to look like a poorer quality. If a graphic designer isn't involved and members of the original team try to work their own way around designing, it could make the production look cheap and isn't likely to like how the client wants.
In its simplest form, digital assets are any existing binary format that is able to be used. they mainly include the following: digital documents, audible content, motion pictures, and other relative forms of it. other relevant data is within: personal computers, laptops, portable media players, tablets, storage devices, and telecommunication devices. Digital assets have many different physical forms. photography, logos, illustrations, animations, presentations, spreadsheets, word documents, online mail, and websites. however, digital assets have some drawbacks, like most things. There is very little legal control over most digital assets.
Animatics...
A preliminary version of a film, produced by shooting successive sections of a storyboard and adding a soundtrack. Most people don't know that almost every advert and feature film they sit and watch had an animatic made for it. The animatic is a very important part of the journey from script to screen and yet you're unlikely to see or hear about it. If the animatic isn't planned and executed well the whole job could be pulled by the client.
Audio and recorded music...
Depending on the project, recording audio and/or securing the rights to use copyright music might start during the pre-production stage. For example: a director might film a scene imaging it with a specific piece of music. in this case, it would be important that the music clearance gets obtained before the filming. If the music clearance wasn't obtained during pre-production then the director might have to rethink the scene or alter it to have a different audio. Another example would be if a director wants to use off-camera audio in a scene in which they'd ask the actors to respond to it. this audio would nee to be obtained before filming.
Interviews...
There can be situations where there are reasons to conduct interviews prior to production, for example as part of research or to gather testimony. A documentary production might rely on certain interviews being in place prior to production in order to justify a certain line of enquiry. If a production that requires interviews doesn't hold them prior to filming, there can be many reproductions. this could include sharing false information and slowed production time.
Sourcing...
It takes a lot of time to source the various materials potentially needed for a production.
sources include types like: photo library materials, sound library materials, costumes, props, etc.
other sources are extremely difficult to find. Sourcing is 100% necessary in any production, this means it has to have a specific time gap allocated to it for it to be done correctly.
Costs...
The conception of a viable media product and the successful realisation of the project are both heavily dependant on budget. Keeping costs as low as possible and staying within budget is an essential skill in any successful producer. Costs for each type of source varies majorly depending on the production and how much is needed. Costs for things like costumes will vary depending on the designs, alterations, and detail of the garment.
Clearances...
Film clearance is the process of acquiring the required permission for all aspects of a production.
it can include things like; sets, actors, extras, music, stock film, posters, etc. They're necessary to avoid liability, and avoid general copyright/trademark issues. There are three main types of clearances for a production. They are property, people and locations. Property includes material which was created by someone other than the filmmakers. examples could be: stock film, books, and music. Releases should be obtained from all personnel appearing in the film. the release should contain provisions that allow the reducer of the film to make the necessary changes they need for the production. some examples could be: fictionalising characters, changing sequences of events, and deleting material. Before you can shoot at some locations, you will need to obtain film permits from the city or council. to obtain the permits, you'll need to provide evidence that have insurance, and any additional fees if you plan to use public property. The costs of clearances can vary depending on the production and the owner of the source you are renting/buying from. The usual time to receive a reply about a clearance is around 10 days. The copyright owner will need the following information to grant a license: timing or duration of the song and visuals accompanying the song, where you're production will be seen and for how long, titles of any other songs you plan to use and particularly if you have already gotten permission. If you have no budget for clearance, say so in the letter, but the publishers will often give priority to request that offer a token fee ($25-100 per song) because it shows respect to the value of the copyright. Provide the publisher with an address, phone, fax, email so they can reply quickly. For other property, the copyright owner may have different requirements which you can inquire about, but most likely they will want to know much of the same as listed above, specifically: timing and duration of the shot of the property, and visuals accompanying the property, where the production will be seen and for how long and provide the publisher with the necessary information to reply to you quickly. you do not need a license for a work in a public domain. however, you should be cautious. If you are using a recorded song, the underlying song may be in the public domain, but not the recording. If you were to fail to obtain the necessary clearances for your production you could run the risk of being charged with copyright charges. You could also run out of time to find the right sources you need the clearances for. this could hold up the whole production and cause it to start missing deadlines for other aspects of the production process.
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