Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

The term “film production” has routinely been used as a way to indicate the stage in the making of a movie where actual filming takes place. While this usage is shared by both the public and filmmakers, it is somewhat misleading in that it draws attention to just one aspect of filmmaking at the expense of a fuller understanding both of the different stages of production and of the key relationships at the heart of the filmmaking process (→  Collective Action and Communication ). The earliest stage of production, also known as pre-production or development, involves a handful of people who are in a position to shape a film project. Traditionally an idea is developed or picked up from existing material (be it in the format of newspaper news, books, previous films, etc.). There are several people who are in a position to develop the initial idea and bring it to the attention of a studio. Producers, writers, actors, and directors all have a share in this process, though the relative contribution of each will vary substantially from case to case. In particular, the actual influence of the director at this stage of the process is rather difficult to quantify. He or she could be the very initiator of the whole project (though this is not very common). More likely, a director will be hired once the main features of the story have been sketched out and the studio expressing an interest in ... log in or subscribe to read full text