Stages of Production

What happens in these stages of production. I can compare them to how you would go about writing an essay or a paper report for college or to even going out and investigate a research project and make a report. They all carry the same basic principle; Plan, Create and Edit. In all approaches you begin with an idea or a concept, you formulate the idea into a constructive plan and you execute, then you re-examine the final product for presentation or submission. These are all executed with the exception that these cases create written reports as the final product, instead for a film production picture a visual report.

The stages involved in production takes place in three stages:
1) Pre-Production
2) Production
3) Post-Production

They all carry the similar approach to executing any plan with the exception of an incredible amount of paperwork being done in the Pre-Production stage.

The film production is a challenging responsibility for anyone during pre-production. You have to create a film so what would you need on the day:
A Story
A Cast (Characters to fill the story)
Props for the characters if needed

Did you know you also need to source the right location. You can not just decide that you would shoot the movie in the parking lot outside. You have to source a location close to decent toilet facilities, because you would have your actors on set for a specified period of time. You cannot just tell them to hold it.

So for pre-production you need to:
Develop the story's beginning, middle and end
Write a script for the story
Develop the qualities of the characters in detail
Hire a crew with those desired qualities
Build the location for the story
Scout for appropriate location (with adequate toilet facilities for cast)
Get consent to use those locations
Develop contact list, equipment list and shooting schedule
Line the script
Develop storyboard

Once you get all the paperwork out of the way, filming should be an easy process, with no problems. Actually it's not and you tend to think that your problem ends after the paperwork is completed, but you have to also ensure that your crew hired on the day could actually make it. It would not make any sense to role your cameras and have no one there to film.

So even in production you would have your trials and you have to monitor the weather condition, especially if you are filming the majority of the film outdoors. Collecting appropriate sound beforehand, would save the crew a lot of trouble on the day and even practicing the routine for the script in real form could help the team improve when the actual project needs to be accomplished.

As a first time production team, each task would be overwhelming, especially in post production which involves editing the footage collected for the finished piece. This is where the producer's and director vision is translated into a finished piece.

Sounds simply enough right? Well I would discuss the role of editing in greater detail since I have a fair idea into this process.

Cavielle