1. RTV 322 Movie Biz Overview: Starting a Movie Project Film versus video
Stages of Moviemaking
Movie Studios
Above the line positions
Below the line positions
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2. Film vs.Video Film stock is the imaging device for motion picture film
CCD or CMOS is the imaging device for video
‘Video’ on web sites -- electronic information
Why have we been able to move to video? Picture quality matched and exceeded that of film…
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3. Picture resolution
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4. Major Movie Studios Paramount
One of the oldest, largest and most well known movie production and distribution companies. Only studio IN Hollywood.
Founded in 1912 by Hungarian-born Adolph Zukor.
Currently owned by Viacom Inc.
Paramount held the record for highest grossing film at the box office (unadjusted)--Titanic 1997 grossed $1,842,879,955 at the world wide box office, with a domestic total gross of $600,788,188.
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5. Avatar (Fox) now #1 Worldwide: $2,783,918,982 As of Jan 20, 2010:
Estimated budget: $200 - $500 million
Domestic box office gross: $760,507,625
Foreign box office gross: $2,023,411,357
Worldwide: $2,783,918,982
that’s a lot of money for movies; 1:1 ratio

6. Paramount Behind the Scenes...
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7. Paramount Behind the Scenes...
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8. Paramount Behind the Scenes...
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9. Paramount Behind the Scenes...
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10. Paramount Behind the Scenes...
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11. Major Movie Studios Warner Bros. -- Burbank, CA
One of world's largest and most successful film producing and distributing companies.
Originally founded in 1918 by four brothers, who were immigrants from Poland.
The third oldest of Hollywood studios, and is one of the original pioneers in the film industry.
A Time Warner company – AT&T attempting to acquire Time Warner
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12. Major Movie Studios Sony Pictures Walt Disney (Buena Vista)
1987, Columbia Pictures Entertainment (Columbia and Tri-Star Studios)
Walt Disney (Buena Vista)
Founded in 1923 by Roy & Walt Disney
20th Century Fox
Owned by News Corporation (Fox)
Universal
Owned by NBC Universal
Founded in Los Angeles in June, 1912 by a German Jewish immigrant: Carl Laemmle
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14. So overall today… Revisiting some of the early reading
Thinking about the business of entertainment video and film production
The Hollywood system of today vs. ‘making good movies’
Visual storytelling
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15. What is a studio? Production facilities, but…
Funding agency for making movies
Why are majors significant vs. independents?
Distribution
credibility
How often does a film make money?
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16. 5 stages of moviemaking Development Pre-production Production
Filmmaking vs. moviemaking
Development
Pre-production
Production
Post-Production
Distribution and exhibition
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17. Development
Who can pitch, to whom do you pitch, optioning a script / step deal
The script is written and drafted into a workable blueprint for a film
Decisions made about stars (‘packaging’) and initial casting, location, budgets
Who is calling the shots?
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18. Development steps... Producer finds a story (from...)
After identifying a theme or underlying message, the producer works with writers to prepare a synopsis
They produce a step outline, (or scene outline) breaking the story down into one-paragraph scenes that concentrate on dramatic structure
Then, they prepare a treatment, a 25 to 30 page description of the story, its mood, and characters
‘Notes’ along the way
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19. Development
Next, a screenwriter writes a screenplay over a period of several months.
The screenwriter may rewrite it several times to improve dramatization, clarity, structure, characters, dialogue, and overall style. Other writers may be brought in.
BUT, Producers often skip the previous steps and develop submitted screenplays -- which investors, studios, and other interested parties assess through a process called script coverage.
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20. Development...
A film distributor may be contacted -- assess the likely market and potential financial success of the film.
Hollywood distributors consider:
the film genre, the target audience,
the historical success of similar films
actors who might appear, potential directors.
All these factors imply a certain appeal of the film to a possible audience and hence the number of "A.I.S." during the theatrical release.
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21. Development...
Not all films make a profit from theatrical release -- DVD sales and worldwide...
Producer & screenwriter prepare a pitch and present it to potential financiers. If the pitch is successful, the film (or TV show) receives a "green light”
The parties negotiate a deal and sign contracts. Once the deal is set, the film may proceed into the pre-production period.
By this stage, the film should have a clearly defined marketing strategy and target audience.
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22. Pre-production Preparations are made for the shoot
Cast and crew are hired
UPM -- script breakdown
Locations are selected
Sets are built
Equipment secured / leased
Script re-writes and staff
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23. Pre-production
The production company is created and a production office established.
The production is storyboarded and visualized with the help of illustrators and concept artists.
A production budget is drawn up to plan expenditures for the film.
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24. Production Actual shooting of the raw elements
Crew members sharing the ‘Director’s Vision’
Call sheets etc
Studio stages, Locations, department heads, 2nd units
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25. Post-Production Transfer to digital, then editing
Dialogue editing / including ADR
Music tracks (and songs) composed, performed, recorded
Scenes are scored
Sound effects are designed and recorded
Computer-graphic 'visual' effects are digitally added, (CGI)
All sound elements are mixed into "stems," then the stems are mixed, then married to picture
The film is fully completed ("locked")
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26. Once Locked...
The film is passed into the hands of the postproduction supervising sound editor to layer the sound track.
Voice recordings are synchronized
The final sound mix is created by the re-recording mixer.
The sound mix combines dialogue, sound effects, ADR, walla, Foleys and music.
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27. Sales and distribution
The film is screened for potential buyers (distributors)
It is picked up by a distributor and reaches its cinema and/or home media audience.
Promotion and marketing -- advertising, actor appearances, etc. $$$
‘Straight to DVD’ ?
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28. Major Positions Above the line -- $$ Residuals / owners
Producer, Director, Writer, Actors
Producer
Hires a crew
The nature of the film and the budget, determine the size and type of crew used during filmmaking
Many Hollywood blockbusters employ a cast and crew of hundreds
A low-budget, independent film may be made by a skeleton crew of eight or nine (or fewer).
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29. Director
Primarily responsible for the storytelling, creative decisions and acting of the film.
Established versus emerging directors
Film school graduates
‘Author’ of a movie, while the Producer is ‘author’ of a TV show
‘Director’s cuts’ of movies
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30. Famous TV Producers / Movie Directors
Dick Clark, Gene Roddenberry, Norman Lear, Aaron Spelling, Dick Wolf, Jerry Bruckheimer, Chuck Lorre...
Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, James Cameron, George Lucas, Ron Howard, Tim Burton, JJ Abrams...
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31. Below the Line Director of Photography (DP)
The cinematographer who supervises the photography of the entire film
A chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film
Responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image
Some professionals insist that the term cinematographer only applies when the director of photography and camera operator are the same person
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32. Unit Production Manager (UPM)
Responsible for watching all the costs--to deliver the project on budget at the end of principal photography.
Lead dept. managers, script breakdown.
Producers responsible for cost-related decisions on above-the-line (primarily, casting) issues; UPM responsible for below-the-line (primarily, production period) costs.
The film’s director has the final say on the cinematographer, costume designer, production designer, and film editor; UPM makes the deals and hires the remaining crew.
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33. Production Coordinator
Serves under the UPM to coordinate the various groups and personnel that come together to make a movie or TV show.
Requires organizational skills and the ability to handle a multitude of tasks simultaneously under often high-pressure situations.
Duties are often undefined and extremely varied ranging from office manager, to human resources, to controller, to accountant.
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34. Other major positions Casting Director Location Manager Line Producer
Production Designer *
Sound Designer
Visual Effects
Wardrobe
Editor *
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35. Discussion How much control does a Producer have on a project?
How much control does a writer have on the actual implementation and production of a script (s)he has sold to a Producer?
How involved is the Director typically in casting a film? (more)
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36. Discussion What is involved in Production Design?
What is involved in Sound Design?
What is and how important is product placement?
How important is casting?
Does the director direct talent or crew?
What are some issues about location shooting? (Texas Film Commission)
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