Film production, movie making or filmmaking is the process involved in the production of a film or a video. It would include all the stages of production: the creation of the initial story idea; scriptwriting; shooting; editing; and the distribution to an audience. It would usually involve a number of people or a team or crew and could take a couple of weeks to several years to complete. Across the globe, the process of film production has numerous approaches and is used in a wide variety of contexts such as social, economic and political. Today, filmmaking has also adapted several modern techniques and technologies to improve the final production.

The five stages of film production would be: development; pre-production; production; post-production; and the sales and distribution.

1. Development

During the development stage, the idea for the script is conceptualized. The movie or film producer would usually look for a story inspired by books, plays, people, other films, original ideas, true stories and others. After the theme or the overall message is identified, a synopsis would be prepared. After the drafting of the synopsis, the step outline is made, breaking the story into one-paragraph scenes as the dramatic structure is made out. The screenplay or the film’s workable blueprint would then be written and could be rewritten a couple of times to improve the overall dramatization, structure, clarity, characters, dialogue and style.

The movie pitch would then be prepared and presented to some potential financial backers such as a film studio, a film council or some independent investors. The deal would then be made out and a contract is signed.

2. Pre-production

The series of preparations are done for the shoot. These preparations would include the selection of the location and movie design. The production sets are also built with the help of several concept artists. The production budget would be discussed and decided upon. The selection of the cast and crew is made. Some of the crew positions that would need to be filled include: the director, the assistant director, the casting director, the location manager, the production manager, the director of photography, the production designer, the art director, the costume designer, the hair and make-up stylist, the storyboard artist, the production sound mixer, the sound designer, the composer and the choreographer.

3. Production

All of the raw elements for the film are recorded and shot.

4. Post-production

During the post-production stage, the film editor assembles the film together. The film would also go through a couple of edits. The sound and the dialogues would also be edited and synced up. The songs, sound effects and other musical tracks are composed, performed, then recorded and put in place. The visual effects such as computer graphics are digitally added.

5. Sales and Distribution

During this stage, the film or video is screened for potential buyers or distributors. After that, it is picked up by the distributor and sold online and in retail shops or shown in the cinemas, theaters or to a home media audience.

The industry of film producation is one of the biggest industries today. In Hollywood, a lot of stars shoot films that not only generate a lot of profit but also influence the lives of people around the world.