Film Industry

Pre-production
In pre-production, every step of actually creating the film is carefully designed and planned. 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. For major productions, insurance is procured to protect against accidents.
The 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, while a low-budget, independent film may be made by a skeleton crew of eight or nine (or fewer). These are typical crew positions:
The director is primarily responsible for the storytelling, creative decisions and acting of the film.
The assistant director (AD) manages the shooting schedule and logistics of the production, among other tasks. There are several types of AD, each with different responsibilities.
The casting director finds actors to fill the parts in the script. This normally requires that actors audition.
The location manager finds and manages film locations. Most pictures are shot in the controllable environment of a studio sound stage but occasionally, outdoor sequences call for filming on location.
The production manager manages the production budget and production schedule. They also report, on behalf of the production office, to the studio executives or financiers of the film.
The director of photography (DoP) is the cinematographer who supervises the photography of the entire film
The director of audiography (DoA) is the audiographer who supervises the audiography of the entire film. For productions in the Western world this role is also known as either sound designer or supervising sound editor.
The production sound mixer is the head of the sound department during the production stage of filmmaking. They record and mix the audio on set - dialogue, presence and sound effects in mono and ambience in stereo. They work with the boom operator, Director, DoA, DoP, and First AD.
The sound designer creates the aural conception of the film, working with the supervising sound editor. On some productions the sound designer plays the role of a director of audiography.
The composer creates new music for the film. (usually not until post-production)
The production designer creates the visual conception of the film, working with the art director.
The art director manages the art department, which makes production sets
The costume designer creates the clothing for the characters in the film working closely with the actors, as well as other departments.
The make up and hair designer works closely with the costume designer in addition to create a certain look for a character.
The storyboard artist creates visual images to help the director and production designer communicate their ideas to the production team.
The choreographer creates and coordinates the movement and dance - typically for musicals. Some films also credit a fight choreographer.

Production

A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant hosts while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.

The producer is often actively involved throughout all major phases of the filmmaking process, from inception and development to completion and delivery of a film project. However, an idea or concept for a film can originate with any individual, including a screenwriter, a director or a producer.

A director performing dual roles as director and camera operator gives instructions during the filming of a scene.
See also: Cinematography and Audiography
In production, the video production/film is created and shot. More crew will be recruited at this stage, such as the property master, script supervisor, assistant directors, stills photographer, picture editor, and sound editors. These are just the most common roles in filmmaking; the production office will be free to create any unique blend of roles to suit the various responsibilities possible during the production of a film.
A typical day's shooting begins with the crew arriving on the set/location by their call time. Actors usually have their own separate call times. Since set construction, dressing and lighting can take many hours or even days, they are often set up in advance.
The grip, electric and production design crews are typically a step ahead of the camera and sound departments: for efficiency's sake, while a scene is being filmed, they are already preparing the next one.
While the crew prepare their equipment, the actors are wardrobed in their costumes and attend the hair and make-up departments. The actors rehearse the script and blocking with the director, and the camera and sound crews rehearse with them and make final tweaks. Finally, the action is shot in as many takes as the director wishes. Most American productions follow a specific procedure:
The assistant director (AD) calls "picture is up!" to inform everyone that a take is about to be recorded, and then "quiet, everyone!" Once everyone is ready to shoot, the AD calls "roll sound" (if the take involves sound), and the production sound mixer will start their equipment, record a verbal slate of the take's information, and announce "sound speed" when they are ready. The AD follows with "roll camera", answered by "speed!" by the camera operator once the camera is recording. The clapper, who is already in front of the camera with the clapperboard, calls "marker!" and slaps it shut. If the take involves extras or background action, the AD will cue them ("action background!"), and last is the director, telling the actors "action!".
A take is over when the director calls "cut!", and camera and sound stop recording. The script supervisor will note any continuity issues and the sound and camera teams log technical notes for the take on their respective report sheets. If the director decides additional takes are required, the whole process repeats. Once satisfied, the crew moves on to the next camera angle or "setup," until the whole scene is "covered." When shooting is finished for the scene, the assistant director declares a "wrap" or "moving on," and the crew will "strike," or dismantle, the set for that scene.
At the end of the day, the director approves the next day's shooting schedule and a daily progress report is sent to the production office. This includes the report sheets from continuity, sound, and camera teams. Call sheets are distributed to the cast and crew to tell them when and where to turn up the next shooting day. Later on, the director, producer, other department heads, and, sometimes, the cast, may gather to watch that day or yesterday's footage, called dailies, and review their work.
With workdays often lasting 14 or 18 hours in remote locations, film production tends to create a team spirit. When the entire film is in the can, or in the completion of the production phase, it is customary for the production office to arrange a wrap party, to thank all the cast and crew for their efforts.

Post-production

A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewin
Here the video/film is assembled by the video/film editor. The modern use of video in the filmmaking process has resulted in two workflow variants: one using entirely film, and the other using a mixture of film and video.
This is the final stage, where the film is released to cinemas or, occasionally, to consumer media (DVD, VCD, VHS, Blu-ray) or direct download from a provider. The film is duplicated as required for distribution to cinemas. Press kits, posters, and other advertising materials are published and the film is advertised and promoted.
Film distributors usually release a film with a launch party, press releases, interviews with the press, press preview screenings, and film festival screenings. Most films have a website. The film plays at selected cinemas and the DVD typically is released a few months later. The distribution rights for the film and DVD are also usually sold for worldwide distribution. The distributor and the production company share profits.
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What is wrong with the British Film Industry?

The British Film Industry (BFI) of the 1990’s proved to be a renaissance of great films that resonated with audiences both at home and abroad -- "The Crying Game," "Sense and Sensibility," "Trainspotting," "The Full Monty" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral," to name a few. There were also some very original takes on the cinematic genre with "Lock Stock…," "East Is East" and "Sliding Doors." In effect, the British film industry had seemingly recovered and was poised to strike the new millennium with a burst of new confidence.

However, the lack of genre diversity seriously tarnishes the British film industry. British output now released on cinema screens has become a parody of itself. Countless romantic comedies, gangster flicks and period dramas are all that the industry in the U.K. seems capable of producing. While there are still some films of great quality being made, such as "The Kings Speech" and “Slumdog Millionaire” the vast majority are generic copies of one another. Technically, these films have become superb, and they rank alongside any Hollywood production in terms of their cinematic quality. However, the most important aspect of a film -- the story -- seems to have been quietly dropped. Instead, the British are following the American route of sequels and follow-ups in order to get cinemagoers to attend. The money making scheme has occurred and this ruins the BFI’s ability to attract production companies to invest in these films. They all assume that the film will follow the same, monotonous storyline.

Also, there is a lot of original talent within the U.K. Actors such as Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly are being snatched from British productions by the lure of the big budget, highly paid Hollywood action films such as Pirates of the Caribbean.

In the end, it is up to the larger U.K. production houses to start taking notice of the diverse range of talent within the U.K. The under-budget, gritty Bristish films are missing out due to the distribution of American films. Most multiplex cinemas, where the main cinema viewers go to (age 15-24) are full of American films. The distribution of British films is failing the industry. Even the films we do make, are being bought by large distributors such as Disney, Sony, Warner Bros. Harry Potter for example, British Book, British actors, British location, British Director is bought by the worlds largest distributor: Warner.

To conclude, I think the BFI fails in the aspect that it lacks funding due to the lack of genre diversity. The distributors buy all of the American, Hollywood films and there is no room for any British films at the big multiplex cinemas. All the raw talent is going to waste and there needs to be more lure to British films.


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Why I think the British Film Industry Succeeds...

The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry enjoyed a 'golden age' in the 1940s, led by the studios of J. Arthur Rank and Alexander Korda.
In 2009 British films grossed around $2 billion worldwide and achieved a market share of around 7% globally and 17% in the United Kingdom. UK box-office takings totalled £944 million in 2009, with around 173 million admissions. The British Film Institute has produced a poll ranking what they consider to be the 100 greatest British films of all time, the BFI Top 100 British films. The annual British Academy Film Awards hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts are the British equivalent of the Oscar.
In my opinion the British Film Industry (BFI) is a success. The United Kingdom, compared to the USA, China and India is an extremely small country with under half of the population of the USA. Therefore, we have less talent to produce and the films we do produce (since 2000) have been a success for the small country we are.
For example: Working Title scored three major international successes, all starring Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, with the romantic comedies Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), which grossed $254 million worldwide; the sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, which earned $228 million; and Richard Curtis's directorial debut Love Actually (2003), which grossed $239 million. Most successful of all, Phyllida Lloyd'sMamma Mia! (2008) which grossed $601 million.
Also , the worldwide Harry Potter franchise, although American backed, these were made in Leavesden Studios and are the highest grossing franchise of all time. Second to that is another British film franchise. James Bond has over 20 films to it’s name from thr 1970’s. This demonstrates that the British Film Industry is a success and will continue to be in years to come.
They have also won various outstanding awards, these being : Slumdog Millionaire - an Indian story that was filmed entirely in Mumbai with a mostly Indian cast, though with a British director (Danny Boyle), producer (Christian Colson), screenwriter (Simon Beaufoy) and star (Dev Patel) and the film was all-British financed via Film4 and Celador. It has received worldwide critical acclaim. It has won four Golden Globes, seven BAFTA Awards and eight Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Film. The King's Speech, which tells the story of King George VI's attempts to overcome his speech impediment, was directed by Tom Hooper and filmed entirely in London. It received four Academy Awards (including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Screenplay) in 2011.

Is Knight of Cups the least appealing film title ever?

The titles of two new Terrence Malick films have been revealed. Lawless is bland enough, but what to make of Knight of Cups?

News that Terrence Malick (five movies released since 1973) has three or possibly four new films in the pipeline has been overshadowed, in our office at least, by the revelation that one of them is titled Knight of Cups.

Christian Bale will take the lead, while Cate Blanchett and Isabel Lucas will also star. That's about all we know about it, other than that it's got an awesomely off-putting title.

What does Knight of Cups suggest to you? A tea-time sequel to the Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz flick, Knight and Day? Some sort of superhero caper? An upmarket bra? Help us out with possible plots, and please chip in with other movie titles that have especially excited or dampened your expectations before the film's release.

 

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British cinema's golden age is now

Few in the UK film industry want to shout about it but the evidence is clear. We are enjoying a renaissance in domestic cinema. Andrew Pulver reports on how audiences developed a taste for homegrown movies

No more second-guessing Hollywood? ... Carey Mulligan in Shame.

Compared to theatre, cinema is an entirely portable medium – think what our view of film would be like if all we saw were British movies, with occasional touring productions of foreign work. No Hollywood blockbusters, no Korean ultra-violence, no Iranian minimalism. Nothing old, either – no Italian neorealism, or Czech new wave, or French poetic realism. Imagine what life for the British filmgoer would have been like, say, in 1978 – the highlight of your year would probably have been Death on the Nile or Watership Down. And let's not forget the dark days of 1999 and 2000, when this paper felt compelled to trash the jaw-dropping wave of terrible British films in the wake of the lottery-fund bonanza.

Fortunately, such a scenario will never come to pass, unless an insanely protectionist government installs a prohibitive quota regime. But imagine if we were, right now, being governed by a cinematic ultra-nationalist, it's safe to say that it would be less of a hardship than it would have been for years. For – whisper it – British cinema is going through a golden age, a renaissance we have hardly noticed we are living through.

For those who read the runes, the signs are clear. Four British films electrified the Venice film festival – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, A Dangerous Method, Wuthering Heights and Shame – while another, Two Years at Sea, won a prize in the experimental Orizzonti section. The three top-grossing films at the UK box office this year are, so far, British (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two, The King's Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie). The next few months will see the release of a string of substantial British films, including two – We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Deep Blue Sea – that represent the return to serious film-making by two of the nation's finest auteurs, Lynne Ramsay and Terence Davies, who have both been stymied for years. We're also seeing major international directors – Fernando Meirelles, Tomas Alfredson and David Cronenberg to name but three – happily pitching up to the UK to take charge of very British films.

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On an isolated soundstage in Toronto’s Port Lands, designers have created a dark, futuristic vision.

The bones of New Asia are being created out of brick, steel and Styrofoam in one of the most elaborate set designs ever constructed in the city.

In fact, Total Recall, a remake of the 1990 sci-fi action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, is set to be the most expensive movie in Toronto history. With a budget estimated at anywhere from $130 million to as much as $200 million, once marketing costs are added, the production is a behemoth.

It is also a watershed moment for Toronto moviemaking. As the cast, including Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale, wrapped the shoot here Thursday after more than six months of production and filming, it may well be remembered as the movie that saved the Toronto film industry.

If you had trouble getting a carpenter to build your deck this summer, blame Total Recall. If you had trouble getting to work on Lake Shore Blvd., you can blame Total Recall too. The shoot blocked off traffic for four days.

From the money that Farrell has dropped at yoga classes, to Biel’s penchant for fine dining in the city with on-and-off-again boyfriend Justin Timberlake, the production, directly and indirectly, has had an enormous impact.

Either way, it was hard to escape the movie’s deep economic gravity.

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Here's a business-lounge scary story. In 1994, Warner Bros was feeling very pleased with itself. It had just finalised a joint venture with the Chinese government to bring the splendours of multiplex cinema to the country. And the terms were good: a 70/30 profit split in favour of the Americans. Building began, but several months later, strange tidings arrived at Warner HQ. The arrangement had been reviewed: still favouring Warner, but now to the tune of 51/49. There was confusion and disbelief in California, but work continued. The eighth cinema was ready when the inevitable happened: the Chinese authorities decided that foreign companies could not own cinemas. The split was arbitrarily reversed 49/51, leaving Beijing with its hands on the curtain cords of several million dollars' worth of chipper new multiplexes.

The moral? China has "opened up" before. This summer, an opening appeared again. Two Hollywood companies looked to have cracked it: signing production agreements with Chinese companies allowing them to bypass the dreaded quota limiting foreign film releases to 20 a year. Relativity Media, Ryan Kavanaugh's vibrant mini-studio, got the golden ticket: a partnership with state-owned distributor Huaxia to make "Chinese-based material with global appeal". Legendary Pictures (who have funded many of Warner Bros' bigger recent releases, including 300 and Inception) have teamed up with China's largest private media company, Huayi Brothers, to form Legendary East. The new outfit is going to produce English-language films that package up Chinese culture for a global audience.

The most optimistic view of the split this time is 50/50. The American companies get a peek into the high-walled Chinese playground; China gets an injection of Hollywood storytelling pep, marketing savvy and global distribution that might help its film industry kick on. Despite the endless barrage of coverage declaring the 21st century Beijing-owned, Chinese cinema isn't flourishing, numerically at least. Official figures claim 400 films a year, but the real figure is supposed to be between 50 and 100; putting them on a par with countries like Russia, Denmark and Mexico. Its labyrinthine censorship practices tend to favour stodgy historical epics, like Red Cliff, The Warlords and Confucius, which don't seem likely to satisfy its growing film audience for long: box office boomed by a staggering 60% in 2010, up to $1.5bn

This might look like a green light for Hollywood. But Screen International's Liz Shackleton had some advice for Legendary and Relativity in a recent article: "If China wants you in, you're in, and if it wants you out, there's not much you can do about it. But even those who are 'in' need to be wary. China has a habit of inviting companies to manufacture in the country, learning all their processes, and then setting off on its own with very successful imitations."

It's certainly in China's best interests to appear open at the moment: theWorld Trade Organisation ruled that it had to scrap the quota in March. No official announcements have been made, but the Legendary and Relativity arrangements (along with other isolated co-productions, likeZhang Yimou's The 13 Women of Nanjing and Sony's Karate Kid remake, that get special treatment) at least give the impression that Beijing is starting to chill out.

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On Wednesday October 28 an exciting line up of films due for release this autumn was launched at a Film Distributors’ Association (FDA) event in London hosted by Alex Zane.

Alex was on top form and showcased the vast line up of 125 new releases including a wide variety of British films which is expected to generate an anticipated 40 million cinema visits this year.

With box office receipts running 4% up for the same October to December period in 2010. This autumn promises an overflow of British talent taking leading roles in British and International movies. This is also the time of year when the industry starts to take notice of the potential contenders vying for the prestigious film awards such as the BAFTAS and next February’s Oscars.

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Film Audiences 'Intelligent'.

The autumn cinema releases are hoping to follow the successful May to August Summer season which attracted 65.2 million cinema visits, 3 million up on the previous year. Recession...what recession? Anyway, here’s the top ten ‘Brit-Flicks’ to look forward to:

1) My Week with Marilyn: drama starring Michelle Wiliams as Marilyn Monroe and Kenneth Branagh as Laurence Olivier.

2) Perfect Sense: dark romantic adventure with sci-fi twist. Starring Ewan McGregor and Eva Green.

3) Arthur Christmas: an Aardman Animation movie starring a voice cast featuring the cream of British talent.

4) The British Guide to Showing Off: stylish documentary portraying the work of outrageous British artist Andrew Logan.

5) Wuthering Heights: Emily Bronte’s classic romance given a fresh take by Andrea Arnold.

6) Tyrannosaur: Paddy Considine directorial debut. Drama starring Peter Mullen and Olivia Colman.

7) Sket: gritty thriller about gang violence starring Ashley Walters.

8) Sherlock Holmes-Game of Shadows: Guy Ritchie directs Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law once again.

9) We Need to Talk About Kevin: family drama starring Tilda Swinton as distressed Mother.

10) Johnny English Reborn: Rowan Atkinson returns as the bumbling British Intelligence agent.

On the international front there is quite a diverse range of movies coming our way. The holiday season will see two family sequels in ‘ Alvin and the Chipmunks- Chipwrecked’ yes...as in marooned on a desert island and ‘Happy Feet Two’ a return of the voice talent of Robin Williams aided by Oceans duo Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. For the Twilighter’s the waiting is almost over. Part four of the smash-hit film series ‘Breaking Dawn: Part 1’ will be released this autumn with ‘Breaking Dawn: Part 2’ out in 2012. Then for grown-ups we have a political thriller written and starring George Clooney as US Governor and man of the moment Ryan Gosling.

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Look out for the official autumn UK taster montage trailer coming soon on this site.

Filmgoers are being underestimated by the movie industry and not being offered enough intelligent work that might require some concentration, the actor Colin Firth said at a screen version of John Le Carré's classic spy novel was shown at the Venice Film Festival .

Firth spoke to journalists after the film's first screening, joined by the film's lead Gary Oldman – who plays George Smiley – and actors John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy had its world premiere in Venice, one of three British films in competition for the Golden Lion. As if on cue, the hot, muggy Italian weather that the city has had over the last five days was replaced by British rain and grey skies.

It is a film which demands concentration and is far from fast-paced – the polar opposite of a Bond or a Bourne spy movie. But Firth said: "I do think there is a tendency to underestimate audiences, I do think there is an appetite to be stretched. I do think people want to hear language at its best on the screen. I'm optimistic about it having an enormous audience."

One reason a film had previously not been made of the novel was the brilliance of the 1979 TV series with Alec Guinness.

Oldman has turned in a particularly strong performance, gathering considerable praise from Le Carré himself.

Alfredson said of Oldman: "He knows he doesn't have to paint with all colours all the time. He has the courage of the experienced actor to give you fragments, bits and pieces for you to put together for yourself. I'm particularly impressed by his minimalistic body language, watch the man acting with his neck towards the camera."

Oldman conceded that the role of the quiet, steely Smiley was something of a departure. "I've played characters in the past that have been quite frenetic and express their emotions in a very physical way so this was a wonderful opportunity to play something very different from that. As an actor you are at the mercy of the industry and the imagination of the people that cast you."

He praised Christopher Nolan for casting him as the commissioner in Batman and now Alfredson for the Smiley casting.

It is a British film, produced by Working Title, but financed by Studio Canal of France – because Universal were not prepared to take the risk – and directed by a Swede.