Pre-Production (Research & Planning)

This stage in film making is more office based, which involves a team with the producer, director, assistants and administrative staff. This is the first stage in a film's life and can take anything

from six months to two years and involves planning and scheduling the shooting of a film. Shooting a film is extremely expensive involving actors, technicians and equipment. It is at

the pre-production stage that decisions are made, and potential problems are solved to ensure that the shooting schedule is

followed and runs as smoothly as possible.

Production (Filming): Production is the actual shooting of the film where everyone is involved. The numerous credits at the end of each film gives a good example of who works

on a film and their importance. The most expensive part of film making is the production which is labour intensive, with equipment and travel being part of the budget costs. Detailed planning in pre-production will help to

ensure that likely problems will have been addressed, making sure filming schedule runs smoothly. To make sure the production stays within the

planned schedule, daily 'call/ schedule sheets' are produced and distributed to all members of the cast and crew. These detail the shooting schedule for

the following day including scenes to be shot, the actors required, start times, contact numbers etc.

Post–Production (Sound & Film Editing):

This turns individual scenes, called raw footage, into a finished motion picture. Editors splice all of the practical footage together into a comprehensible

storyline according to the script. Composers add background music to create dramatic or comical effects. Special effects teams add computer-generated images and backgrounds to enhance the set or provide an as-yet-unseen

character. During the shooting of most films, editing begins during production, with the editor and the director discussing about the rushes and cautiously

putting together an uneven assembly. Recent developments in digital technology are having a profound effect on the skills of the editor and the

process of editing. Computerised editing allows for greater flexibility, speed and accuracy, and gives the editor the chance to try out a variety of sequences and

be creative by 'mixing' shots whilst doing away with the need for the traditional 'cut' of a film print.

Sources

0 http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-post-production.htm

0 http://www.slideshare.net/belair1981/production-3499489 ( may or may not be reliable)