Film Industry

PRODUCTION:

The production process has 3 main stages which are:

1.     Pre-production: this includes planning, scripting and storyboarding, production budget is finalised  etc

2.     Production: the actual shooting/recording

3.     Post-production: this is everything between production and creating the final piece such as editing.

The making of children's book into animated movies:

The first step of producing  a film is to write a script. Once  script page is created they pass it on to a group where they begin to make a storyboard. The artists imagine how the words will transform into actions and pictures. They then do a series of sketches bringing the story to life through a comic book.  Once this is all done the producers and directors need to approve of what has been done, in order for the drawings to be digitally photographed and strung together to create a story reel.  After this temporary music, dialogue and sound effects are put in place so that the movie is in this form for about 18 months. 

When the story reel is underway, it is then moved onto the development department where they begin to plan the way the film is going to look, developing  the style, tone, colour and overall artistic approach to each and every sequence is key. In this section even the tiniest thing is taken into account from the major characters to the smallest of props. This is all done by the development artists through thousands of drawings, paintings, blueprints, sculptures and models so by the end they have a fantasy world and characters ready to tell the story. 

Once the storyboards are drawn, the characters and sets are designed the next step is to find the voices for each character and then begin to record the lines. Unlike casting for real characters and for real action movies, casting for just the voices of the characters is done in a whole new format. For example those who do the casting , cast with their ears and not their eyes this is due to the reason that they are not bothered how he or she looks, as the physical character is already on the computer. Once the actors are chosen there first recorded before the animation begins and they are also usually videotaped performing their roles this is to help provide references for the next phases of production.
From all of the hundreds of drawings, modelers begin to construct a digital model a sort of clay model in the computer. Modelers start with this wire frame sculpture that's called armature,  the armature will be able to give the animator the ability to move the 3D-figure in whatever way is necessary.  After modelling  and before animation comes the 'rigging' process. This is where the modelling department comes in and they determine how the character must move such as the bones, muscles, fat and how realistic or 'cartoony' their actions must be in the film. 

After all of this is completed animators start to bring to life the characters in the computer, they articulate the thousands of controls that were create during the character-rigging phase so that each character is synchronized to the voice performance. This makes the characters look like themselves, but not quite as this is just the animation and the scene isn’t quite finished yet.

Surfacing artists add the colours and textures to these elements making the surfaces look smooth, shiny, fuzzy, dirt and soft etc. Surfacing artists are used as sometimes characters need to be customized for a specific shot such as looking dripping wet and so on. 

After the camera moves have been set and the characters have been animated the next step is effects. For example when the wind is blowing leaves this is designed and animated by the effect artists. Sound designers create and record sound effects and foley to create the textures and layers of sound that enrich the story. Foley artists create sound effects that are specific to each movie such s glass breaking, doors opening/closing and so on.
Echo: the dialogue, music and sound effects are assembled on the sound mixing stage. Audio levels, equalization, perspectives and treatments are added as tracks and mixed into the final version of the movie.

DISTRIBUTION:

Depending on the distribution company they decide how many copies (prints) of the film too make. The distribution company then shows the movie (screening) to prospective buyers representing the theatres. The buyers then negotiate with the distribution company on which movies they wish to lease and the terms of the lease agreement. Then the prints are sent to the theatres  a few days before the opening day.

Another way it can be distributed is by a home entertainment release which is when the movie is available on DVD-video or Blu-ray Disc.

Standard release - cinema to DVD to pay to view and finally to television.

Simultaneous release - the film is released on multiple media at the same time.

Some distributors choose to release their films on certain days as opposed to others for various reasons such as, they don’t want their film release to clash with another, they may not want their film to be released on important days as there movie may not be taken notice of.

MARKETING:

Different types of marketing are:

·       Cinemas - trailers, film posters and standees.

·       Internet - advertised through film websites, film previews, film shots

·       Print - paid newspapers, magazines

·       Merchandising -promotional give away propaganda

·       Promotional tours - directors, actors, producer appear for TV, radio and interviews all across the country.

·       Test the film on the target audience.

·        Trailers - these can go on both TV or online through ads on websites or simply can be viewed on websites where movies are the main thing and through youtube.

·       Bus ads and other ads on the streets - these are mainly placed at bus stops or as seen on buses themselves so that people can get a view of them.

·       Other mass media - other forms that movies can be advertised is through movie magazines or any other magazines.

·       Others - other ways of movies being advertised can be through food products such as McDonalds, Subway and so on.

Films are sold to different audiences for example an animated movie can be sold to the younger audience such as children through food products such s McDonalds a sits very famous with younger kids.  For the older audience it can be done through magazines which are very popular depending on the age group.

Diversity marketing - is another strategy of marketing this strategy takes into account the different diversities in a culture in terms of belief, expectations, tastes and needs.

EXHIBITION:

The film value chain:

Development -->Financing -->Pre-sales -->Production -->Sales & Licensing -->Distribution --> Exploitation

Exhibition is the final stage of film production:

It's all about how the audience see the film, is there a preference in cinema due to facilities, distance, proximity, a preferred viewing time maybe midday due to small crowds or large crowds at night, choice in viewing  a preference of technology Imax, 3D or normal 2D.