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Film production
Writer
Screenwriting is very technical and does not come naturally to anybody - it is a skill and craft that has to be
acquired and developed. Fully formed screenplays do not fall onto the page following a burst of creativity they
must be developed and nurtured. There are several important differences between writing for cinema and TV:
Some of the most important things for writing in the film production
are Cinematic experience, the way audiences watch films in the cinema
is very different to the way audiences watch TV in the home, Scale,
where film stories tend to be on a larger scale than TV dramas in terms
of ideas, visuals, emotions, and cost. Shelf life, great films tend to have
a longer life than TV dramas. Narrative scope, where single dramas
over 60 minutes tend not to fit into TV schedules, whereas feature-
length films for cinema exhibition are rarely less than 90 minutes
Many screenwriters start out by writing short films. Shorts are not only an important training ground, but are
also useful as a calling card or show reel in the industry. Although money is rarely made from short films, there
are various opportunities to produce and exhibit them, and they can prove a valuable tool in developing and
promoting your talent.


Producer
A producer is someone who turns story ideas into profitable films; they put together a creative and talented
cast and crew so that the film will be successful. They are responsible for all aspects of a film's production.
Producers have overall control on every aspect of a film's
production. They bring together and approve the whole
production team. Their key responsibility is to create an
environment where the talents of the cast and crew can flourish.
Producers are accountable for the success of the finished film.
They steer the film from beginning to completion and beyond.

The Producer is often the first person to get involved in a project. Or they may be the agent-style Producer
who focuses on the deal. The many responsibilities of the Producer span all four phases of production. In the
Development stage, Producers are often responsible for coming up with the idea for a production, or selecting
a screenplay. Producers secure the rights, choose the screenwriter and story editing team. They raise the
development financing and supervise the development process.




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Casting director
Casting directors are people who organise the casting (selecting) of Actors for all roles in a film so that
everyone has a role and knows what role to play. They arrange and
conduct interviews and auditions with artists as well as negotiating fees
and contracts for the Actors who get the part.
In pre-production, Casting Directors work with both the Director and
Producer to assemble the perfect cast for the film. As a result, Casting
Directors must have in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of new and
existing acting talent. They are responsible for matching the ideal actor to
each role, based on a number of factors, such as the actor's experience,
ability, reputation, availability and box office appeal. Casting Directors
also work closely with Production Accountants to prepare the casting
budget.
They organise and conduct interviews and auditions for each part, and are also in charge of offering each Actor
an appropriate fee to appear in the film. They also draw up and negotiate the terms and conditions of
contracts with agents.
Camera operator
Camera operators prepare and operate the camera and all its equipment. They work with the Director and
Director of Photography to achieve the visual style of the film to make sure that every scene and recording
using the camera is as good as it can be. They also have to manage other camera department staff and
communicating with Actors so that they can act in a way that best suits
the scene and camera.
Camera Operators carry out the Director of Photographys (DoP) and
Directors instructions for shot composition and development. They are
usually the first people to use the camera's eyepiece to assess how all
the elements of performance, art direction, lighting, composition and
camera movement come together to create the cinematic experience.
During shooting, Operators are responsible for all aspects of camera operation, enabling the DoP to
concentrate intensively on lighting and overall visual style. Camera Operators make sure the camera and
equipment are prepared for the required set-ups and ready for any last-minute changes. They must be able to
multi-task and to watch, listen and think on their feet while carrying out complex technical tasks.


Editor
Editors have to work closely with the Director to craft the finished film and make it the best it can possibly be
by cutting out all the bad or unnecessary bits of the film, the editors will have to work in an edit suite for long
hours so that they can concentrate on making it a quality film with no faults. Editors also have to run a team of
assistants and trainees on big productions as people who want to become editors have to start out
somewhere.
Editors are one of the key Heads of Department on feature films, responsible for First Assistant Editors, and on
bigger productions, Second Assistants and Trainees. Editors work long, unsociable hours, often under pressure,
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in an edit suite. They are employed on a freelance basis by the Producer (sometimes with the approval of the
film's financiers), based on their reputation and experience. Editors often work on television drama, as well as
on feature films.
The Editor works closely with the Director before shooting begins, deciding how to maximise the potential of
the screenplay. Editors check the technical standards, as well as the emerging sense of story, and the actors'
performances.
Because scenes are shot and edited out of sequence, Editors may work on scenes from the end of the film
before those at the beginning, and must therefore be able to maintain a good sense of how the story is
unfolding.

Production designer
Production designers define and manage every visual aspect of a film, they work with the Director and
Producer to produce a budget and schedule for the film. Production designers direct the team responsible for
producing the visual elements e.g., sets and costumes.
Production Designers are major heads of department on film crews, and are responsible for the entire art
department. They help Directors to define and achieve the look and feel of a film.
Filming locations may range from a Victorian parlour, to a late-night caf, to the interior of an alien space ship.
The look of a set or location is vital in drawing the audience into the story and making a film convincing. A
great deal of work and imagination goes into constructing the backdrop to any story and choosing or building
locations and/or sets.
Production Designers begin work at the very early stages of pre-production. They may be asked to look at
scripts to provide spending estimates before a Director is even approached. On first reading a screenplay, they
assess the visual qualities that will help to create atmosphere and bring the story to life.
After preparing a careful breakdown of the script they meet with the Director to discuss how best to shoot the
film and work out whether to use sets and/or locations, what should be built and what should be adapted and
whether there is a visual theme that recurs throughout the film.
Marketing
As a marketing manager, it would be your job to plan the best ways of promoting your employer's products,
services or brand. If youre organised and love communicating messages and ideas, this could be the job for
you. You will need to have the management skills to lead and motivate a team. You would also need to handle
pressure well when you're working to tight deadlines.
Your job could vary depending on the organization you work for and the sector you work in.
Your work could involve:
researching and analyzing market trends
identifying target markets and how best to reach them
coming up with marketing strategies
planning campaigns and managing budgets
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organizing the production of posters and brochures
designing social media strategies
attending trade shows, conferences and sales meetings
making sure that campaigns run to deadline and are on budget
monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of strategies and campaigns
Managing a team of marketing executives and assistants.
As a marketing manager you would plan the direction of all marketing activity on a campaign. You would use
your creativity and expertise to think of new ways of delivering your message to the customer. You could be in
charge of a number of campaigns and manage and motivate people in the marketing team to make sure that
each campaign is successful.
You could work with other organizations to research customer satisfaction and customer expectations. You
would analyse data from market research and use this to think of ways to make your campaign more effective.
At the end of each campaign you would work out how successful it had been and report this back to marketing
directors.
Exhibition
Cinema exhibition is still the primary channel for films to reach their audiences, and Box Office
success equals financial success.
The Premiere: A high-profile, star-studded premiere is used to 'launch' the film to the public
with an explosion of media coverage.
UK Cinemas: Cinemas remain the most important market for any film, as success at the Box
Office can guarantee increased revenues in subsequent 'windows' (DVD sales and rentals,
hospitality, broadcast, product licensing).
Prints and Logistics: Distributors supply the exhibitors with prints of the film. The more
screens the film is shown on, the more prints are needed.
Box Office Performance: Data about film attendance is collected continuously, and used by
the cinemas to decide which films to cancel and which to prolong.
Revenues: The exhibitors take their share of the box office receipts, after which the
distributors recoup their marketing costs.
Recoupment: Once the distributors have been paid, the financiers can recover their
investments, as laid out in the recoupment schedule.