Filmmaking is the process of making a film.
Table of Contents
In its most general form, it consists of three main stages: development, production and distribution. Films were originally recorded on analog media such as film stock – an optical material which has been used to record and display motion pictures since the late 19th century. By the end of the 20th century, film began to be the preferred method for distributing motion pictures.
The process of filmmaking involves a number of stages:
The first stage in filmmaking is development
It includes the making of the script, buying the rights to books or plays, scouting locations and hiring cast and crew.
Production
Actual filming or recording during principal photography.
Post-production
Includes all stages of film editing, visual effects and sound design.
Distribution and marketing
The final stage in which the method by which a film is to be shown is selected.
Cinematography in filmmaking
The word “cinematography” was created from the Greek words κίνημα, meaning “movement, motion” and γράφειν, meaning “to record”, together they imply a moving image. The creation of the first animated films in the mid 1890s generated an explosion in cinematic thought. Early film-makers quickly adopted creative practices that became fundamental to the development of animation.
Commercial or non-commercial
The industry generally refers to films as either “commercial” or “non-commercial”, where, in general, commercial films are expected to have a box office return of at least 10%. The only major exception to this rule is the low budget independent film which retains little distributional control beyond ‘premiere’ venues such as Sundance.
Filmmaking is the process of making a film by recording the images and sound. It is an important form in the audiovisual industry which consists of three main stages: development, production and distribution. Films were originally recorded on analog media such as film stock – an optical material that has been used to record and present motion pictures since the late 19th century.