Homework Sheet 1

The three main stages of production are:

1. Pre-Production: Planning, scripting & storyboarding, etc.
2. Production: The actual shooting/recording.
3. Post-Production: Everything between production and creating the final master copy.

For example the making of Titanic the movie took a long process. Based on a fictional love story set on the Titanic, the Titanic movie of 1997 is by far the most popular Hollywood depiction of the event. Directed by James Cameron, the film won a total of 11 Oscars as well as 76 wins and 48 nominations. The love story between Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) is the main focus, but there are many other characters who are based on actual Titanic Passengers. After its release in 1997 it became the highest grossing film of all time pulling in over $1.8 billion worldwide.

Distribution 

Here's the path a film usually takes to get to your local cinema:

• Someone has an idea for a movie.
• They create an outline and use it to promote interest in the idea.
• A studio or independent investor decides to purchase rights to the film.
• People are brought together to make the film (screenwriter, producer, director, cast, crew).
• The film is completed and sent to the studio.
• The studio makes a licensing agreement with a distribution company.
• The distribution company determines how many copies (prints) of the film to make.
• The distribution company shows the movie (screening) to prospective buyers representing the theaters.
• The buyers negotiate with the distribution company on which movies they wish to lease and the terms of the lease agreement.
• The prints are sent to the theaters a few days before the opening day.
• The theater shows the movie for a specified number of weeks (engagement).
• You buy a ticket and watch the movie.
• At the end of the engagement, the theater sends the print back to the distribution company and makes payment on the lease agreement.

Marketing

Different types of marketing could be trailers, billboards, bus ads, happy meals, adverts and this list goes on forever. A trailer is a preview of the film and an example of this is from titanic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCy5WQ9S4c0

Exhibition

Audiences get to see films in the cinema, theatre and even online. Normally before a movie is officially released there are movie premieres , this is also an exhibition of the product and through this feedback is received on how good the movie was.

Due to better technology, movies are frequently streamed online, this has caused the dvd market to make  great losses and the movie industry because the movies are getting watched for free.