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Delve into the world of major movie studios, explore the history, stages of movie making, behind-the-scenes insights, & the significance of studios versus independents. Understand the process from development to distribution.
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RTV 322 Movie Biz Overview: Starting a Movie Project Film versus video Stages of Moviemaking Movie Studios Above the line positions Below the line positions
Film vs.Video • Film stock is the imaging device for motion picture film • CCD or CMOS is the imaging device for video • ‘Video’ on web sites -- electronic information
Major Movie Studios • Paramount (including MTV Films, and other subsidiaries) • One of the oldest, largest and most well known movie production and distribution companies. Only studio IN Hollywood. • Founded in 1912 by Hungarian-born Adolph Zukor. • Currently owned by Viacom Inc. • Paramount held the record for highest grossing film at the box office (unadjusted)--Titanic 1997 grossed $1,842,879,955 at the world wide box office, with a domestic total gross of $600,788,188.
Avatar now #1 • As of Jan 20, 2010: • Estimated budget: $200 - $500 million • Domestic box office gross: $512, 852,205 • Foreign box office gross: $1,172, 833, 529 • Worldwide: $1, 685, 685, 734 http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=avatar.htm
Major Movie Studios • Warner Bros. -- Burbank, CA • One of world's largest and most successful film producing and distributing companies. • Originally founded in 1918 by four brothers, who were immigrants from Poland. • The third oldest of Hollywood studios, and is one of the original pioneers in the film industry.
Major Movie Studios • Sony Pictures • 1987, Columbia Pictures Entertainment (Columbia and Tri-Star Studios) • Walt Disney (Buena Vista Distribution) • Founded in 1923 by Roy & Walt Disney • 20th Century Fox • Owned by News Corporation (Fox) • Universal • Owned by NBC Universal (Comcast) • Founded in Los Angeles in June, 1912 by a German Jewish immigrant: Carl Laemmle
Other Movie Studios • Dreamworks SKG (Spielberg) • New Line Cinema • Founded in 1967. In 1996 it became a subsidiary of Time Warner. In 2008, ceased independent operations as a movie studio / absorbed into Warner Brothers. • Miramax • founded by Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein in 1979; bought by Disney in 1993, sold in 2010 • Lionsgate
What is a studio? • Production facilities, but… • Funding agency for making movies • Why are majors significant vs. independents? • Distribution • credibility • How often does a film make money?
5 stages of moviemaking • Filmmaking vs. moviemaking • Development • Pre-production • Production • Post-Production • Distribution and exhibition
Development • Who can pitch, to whom do you pitch, optioning a script / step deal • The script is written and drafted into a workable blueprint for a film • Decisions made about stars (‘packaging’) and initial casting, location, budgets • Who is calling the shots?
Development steps... • Producer finds a story (from...) • After identifying a theme or underlying message, the producer works with writers to prepare a synopsis • They produce a step outline, (or scene outline) breaking the story down into one-paragraph scenes that concentrate on dramatic structure • Then, they prepare a treatment, a 25 to 30 page description of the story, its mood, and characters • ‘Notes’ along the way
Development • Next, a screenwriter writes a screenplay over a period of several months. • The screenwriter may rewrite it several times to improve dramatization, clarity, structure, characters, dialogue, and overall style. Other writers may be brought in. • BUT, Producers often skip the previous steps and develop submitted screenplays -- which investors, studios, and other interested parties assess through a process called script coverage.
Development... • A film distributor may be contacted -- assess the likely market and potential financial success of the film. • Hollywood distributors consider: • the film genre, the target audience, • the historical success of similar films • actors who might appear, potential directors. • All these factors imply a certain appeal of the film to a possible audience and hence the number of "A.I.S." during the theatrical release.
Development... • Not all films make a profit from theatrical release -- DVD sales and worldwide... • Producer & screenwriter prepare a pitch and present it to potential financiers. If the pitch is successful, the film (or TV show) receives a "green light” • The parties negotiate a deal and sign contracts. Once the deal is set, the film may proceed into the pre-production period. • By this stage, the film should have a clearly defined marketing strategy and target audience.
Pre-production • Preparations are made for the shoot • Cast and crew are hired • UPM -- script breakdown • Locations are selected • Sets are built • Equipment secured / leased • Script re-writes and staff
Pre-production • The production company is created and a production office established. • The production is storyboarded and visualized with the help of illustrators and concept artists. • A production budget is drawn up to plan expenditures for the film.
Production • Actual shooting of the raw elements • Crew members sharing the ‘Director’s Vision’ • Call sheets etc • Studio stages, Locations, department heads, 2nd units
Post-Production • Transfer to digital, then editing • Dialogue editing / including ADR • Music tracks (and songs) composed, performed, recorded • Scenes are scored • Sound effects are designed and recorded • Computer-graphic 'visual' effects are digitally added, (CGI) • All sound elements are mixed into "stems," then the stems are mixed, then married to picture • The film is fully completed ("locked")
Once Locked... • The film is passed into the hands of the postproduction supervising sound editor to layer the sound track. • Voice recordings are synchronized • The final sound mix is created by the re-recording mixer. • The sound mix combines dialogue, sound effects, ADR, walla, Foleys and music.
Sales and distribution • The film is screened for potential buyers (distributors) • It is picked up by a distributor and reaches its cinema and/or home media audience. • Promotion and marketing -- advertising, actor appearances, etc. $$$ • ‘Straight to DVD’ ?
Major Positions • Above the line -- $$ • Residuals / owners • Producer, Director, Writer, Actors • Producer • Hires a crew • The nature of the film and the budget, determine the size and type of crew used during filmmaking • Many Hollywood blockbusters employ a cast and crew of hundreds • A low-budget, independent film may be made by a skeleton crew of eight or nine (or fewer).
Director • Primarily responsible for the storytelling, creative decisions and acting of the film. • Established versus emerging directors • Film school graduates • ‘Author’ of a movie, while the Producer is ‘author’ of a TV show • ‘Director’s cuts’ of movies
Famous TV Producers / Movie Directors • Dick Clark, Gene Roddenberry, Norman Lear, Aaron Spelling, Dick Wolf, Jerry Bruckheimer, Chuck Lorre... • Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, James Cameron, George Lucas, Ron Howard, Tim Burton, JJ Abrams...
Below the Line • Director of Photography (DP) • The cinematographer who supervises the photography of the entire film • A chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film • Responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image • Some professionals insist that the term cinematographer only applies when the director of photography and camera operator are the same person
Unit Production Manager (UPM) • Responsible for watching all the costs--to deliver the project on budget at the end of principal photography. • Lead dept. managers, script breakdown. • Producers responsible for cost-related decisions on above-the-line (primarily, casting) issues; UPM responsible for below-the-line (primarily, production period) costs. • The film’s director has the final say on the cinematographer, costume designer, production designer, and film editor; UPM makes the deals and hires the remaining crew.
Production Coordinator • Serves under the UPM to coordinate the various groups and personnel that come together to make a movie or TV show. • Requires organizational skills and the ability to handle a multitude of tasks simultaneously under often high-pressure situations. • Duties are often undefined and extremely varied ranging from office manager, to human resources, to controller, to accountant.
Other major positions • Casting Director • Location Manager • Line Producer • Production Designer * • Sound Designer • Art Director • Editor *
Discussion • How much control does a Producer have on a project? • How much control does a writer have on the actual implementation and production of a script (s)he has sold to a Producer? • How involved is the Director typically in casting a film? (more)
Discussion • What is involved in Production Design? • What is involved in Sound Design? • What is and how important is product placement? • How important is casting? • Does the director direct talent or crew? • What are some issues about location shooting?
