Film Industry

The film industry consists of a conglomeration of different types of technical and commercial institutions of the film making process. The basic process itself consists of:

·              Development

·              Pre-Production

·              Production

·              Post-Production

Development - The first area of development involves the director or producer finds the storyline or narrative in which they wish to follow for a film. Some ideas where these stories or narratives can be picked from are books, plays, true stories or an original idea. This idea is then passed to the screenwriter who will adapt the idea or story and make it suitable to be filmed and shot on camera.

Pre-Production - After this process has been completed the now script is taken to pre-production which basic consists of departments or institutions like casting, props or location scouting. The idea is now drawn up to a storyboard so there is a basic visual representation of the final product for viewing. Its possible for some films to be stopped or altered at this point as after this point it will be hard to make noticeably modified. This step involves everything that happens prior to filming of the film.

Production - This is the well known stage which involves the actual physical making of the film it’s the basic stage of them all as the main aim of this stage is to correctly and precisely follow the instructions from the storyboard. The director or producer might make small adjustments for example shots sizes, directions. The main companies involved during production is, filming, and the basic coming together of props, locations and actors so it’s the assembly line to make sure all the right equipment and aspects are needed in various places at different times.

Post-Production – Finally this stage is the step by where is everything that happens after the end of filming and shooting. The main aspect the film itself goes through is the editing together of shots again following the outline of the storyboard. Like the production stage it’s the assembly of all the parts of the film to then be distributed. This step also covers the distribution phase where the film is created and sent out to cinemas usually then onto DVD, Blu-ray and VCD or straight to the consumer.

Throughout this process there are specialised companies that handle certain areas however there is a major few that control or dominant over others. These companies are predominately cross media convergences that will either have wings from all steps of the process or have affiliated companies to work in partnership with.

In the USA some major companies include;

• Walt Disney Pictures

Famous for films such as;

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Budget - $2,000,000

Gross profit - $184,925,485

• Universal Pictures

Famous for films such as;

The Extra Terrestrial

Budget – $10,500,000

Gross Profit – $792,910,554

• Hollywood Pictures

Famous for films such as;

Prefontaine

Budget – $8,000,000

Gross profit - $532,190

In the UK although it’s a less evolved filmmaking industry, this is because there is so much cross media convergences and the use of synergy, but still has some big companies like;

• BBC Film

Famous for films such as;

Made in Dagenham

Budget - $5,000,000

Gross Profit - $12,395,087

• Film4 Productions

Famous for films such as;

Four Lions

Budget - £608,608

Gross profit - £301,527

• Working Title Films

Famous for films such as;

Billy Elliot

Budget - $5,000,000

Gross Profit - $109,280,263

Another recent filmmaking industry (Bollywood) that has some big companies working within it is India with companies like;

• Cloud Nine Movies

Famous for films such as;

Mankatha

Budget - $8,800,000

Gross Profit – 28,600,000

• Aamir Khan Productions

Famous for films such as;

Delhi Belly

Budget - $5,500,000

Gross profit - $20,240,000

• Dharma Productions

Famous for films such as;

I Hate Luv Storys

Budget - $3,740,000

Gross profit - $15,950,000

Hollywood:

Hollywood is located in Los Angeles, California, USA and is a district of the city. It has become famous of the Hollywood, filmmaking history and industry that reside in the area. Hollywood is considered the home of big films.

The origin of the industry came in 1910 with the director D.W. Griffith who was sent by the biograph company to create the first movie a short 17 minute masterpiece titles ‘In Old California’. This was the first movie to be produced in Hollywood and would be seen as a phenomenal stepping stone. This success combined with the only company set up the Biograph Company paved the way and meant that many movie makers and actors headed out to LA.

From this original stake the industry and area began gathering momentum and increased every day with movie makers and actors during the 20^th century the set up of ‘nickelodeons’ nicknamed after there entry price of a nickel. Many of the big industries today set up at this time including the Warner Brothers and William Fox who switched to the production side of the industry.

Hollywood at this time booming with talent and the industry thriving gained more directors, movie makers and actors during the war some for example: Alfred Hitchcock and Marlene Dietrich. These were famous for work on films such as, Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960) Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1948) Morocco (Dietrich, 1930).