Pre-Production Processes

• Outline some of the main processes in the development and pre-production stage

One of the main processes of development is the pre-visualisation stage. This is important for when the creators of the film takes the idea to a production company as this allows the production company to visualise what the film will look like. For example, the first Star Wars movie was taken to the production company with sketches of what some of the character and scenes would look like if it was made. Pre-visualisation is also important as the production company giving the creators the revenue for the film could possibly imagine the film looking different to how it was planned resulting in it possibly not being successful. 

Also, storyboards are important to the pre-production of a film as it is a visual representation of the film script. Usually, storyboards are made from hand drawn sketches and hand written text in the margins.  The screenplay is also one of the most important parts to the pre-production of a film in similarity to the storyboard, but this is written after it is green lit. The screenplay/ script is the key to the entire process of producing a film as this is a guide for the producers, directors, actors and crew as these are the people who are getting hands on with the making/ filming of the film. This is done to allow the rest of the crew other than the script writer to visualise it how they see it. The storyboard is also done so the director can consult back to it in order to create the film how it has been visualised by the creator. Without the plan (storyboard) people will have their own ideas of what the film will look like, for example, if the script said someone is walking down a street, each person will have a different visualisation of what a street looks like. Storyboards are also created to forward the jobs of other people. For example, when Star Wars was made, designs were made for the costumes which are needed in order for the people creating the costumes to make them correctly. Without the information of what the costumes look like, they wouldn't be able to do this.

Finding a location to film is also key to the pre-production stage. Finding the location is part of the development stage, and finalising the location to film at is the pre-production. 

Unforeseen circumstances a crucial in the film making business as this can delay the production of the film. Film makers will have different plans in case something goes wrong during the making of the film. For example, if someone drops out of the film or perhaps dies, they need a way to get around this and continue making it. This happened in the most recent Fast and Furious film as Paul Walker died in a car crash during the making of the film. In order to continue making the film, the film makers casted Paul Walkers brother as they have similar features and then edited his face on to his brothers.