The Cycle of a Film

Production

Pre-production

In the first stages of making a film, 8 important factors need to be taken into account. These are: Story, appeal, Genre, Past Experience, Budget, Cast-ability, Marketability and Pay-ability

The idea gets pitched and if it is accepted, a budget for the film is decided on as well as the finance and distribution budget

The director and the script editor develop the script

The characters are cast and the cinematographers are booked

Production

• Script gets turned into a shot list, and location hunting begins
• The technology is set up and the costumes are made
• the film is shot

Post-production

• The music and the shots are finalized
• The filming is edited and the film is being made
• Trailers and teasers are made for the distribution

Distribution

Distribution is mainly the marketing of the film. The costs for distribution are finalized, for things such as advertisement on print posters, TV Channels, DVD's and internet ads. It is also estimated how many ratings it will get in the opening weekend and how successful the film will be.

Exhibition

Exhibition is when the film is released into the cinemas. It is when the producers look at how well it did in the box office, so they can decide whether the film is a success or a fail judging on whether they break even in the first weekend. This is down to the critics - who they show it to first - to get the hype up for the first weekend. If the film is a success, they can lead onto DVD releases and merchandising. 

Which phase is the most important?

The distribution phase appears to be the most important because this typically is the stage which encourages people to see the film, which therefore determines how successful it will be. The success and money of the film are the most important factors for producers, regardless of how well the film was made. However, typically the better the film is in the production phase, the better it does at the box office, although, the best films tend to have bigger budgets which could cause more financial complications if it is not a success.