Creative Ways To Produce A Film or Television Production
Producing for film and television is a creative process that can be an absolute grind when you’re new to the business. It requires you to be immensely creative and inspired and also be practical enough to understand the business side of things. The production process begins with development and pre-production, concluding with post-production and distribution. However, getting from start to finish is an incredibly involved process and requires a lot of patience and creativity.
If you’ve made up your mind to produce a film, let’s go deeper into how you can channel your creativity and use it in the different phases of film production.
1. Development
Any film, television, or ad film production begins with a script. Always. Developing your idea or the story is the most important step of the production process. The moment you have an idea in your head or the writer starts penning words, the development process of your film begins. During this stage, you’ll write one or multiple drafts of the script and decide the treatment for the film.
Once the idea is locked down, you need to finalize a preliminary budget for the production. In this stage, you also lock in the key cast, creatives, and scout locations. The process can take months or even years before you can move into pre-production. Don’t rush at this stage. Every project is unique and will take its own development time.
2. Pre-Production
Once the script is locked and you have your project funded, the next stage is planning and designing the production. This includes storyboarding, concept design, set design, and scouting. Pre-production can be incredibly fun, as you can really be creative and discover how your film will look when it’s done.
Any amendments to the script or adjustments to the budget will be made at this stage. You also employ a crew, cast the actors, finalize and book the locations, get the set designs and costumes ready, get the shot list in place. Essentially plan and test everything to do with the shoot. Above all, keep your energy and inspiration high, as you can’t slack down or leave important decisions for the production stage. The better you plan in this stage, the smoother your production will be.
3. Production
Usually, the shortest phase of the entire process, production, is when the rubber hits the road. It is also the busiest time as days become longer; the crew is on their toes trying to be as efficient as possible. In this stage, you and the creative team will finally see your ideas captured on film.
It’s an incredible process, yet it can be intimidating at times. As a producer, you need to be prepared for last-minute hassles and worst-case scenarios. It’s your job to see the production to the end.
4. Post-Production
Post-production can begin after the first day of the shoot itself. This can help to identify problems with the footage or any gaps in the story while the shoot is still ongoing. You can fix it early without upsetting the shooting schedule.
The post-production team will edit the shot footage, mix sounds, add music and visual effects as planned. Bit by bit, the pieces of your production will come together to create a stunning story.
5. Distribution
So you have your glittering production ready for the audiences. Now comes the crucial step that’ll determine the success of your film or TV production – the distribution strategy. The marketing and distribution channels need to be planned in the pre-production stage itself to ensure good distribution. How well you distribute your film will determine the ROI you get.
Are you inspired to start your creative production journey? It’s time to hit the production floor. If you’re looking for a production studio to shoot your film, check out this unique studio space in Riverside, CA.
