Filmmaking for Beginners: Understand the 5 Stages of Filmmaking

In the world of filmmaking, development refers to the stage where the script is written and then rewritten… and rewritten… and rewritten. In other words, the script is developed to a point where it’s ready to be produced.

Development can last from a few months to a few decades. Yes, you read that correctly. Some scripts do indeed take that long to make it into production, especially when you take into consideration the multiple steps that usually comprise the development phase.

And don’t forget to add in more time should another Writer(s) be brought on board to revise the material or if a production company or studio decides to put that script on the back burner to focus on producing other projects ahead of it.

First, you have the Writer drafting what is called a spec script, which means a script that they are writing on their own with no payment or direction from a studio.

However, if a Writer is hired to write a script, it may go through considerably less time during the development phase, as those attached to it can skip the pitching step.

This is the period when that Writer and perhaps their representation are trying to pitch that spec script for option or purchase. This in itself can take years.

Should that script get bought or optioned for a period of time, then you might have Producers and Studio Executives weighing in on what needs to be revised to make that script screen-ready.

It’s important to note that even when a Writer is hired by a production company or studio to write a script, they are not exempt from getting rounds of notes, which may extend the development phase.

You might wonder, “How does any movie ever get made?” after learning about the common trajectory of the development process and understandably so. But the good news is that once a script get a green light and the attached filmmakers can begin, the next stage of the filmmaking process—pre-production—typically goes faster depending on the material getting produced.

The scope of the movie will somewhat impact this stage of the filmmaking process. For instance, the pre-production needs for a huge tentpole film like Avengers: Endgame might be more intensive with its huge cast, crew and budget than Booksmart, another film that came out in 2019 that did not have quite the same scope or need for special effects.

That being said, regardless of the size of the production, many pre-production needs remain the same.

Storyboards are fundamental to the pre-production process in filmmaking because they are the first instance in most cases of what the movie will look like¹.

A Storyboard Artist will typically collaborate with the Director and Cinematographer to create images that will be used as a reference for another pre-production staple: shot lists. But even beyond providing that visual blueprint for the Cinematographer and their crew, storyboards can also be helpful to the production design team in visualizing the look of the film and perhaps even the casting team in deciding what Actors might fit that look on display in them.

As the filmmaking crew continues to work towards the start of production, shot lists must be made. As their name implies, shot lists are a detailed breakdown of every single shot required during the production process².

Shot lists are critical for several reasons, one being to determine just how long production might take. The order in which the shots are listed impacts this timeframe and also helps the cinematography crew decide how best to set up for each shot, including the time of day that will be potentially needed, as well as equipment required.

Once the filmmakers are ready to wrap pre-production and move on to actually shooting the movie, it’s time to let the entire crew and cast know when and where they’ll be needed. Call sheets, which are issued daily during production, provide a schedule for both crew and cast to let them know when they need to report for work and where they should be on any given shooting day³.

The call sheet is created by the Assistant Director based upon the aforementioned shot lists.

Lights. Camera. Action. In many ways, these three words do concisely describe the next stage of filmmaking: production. Many people—whether they work in the film industry or not—associate filmmaking with this particular phase of it. They might also think that production constitutes the most expensive part of the filmmaking process, and they’re usually right.

Production means bringing together what is typically the biggest assembly of people attached to the movie, including both cast and crew. And in addition to the payment required by each person who works on a movie, additional expenses may include room and board if shooting on location, transportation, insurance, permits and more. That’s when a competent filmmaking accounting office and payroll company can be well worth the cost.

Given that the following elements each play a pivotal role in making the film look and sound great, it also pays to bring on board creatives and technicians who can successfully translate the story from script form.

The Director is often considered the leader of the filmmaking process and for good reason. They typically take a leading role not only during production but also during pre- and post-production as well. Even with the influence and collaboration of dozens if not hundreds of others who are part of the filmmaking process, it is the Director who is tasked with providing a singular vision for a movie⁴.

When discussing a film, what’s usually the first part of it that you bring up? If you said acting, you would hardly be alone in that regard. And while Actors often get more attention than most when it comes to who is part of the filmmaking process, you really can’t overstate the impact of a great—or worse, bad!—performance. It’s during production that Actors get to truly shine, and if they do, they can elevate an otherwise good movie into a great one.

The Cinematographer on a production is the person primarily responsible for how the movie looks⁵. While this encompasses several elements, including choice of camera, camera lenses and mise en scène for each shot, two of the biggest factors that go into a film’s visuals are camera angles and camera shots.

Camera angles both inform what potential audiences see, from where they see it and how they feel when seeing it.

Among the more common camera angles are:

• High Angle
• Low Angle
• Dutch Angle
• Bird’s Eye View

Camera angles and camera shots go hand-in-hand. But while a particular angle can help to inform the type of shot, such as a Dutch angle medium shot, not every angle and shot are compatible. But if you can find a bird’s eye view extreme close-up, please let us know!

In the meantime, here’s a breakdown of some of the more routine camera shots:

• Long Shot (LS) or Wide Shot (WS)
• Medium Shot (MS)
• Close-Up (CU)
• Extreme Close-Up (ECU)
• Point-of-View (POV) Shot

It’s incredible to think that during the production stage of the filmmaking process, the world of the film might be built entirely from the ground up.

Though many films take advantage of real locations such as New York City or Paris for scenes set there, locales such as Oz or Mars require a little more handiwork. Enter production design. Responsible for making each scene look as real as a NYC pizza parlor or as foreign as a stark Martian landscape, production design and the creatives behind it are an integral part of the filmmaking process⁶.

Many people focus on how a film looks because, since the silent era of cinema, it has been considered primarily a visual medium. But we’ve come a long way since then!

Great sound is just as vital as any other component of the filmmaking process during production⁷. Consider the varying impact of when a character whispers or screams or cries. Each brings with it an emotional resonance that can only be captured by sound.

The film is finally “in the can” and ready for assembly. Now we enter the fourth stage of the filmmaking process: post-production.

Post-production might not seem as exciting as development when the creative juices are first flowing or as glamorous as production with potentially famous Actors on set, but it is ultimately the most critical phase of filmmaking because it is the last step before the film goes out into the world to be watched—and judged—by audiences. The following highlights some of the main areas of the post-production process.

The Editor is typically considered the most important person in the post-production phase of filmmaking⁸. Why? Well, they’re referred to as the individual who “cuts” the picture, a term that goes back to when movies were shot exclusively on film stock. Now those cuts are done primarily via editing software on a computer, but the importance of this role is unchanged.

Editors make the decisions of what scenes stay and what scenes go in a film. They decide in what order they’re seen. They even decide for how long they’re seen. It’s no surprise, then, that many films can be vastly improved upon from both the development and production stages during post-production because of the Editor.

John Williams. Danny Elfman. Hans Zimmer. They are not Actors or Directors, but these creatives are still known and loved by millions because of their tremendous importance during the filmmaking process⁹.

Composers can turn an otherwise boring scene into one filled with emotion and excitement all because of the music they create to go with it. And while a Composer’s work may begin during the production or even pre-production stage, it’s only in post-production where their talent gets its due as the score is added to the film.

Didn’t we already cover this? Not so fast! Unlike the technicians who capture sound on set or the Composers who create captivating music to go with a film’s images, it’s the Sound Designers and Mixers who balance all the sound you may hear in a film, which includes dialogue, the musical score, sound effects and more¹⁰.

Truly the heroes and heroines who often get little recognition for their efforts, it’s these hugely important individuals who are behind a film sounding as good as it looks.

The film is completed and ready to be enjoyed. Now what? It must be distributed, which is the final stage of the filmmaking process. Fortunately, never in the history of cinema have there been so many ways for filmmakers to get their work out to the public.

While many films experience the traditional route of theatrical distribution, that is hardly the only way to go with today’s technological advances¹¹. Thanks to streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, films can go straight from post-production to your living room television, tablet or phone.

If a filmmaker doesn’t have access to those alternate distribution outlets, they might just decide to distribute their film on their own via YouTube or a dedicated website for the film.

Distribution access is undeniably easier than ever before for filmmakers outside of the studio world. But as distribution outlets have multiplied, so too have filmmaking options, making the former increasingly competitive for those seeking ways for their films to be seen.

While providing the broad strokes of the five stages of filmmaking, we’ve only scratched the surface of all the work and people involved in the script-to-screen process. Looking to learn more? Then why not learn from the best! Masterclass is an incredible resource with creatives such as Aaron Sorkin, Martin Scorsese and Natalie Portman who provide personal instruction on the basics of screenwriting, directing and acting, respectively.

For those with an interest in cinematography, Shane Hurlbut’s Hurlbut Academy is a comprehensive space where students can take a variety of classes to learn the craft. Hurlbut, a member of both the American Society of Cinematographers and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has among his filmmaking credits Drumline, We Are Marshall and Terminator Salvation. A Cinematographer with nearly 25 years of experience in the film industry, Hurlbut and his Hurlbut Academy can provide a launching pad for other aspiring DPs.

If signing up for Masterclass or the Hurlbut Academy isn’t an option, you can always find useful, informative videos on filmmaking on YouTube—you just might have to dig a little deeper to find quality information. But there’s certainly an ample amount of it for free from emerging and veteran filmmakers such as Film Riot who want to share what they’ve learned with others.

Given how accessible filmmaking has become for those equipped with nothing more than a phone and how many different avenues are available to them for getting their film to others, it’s an exciting time to be part of the filmmaking community. Whether as someone who goes the route of working on studio-backed films or going it alone as an indie filmmaking professional, there’s no shortage of opportunities for those wanting a career in this industry.