Hollywood: How Movies are

Made
A Presentation by Tyler Pietz
 The Steps
• Development
• Pre-Production
• Production
• Post-Production
• Distribution
Development
The Conception
 Development
• Producer or writer will conceive of an
idea
• A treatment or spec script is written
• The project is “pitched” to studio
executives
 Development
• The project may be “packaged” with
actors and/or a director prior to the pitch
meeting
• For many films, attaching stars or a well
known director prior to the pitch can
help its chances
 Development
• If the studio is interested, they place an
“option” on the material
• If the studio is satisfied that the movie is
ready to be made, they “greenlight” the
project and pre-production begins
 Pre-Production
The Project Takes Shape
 Pre-Production
• Directly precedes filming
• Largely a planning phase
• Determines many important factors
relating to production
 Pre-Production - Casting
• Actors are auditioned for roles in the
film
• The studio, the producer and the
director will usually have the most say in
who is cast
• For supporting roles and smaller parts
casting directors are used to find actors
 Pre-Production - Crew
• At this time, important “below-the-line”
personnel is attached
• Typically the director will have
significant input as to the selection of
the cinematographer and editor
 Pre-Production - Budgeting
• Arguably the most frequently
overlooked part of making a film
• A “production budget” is drawn up
• A surprisingly complex process, every
expected expenditure must be
accounted for
 Food for Thought
Film (year) Budget (est.) % of positive
reviews

Spiderman 3 $258,000,000 44%

Evan Almighty $175,000,000 8%

Pulp Fiction $8,000,000 96%

Clerks $30,000 86%

Production
Shooting Begins
 Production
• The phase that people most commonly
associate with “filmmaking”
• Consists of the actually shooting of the
film
 Production - Preliminary
• Locations are scouted and sets are built
• The rest of the crew is hired
• Script changes are finalized
 Production - Shooting
• Principal photography varies but usually
takes around 60 days
• Depending on the film, the majority of
shooting can take place “on set” or “on
location” with most films using both
 Production - Shooting
• Actors rehearse and block their lines
• The scene is filmed utilizing multiple
takes and shots
• The footage is either developed
overnight (film) or stored and separated
(digital) for “dailies”
Post-Production
Editing and Sound
 Post Production - Editing
• The editing process is very time
consuming
• The director works closely with the
editor to determine which scenes are
included in the final cut
• Due to the advent of editing programs
such as Avid and Final Cut, the process
has been simplified considerably
 Post Production - Other
• Other processes such as sound mixing,
mastering, and some special effects
also take place during post production
• While some films (namely blockbusters)
rely heavily on CGI effects and
explosive soundtracks, smaller films
typically do not require the same
amount of work in this regard
 Distribution
The Finished Product Hits Theaters
 Distribution - Agreements
• Distribution rights are often split
between regions and formats
• The studio that financed the film almost
always retains North American
distribution rights but may sell foreign
rights or DVD rights to cover overhead
 Distribution - Box Office
• While in theaters, studios take a
percentage of the gross receipts
• From that money, a film’s “gross” is
calculated, or how much money the
studio sees before overhead is covered
and points are paid
Distribution - Home Video and
Beyond
• While studios tradtionally relied on box
office receipts to turn a profit, home
video sales now make up a large chunk
of profits
• Some films reach cult status and end up
grossing much more in DVD sales than
it box office receipts
 THE END

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