The Different Stages of Movie Making

Robert L. Hymers
3 min readFeb 22, 2022

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Film production entails much more than creating a script, conducting pre-production, and shooting a film. The process consists of seven stages: developing the film’s concept, budgeting, pre-production, production, post-production, marketing, and distributing the film.

A film has to go first through the development phase. A film project is created, written, organized, and planned. Screenwriters and directors often make storyboards (sequential drawings to tell a story) to make producers want to fund the movie. Even though a film is in development, it is not guaranteed to move to the next stage. A movie studio must figure out how things will work, like filming the movie, agreeing on a budget, and getting the rights to any digital media used in the film.

Budgeting is a critical aspect of pre-production. The producer must work on the budget to begin fundraising and create a projection of the money required for each stage. Each department’s activity is contingent upon funding. Once the producer has established the budget, they can negotiate with the crew, suppliers, cast, locations, and post-production.

The film is outlined from beginning to end at the pre-production stage. Filmmakers need to know where they can shoot, who will be in their movie, and what possible changes might occur. They also need to have crew members lined up, sets and costumes made, and permission to film in different parts of a location simultaneously. After the pre-production phase is complete, the production moves onto the filming or production phase.

The production stage begins with the actual practical job of film production. The key objective is to adhere to the budget and schedule, requiring constant vigilance. The film director collaborates with the cast and staff to ensure that the production runs well. Communication is critical among all parties involved.

After the shooting, it is time to put everything together and polish the details. Post-production is a multi-step process that includes sound editing, color correction, animation, and visual effects. The editors construct the film’s initial cut based on the storyboard. The director may collaborate with them to visualize how the assembly will look and provide guidance. Larger productions may have multiple editors working on a teaser and marketing clips.

Marketing is a critical aspect of film production and one of the final stages of post-production. This step entails seizing every opportunity to spread the word about the film. Film festivals are often the best place to market films because they gather the right people together. Another way that filmmakers can market their movies is through social media, placing teasers on YouTube and other video platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to let people know that a film is coming out.

Distribution is the last step in the process. People who make movies are in charge of getting a good deal for distribution with movie theaters and other places to watch movies like Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. It is also essential to get the right deals to determine how far the film will go and how much money it will make.

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Robert L. Hymers
Robert L. Hymers

Written by Robert L. Hymers

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Los Angeles Accountant and Executive Robert L. Hymers

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