Step 1: Development

Nearly every movie has some form of written script that is envisioned and drafted during the development phase. A script that contains elements that help format the story for film or television is called a screenplay. Depending upon the situation, a studio may hire a screenwriter to write a screenplay, or the screenwriter may shop one of her existing stories around to different studios.

In some cases, the screenwriter will go to a studio without a complete script. In these cases, she will have prepared a shorter outline for the film that summarizes the story, characters, and themes. Other times screenwriters will pitch their script to potential directors first before presenting it to studios. They do this if the director is considered essential to a movie’s quality as a script.

In nearly every case, the studio (or other investor) will provide the necessary funding for the movie’s production. Once negotiations are conducted and contracts are signed, the movie moves into the next phase: pre- production.

Step 2: Pre-Production

During pre-production, studios recruit hundreds—even thousands—of individuals to work on a movie. In addition to the director, larger movies will hire a location manager, production manager, sound designers, art and music directors, camera operators, makeup and set designers. . . not to mention the actors themselves! Producers then create a detailed schedule for everyone and ensure there is money in the budget for everyone to work at the same time.

The director, often in communication with the screenwriter, works to create a storyboard during preproduction that converts the screenplay into sequences of comic-style images. Storyboards are important for the director to help shoot the movie as he envisions it. The production team also uses them to ensure that everyone is prepared for each scene once filming begins.

Step 3: Production

During this stage, the actual day-to-day shooting of the movie takes place. Sets, lighting, costumes, props, and actors are carefully arranged and rehearsed before being filmed. Sometimes multiple “takes” are needed to capture the angles of a scene that the director will use later. Modifications may be made to the screenplay or storyboard based on how filming goes.

Experienced directors always spend a portion of their time during a production day reviewing the footage to ensure that everything necessary is being recorded. They are trying to avoid any major mistakes, since it would be much more costly to discover them later and have to go back and reshoot.

Step 4: Post-Production

Most of a movie’s post-production can happen on a single computer screen in a place called the “cutting room.” First, a rough cut of a movie is presented by the director to all of a film’s editors to give a sense of its overall feel before they start. Then the editing can start. For major films, editing and arranging is divided among editors with specific specialties: sound and music, special effects, and continuity.

Editors cut down films significantly at this stage, with less desirable scenes removed to make the overall film stronger. When they are finished, the film is considered “locked” and ready for duplication and distribution.

Step 5: Distribution

The distribution of a film can be a complicated and expensive effort. They will have to promote the film via advertisements and trailers—all of which need to be created by hired editors and marketers. Additionally, actors and directors may be obligated in their contracts to promote the film in interviews with the press. Certain films are shopped to film festivals as a means of generating hype for the film before a major release. Others are more quietly distributed straight to DVD and Blu-ray without ever being released in theaters. Sometimes, movies are shot and edited, but are never released due to poor budgeting or other issues.