Film & Television Development and Distribution
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NandaKishore FilmMMBA, AISFM & Television Development and Distribution 100 Years of Indian Cinema Introduction to film page no. 2 Process of film making page no. 3 development page no. 4 Pre-production page no. 11 production page no. 14 Post-production page no. 18 distribution page no. 25 Digital-cinema page no. 33 imax page no. 36 dth page no. 40 epg page no. 42 iptv page no. 43 Law’s & copyrights page no. 48 Cinematography act page no. 49 Cable TV act page no. 53 Copy-right page no. 54 100 years of indian cinema page no. 61 Golden age of indian page no. 64 cinema conclusion page no. 70 index 1 INTRODUCTION TO FILM Film is a young medium, at least to most other media. Films are more than entertainment. They inspire, inform, and may even become part of our culture. And for many people films offer jobs and a career path. Painting, literature, dance and other theaters have existed for thousands of years, but films came into existence only a little more than a century ago. Yet in this fairly short span, the newcomer has established itself as an energetic and powerful art form. But this art form has some unusual features we should admit up front. More than most arts, film depends on complex technology. Without machines, movies wouldn’t move and film makers would have no tools. In addition, film art usually requires collaboration among many participants, people who follow well-proven work routines. Films are not only created but also produced. 2 This report gives you an abstract idea about how the films are made, it deals with the three stages or steps involved in film production which are pre-production, production, and post-production. And then it also explains you about how the finalized films are then distributed, it also explains about various procedures involved in distribution, then it explains about the various techniques and technologies involved in the exhibition of movies. It also covers about some of the media laws and how a film is certified and on what basis a certificate is issued for a film by the Central Board of Film Certification. Further it also covers various aspects regarding television. How a show will be telecasted on a TV. What are the various ways in the TV industry through which the content reaches the audience like for example through cable network, DTH service, Video on Demand and the IPTV. Process of Film Making 3 The process of film making involves of five major steps they are: 1. Development 1.1. Story development 1.2. Writing screenplay 1.3. Re-writing screenplay 1.4. Financing the movie 2. Pre-Production 2.1. Casting 2.2. Locations 2.3. Shot list 2.4. Script breakdown 2.5. Tech support 2.6. Scheduling by the 1st AD 2.7. Production Design 3. Production 3.1. Principal photography- Setting up 3.2. Rehearsal 3.3. Setting up shots 3.4. Checking the take 4. Post-Production 4.1. Editing 4.2. Sound Mixing 4.3. Music 4.4. Test Screenings 5. Movie Distribution 5.1. Distribution to theater’s 5.2. Distribution through satellite 4 5.3. Distribution through Video on Demand 5.4.Distribution through DVD’s Development Development is a fuzzy, amorphous, painfully interminable period in which the film’s conception takes shape and the foundational elements are assembled. Development consists of following activities, which may overlap and may be sequenced in a different order in a different movie. Story development/ Structure/ Scriptment A script is a document that outlines every aural, visual, behavioral, and lingual element required to tell a story. Story development is the phase in which the story for a movie is developed. Every screenwriter has a personal way of developing a story. There are three 5 approaches from which a script can be developed: 1. Stream of Consciousness In this type of approach the writer has an idea which is not fully developed. It may be a logline, a premise, or a few scenes and writer plunge into the script, writing one scene after the other in a stream of consciousness. 2. Analytical Approach In this type of approach the writer develops every detail about the story before proceeding to write the script. The plot is worked out in intricate detail. 3. Methodical Approach This approach not only combines the better of the two previous approaches, but also seeds the story from a well- developed premise. Writing the Screenplay 6 Screenplay begins when the writer has a crystal clear vision of the structure, plot points and scene outline is there to the writer. Many screenwriters make the mistake of diving straight into writing the actual script, which causes all sorts of problems. It is written in such a way that one page of script usually equates to one minute of screen time. Each scene is numbered and the standard font used is 12 point, 10 pitch Courier typeface. The major components of a screenplay are action and dialogue. For a motion picture screenplays are intended for submission to mainstream studios, and are expected to conform to a standard typographical style known as studio format. For television shows the format rules for hour-long dramas, the main difference is that TV scripts have act breaks. Multi- camera sitcoms use a different specialized format that derives from radio and stage plays. In this format dialogue is double spaced, action lines are capitalized and scene headings, character entrances and exits are capitalized. 7 For documentaries and audio visual presentations which largely consist of voice over matched to still or moving pictures is again different and uses a two column format which can be particularly difficult to achieve in standard word processors. The five basic elements considered while developing a story are: 1. 1. The story is about somebody with whom we have some empathy. 2. This somebody wants something very badly. 3. This goal is difficult, but possible to do, get, or achieve. 4. The story accomplishes maximum emotional impact and audience connection. 5. And the story comes to a satisfactory ending, not necessarily a happy one. Ten central themes among which most of the movies revolve are: 1. Man Vs. Man 2. Man Vs. Himself 3. The Loss of Innocence 4. Revenge 5. Death as a Part of Life 6. The Battle 8 7. Individual vs. Society 8. Triumph over Adversity 9. Love Conquers All 10. Good vs. Evil Where does a script come from? Typically it comes in one of the following ways: 1. A Standard Script is pitched to Producers or the Studio and if they are interested, it is than developed and written with their input. Sometimes a well-known scriptwriter will be approached to write a script based on a concept. 2. A Spec Script is written by a writer in advance with no solicitation in hopes that it will be optioned and eventually purchased by someone who can turn it into a film like a producer or a studio. These are considered more long shots because the writer is usually unknown, with little to no entertainment industry contacts and this is how they are trying to break into the business. 9 3. An Adapted Script is adapted from something that already exists in another form like a book, a play, TV show, prior film (remake) or even a real life news story. There are so many countless examples of this but probably the most common are bestselling books. Now days if there is a bestselling fiction book it’s almost a guarantee it will be adapted for film. Re-writing the Screenplay Someone ones said “Great scripts are not written, they are re-written”. Most talented writers produce at least three drafts before the screenplay can be deemed even remotely decent. Financing a Movie Film financing is by far the most frustrating and painfully tedious part of movie making. No two movies ever use exactly the same financing model. Various models or ways in which movies can be financed are as following: 10 1. In-House production/Distribution In this model the selected studio/distributor to which the project has been pitched, provides the development finance and develops the project at studio level under some supervision. An independent producer might have submitted the original idea, but the rights to produce as a motion picture are acquired by the studio. 2. Production Financing/Distribution Agreement In this model the producer provides the development financing and takes the deal to a studio/distributor with a fairly complete package. The distribution agreement is made prior to start of production. The distributor will deduct its fee, recoup distributor expenses, collect interest on the production money loan and then reduce the negative cost with remaining gross receipts. 3. Negative Pickups 11 The independent producer provides acquisition/development financing and obtains one or more distributor commitments and guarantees to purchase the completed picture, if the finished film meets specified delivery requirements. The producer takes this or these distributor commitment(s) to an entertainment lender to secure production funds using the distributor's contract(s) as effective collateral. In this instance, the only part of the financing provided by the distributor relates to distribution expenses. 4. Acquisition Deal The independent producer raises acquisition/development as well as production movies, often from investors outside the film industry, but distributor funds are used to distribute the movie. The distribution agreement is entered into after the film is produced. 5. Rent a distributor The independent producer raises acquisition/development, production and some or all of the money needed to distribute the film.