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Film Management

- Guided By Prof. Pratiksha Khedekar Presented by: Bhavini Pandya [24] Riddhi Rupani [33] Jyoti Sharma [38]

Acknowledgement Apart from the efforts of me, the success of this project depends largely on the encouragement and guidelines of many others. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the people who have been instrumental in the successful completion of this project.

I would like to show my greatest appreciation to Prof. Pratiksha Khedekar & BMS Dept of Vartak College. I can’t say thank you enough for his tremendous support and help. I feel motivated and encouraged every time I attend his meeting. Without his encouragement and guidance this project would not have materialized.

The guidance and support received from Prof Pratiksha Khedekar who guided us to complete this project, was vital for the success of the project. I am grateful for their constant support and help. Contents:

1.Introduction to Film

2.Definitions

3.History Of films in

4.Journey of Indian Cinemas since 1990’s

5.Change in the phase of Indian Cinema since 1990’s

6.Importance of Film marketing

7.Production Process

a. Pre Production Phase

1. Screenplay/ script writing

2. Storyboard

3. Film budgeting

4. Film insurance

b. Production Phase

1. Directing

2. Assembling Cast & Crew

3. Acting

c. Post Production Phase

8.Film Promotion & Publicity 9.Film Certification

10. Box Office Coverage

11. Negative Factor of

Introduction

What is film?

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a story conveyed with moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects. The process of filmmaking has developed into an art form and industry.

Films are cultural artifacts created by specific cultures, which reflect those cultures, and, in turn, affect them. Film is considered to be an important art form, a source of popular entertainment and a powerful method for educating — or indoctrinating — citizens. The visual elements of cinema give motion pictures a universal power of communication. Some films have become popular worldwide attractions by using dubbing or subtitles that translate the dialogue.

Films are made up of a series of individual images called frames. When these images are shown rapidly in succession, a viewer has the illusion that motion is occurring. The viewer cannot see the flickering between frames due to an effect known as persistence of vision, whereby the eye retains a visual image for a fraction of a second after the source has been removed. Viewers perceive motion due to a psychological effect called beta movement. The origin of the name "film" comes from the fact that photographic film (also called film stock) has historically been the primary medium for recording and displaying motion pictures. Many other terms exist for an individual motion picture, including picture, picture show, moving picture, photo- and flick. A common name for film in the United States is movie, while in Europe the term cinema is preferred. Additional terms for the field in general include the big screen, the silver screen, the cinema and the movies.

Definition:

“Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films (also referred to as movies or motion pictures) are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects.” Definition of Film Management:

“Filmmaking is the art and science of bringing a movie from an idea to a viewer. Filmmaking includes storyboarding, screenwriting, casting, shooting, editing, distribution, and marketing. Filmmaking includes the smallest independent films to the largest Hollywood movies.”

History of films in India: Preceding film by thousands of years, plays and dances had elements common to film: scripts, sets, , production, direction, actors, audiences, storyboards, and scores. Much terminology later used in film theory and criticism applied, such as mise en scene (roughly, the entire visual picture at any one time). Moving visual and aural images were not recorded for replaying as in film.

Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), (Calcutta), Bangalore and Hyderabad are the main film production centers. With more than12000 cinema halls, the Indian film industry turn out more than 1000 films a year to hugely appreciative audiences around the world.

The history of Indian Cinema can be traced back to 1896 when the famous Lumiere Brothers' of France demonstrated six soundless short films in Bombay. By 1899, Harishchandra Bhatvadekar made India's first short film. This was one of the major milestone in Indian Cinema. Throughout the first two decades, the trend continued with filmmakers.

Dhundiraj Govind Phalke who was generally known as Dada Saheb Phalke produced India's first full length silent film, 'Raja Harishchandra', in 1913. He laid the foundation for the beginning of a regular feature film industry in India. By 1920 there was a regular industry bringing out films starting with 27 per year and reaching 207 films in 1931. Many new companies and film makers came up during that period.

The 1930s saw sweeping changes to the industry, technically and stylistically. The most remarkable thing that happened in Indian film industry was in 1931, when India's first talkie, 'Alam Ara', directed by Ardeshir Irani was released. Dubbed into and Urdu, the film was a smash hit and a new revolution began in the Indian film industry. It's phenomenal success all over India lead to other 'Talking, Singing and Dancing' productions to be hurriedly put into production. At the same time, it marked the beginning of the Talkie era in South Indian film industries also. The first talkie films in Bengali (Jumai Shasthi), Telugu (Bhakta Prahlad) and Tamil (Kalidass) were released in the same year 1931.

The 30's is recognized as the decade of social protest in the history of India films. In the 30's three major film centres developed which were based in Bombay (), Calcutta (Kolkata) and Madras (Chennai). Of these centres, Bombay was known for the making of films geared for national distribution, while Madras and Calcutta were known for their regional films.

From the 1940's to the late 1950's, the films with their concentration on vibrant song and dance, were for many, the most memorable in Indian film history. The 1940s and 1950s also saw the emergence of the 'playback singing', the off-camera voice that performs the songs that the actors and actresses subsequently mime to. Lata Mangeshkar, her sister Asha Bhonsle, Muhammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar etc are the singers who dominated the Hindi film industry.

Now music became an important ingredient in Indian cinema.

The 50's was a unique time in Indian cinema, blessed with talented directors and artistes who could stamp their individuality in their work.. The big turning point came in 1953 with the arrival of Bengali director Satyajit Ray and his classic 'Pather Panchali'. International recognition came to it with the Cannes award for the best human document, followed by foreign and national awards.

Apart from Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak and others made internationally acclaimed movies. They are known as the founding fathers of the new cinema in India. While, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Aravindan, Ritwik Ghatak, Rituparna Ghosh were pioneering the nation's art cinema, around the same time India also had a kind of popular cinema with social themes - again, particularly in Hindi - made by commercial film-makers like Bimal Roy, , Mehboob , Guru Dutt etc. Many of these films no doubt broke records at the box office. eg. Bimal Roy's 'Do Bigha Zamin', 's '', Raj K apoor's 'Shree 420' and 'Awara', Guru Dutt's 'Pyasa' etc.

Another factor that encouraged truly good Indian cinema was the establishment of National Film Awards, the Film Finance Corporations, the National Film Archives of India and the Film and Television Institute of India. The first International Film Festival in 1952 held at Bombay, Chennai, Delhi and Calcutta had great impact on Indian Cinema. Introduction to international films left a deep impact on Indian film makers.

In the sixties and seventies, big budget films as well as off-beat films increased. The popular Hindi films of this period were: Kamal Amrohi's Pakeeza, Raj Kapoor's Bobby, Ramesh Sippy's , Kabhi Kabhi, Amar Akbar Anthony, Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, and Muqaddar ka Sikandar.

But in Hindi commercial cinema, musical love stories become a new trend in the late eighties and nineties. Mr. India, Tezaab, Qayamat se Qayamat Tak, Main Pyar Kiya, Chandini , Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Hum Hain Rahi Pyarke, Baazigar, Hum Apake Hai Kaun, Krantiveer, Raja, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Rangeela were some of the popular Hindi films of the last decade.

Now, Indian Cinema especially, Hindi cinema is not only popular in India but in parts of the Middle East, , UK and virtually every other place where Indians live. Films like Lagaan, Salaam Bombay and Monsoon Wedding making the international market sit up and take notice definitely indicate that India is poised for bigger things as far as Cinema goes. Monsoon Wedding was the all-time top 10 foreign box-office hits in America.

Today, Indian cinema has reached many a mile stone with advanced technologies using new digital projectors, converting digital format etc. Journey of Indian cinema since 1990’s

Bollywood has come of age and has matured in last few decades. If there are two things which people relate to India abroad it is and Taj Mahal. After 4 years in 2013 Hindi cinema will be celebrating its Golden Jubilee. Hindi Cinema better known as Bollywood across the globe started its journey with the production of Raja Harish Chandra which is the first silent feature film made in India in 1913 directed and produced by Dadasaheb Phalke. By 30’s film factory was producing close to 200 films per annum.1931 saw a revolutionized change as Alam Ara , first Indian sound film was produced and was a major hit commercially.

After 6 years of black and white production director of Alam Ara Ardeshir Irani, once again gave a important gift to film industry by producing first colored Hindi feature film, Kisan Kanya but the color concept became popular after 1955.

In 1957 Mother India directed by Mehboob khan which was nominated by Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at Oscars and K Asif’s Mughal-e- Azam wrote a new history in the field of cinema. By 50’s Hindi movies were recognized at Cannes film festival .Legend Filmmakers Satyajit Ray and Guru Dutt were known as best Asian film makers and movie like Pyaasa(1957)by Dutt and The Apu Trilogy by Ray featured in Time magazine’s “All-TIME” 100 best movies .Actors like and Raj Kapoor had a huge fan following at that time.

The most internationally-acclaimed Hindi film of the 1980s was Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! (1988), which won the Camera d’Or at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Parallel cinema also emerged with Satyajit Ray and Shyam Benegal as main contributors. In 21st century Directors like Nandita Das, and Madhur Bhandarkar are continuing the legacy of realistic cinema with movies like Fire, Gulaal and Page3.

It would be unfair if we talk about Hindi Cinema and ’t mention icons like and Shah Rukh Khan which took Bollywood to new heights. Actresses like made a huge impact overseas by her work and films like Slumdog Millionaire gave a new meaning and life to Hindi Film Industry which is expected to cross a turnover of 4 billion$. Bollywood produces around 300 out of a total of 1200 films produced under the umbrella of Indian cinema.

Once again we’re at same place with Frozen as the first Black and white film after a millennium by Shivajee Chandrabhushan filmed at Ladakh, India. Frozen is an epitome of Indian cinema’s maturity. It was featured at the various Interntational film festivals, including the 2007 Film Festival. It has won awards at Durban Film festival for best cinematography and was nominated for other prestigious global awards and now it has been released in India recently.

Now it is very usual for a movie producer to launch their movies abroad and host a special screening in different parts of the world after all collection from overseas Box office is making them more and more rich. As audience accepting Indian films abroad with open arms its time Indian cinema should start making a more of meaningful cinema apart from making commercial and Masala flicks.

What changed the game for the Indian film industry in the early 1990’s.

The Bollywood of today is the most prolific films producing Industry across the world; releasing almost 700 films a year and employing 5 million people. In terms of the number of tickets sold – it’s the absolute highest; selling 3.6* billion tickets a year vs. 2.6* billion in the US (2002* figures); with the gap widening every passing year. It has films with budgets running into 20 to 30 million $; that could garner as much money in theatrical revenues alone.

This thriving industry of today was on a verge of collapse in late eighties/early nineties; ridden by piracy, under-world influence (due to lack of organized financing) and poor exhibitor infrastructure; the well heeled family audiences shied away from visiting poor quality preferring instead to watch movies at home on newly launched Japanese VCRs; poor law enforcement meant rampant piracy and lack of organized financing meant producers could either look up to the underworld guys for financing or approach private money lenders charging exorbitant interest rates.

Two significant changes happened at that time; one led by the producer fraternity and the other led by exhibitor fraternity; which changed the face of the Indian film industry One of the leading production houses called Rajshri Pictures; known for ‘clean family entertainers’ produced a gem of movie which tugged at the hearts of a billion Indians; the film did not feature any ‘star’ actors; had good production values, story line, screenplay and music and was an instant hit.

This movie was released in only a handful of cinema halls with good infrastructure; with an offer to release in more cinemas if they improved their infrastructure – sound system, seating and air conditioning.

The one big learning in this was the conviction of the production house on their product; and their understanding of their consumer needs. Both in terms of product and service which ensured they win in both the first and the second moment of truth.

The other significant change was the coming up of the first multiplex in India in Delhi (early 90s); which completely redefined movie experience for the consumer; significantly improved the business as the consumer was willing to pay Rs 100 (2$) for a ticket which was till recently bought for Rs 25.

This simply catalyzed the business of cinema as the overall turnover value skyrocketed upwards; soon there were multiplexes in every city of the country helping movies garner theatrical revenues in excess of 20 to 30 million dollars. Big bucks attracted organized players from Sony to Warner brothers and helped the industry wriggle out (though still not completely!) from the clutches of the underworld.

In starting the first multiplex the company PVR ltd.; showed a lot of vision, foresight and impeccable understanding of the changing Urban Indian consumer; who was ready to embrace the best the world had to offer and had the wallet to match.

If I look back at the Indian film industry’s evolution over the last two decades; these two events would serve as points of inflection to the business of making films in India. Is Film marketing useful?

Film-marketing, as a part of any International film festival, has these days become a made phenomenon whether films are sold/ marketed or not. Film-marketing, at the just concluded 9th Kolkata film festival is no departure either. This time the film- marketing section was inaugurated by Rupa Ganguly, the noted actress and Secretary of Artistes’ Forum, headed by Soumitra Chatterjee, the permanent Chairman of the Forum, and had left a lot of promise and optimism to be covered. Foreign filmmakers and delegates took part in it as did the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), West Bengal Film Development (WBFDC), and Sree Venkatesh Films, producer of Rituparno Ghosh-directed Choker Bali. Others who took part in the film- marketing included Surinder Films, Countrymen Film and Net Guru and sundry other distributors.

Rupa Ganguly said, “Marketing of films is as important as its promotion across the country. Over the years, our film-marketing section was not offered the due stress it required. But with changing times and tastes of viewers, we need to focus our attention on the aspect of film-marketing as a natural activity of film promotion. It is good that we could be united in the matter with a singular aim.”

But after the festival is over, one needs to take a stock-taking of the entire process raising the eternal flutter - is film-marketing useful? Well, while many among film distributors and producers are still hopeful, others are very dicey and skeptic about its aim and result. Tarun Majumder, the noted filmmaker, who has sustained the Bengali film industry for many years with his superhit films, commented, “Definitely every director wants his film to get a wide market and good business since filmmaking process is very expensive. These days we hear so much of film- marketing, but we are not sure to what extent film-marketing brings rewards for the distributors and producers. Whatever the result, I think, we can no more neglect the issue of film- marketing, a platform to sell films.”

Deepankar Mukhopadhyay, the Managing Director of NFDC, who has seen much of film-marketing during International Film Festival of India (IFFI) for the last few years, holds a different view. He is one pioneer who could see a rising graph in film-marketing section where international parties rake up good business of Indian films. He said, “The very issue of film-marketing was ignored in our country over the years. But now the picture has totally changed. Given the proper exposure and opening, we could discover a large market of India films abroad through film- marketing. Therefore, we need to sustain this process from festival to festival, an ideal venue of opening good options for Indian films for foreign markets.”

Eminent Polish director Krszyszt of Zanssis, who was present during Kolkata film festival, said, “Yes, I do believe in film- marketing. For without a proper marketing platform, you cannot sell your films and a director and his producer surely do need their films to be sold in the international markets. There cannot be two opinions about the usefulness of film-marketing. It has to be there and must be provided more teeth to make a dent in selling one’s wares. A film minus a market is like a bird without its wings.”

Pradip De of EIMPA said, “Last year, we did some business of course. It is true the thrust we need to offer to film-market is still not there. Besides, a habit is to be formed, an attitude built up for film deals in market. Immediate returns are not visible though yet we believe film-market one day will open new horizons for Indian films.” Hana Fisher who usually brings film packages to India every year from her country Canada said: “Our focus is on package deals of films from Canada to be shown all over India. We are interested in Indian films no doubt but we don’t have any policy to make deals of Indian films right at the moment. But surely, I stand by the film-market concept which can break ground for film producers in the world market. Production Stages: Pre Preproduction:

The screenplay is a blueprint for the production and is used to calculate the budget. In addition to containing the dialogue for the actors, the screenplay provides information about the characters, locations, wardrobe, makeup/hair, sound effects, music, vehicles, animals, special effects, special equipment, , and extras. This information is entered onto breakdown sheets that the production manager uses to compose a production board, which consists of one vertical column for every scene. The columns are arranged in the most logical and economical shooting order, thus helping to determine the number of shooting days.

The director visualizes each scene as shots taken from different camera angles. The director also works with the actors to create memorable characters. The director is instrumental in selecting actors and much of the technical crew. The director of photography translates the director’s vision into images by choice of lenses, camera angles, and lighting. The director of photography hires the camera crew, often a camera operator, a first assistant, and a second assistant. Sometimes, the director of photography operates the camera himself.

The production designer works with set dressers, prop runners, and the wardrobe designer to create scenarios that reflect the personalities and lives of the characters. In particular, the production designer works with the wardrobe designer to assure that the textures and colors of the wardrobe and the set complement each other. The wardrobe designer often conducts extensive research to assure that the clothing is accurate for the time period and social setting. He or she may buy clothing, rent it, or have it created. If a film requires special effects, the designers and builders are brought in so they can begin sketching designs for those effects.

A film might be shot at actual locations, or sets might be built on a sound . Most films use a combination of these two options. For a location production, the director, designer, and director of photography scout locations with an eye toward the general look as well as to practical concerns about freedom to redress the location, light rigging, sun angle, quietness, privacy, security, and the ability to block traffic. Once locations are selected, the location manager arranges necessary permits and permissions.

Many variables, such as actor availability and budget, determine the amount of rehearsal that takes place during the preproduction phase. The director and actors work on performance and movements. The director previsualizes what action will be covered in long shots, medium shots, and close-ups.

Script writing/ Screenplay:

If you are new to screenwriting, planning to write a screenplay or script of any kind, the good news is that writing in screenplay format is easier and more intuitive today than at any time since first Lanier Word Processing Machine. Advances in screenwriting software now save the hours you would previously have spent learning how to write a screenplay in professional Hollywood format can now be allocated to polishing your plot, honing your dialogue, or learning screenplay structure. Some think screenplay writing is eclipsing the pursuit of the Great American Novel but it certainly isn't any easier. At any rate the making of movies is a collaborative process which demands that those in screenwriting produce a document in particular format, notation, and length called a 'script.'

This overview will begin acquaint you with the screenplay format writing rules and screenwriting etiquette you'll need to know about, and as you browse the following material you may notice the words 'don't', 'avoid' and '...' unless you are directing the movie.' Take that advice to heart. As you become more familiar with the world of screenwriting you'll understand why but for now the scope of this document prohibits a deeper explanation.

What Exactly Is a Script?

A script is a document that outlines every aural, visual, behavioral, and lingual element required to tell a story. Why "outlines"? Because film is a highly collaborative medium and the director, cast, editor, and production crew will, based on your "outline", interpret your story their way when it is filmed. They may consult you, or they may not. Other writers may be brought in or you may be asked to re-write the entire thing. That's life, in the world of screenwriting. But because so many people are involved in the making of a film, a script must conform to standards that all involved parties understand and thus has a specific format or layout, margins, notation, and other conventions. This document is intended to overview the typical elements used screenplay writing.

It is crucial to remember that film is a VISUAL medium. You don't tell your audience your story, you SHOW them. You must learn to write a screenplay VISUALLY. Write what they will SEE and what they will HEAR. You might love your characters and know what they are thinking, but the discipline of screenplay writing is how to show it on a screen. When it happens, it may be just done with a look, often improvised on the movie set. So just write the pictures, sounds, and speeches, and leave the rest for the filmmakers. What Makes Good Story?

Let's hazard a guess. The movies you loved most featured characters that swept you up, who captivated your emotions, got you involved. The audience viewing a movie not only wants to be interested in and care about the people they see on the screen, they want to be PASSIONATE about them, whether they like them or not. Great heroes and heroines inspire us; great villains make us want to jump into the screen!

There is always something at stake in a good movie. Not just something someone wants, something that must be acquired, no matter what the risk, as in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Or something highly desired by as many main characters as possible, like the small black statue in The Maltese Falcon. Sometimes it can be an intangible thing, like the freedom of a people in Lawrence of Arabia or Gandhi. All these things drive the character's quest, even gives the hero superhuman strength. It can be something personal (romance) or for the good of all (saving the world from aliens) but it must be powerful and grow more desperate as the story unfolds.

There are always obstacles, which provide that catchword that actors love so much -Conflict. This is the heart of . Someone wants something and people and things keep getting in the way of them achieving the goal. At times, the obstacles can be common to both the hero and villain, and the ultimate goal a laudable one for both parties, as in Jingle All The Way. In that film, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad battle to achieve the same goal--the acquisition of the last popular action figure for sale that Christmas season. Both of them have promised their son, and they must not fail. Conflict and obstacles can be physical or emotional. But they have to be in your story or you don't really have a story. In most good stories, the protagonist will also have an inner obstacle, some mental or even spiritual problem, that will be resolved by the time s/he reaches the outward, physical goal of the story. Some people call this inner demon a "ghost," while others call in a "wound."

You need a hook. That's a songwriting term that describes that thing that catches the public's attention. A popular Hollywood term is a "high concept." A better idea might be a simple "What if?" In Galaxy Quest, for example, the concept is "What if the washed-up actors from the crew of a cancelled but still popular sci-fi TV show are pressed into a real war in space by aliens who think the TV show broadcasts they received were documentaries?" A good enough "what if?" will set your script apart from the pack. It is why people will leave the comfort of their homes and plunk down their hard-earned bucks at the local cineplex.

Hollywood buys genres. Agents, managers, and producers are drawn to and specialize in specific genres so approaching them with something they can recognize is a good idea. Successful stories have a fresh face but are identifiable. You know what makes your idea unique, but can you describe it quickly to others? Is it a fast-paced thriller, romantic , action adventure?

Scripts have to look a certain way. I can't stress this point enough. You must present your work like an insider. The sheer volume of submissions makes it so that if ANYTHING about your script looks strange it's headed for the circular file. If you don't know the game they won't play. The scriptwriter has to adhere to conventions covering everything from how many pages to what font (Courier 12 pitch in the U.S.), and that's just the beginning. I recommend you follow those rules, unless you're independently wealthy and plan to finance, produce, and direct your movie. Even then, however, the people you'll need to work with will be accustomed to standard formats. Submission Scripts

AKA a Spec Script. This is a script written without being commissioned or bought, on the speculative hope that it will be sold. This overview will favor the philosophies of spec script writing which is to say, 'stay out of the way of the collaborative process'! The do's and don'ts you'll see here will reflect this philosophy. Shooting Scripts:

Once a script is purchased, it often goes through a series of rewrites before it is put into production. Once that happens, the script becomes a 'Shooting Script' or Production Script. All the scenes and shots of a shooting script are numbered and each scene and shot are broken down into all the component pieces required to film it. The production assistants and director can then arrange the order in which the scenes will be shot for the most efficient use of stage, cast, and location resources.

Since feature screenplay format is the most popular form of script today, we will begin by exploring that layout. Later, we'll discuss the other formats, building on what we've discovered here.

A general comment about script formatting: Although a certain format has become more and more standardized in recent years, there isn't ONE way, ONE set of margins, ONE style. There is a RANGE OF CORRECTNESS. All the software program formats and measurements fall within this range. Film budgeting

Film budgeting refers to managing the budget for a film during its production phase. During script development, a rough budget is produced by filmmakers in order to convince film producers and film studios to give them a greenlight for production. During pre- production, a much more detailed film budget is produced. This document, which could be over 150 pages long, is used to secure financing for the film. Multiple drafts of the budget may be required to whittle down costs. A budget is typically divided into four sections: above-the-line (creative talent), below-the-line (direct production costs), post-production (editing, visual effects, etc), and other (insurance, completion bond, etc).

Tacts for cutting costs:

• Eliminate night scenes. Shooting at night requires powerful/expensive lighting and the payment of nighttime rates to the crew. Broken Arrow cut costs by millions of dollars by getting rid of the night scenes from the script. Many directors choose to use the 'day for night' technique. • Avoid location filming in famous or commercial areas. Shooting a scene on, for example, the Golden Gate Bridge, requires stopping traffic with a resultant drop in revenue to the city of San Francisco. Filming such a scene for Interview with the Vampire cost Warner Bros. $500,000. Shifting the location to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge for close- ups could save hundreds of thousands of dollars in location fees. Some locations are more willing to allow filming than others - commercial enterprises such as hotels and nightclubs. Some producers of low-budget features avoid paying location fees and seek to capture shots by subterfuge. • Film action scenes early on Sunday morning. Stopping traffic for a car chase scene is easier in the early hours of Sunday morning, when traffic is at its lightest. • Use unknown cast members rather than stars. • Ask above-the-line talent to defer their salaries. In exchange for dropping their large upfront salaries, actors, directors and producers can receive a large share of the film's gross profits. This has the disadvantage of cutting the financier's eventual takings. It has the further disadvantage of ambiguity. ''gross profits is customarily defined as the profits remaining after production and distribution expenses are subtracted from revenues. Disagreements over accounting methods can lead to audits and even litigation, as recently happened between Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema over dividing up the profits from the hugely- successful Lord of the Rings film trilogy , which grossed over 2 billion USD. • Use a non-union crew. Not an option for studios that have signed contracts with the unions—the Directors Guild of America (DGA), Writers Guild of America (WGA), and Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Using an inexperienced crew has its own disadvantages, though. • Film in another region. For example, many Hollywood movies set in U.S. cities are shot in Canada. These "runaway productions" enjoy lower labour costs, subject to fluctuating exchange rates. As well, they take advantage of federal and provincial subsidies designed to grow and sustain the film and television industries in the area. Many U.S. states have responded with tax incentives of their own. The Czech Republic, Australia, and New Zealand are other countries in which Hollywood movies are often filmed.

Film Financing Banks in India:

With the Indian film industry running into rough weather due to the economic downturn, IDBI Bank and Exim Bank – two of the most active film financiers in the country – have decided to go slow on disbursal of loans for the movie-making business.

“The industry is facing some effects of the slowdown. Hence, we have become cautious in lending to this sector. Earlier, film budgets had moved up with contracts offering sumptuous payments to actors and the technical staff. Now with the churn, the budgets have come down too,” IDBI Bank’s Deputy Managing Director J Balakrishnan said.

While a senior official at the government-owned Export Import (Exim) Bank of India said that banks are now taking extra steps to screen proposals and monitor the payment flows.

He, however, did not disclose the extent of funding that the bank has done as it is yet to declare its audited results for 2008-09.

In the case of IDBI Bank, officials said that there were problems in the distribution of two-three films to which the bank had some financial exposure.

“But this is a temporary phenomenon. Payments will happen, but there will a change in payment schedules,” an IDBI Bank official said. For these movies, which the official did not name, producers would have to find an apt time for release.

“The timing of release is important. If this is missed, then the movie has to wait for the next opportune occasion, even if it’s sold. Overall, IDBI Bank’s exposure (to film financing) has grown from Rs 100 crore about six years ago to Rs 530 crore at the end of March 2009. In FY09, the bank sanctioned loans worth Rs 600 crore, while disbursement was close to Rs 480 crore,” the source said.

According to a FICCI-KPMG report on the Indian media and entertainment industry, the market environment has become increasingly challenging for this sector due to the economic slowdown, especially in the last quarter of 2008.

The film industry has grown from Rs 6,690 crore in 2005 to Rs 10,930 crore in 2008, showing a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.7 per cent. This pace of growth is now expected to moderate to 9.1 per cent for the period up to 2013, with the size of the industry estimated at about Rs 16,860 crore.

For an individual player, increased complexities have emerged on account of greater fragmentation of audiences across media and distribution platforms, along with a greater need for accountability, the report said.

FICCI officials said that there has not been a single blockbuster after Ghajini, indicating a recessionary trend. Some of the producers are facing liquidity problems and there is correction underway currently.

The financing to films can take various forms. The four areas where assistance is generally provided are cash flow financing for film production, cash flow financing for film distribution/exhibition in overseas markets, term loans for fixed assets finance and term financing for export market development.

Altogether, the Indian media and entertainment industry stood at Rs 58,400 crore in 2008, a growth of 12.4 per cent over the previous year. Over the next five years, the industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.5 per cent to Rs 1,05,200 crore by 2013.

5 Most High Budget Films of Bollywood: 1. Blue Rs. Above 100 crores (Above 1 Billion)

Cast: , , Lara Datta, Katrina Kaif and Zayed Khan. Directed By: Anthony D’Souza

2. Shivaji-The boss -Rs. 80 Crores

Cast: Super Star Rajinikanth, Shriya, Vivek, Nayantara Directed by : S. Shankar Music : A.R. Rahman Producers : M. Saravanan/M.S. Guhan

3. Love Story 2050 - 80 Crores

Cast : ,Harman Baweja , , ,Josh Katz Directed by : Harry Baweja Music : Producers : Pammi Baweja

4. Ghajini – Rs. 65 crores

Cast : Amir Khan,,Jiah Khan Directed by : A.R. Murugadoss Music : A.R. Rahman

5. - RS. 60 Crores (Rs 600 Million)

Cast : Hrithik Roshan ,Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Directed by : ’s Music : A.R. Rahman 5Low Budget Films of Bollywood

In this day of competitiveness in the entertainment industry where a huge chunk of money is spent in promotion there are a few movies whose budget did not allow promotion or rather they did not need promotion at all. These so called low budget movies stood up against their big budget commutators and gave them a run for their money. We take a look at some of these movies yielded high returns for their producers

Bheja Fry A and starer out and out Gen X comedy produced at a budget of under Rs 1 crore. The entire movie talks about the story of one night and makes you burst out with laughter with its incidents. Supported well by Milind Soman and , grossed about 10 times its production cost which would make any producer proud.

Mithya Starring Ranvir Shorey and its story revolved around a young man who comes to Mumbai aspiring to make it big in life. Destiny has it different for him and he lands up in underworld's net. The movie was appreciated by the critics and did brisk business at the box office in the first few weeks of its release recovering its production cost.

Black Friday Based on the Bombay Bomb Blasts of 1993, this movie was released in the country after a delay of three years. With Kay Kay Menon, Pavan Malhotra and Aditya Srivastava in its star cast showed the underworld like no other film had done before. Made with a very low budget this Anurag Basu movie was critically appreciated and did well in the screens. Iqbal

Who says Chak De India first movie about condition of spots in India. Coming from the stable of Nagesh Kukunoor this film talked about an underdog who aspired to play for the Indian cricket team. This also marked the entry of Shreyas Talpade in Bollywood and earned him the Critics Best Actors Award. Backed up well by the superb acting of Naseeruddin Shah this movie recovered its cost within a week.

Khosla Ka Ghosla A comedy starring Anupam Kher, Boman Irani and Ranvir Shorey, threw light on the land mafia's in the country. The movie was critically well appreciated and did well all across the country. Although made on a very small budget it stormed the box office for some time.

As any producer with feature film production experience knows, all the planning in the world can’t prepare you for everything that will go wrong during production.

Equipment will break, actors will forget to show up, props will disappear, and locations will suddenly become unavailable hours before your scheduled to be on the set. The key to maintaining your sanity through it all is to have a good understanding of the production process.

There’s a fundamental order in the film production universe, from the smallest low budget feature to the big budget Hollywood blockbuster. If you know the process, you’ll always know where you are and what lies ahead, and you’ll be prepared to deal with it all. The production process is generally broken down into three sections: Pre Production (anything that happens before the camera is rolling,) Production, and Post Production (everything that happens after the production wraps and the camera gets put away.)

Film insurance:

Initially insurance was considered as one more burden to film`s budget and the producers were very hesitant in taking insurance policies. It was arrest of Sanjay Dutt during `Khalnayak` which prompted Subhash Ghai to insure his next movie `Taal` for which he paid Rs 1.5 million as premium for the film valued at Rs 110 million. Ever since Taal was insured, more and more producers have rushed to insure their movies, like Mohabatein, Lagaan, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Ashoka, Dil Chahta Hai, Ek Aur Ek Gayarah, Kuch Na Kaho and .

Apart from the above-mentioned movies some other movies were also insured such as Saathiya, Joggers Park, Asambhav, Chalte Chalte, Main Hoon Na, Taj Mahal, Khel, Ganga Jal, Kal Ho Na Ho, Lakshya etc. Till now United Insurance India Ltd. (which is only insurance company to provide for film insurance in India) has insured more than 40 films and hoping to double this figure within one year. Producer Yash Chopra claimed a compensation of Rs. 3.5 million from United India Insurance when Aishwarya Rai had an accident, her shooting schedules were disturbed and a set that was put up had to be brought down.

Another reason for the move towards insurance is that Film production was given `industry` status in 2000, and RBI allowed banks to lend to film production. Now the insurance of the film is a pre-requisite for bank loans for Hindi films. Therefore anyone who wants loan from bank for filmmaking has to take insurance on his film. In the future with more uncertainties in the film market such as Bharat Shah`s arrest and fancy for cocaine by some of our stars, more and more producers will move towards insuring their films.

Since opening its film insurance account with the movie Taal in 1998, United India`s list of insured films has grown to 42 by the end of June 2003. The merits of being insured and instances of disbursements against claims have helped the industry`s interest in getting films insured. But amenable candidates are still only a handful; many big banner productions such as `s Company preferred to go uninsured. Further, United India`s business is even today confined to Bollywood; attempts to get South Indian films insured are yet to yield dividend.

Insurance Coverage:

Leading insurance companies have agreed to compensate for delays and losses due to cyclones, bandhs (closures), strikes, adverse weather conditions and traffic interruptions as well as harm to individuals involved in film-making. Depending on the type of policy one takes, insurance in Hindi films can be grouped under the following broad heads.

1. Named Artistes such as the Main Cast, Important Support Cast, Directors, Technicians etc: Coverage in such cases can be claimed due to non-appearance which may arise due to - death, accident/illness involving hospitalization, death in immediate family, natural calamity, complete breakdown of transport system, riot/strike/civil commotion/curfew like situation prohibiting the cast from reaching the site of shoot, acts of kidnap, murder etc Insurer`s liability is restricted to reimbursement of lost remuneration in event of above events, re-shooting expenses and losses due to expenses on account of cancellation/postponement etc. However no cover can be claimed if the cancellation has taken place if the person is an accused criminal under arrest, detention, interrogation etc. or accidents arising out of participation in hazardous stunts or conditions like pregnancy etc.

2. Properties, Sets, Production Equipments, Negatives etc: Coverage in such cases is due to losses arising out of fire, flood, storm or any other acts of God or natural calamities or accidents due to main cast, be it accidental/external means or acts of riot/strike/ civil commotion etc. or terrorism/theft/burglary/dacoity or risks of transit Insurer`s liability is limited to material damage, additional expenses on account of bringing back things to normal, irrevocably lost insured expenses on account of cancellation/postponement etc. Major Exclusions are due to objects of art unless valued and declared or wear & tear/inherent defects electrical and mechanical breakdown of equipments or inventory losses or deterioration of negatives because of humidity and other atmospheric conditions.

3. Public Liability: Coverage is due to injury/loss to members of public and their property which can include indemnity for court or fees, advocate`s fees, legal costs and expenses incurred with Insurer`s consent in the successful defense of suits/writs/summons brought against to prevent the film being shot further or being released. For example had taken this type of Insurance against PIL (Public Interest Litigation). Major exclusions exist in this case are fines, penalties, punitive damages or liability assumed by virtue of an agreement which are explicitly excluded.

4. Money Insurance: Coverage in this case is cash in transit between shoot locations or cash kept at the shoot site (under lock and key) or cash embezzled by the authorized person of the insured but detected within 48 hours of the occurrence. Insurers Liability is Rs.200, 000 per incident of loss with an overall limit of Rs 600,000 during the period of the policy. Major Exclusions include personal cash of any nature or unattended cash or loss arising out of use of duplicate key whilst the cash is kept in the premises outside business hours.

5. Workmen Insurance: Coverage includes bodily injury resulting in death/disability to the workman arising out of and during the course of employment on- shoot locations. Insurer`s liability is as per the provisions of the Workmen Compensation Act.

6. Accident Insurance: This coverage is for all members of the production team on- location and/or off-location at a predetermined rate. Coverage can be claimed for bodily injury resulting from accidents caused directly and solely by external, violent, visible means during the policy period.

Types of Policy:

For a typical movie various covers as mentioned above typically exist. However, it depends on the type of film that is in the making, that one can apply for either one or all of the above coverage`s as a part of the policy. For example in a movie like Devdas where large sets have to be put in Film City, the policy will be heavy on insurance for properties and sets whereas for a movie like Kaun which is shot in just one room this kind of insurance can be completely avoided. Also in a movie like where a great number of stunts have to be performed by the actor, extra insurance may be taken whereas in a movie like Aastitva this may not be required.

Advertisement films Coverage:

With the advent of new technologies and increasing consumerism new concepts and ideas are coming in the area of advertisement films also. That inturn demands for more expanses and even seen like films are now being pasteurized in advertisement films. This kind of advancement makes ad films more expansive and risky, which demands for insurance. Therefore not only feature films but advertisement films are also showing keen interest in insurance and first ever insurance of an advertisement film is an evident example of this.

An advertisement film, featuring actress Hema Malini promoting Rahat Rooh Oil, has become the first domestic advertising film to get insured. The premium was fixed at 1.10 per cent of the film`s budget. Film is being produced by Lehar Communications and insured by United India Insurance Company Ltd. the film`s budget is Rs 15 lakh. So the ambit of insurance is expending to even the areas like advertisement films also. These are the indication that now Indian Entertainment Industry is ready to recognize the concept of film insurance and willing to insure against any expected or unexpected event.

Production:

Production involves the actual shooting, which, on average, takes eight weeks. The director and actors rehearse on the set. The director chooses the camera angles to be used for each shot. The director of photography works with the “gaffer,” or chief lighting person, to select and position lighting instruments, which “grips” help to rig. The location sound mixer operates the audio recording machine and works with a boom operator. The boom operator positions the microphone close to the actors while being careful to keep the microphone out of the picture.

At the start of each shot, the camera operator films a slate, which is a board that has digital numbers that allow every frame of film to be uniquely identified at twenty-four frames per second. When the hinged bar on the slate is closed, the number advance stops briefly. The audio recorder, on an inaudible track, records corresponding numerical information. When the assistant editor synchronizes the sound to the picture, he or she locates the frame with the first frozen slate number, and the tape player automatically locates the portion of sound tape with the matching numbers. The picture and sound remain in synchronization to the end of the shot. This process is repeated for each shot, and thousands of shots are filmed before the completion of a film.

Usually, a shot is filmed more than once to improve on either a technical element or the performance. For each shot, the script supervisor notes the lens that is used, details of the camera and actor movement, time length of the take, and comments. He or she also indicates which takes will be printed at the film laboratory. Once an acceptable take is made, the crew sets up and rehearses the next shot. Even a simple scene might be covered in four different angles, allowing for creative choices in the editing process.

At the end of each day, the film and sound are sent to a laboratory for processing, work printing, and sound transferring. The production sound, generally recorded on 1/4-inch audiotape, is either transferred to 35-mm magnetic stock or digitized into a computer for editing. The key crewmembers then screen the footage of the previous day’s shoot. The director assesses performances and, along with the director of photography, monitors the effectiveness of the lighting and camera movements. Even when a film is edited digitally (as opposed to the physical film being edited on a flatbed editor that runs picture and sound in synchronization at the projection speed of twenty- four frames per second), it is common to have a film work print made for the daily screenings, or “dailies.” Directing:

The director's vision shapes the look and feel of a film. He or she is the creative force that pulls a film together, responsible for turning the words of a script into images on the screen. Actors, cinematographers, writers, and editors orbit around the director like planets around the Sun. Despite the director's pivotal role, most Hollywood movies are designed to pull you into the story without being aware of the director's hand. Many talented film directors with long lists of feature film credits are so skilled at being "invisible" that they are little known by the movie-going public.

The Director's Vision

Imagine you're being considered to direct a Hollywood film. You're handed a screenplay that has been "green lighted" (given approval for production) by a major studio. As you read through it, you begin to imagine how it might play out on screen. You see the characters coming to life. You envision the lighting and hear the sound. You are absorbed in the world of the story until you see the script's final words: Fade Out.

When you're done reading the script, you ask yourself some key questions. What is the main idea or theme of the screenplay? What does the story say about the human condition in general? You also think about the script cinematically. How will the script translate to the visual language of the screen? Who is the audience? As the director, you must feel passionate about this soon-to-be film. Feeling connected and committed to the story will help you do your best work, and there's an enormous amount of work ahead.

If you are hired as the director of this film, you may need to help shape the script for the screen. A good script is the foundation for a good film, but even the best one may need to be developed or molded to work well on the big screen. Sometimes the producer will develop a script and then hand it over to the director. In other cases, the director may work with the writer early on to help develop a script from its infancy. Nowadays, the planning for a film is often underway before there is a script. A director or producer purchases the rights to a story and then hires a screenwriter. Whatever the route from script to screen, the director plays an important role in shaping the way the story is told. Assembling the Cast and Crew:

The people you work with, both the actors and the crew who will make things work behind the scenes, are crucial to the film's success. The right people will understand and respect your vision, work well with one another, and bring their own unique gifts to the filmmaking process. The film's producer normally hires the crew, but the director will have input into crucial hires such as lead actors.

A production designer is responsible for the believability of a film's scenery and sets. In essence, the production designer is the architect of the film, working to make your vision, as director, a reality. The production designer also works closely with the art director and set decorator, making certain all the visual details are accurate and the style and period of the film reflect your wishes.

The cinematographer, or director of photography, helps to translate your vision to film, scene by scene, planning shots and supervising camera operators. Often, cinematographers are artists with experience in painting and photography. Their job is to create and capture the images that best tell the story.

The actors you choose will bring your story to life. Your casting decisions will be based on such factors as availability and whether or not an actor is suitable for lead or ensemble acting, as well as on a healthy dose of intuition. Often a casting director or producer will help you select the cast.

Filming and Post-production:

After months or even years of development, delays, and rewrites, the final script is set and the film goes into pre-production. During this phase, budgets are detailed, scenes are planned and designed, and a shooting schedule is prepared. Storyboards— visual representations of every shot—are prepared by a storyboard artist in consultation with the director, director of photography, and designer. Before a single frame is shot, the film is planned from beginning to end on paper. The final stages of pre-production include weeks of rehearsal, set construction, and location scouting.

Once shooting begins, you'll need to continue to communicate your vision of the film to the actors and crew. You'll also need to be able to improvise on the set and troubleshoot if necessary. This flexibility can make the difference between an acceptable production and an exceptional one. On average, you will be able to complete filming for about three script pages per day, or the equivalent of about three minutes of screen time.

Once the shoot is over, hundreds of thousands of feet of film need to be assembled into a coherent story. Days or weeks of shooting result in only a few minutes of screen time. In the editing room, your vision will either come to life or perish. With your guidance, the film and sound editor will complete the detailed technical work required at this stage. Your "director's cut" of the film (the one you work with the editor to create) may not be the final one the audience sees. The film's producers may decide to cut certain scenes or use a different film clip for a certain effect. Editing is a collaborative process, the final step in the difficult work of bringing your vision to life.

A camera angle during shoots - Close up’s and long shots:

Imagine you are directing a science-fiction movie about a monster that is threatening Paris. You picture the large monster stomping among the buildings of the city, frightening citizens and wreaking havoc. How can you make this threat seem real to the film's viewers? How can you communicate your vision on the screen? THE STORYBOARDS

As a director, you have many tools and techniques that can shape the look and An feel of a film. You can vary a shot's establishing shot of perspective, lighting, location, or other the city of Paris. qualities to achieve certain effects. One powerful way to communicate your vision is through camera angles. Shooting your movie monster from far away, for example, will achieve a very different look than if you were to shoot it up close. A long shot of the monster stopping During the planning stages of a film, the traffic. director and possibly the director of photography may meet with a storyboard artist to illustrate the flow of shots that will best tell the story. There are a number of camera angles that a director has at his or her disposal. The most common of these are the establishing shot, long shot, medium A medium shot of shot, over-the-shoulder shot, and close- two characters up. The storyboards on this page show discussing a plan. how these shots could be used in your science-fiction film to create different effects. Establishing shot A shot, normally taken from a great distance or from a "bird's eye view," that An over-the- establishes where the action is about to shoulder shot of a occur. In your science-fiction movie, you character in will probably need an establishing shot conversation. of the Paris skyline, most likely one that shows the Eiffel Tower. This will communicate to the audience that the action takes place in Paris.

A close-up of a frightened passerby. Long shot A shot that shows a scene from a distance (but not as great a distance as the establishing shot). A long shot is used to stress the environment or setting of a scene. In filming your science- fiction movie, for example, you might use a long shot to show the monster causing traffic jams and panicked crowds. Medium shot A shot that frames actors, normally from the waist up. The medium shot can be used to focus attention on an interaction between two actors, such as a struggle, debate, or embrace.

Over-the-shoulder shot A shot of one actor taken from over the shoulder of another actor. An over-the-shoulder shot is used when two characters are interacting face-to-face. Filming over an actor's shoulder focuses the audience's attention on one actor at a time in a conversation, rather than on both. Close-up A shot taken at close range, sometimes only inches away from an actor's face, a prop, or some other object. The close-up is designed to focus attention on an actor's expression, to give significance to a certain object, or to direct the audience to some other important element of the film. In your monster movie, you might use a close-up of the monster's teeth or claws to show how ferocious it is, or decide to zoom in on a frightened passerby to illustrate his or her fear. Acting

No cinematographer or film editor, no matter how gifted, can turn a terrible performance into a great one.

The right actor can give a screenwriter's words "There is no exciting new depth and dimensions. Actors are teacher like essential for conveying emotions to an audience, performing." for bringing the words and ideas in a script to life. —Ed Asner Even animated characters rely on the personalities of behind-the- scenes performers.

Imagine that you are an actor. You've worked primarily in theatre, but have decided to try your hand at working in film. You pack your bags and head to Hollywood. In Hollywood, you meet other actors and enroll in workshops to continually hone your instruments: your voice, your body, and your imagination. You seek out an agent and have some publicity photos taken.

Once you're lucky enough to secure an agent, you are sent on interviews where you meet casting directors and read for parts. Over the course of two months, you try out for 23 roles and are chosen for none of them. Finally, you are cast in a film. It's a minor part, but substantial enough that if you do well, you will enjoy more work and exposure. After the shock wears off, you begin to prepare.

Postproduction:

An editorial team that includes a picture editor and several assistants and apprentices usually works from the first day of shooting. Assistants synchronize and prepare dailies. The editor, with a nonlinear computer system such as Avid, cuts scenes as they are shot. Digital editing requires that the picture and sound dailies be transferred to videotape, which is then digitized (i.e., converted from an analog format to a digital format) for use on a computer. The editor is then able to organize the selected shots by using the computer keyboard and mouse, rather than physically cutting and taping together bits of film. While an assembly of the entire film may be completed within one to two weeks after the principal photography has been finished, it will be anywhere from two weeks to two months more before the director’s cut is ready. If the director has gone over the allotted time for the production process, an accelerated postproduction schedule is required. The production process results in miles of film. Individual shots must be located in minutes. The filmstrip or the digitized computer image is coded with a set of numbers that identify each of the millions of frames. A system of organization, which can vary from editing room to editing room, is used to catalog each of the shots. One method of organization is to enter shot information into a computer so an editor can locate shots using key words or numbers. The editor spends countless hours in fine tuning the length of a shot down to an individual frame. The film may go through various edited versions before a decision is made on which version works the best.

A music editor is hired when the editor’s assembly cut is near completion. The music editor helps devise a temporary musical score based on preexisting music. The music supervisor aids in selecting source music, such as music emanating from car radios or stereos. A sound mix of dialogue and temporary music is completed so the film can be shown to preview audiences. A film can be tested as few as two times or as many as fifteen, with each time employing picture recuts and other editorial changes.

Once recuts are complete, a supervising sound editor oversees a team of sound recordists, editors, and a composer. The supervising sound editor, along with each specialty editor, spots the appropriate tracks to determine where and when sound is to be added or altered.

Automated dialogue replacement (ADR) editors focus on the clarity of each word of dialogue. Despite judicious microphone selection and placement, sound elements such as air traffic may preclude quality recordings. The ADR process may also include adding or changing lines. To re-record lines, the actor watches the picture while listening over headphones to the original production recording. After rehearsal, the actor performs the lines, usually one or two at a time, while watching the picture. The re-recorded lines, known as loop lines, are meticulously edited to fit the mouth movements on the picture, often by trimming out pauses or sections of words. Documentary Filmmaking The production process for a documentary varies greatly depending on the type of film. Unlike narratives, documentaries often do not begin with a screenplay because real events are filmed as they unfold. Historical documentaries, however, often rely on a screenplay that is based on years of research; instead of live-action shooting, they involve animation-stand shooting of photographs and other archival materials.

The crew for a documentary can be composed of only a few people, with the director also functioning as producer, writer, editor, and cinematographer or sound mixer. Or, the crew can include separate individuals who perform each of these functions. The production crew is often kept small so as not to disrupt the events that are being filmed.

Shooting is determined by the unfolding events, and it occurs at real locations instead of constructed locations. The challenges of location shooting are great because the environment cannot be controlled as it can in narrative filmmaking. Depending on the subject matter, a documentary might be shot over several years or several days. The edited film may run anywhere from several minutes to several hours.

If the content focuses on a few people, the director often spends time in preproduction with the subjects so they become comfortable with and trust him or her. The director often strives to reveal not only facts, but to get at the underlying feelings about events.

Concurrent with filming, the director, editor, or assistant logs each shot. Interviews are transcribed. The editor uses these logs to create an edit on paper, figuring out how to structure the material in a logical and emotionally moving way. It is typical for a documentary to have a very high shooting ratio. As much as one hundred times more footage is sometimes shot than is used.

Whereas editor of a narrative film works according to the structure of the preexisting screenplay, the editor or writer of a documentary creates the screenplay from the footage and point of view of the film. In addition, whereas the editor of a narrative film decides which angle to use for any given shot (since the same material is shot multiple times from different camera setups), the editor of a documentary generally has only one take per shot to work with because actions usually cannot be restaged from multiple angles.

Distribution outlets for documentaries include video, CD-ROM, the Internet, public television, art houses, festivals, museums, educational and public library venues, and, for some feature- length documentaries, limited urban releases. Experimental Filmmaking

Experimental films generally explore alternative content and forms. Often compared to poetry and to the other plastic arts, experimental films deal with a wide variety of subject matter, from personal issues and interior psychological states to the very nature and ontology of the film image.

Experimental films are usually independently produced, with one individual often acting as producer, writer, director, sound mixer, and editor.

Photographic equipment employed in experimental films ranges from a state-of-the-art 35-mm camera to a child’s toy camera. Some filmmakers bypass the camera completely and draw, scratch, or otherwise work directly on the celluloid, or they construct their films from found or archival footage. A film might be scripted down to the individual frame, or it might be spontaneously and instinctively shot, much in the manner of abstract expressionist painting. One film might have a different image on each frame, while another might consist entirely of one long shot taken by a static, stationary camera.

Though generally short, due to the financial exigencies of independent filmmaking, experimental films might run a few minutes, a few hours, or be virtually endless as in the case of film loops. Experimental films can cost less than $100, or they can cost many thousands of dollars. Distribution outlets for experimental films are similar to, but often more limited than, those for documentary films.

Film Promotion & Distribution:

The publicity of a movie takes place at two levels: At producer level.

At distributor level.

At producer level the publicity of movies is done at a large scale with a national or international scenario in consideration. The budgets at this level are very big and the media used are teaser on TV channels and cinema halls, radio, national magazines etc. The star cast of the movie is also associated with publicity at this level. This publicity is aimed at all the target audience in the country for creating a “buzz” about the movie.

At distributor level the publicity is mainly for making the target audience aware about the theatres where the movie is playing and the timings of the movies. Also, this publicity tries to reach the audience who may not have access to cable TV or radio. But the scope of this is publicity is limited to the distributor’s territory. The budgets allocated for such publicity are comprehensive but smaller than the budgets at producer level. The media used at this level are posters, hoardings, local newspapers etc.

Gone are those days when plastering a few posters on the walls and hand-painted Billboard signs were the only means available for a film’s publicity; Actors barely promoted their films, film- makers never ventured in-front of the camera and our main stream media couldn’t care less.

Today’s Bollywood presents a very different scenario. With over 1000 films releasing in a given year, all of them fighting for a common goal i.e. the box-office success, the multiplex domination – it has become a necessity for those involved, to do whatever it takes to enforce that “must-watch” feeling among the masses in order to win this very competitive rat-race. And yes, the Indian media plays a vital role in this process. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan is a fine example of the above. His perfectly knitted marketing tactics, be it non-stop television promotions, tying up with news-channels and popular online sites, birthday celebrations with the Indian media, the 6-pack (over-toned) tag line, cricket matches and last but certainly not the least, the OSO clothes line – in short, King Khan took the job of film-marketing to a whole new level. And as a result, despite a weak storyline and very mediocre performances; ended up being a super duper box-office success. The mainstream advertising for movies, targeted at the end users is done via TV. Trailers, songs, star appearances on TV shows, interviews, "making of", reviews and movie news, all forms a part of the promotion strategies adopted by film makers. Movie trailers form the conventional part of advertising movies via television. Over the years trailers have been transformed into teasers, that give little info about the movie while buzz amongst the audience about the movie. Censor Board-Central board of film certification

The Central Board of Film Certification (popularly known as the Censor Board) is a government of India regulatory body and censorship board of India controlled by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It reviews, rates and censors movies, television shows, television ads, and promotional material.

According to the Supreme Court of India :

“Film censorship becomes necessary because a film motivates thought and action and assures a high degree of attention and retention as compared to the printed word. The combination of act and speech, sight and sound in semi darkness of the theatre with elimination of all distracting ideas will have a strong impact on the minds of the viewers and can affect emotions. Therefore, it has as much potential for evil as it has for good and has an equal potential to instill or cultivate violent or good behaviour. It cannot be equated with other modes of communication. Censorship by prior restraint is, therefore, not only desirable but also necessary”

Rating System

The rating system of Films is as follows:

• U: Unrestricted/Universal Public Exhibition: This rating is given to films suitable for 'family viewing'. It should not disturb even the youngest of children. A movie with 'U' rating contains no or mild violence and sensuality. o This rating is similar to G of the MPAA. • U/A: Unrestricted/Universal Public Exhibition but with parental guidance for children below 12 years. This rating is given to a movie which contains mild violence, language and sexuality. The movie may contain some material that is unsuitable for children under 12. However such an act is a penal offence under the Laws of India. o This rating is similar to 12A of BBFC and PG-13 of the MPAA.

• A: Adults: 'A' Films are meant for Adult audience above 18 years only. This rating is given to a movie which contains heavy doses of violence, sexuality, frightening images and language. o This rating is similar to R of the MPAA; • S: Specialized Audience: This rating is given very rarely and signifies that the film is meant for specialized audience such as Doctors. • No rating: Several films do not receive a rating, indicating they are disallowed from public screen Box Office Coverage:

Due to a very huge list of flop films every year and the increasing rate of unsuccess of many big banners film now a days, a demand is also being made to include the performance of the film at box office. However, this issue is not as simple as it prima facie seems. The positive effect of this step will be that producer will make the films free from all the worries about films fate at box office. Producers and directors will take many courageous steps and come up with new experiments. Then, even new comers will also dare to enter into this profession. The repetition of the same formula again and again due to fear of flops will also be reduced. The quality of the films will improve and new ideas and stories will come forward. Art films, which are in very poor state, will rejuvenate once again, because then people will not hesitate in investing on those films.

Although this step might have above positive effects but there are lots of practical problems and negative effects in its implementation. The first problem is regarding the criterion in which the performance of a film would be judged and indemnified accordingly. It is very difficult to find out a straight formula according to which the performance of a film would be judged and that makes almost impossible to calculate the amount of compensation based on that. Secondly due to advent of overseas rights and musical rights etc., films including those films which are shown flop, recovers there cost even before there release and in that case to recover from the insurance company for the performance of there film will not be right.

Lastly there is a huge possibility that this kind of coverage will make the producers and directors idle. They will make substandard movies without caring for the quality to recover from the insurance company. They will try to exploit this situation to their benefit and there will be a huge amount of fake cases. This will lead to a floodgate situation and it would become impossible for an insurance company to work. Therefore in spite of some of the positive effects due to inclusion of the performance of a film, negative effects and practical problems are such that it is not advisable to cover the performance of a film at box office.

Increasing professionalism and demand for more realism has driven film business towards huge expenses and more risk. Now the changed circumstances have made it necessary to cover the film under insurance. As a film producer it is always better to cover risks by obtaining insurance cover, which works out to hardly 1-3% of the budget, since even small-budget films need a sense of security. Thus, producers can do themselves a great service by insuring their films. Regarding the demand to include the performance of film at box office, as already discussed the practical problems and negative effects are such that it must not be implemented.

With specific reference to Indian Film Industry, it has still to warm up for insurance. Although many production houses have come up but the number is relatively very small. A large section still believes that insurance does nothing but to increases the budget of the film. This tendency should be changed. Advent of insurance in advertisement film is a right step in the direction. Recently some interest has also being shown by the southern film industry, which was most inactive and unwilling initially. This indicates that concept of film insurance is slowly and gradually recognized and accepted in India. It is a good sign for the film industry and it might just bail out the Indian Film Industry from its current recession.

Is Indian Cinema Forgetting its Indian cultures & Values

Every person, who is fond of cinema, knows the proper place of sex and violence in films. If we consider the fact that people in general have undergone a rapid change in thinking we will not object to the inclusion of some such scenes in movies. But normally such scenes would not threaten the morality of the viewers if they look for a harmonious part of the story or plot. But one thing should be remembered that the inclusion of these two elements in films should not be exploited for selfish needs without caring for the harm done or being caused to others. That means the portrayal of sex and violence in films should not be with sole motive of earning money. Such a motive reflects lack of honesty and sincerity on the part of the film makers. Scenes of violence and sex cause a lot of social harm by affecting the minds of the young people. cinema is mostly based on stories of sex abuse and violence.

The Indian film industry has also started imitating the West blindly. A stage has been reached now where even putting a ban on such films will be of no use. If people are prevented from watching such films, they can have access to Western movies on internet and satellite T.V. In other words, our cinema is not the only cause of increasing crime and violence.

But the fact is that scenario has also changed. Previously children were not allowed to see films of every kind. They could see only those movies which had religious and historical themes. The times have changed. To talk about films is no more a taboo. People discuss violence freely and they have easy access to weapons for crimes. Violence and sex have become a part of our life. Why should we worry? What about the other social evils like corruption, prostitution, black money and so on? There are stories of sex, violence, murders etc in our ancient literature. These were not inspired by films. In fact, cinema did not exist at that time. So, we can't blame films as the only reason. We cannot avoid such things and they will always be a part of our life. There is also no point in imposing full responsibility of such social maladies solely on films.

Saying about the effect of hollywood in Indian cinema, we should see and understand those films. People in west see these films but we can't say that it has resulted in the increase in crime. If we compare our films with those movies in Hollywood, we will see the difference. The original uncensored western films are available in our metros. If we saw that films we can feel the difference. Our censor board selection is not so appreciable. What is allowed by them in our films cannot be called as sex. The violence shown in our films is not as potent as to encourage crime in the country. Our films are just a counter part in the west.