The film industry has many opportunities. People in the film industry have worked incredibly hard to get to where they are today. This is why people like Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan are household names. They have worked their way by making short films and made some of the most successful films in film history. Hollywood is a huge business made up of six studios that not only dominate the film industry but also dominate our cinemas and our televisions.
One of the most important roles on set is the director. The director is the person who essentially looks over the film whilst the film is in production stage. They will stay with the film from the moment it is written until the film is distributed into cinemas and/or in films. Without a director, the movie or TV show would have great difficulty being formed and created. A director makes the calls on what will be and will not be in the movie or TV show. The director’s job is to bring the scripts to life and will also, occasionally, help with writing the script. It is vital that a director has a clear and well-constructed idea of what they want to end product to look like and they must decide if they need to reshoot scenes to attract potential audiences. Directors also have to make sure the movie show is finished for a certain date. So then it can be edited in time for the movie’s release date. They must also be aware of the budget of their project and must be careful not to go over it. As well as this, the director must be able to get the actors motivated whilst they are filming and will give them advice on how to improve on a scene. Directors also must know who the target audience is and how to direct the movie according to the age target. They have to make sure that their film will match to the guidelines and policies of the film boards. Here in the UK, the British Board of Film Classification decide on the final ratings for films that are shown here in the UK. For instance, the British spy thriller, “Kingsman: The Secret Service” directed by Matthew Vaughn, was intended originally going to be rated 18, meaning only people over that age could go and watch the film in cinemas. Vaughn then cut the movie down and deleted a lot of the violence to meet with the guidelines for a rated 15 film, meaning more people could go and watch the film. This was proven to a success as the film had earned over $414 million at the end of its theatrical run.
Directors must remain calm throughout the several months that they are directing across and must always have the communication skills with other staff members to assure everything is running as smoothly as possible. A directors relationship with different departments is vital, especially the relationship between a director and the editor and the director of photography. The director will have a vision on how they want the film to look eventually. The editor must work with the director’s outline of the film. The problem that occurs is that the director is having to let go off the film that, so far, they have been there for every step and this can lead to disagreements and arguments about how the film should look. The director has a clear image of how they want the film to look and will do their best to make sure their vision becomes a reality. Every person within the media industry is aware of the news. Whether this global, national or even just gossip. A director has to know what is currently trending within Hollywood and the film industry to maximise the film’s success as well as the crew’s success. A director doesn’t just direct the actors in front of the camera. Directors have to have an understanding of every single department, including lights, sound and editing. If anything, the editor and the director’s relationship is the most crucial on any film set. Both the director and editor have to work alongside and have to put their complete trust in each other. The editor must work with the director’s outline of the film and this can lead to disagreements and arguments about how the film should look. The director has a clear image of how they want the film to look and will do their best to make sure their vision becomes a reality. Every person within the media industry is aware of the news. Whether this global, national or even just gossip. A director has to know what is currently trending within Hollywood and the film industry to maximise the film’s success as well as the crew’s success.
“I was directing before I knew it was called that.”[1] This quote shows that directors make it into the industry by making short films and short documentaries. People that are starting out in the industry create their own content for their portfolios and show reels. This is the best way to get experience within the industry. The salaries of directors depend on how big of a project they are working on and how much experience they have with the roles and responsibilities of being a director. Directors are expected to be able to work whenever. These hours could be anti-social and could possibly be over-night as well. The director will have been told about these hours through their contract that they will have been given before they started work on that project. If a director was to work part-time, it would not be practical as movies take quite a long time to direct and working half-time would drag out the process of the movie. Directors will come under a lot of stress, especially at night if they are filming night time shots.
A film editor will work closely to a director to check the production is going as expected and that the scenes that are being film make sense and run smoothly. Editors, as well as directors must work hours that are appropriate to the production, this could mean that they may do more hours at night than day, if the film/movie is taking place in the dark. Sometimes editors are working on a freelance basis. This means that the editor may be self-employed, but are hired by a production team due to their professionalism and their experience. Editors are the people behind fusing scenes together so they make sense. They combine two scenes, so they smoothly run into each other. An editor must be aware of different software and editing facilities to allow easy editing and for the scenes to fit easily together. A vital aspect to editing is being able to communicate and give opinions and ideas. An editor’s roles and responsibilities are very similar to a director. They must be good at time keeping and must be organised at all times. An editor must also pay attention to the little details and make sure those details stand out to the target audience. For example, if a movie is targeted for a younger audience, then they will not make the small details as significant, however if a movie is for an older target audience, the audience is going to be more perceptive and notice the small details which may foreshadow a future event in the movie.to be an editor, there is no qualification needed, however to become an editor. You would have to build yourself up, starting with being a Runner, which means running errands for other people. Like directors, editors must be flexible and must be able to work any hours, including nights and anti-social hours. An editor must be able to work flexible hours as this will help with the production process. Editors must also be able to work long hours to assure the production is of the best quality. With working long days, there is also a lot of pressure on the editor as they must be able to remain professional throughout the process of editing.
You may have heard of Spielberg’s E.T but the person who edited it together was a woman called Carol Littleton. She edited one of the most iconic cinematic moments of Hollywood history; the scene of which Elliot flies on the bike with E.T. this scene alone is one of the most magical moments of the film. Littleton was then nominated for an academy award for “Best Editor” for E.T. She was also nominated for a BAFTA for that film as well. Taken from “An Interview with Carol Littleton, ACE”, Littleton says “As an editor I analyse the story, and figure out how to make it as rich as possible, to have the most emotional impact.” This means that editors have to review all the footage that has been given to them by the director and they have to find the best way to show the true depth of the film by making decisions on what should and should not be in the film.
A screenwriter is an individual who creates the outline of the production through words, characters and actions. A screenwriter isn't limited to just films. Almost all media productions need a script including T.V. shows, games, radio and the news. These scripts form a skeleton for the actor/presenter to follow. Like all media productions, the key to success is going with modern trends. A screenwriter must know about the topic that they are writing about and basing their screenplay on. On top of all things, they have to be creative. Creativity isn't something that comes to you overnight. Creativity is something that you must teach yourself and most screenwriters will start off drafting and redrafting over and over again. No piece of writing is without flaws but by editing the script and sticking with it, the screenwriter will come out of the script writing process with a film essentially. With any role, arguments and disagreements can arise. The producer is giving the screenwriter the responsibility of creating a physical version of the film that is in the producer's mind. If the film is based on real life events, the screenwriter will have to try to keep the screenplay as close to real events as possible. They cannot defame a person in a film or the screenplay. This means the screenwriter cannot purposely paint a figure in a negative light, especially if the figure in question is a good person. Unless the story, being based on real events, involves a character who is horrible or a criminal, they are not allowed any forms of defamation. Inspiration can spark the smallest ideas but with the smallest ideas come the biggest opportunities. Screenwriters are always ready for ideas to come to them and they are always ready to seize the opportunity to get an idea.
Many readers and book fans will be aware of Gillian Flynn. Flynn has not only wrote the best sellers "Gone Girl" and "Sharp Objects" but she has also wrote the screenplays of her adaptions. Her latest work is in the form of the "Widows" screenplay. This gives the film a more personal touch as it is the author who is sticking with the progress of the adaption of the film. A lot of authors also take this road into screenwriting. Jennifer Niven, the author of "All the Bright Places", recently worked on the screenplay of the film adaptation and JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author, is known for writing the "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" screenplays.
Organisation is key for any role in any industry but it's vital in a producer. If the producer is unaware of what they are doing, no one else will have any idea of what they are doing. The producer has to stay with the production. They are there from the start of the production to the end of production with the exhibition process. Producers have to know what film they want and how they want it to look. Like the other roles, producers have to be creative. Without creativity, the film could end up looking like every other Hollywood film. People want to see new things in films and they want something that excites them. A producer too has to keep up to date with modern trends. Producers have to make sure everything works smoothly. They need to look over every department to make sure it's all running as they expected. Producers will make calculated and suitable guesses about an audience and their likely preferences. Producers have to be on top of everything. They have to oversee the whole production and put complete faith in everyone. Producers are storytellers, just like directors, writers and editors. They are the catalyst of the production and they spark the initial ideas.
The producers have to be able to convince people on why they should invest in the film. If the producer doesn’t believe in the film, no one else will. Producers are the problem solvers. If something is going according to plan, the producer will step in and diffuse the tension that has stirred. As stated, the producers have a part in everything, including casting. The producer has an idea on how they want the film to work and characters are vital to the appearance of a film. They have to choose who they think are the most appropriate for the cast. Marketing is vital for a film. Without marketing the film accordingly, the film will be reaching the wrong target audience. An audience profile is a way for producers to be able target specific people by using their product to determine who would consume the object. Producers will make calculated and suitable guesses about an audience and their likely preferences. They stereotype in terms of who would want to watch their films. For example, a Marvel movie will be based on the comics that Marvel has published and released. The films will contain characters from the comics, already establishing a fan base for their films. In theory, males would want to watch these types of films rather than women. That is just a stereotype as females can enjoy action films too. Elderly would not want to travel to the cinema to see a superhero film as they know they are probably not as interested in a superhero film. The producer will construct research on how to approach the audience for their film.
An example of a producer is Diablo Cody. Cody won the Oscar for “Best Original Screenplay” for Juno, which was Cody’s first feature film ever. Since winning, Cody has committed her time to the film industry and she produced the 2009 film, “Jennifer’s Body”, starring Megan Fox. Cody co-wrote the screenplay for the film along with her 2011 film, “Young Adult”. Drew Barrymore has become a household name for being an actress but she is less known for her producing. In 1999, she producer her first film, “Never Been Kissed”. Since then Barrymore has been involved in making blockbusters of films. Barrymore also produced all of the “Charlie’s Angels” films.
A cinematographer is someone who is in charge of the physical appearance of the film. There is to capture the overall image of the film and make sure that the film is suitable for the target audience. Roger Deakins won the Oscar for “Best Cinematographer” at the 2018 Academy Awards for “Blade Runner 2049”. The film creates a dystopian landscape using bright and vibrant colours and neon shades to create the overall look of the film. They have to know the shots, angles and how to create a unique look for the film. The cinematographer and the director have to build their relationship up from the start. They have to work closely together to ensure the film has a certain aesthetic that will caption the audience’s imagination. They have to work together for the majority of the time and have to try and work through disagreements to ensure the film looks as good as it can look.
“My job is to help the director realise what's in his head.” Is a quote from Danny Cohen, who was nominated for an Oscar for “A King’s Speech” in the cinematography category. Essentially the cinematographer has to help create the vision inside of the director’s mind. The director will say how they want something to look and they have to find a way create and bring to life that vision for the film.
[1] Is a quote from Guillermo del Toro, the director of the Oscar winning feature film, The Shape of Water.
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