FILM PRODUCTION GUIDE
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If your pitch for a film has been approved, congratulations! Below, you will find the steps in the pre-production stage of your film. Make sure to follow the guide for a smooth production process. Any questions can be brought up to the admins. The film production is a very lengthy process, and is similar to a real life production. It might take up to a year for the process before the film releases, which allots time for "filming".
Pre-Production[]
Character List[]
The first part of pre-production is finalizing a list of all the characters that will be in the film. This will include all roles, including speaking and non-speaking roles if applicable. Extras do not have to be listed (a taxi driver, a train passenger, a vendor, etc.). Each characters should have the following:
- Name; Depending on the character, they can have a full name, just a first name or a nickname. This will also depend on the type of story of the film.
- A brief description on the character's personality, and his/her role in the film.
- Physical Attributes preferred on the characters, which will be used for casting purposes. This can include, but not limited to: Gender, Age Range, Race, Height, Body build, or talents (singing, martial arts, etc.).
It would be recommended to have the list typed out for easier casting process. If this is not possible, typing it out on the casting forum itself is acceptable.
Casting[]
After a master list of all characters have been made or finalized, the next step is casting. Head to the Film Production Forum and post a request for start of production, making sure to indicate the working title of the film. One of the producers from Craytel Studios will be assigned to your film, who will take care of casting choices. There are strict guidelines that casting directors follow when making casting choices. However, creators are allowed to input an actor/actress they think can play a role included in the list. This is not guaranteed, and it all depends on if the actors are already on a different project.
Casting directors will have different options of actors on each character roles, and the creators will have a chance to choose their pick. Other times, the casting directors will be the ones to make the decision, but creators can have their say.
Putting together a Film Crew[]
For the movie to work, there needs to be a film crew. You can make up names for different positions including:
- Director(s)
- Writer(s)
- Screenwriter(s)
- Music Director
- Cinematographer(s)
- Editor(s)
You can put you own stage name as any of these positions. You have to make sure that each crew members have first and last names. You must also provide your filming locations. You can decide to have the film shoot in the studio for the whole film, or you can also provide actual locations. Locations do not need to be very specific, but the city and country is required.
For example: My film will shoot on location at New York City, Downtown Los Angeles, and Seoul, Korea. It will also shoot in the studio.
Summarize the Film[]
Casting can take up to a week or two, and so the creators can get to putting together their summary for the film. This is a short write up of the main plot points in the film, which would sumamrize the beginning, the middle, the climax and the ending. This will be similar to the plot summary on wikipedia for films. Visit these wikipedia sites for examples:
This summary will be posted on your film's page on its release date. Make sure to get all the main plot points in the summary. Do not include any specific scenes that would be unnecessary. Once finished, you will just need to wait for the casting process. If casting is completed, you can start making a page for your film. Head to Page Formats to find the guide on make the pages.
Setting a Release Date[]
Your film's producers from Craytel Studios will be the one schedule your film's release date. It is usually a year after your pitch is done, and goes through a process with the studio to make sure that it will not collide with any other releases. Your producer will inform you of the release date, which can change any time.
Filming[]
Since these films are only fictional, no actual filming is done. However, after pre-production is completed, the film will not be released yet until after seven to nine months. This makes the process look realistic. You can continue on tweaking your summary to make it better.