From Concept to Screen An Overview of Film and Television Production

by Benedetti, Robert

• ISBN13: 9780205327430
• ISBN10: 0205327435
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-06-01
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Written by an Emmy-award-winning producer and director, this book focuses on the underlying principles of film and television production, emphasizing the creative rather than the technical aspects.The book describes how a film is created - from conception to screen - and provides a comprehensive overview of the entire production process. Not intended as a "how-to" book, this book presents only a limited amount of detailed technical information. Instead, it emphasizes the underlying principles and processes of primarily four kinds of films: feature, independently financed, made-for-network-television, and made-for-cable movies.For anyone interested in writing, directing, producing or acting for film/TV.

Table of Contents

Figures	xiii
Preface	xv
Acknowledgments	xvii
The Producer	1	(10)
The Producer	1	(1)
PGA Motion Picture Producing Functions	2	(3)
Choosing an Underlying Concept	5	(1)
Sources of Film Concepts	6	(2)
Summary	8	(3)
Options and Rights	11	(6)
Options	11	(2)
Life Stories	13	(1)
Books and Plays	14	(1)
The Back-End	15	(1)
Summary	16	(1)
Pitching	17	(8)
Preparing for the Pitch	17	(1)
The Hook	18	(1)
Selecting the Market	19	(1)
Demographics	20	(1)
Agents, Managers, Attachments, and Packaging	21	(1)
Pitching	22	(1)
The Creative Executive	23	(1)
Summary	24	(1)
Financing	25	(8)
Studio and Network Production Deals	25	(2)
Independent Financing	27	(3)
Summary	30	(3)
Development Hell	33	(14)
The Writing Process	34	(1)
Copyright and Registration	35	(1)
The Preliminary Board and Budget	36	(4)
Runaway Production	40	(1)
Hiring the Director	41	(1)
Star Casting	41	(1)
Billing	42	(2)
Abandonment, Turnaround, and Reversion	44	(1)
Summary	45	(2)
Prep	47	(16)
The Schedule	47	(1)
The Line Producer and UPM	48	(1)
Picking Home Base	49	(1)
The Shooting Script	50	(3)
The Board, DOOD, and One-liner	53	(2)
Final Casting	55	(3)
The Last Weeks of Prep	58	(1)
The Technical Scout	59	(1)
The Production Meeting	59	(1)
Summary	60	(3)
The Shooting Crew	63	(10)
The Producer	63	(1)
The Director	64	(1)
The Assistant Directors and Script Supervisor	65	(1)
The Camera Department	66	(2)
The Sound Department	68	(1)
The Art Department	68	(2)
Around the Actors	70	(1)
Transportation	70	(1)
Meanwhile, Back at the Office	71	(1)
Summary	72	(1)
Shooting I: Single Camera	73	(14)
Rehearsal	73	(1)
Calls	74	(2)
The Line-up	76	(1)
Shooting	77	(6)
Script Changes	83	(1)
Summary	84	(3)
Shooting II: Multiple Cameras	87	(8)
Film Versus Video	88	(1)
Sitcoms	89	(4)
Soap Operas	93	(1)
Summary	94	(1)
Post I: Editing	95	(8)
The Editing System	96	(1)
The Editing Process	97	(2)
The Director's Cut	99	(1)
Previews, Focus Groups, and Re-shoots	100	(1)
Summary	101	(2)
Post II: Sound	103	(8)
Spotting and Sound Design	103	(1)
Looping	104	(2)
Prelays	106	(1)
Music	106	(3)
The Final Mix	109	(1)
Summary	110	(1)
Post III: Printing, Delivery, and Distribution	111	(6)
Negative Cutting and Timing	111	(2)
Final Delivery	113	(1)
Independent Marketing and Distribution	113	(3)
Summary	116	(1)
High Definition Video: Toward Filmless Filmmaking	117	(12)
Capturing the Image	117	(2)
The Illusion of Motion	119	(1)
Aspect Ratios	120	(2)
Shooting in HD	122	(1)
HD in Post	123	(1)
HD Distribution	124	(1)
HD at Home	125	(1)
Summary	126	(3)
Appendix A: A Sample Synopsis	129	(2)
Appendix B: Sample Main Title Credits	131	(2)
A Glossary of Film and Television Terms	133	(16)
Index	149