Film Study 

       FILM STUDY 
 

PRE PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION
POST-PRODUCTION

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Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story idea or

commission, through scriptwriting, shooting, editing and distribution to an audience. Typically, it
involves a large number of people, and takes from a few months to several years to complete.

Three major procedures for making any film are:

• Pre- production
• Production
• Post-production

Pre-production
Pre-Production is one of the stages of the film making. It is the stage before shooting
part/production.

Sequence of different stages in Pre-Production

• Idea/Concept should be decided on which, film has to be made. It is the main content or
message which has to be conveyed to viewers.

• Theme is the basic outline prepared by using already confirmed idea or concept
• Synopsis is the description of theme. It is also called as Story.
• Background should be decided on which story has to run.
• Single line order preparation which is the order/sequence of different incidents takes place in
the story
• Writing of Screen-Play consists of different number of Scenes. The single line order of the
story will be developed as Scenes for convenience of presenting on the screen. Finally Screen
Play is the conversion of Story for convenience of playing on screen. Each and every scene must
have the purpose.
• Script is the Screen-Play with Dialogues. It is better to maintain economy while writing
Dialogues. Short dialogues are better than lengthy Dialogues.
• Preparing estimation of Rough Budget in line with Script
• Convincing and Confirming Producer
• Casting, that is process of selection of artists for the different characters in all scenes.
• Selection of suitable Cameraman/Cinematographer/Director of Photography
• Selection of Action Director/Fight Master, Choreographer, Art Director, Costumer, Make-up
man, Lyrics Writer, Music Director Production Manager
• Writing of Lyrics by Lyrics writer
• Music composition to Lyrics by Music Director
• Songs recording
• Preparation of Scene wise Characters list and character wise scenes list
• Preparation of Costumes List of every character in every scene

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• Details of Make-Up for each and every character in every scene

• Hand and set Properties List as per every scene
• Arranging of hand and set Properties
• Selection of Locations and designing of sets according to script
• Lighting Schemes to be decided/designed by Cinematographer/Director of Photography with
co-ordination of Director and Gaffer/Chief Electrician
• Designing of Fighting Schemes
• Deciding of Song Schemes
• Costumer or Costumes Chief sits along with the Director, Camera man, art director, Producer,
Costumes Designer and will decide or design the costumes as per the Costumes chart already
prepared.
• Make-Up Chief sits along with Director and will do Make-Up designs according to the Make-Up
chart already prepared.
• Completing FDC formalities
• Taking of call sheets from Artists .
• Schedule planning as per the available dates of Locations, Artists and all technicians Booking of
Unit/Cine Services and confirmation of availability of all the equipment needed as per the script
• The producer hires a crew. These are typical crew positions:
™ The DIRECTOR is primarily responsible for the integrity, creative decisions and
acting of the film.
™ The ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (AD) manages the shooting schedule and logistics
of the production, among other tasks. First AD and second AD are different jobs
with different responsibilities.
™ The CASTING DIRECTOR finds actors to fill the parts in the script. This
normally requires that actors audition. Lead actors are carefully chosen, often
based on the actor's reputation or "star power."
™ The LOCATION MANAGER finds and manages film locations. Most pictures
are shot in the controllable environment of a studio sound stage but occasionally,
outdoor sequences call for filming on location.
™ The PRODUCTION MANAGER manages the production budget and production
schedule. They also report, on behalf of the production office, to the studio
executives or financiers of the film.
™ The DIRECTOR of PHOTOGRAPHY (DoP) is the CINEMATOGRAPHER who
supervises the photography of the entire film
™ The DIRECTOR of AUDIOGRAPHY (DoA) is the audiographer who supervises
the audiography of the entire film.
™ The PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER is the head of the sound department during
the production stage of filmmaking. They record and mix the audio on set -
dialogue, presence and sound effects in mono and ambience in stereo. They work
with the boom operator, Director, DoA, DoP, and 1st AD.
™ The SOUND DESIGNER creates the aural conception of the film, working with
the DoA, supervising sound editor and composer.
™ The COMPOSER creates new music for the film.
™ The PRODUCTION DESIGNER creates the visual conception of the film,
working with the art director.
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™ The ART DIRECTOR manages the art department, which makes production sets
™ The COSTUME DESIGNER creates the clothing for the characters in the film
working closely with the actors, as well as other departments.
™ The MAKE-UP and HAIR ARTIST works closely with the costume designer in
addition to create a certain look for a character.
™ The STORYBOARD ARTIST creates visual images to help the director and
production designer communicate their ideas to the production team.
™ The CHOREOGRAPHER creates and coordinates the movement and dance -
typically for musicals. Some films also credit a fight choreographer.
™ CINEMATOGRAPHER is the making of lighting and camera choices when
recording photographic images for the cinema. It is closely related to the art of
still photography.

Production
In film, film grammar is defined as follows:

1. A frame is a single still image. It is analogous to a letter.

2. A shot is a single continuous recording made by a camera.
3. A scene is a series of related shots.
4. A sequence is a series of scenes which together tell a major part of an entire story, such as that
contained in a complete movie.

SHOTS
Framing or Shot Length

1 . Extreme long shot

This can be taken from as much as a quarter of a mile away, and is generally used as a scene-
setting, establishing shot. It normally shows an EXTERIOR, eg the outside of a building, or a
landscape, and is often used to show scenes of thrilling action eg in a war film or disaster movie.

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There will be very little detail visible in the shot, it's meant to give a general impression rather
than specific information.

The extreme long shot on the left is taken from a distance, but denotes a precise location - it
might even connote all of the entertainment industry if used as the opening shot in a news story.

2. Long Shot

This is the most difficult to categorise precisely, but is generally one which shows the image as
approximately "life" size ie corresponding to the real distance between the audience and the
screen in a cinema (the figure of a man would appear as six feet tall). This category includes the
FULL SHOT showing the entire human body, with the head near the top of the frame and the
feet near the bottom. While the focus is on characters, plenty of background detail still emerges:
we can tell the coffins on the right are in a Western-style setting, for instance.

3. Medium Shot

Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue scenes, or to show
some detail of action. Variations on this include the TWO SHOT (containing two figures from
the waist up) and the THREE SHOT (contains 3 figures...). NB. Any more than three figures and
the shot tends to become a long shot. Background detail is minimal, probably because location
has been established earlier in the scene - the audience already know where they are and now
want to focus on dialogue and character interation. Another variation in this category is the

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OVER-THE-SHOULDER-SHOT, which positions the camera behind one figure, revealing the
other figure, and part of the first figure's back, head and shoulder.

4. Close-Up

This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a face, or a specific detail of mise
en scène. Everything else is just a blur in the background. This shot magnifies the object (think
of how big it looks on a cinema screen) and shows the importance of things, be it words written
on paper, or the expression on someone's face. The close-up takes us into the mind of a character.
In reality, we only let people that we really trust get THAT close to our face - mothers, children
and lovers, usually - so a close up of a face is a very intimate shot. A film-maker may use this to
make us feel extra comfortable or extremely uncomfortable about a character, and usually uses a
zoom lens in order to get the required framing.

5. Extreme Close-Up

As its name suggests, an extreme version of the close up, generally magnifying beyond what the
human eye would experience in reality. An extreme close-up of a face, for instance, would show
only the mouth or eyes, with no background detail whatsoever. This is a very artificial shot, and
can be used for dramatic effect. The tight focus required means that extra care must be taken
when setting up and lighting the shot - the slightest camera shake or error in focal length is very
noticeable.

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Camera Angles
The relationship between the camera and the object being photographed (ie the ANGLE) gives
emotional information to an audience, and guides their judgment about the character or object in
shot. The more extreme the angle (ie the further away it is from eye left), the more symbolic and
heavily-loaded the shot.

Eye level: object shown as it is as the camera lens parallel to object eye. Following are the
examples of Eye level

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4

Top angle/ Bird’s Eye: It is also called as aerial view or American Bird’s eye view

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(ABEV). The scene is shown from directly above. It shows the object and its surrounding details
also. This is a completely different and somewhat unnatural point of view which can be used for
dramatic effect or for showing a different spatial perspective. In drama it can be used to show the
positions and motions of different characters and objects, enabling the viewer to see things the
characters can't. This view is very useful in sports, documentaries etc. Following are the four
examples of Top angle.

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4

Low angle shows the subject from below, giving them the impression of being more powerful or
dominant. With this angle, shows object as superior.

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4

Bottom angle: View of the object/subject from bottom side.

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4

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High angle shows the object from above, i.e. the camera is angled down towards the subject.
This results the effect of diminishing the object, making them appear less powerful, less
significant or even submissive. In this angle, object shows as inferior.

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4

Dutch Tilt is also a camera angle, in which camera slanted to one side. This angle uses for
dramatic effect and helps portray unease, disorientation, frantic or desperate action, intoxication,
madness, etc. The Dutch tilt is also known as a Dutch angle, Dutch tilt, Slanted, German angle,
oblique angle or canted angle.

Example 1 Example 2

Depth of Field is the field which is in focus. It is the distance in focus which is in front of the
object and beyond the object. In case of the close, Object is the starting point of the Depth of the
field

Camera Movement
A director may choose to move action along by telling the story as a series of cuts, going from
one shot to another, or they may decide to move the camera with the action. Moving the camera
often takes a great deal of time, and makes the action seem slower, as it takes several second for
a moving camera shot to be effective, when the same information may be placed on screen in a
series of fast cuts. Not only must the style of movement be chosen, but the method of actually
moving the camera must be selected too. There are seven basic methods:

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Trucking Shot/Trucking is basically the same as tracking or dollying. Although it means slightly
different things to different people, it generally refers to side-to-side camera movement with
respect to the action.

PAN: Left or right Horizontal movement of the camera is called as PAN. PAN right regarding
camera and PAN left regarding camera are the two kinds in PAN. This PAN is for establishing
distance between two objects, relationship and for showing number of people and particular
object movement.

Dolly Shots: Sometimes called TRUCKING or TRACKING shots. The camera is placed on a moving
vehicle and moves alongside the action, generally following a moving figure or object. Complicated dolly
shots will involve a track being laid on set for the camera to follow, hence the name. The camera might be
mounted on a car, a plane, or even a shopping trolley (good method for independent film-makers looking
to save a few dollars). A dolly shot may be a good way of portraying movement, the journey of a
character for instance, or for moving from a long shot to a close-up, gradually focusing the audience on a
particular object or character.

Viz Pan: Sudden panning between two objects is the Viz Pan

Object pan left or right i.e. PAN of the Camera when object moves left or right.

Follow pan – Camera follows the object by PAN when the object is moving

Cross pan is the panning of camera to follow the object movement when movement of both
camera and object is reverse.

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Tilt: Vertical movement (Up or Down) of the camera is called as Tilt. Tilt up regarding camera
and Tilt down regarding camera are the two kinds in Tilt. This tilt will be used for showing
height, climbing up & down of the object.

Diagonal movement: It is the combination of PAN and Tilt. Camera moving horizontally and
vertically at the same time results the diagonal movement. It will be used for showing height and
distance of the object.

Zoom: Creating illusion of moving closer or further away from the action by varying/changing
the focal length. Zoom In and Zoom out are the two types in Zoom. These two are for showing
relationship between the object and the area. Zooming is an easy-to-use but hard-to-get-right
feature of most cameras.

Zoom out is to establish the place of the object

Zoom in feels like object moves close to camera and is to establish the place of object in
between so many objects.

Crossing the Line / Reverse Cut / 180 Degree Rule:

Whenever taking of first shot completed, line of action will be established in view of the viewer.
Line of action is the 1800 imaginary line in front of the camera where the action is going on.
Once the line of action is established, camera should not be placed on the other side of the line of
action. In the same scene, remaining shots should be taken from the sane side of Line of Action
from which side first shot was taken. Crossing the line changes the viewer's perspective and
there will be confusion like changing positions and reversing of actions. Crossing the line is also

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called as reverse cut. If it is essential to show the action from other side after establishing of 1800
line, camera should travel to other side while taking shot only. Then view point of the viewer
also changes. From this shot onwards, remaining shots should be taken from that side only.

Ex: According to the following image, view is like that the object is moving from right to left. If
shoots next shot from other side of the line of action, view of the object movement will be from
left to right. Due to this, object movement is suddenly reversed in the second shot which has
been done immediately after first shot.

The Rule of Thirds

The rule of Thirds is a one of the compositional rules of photography, in which, image in the
frame can be divided into nine equal imaginary sections/parts by two equal spaced horizontal
lines and two equally spaced vertical lines as shown in the following examples. Then, four
reference points will be created which are useful for composing the image in the frame. If shot
composes as per this rule, more tension, energy and interest will be created better than when shot
composes simply by centering the feature/subject. Points or lines of interest of Viewers should
occur at 1/3 or 2/3 of the way up (or across) the frame than centre.

Example (1): The main line of interest is the line going through the eyes in any shot related to
people. In the following example, the eyes are placed approximately 1/3 of the way down the
frame for best view instead of centering the eyes.

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Example 1

Example (2): The intersection line of earth and sky is matched to the horizontal line dividing
upper third part from middle and lower third parts. And main object to be shown was positioned
in the right side of the upper third part due to maximum interest of the viewer will be
concentrated top and right side of the frame.

Example 2

Another two examples of the Rule of Thirds

Example 3 Example 4

Clap Board
Clap Board will be used at the beginning of each and every shot.

After clapping the board, the following sequence of dialogues has to tell with loud voice by Clap
Board assistant for recording.

Clap Board operation is most useful for editing

TLK–Talkie Shot, SIL–Silent Shot, PLB–Play Back Shot/Song

INS–Insert Shot

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End clap is the clap after shooting of shot and will be used in the following situations

1. At the time of emergency where the roll or can or film in the camera is about to complete
or is about to exhausted.
2. At the end of Extreme long shot.

End clap should be clapped reversely. If End clap used in the shot, should be mentioned in the
script.

LIGHTINGS

In the Three Point Lighting Technique, three lights shall be used the key light, fill light and
back light.

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Key Light is the main light, which is strongest and provides most of the illumination and
contrast on the subject. It is placed to one side of the camera/subject so that one side is well lit
and the other side shall have some shadow. From the top view, offset the Key Light 15 to 45 degrees
to the side (to the left or right) of the camera.

Fill light is the secondary light balances the key light, lifts the light level and reduces the effects
of shadows created by Key light. Fill light is softer and less bright than key light. Too strong fill
light creates double shadows. Fill light shall be placed on the opposite side of the key light. The
Fill can be raised to the subject's height, but should be lower than the Key. At most, Fill Lights can be
about half as bright as your Key (a Key-to-Fill ratio of 2:1). For more shadowy environments, use only
1/8th the Key's brightness (a Key-to-Fill ratio of 8:1).

Back Light (also called the rim Light) adds a rim of light to the hair and shoulders and creates
depth (provide three-dimensional look) by separating or isolating the subject from the
background. Light may be soft or hard depending on the effect intended. This light shall be
placed at the back side of the subject/object and may be above the subject to light from rear.

The Background light is to illuminate the area behind the subject but a lower level than the
foreground.

Post-production
Post-Production is one of the stages of Film Making. It is the stage after shooting
part/production.

Video editing suite

Post-production is, in fact, many different processes grouped under one name. These typically
include:

• Editing the picture / television program

• Writing, recording, and editing the soundtrack.
• Adding visual special effects - mainly computer-generated imagery (CGI) and digital copy from
which release prints will be made (although this may be made obsolete by digital-cinema
technologies).

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Sequence of different stages in Post-Production:

• Developing the film

• Rushes – screening of unedited version
• Patch work if need
• Rough editing
• Final editing
• Dubbing
• Music posting/Re recording
• Mixing (Mixing of all tracks)
• First copy
• Censor Formalities
• Distribution
• Publicity
• Screening

Since the development of non-linear editing systems such as Avid, Quantel or Final Cut Pro, the film
workflow is used by very few productions.

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