During this stage, every element of creating the film is designed and planned.
A production company and office is established and a storyboard is created with the aid of illustrators. A production budget to plan for the expenditure of the movie is calculated and insurance procured to protect against any misfortune.
The film crew is hired by the producer. Hollywood blockbusters tend to employ hundreds of cast and crew, where in comparison, an independent film running on a low budget, may only employ a crew of ten.
Popular Crew Positions:
• Director: ultimate responsibility for creative decisions, the acting and the story-telling.
• Casting Director: responsible for the hiring of the actors.
• Assistant Director: logistics and shooting schedule of the production.
• Location Manager: locates and manages the best locations for the film.
• Production Manager: reporting to the studio executives or financiers, they are responsible for production schedule and budget.
• Sound Designer: create the aural conception of the film
• Costume Designer: responsible for the design and creation of the clothing for the characters in the film.
• Storyboard Artist: creator of visual images to assist the director and production designer to communicate their ideas to the production team
• Production Designer: creates the visual conception of the film