Documentary.

Just putting this up to show it has been done, analysis and pre-production elements to follow.

Sound Effects and Music.

Sound Effects and Music.
Sound effects and music within film is a very important aspect, music can help build the tension of a scene and sound effects can be used to make subtle things such as a door creaking open or the dripping of water more apparent to the audience. The most renowned scene for use of music and sound fx would most likely be the shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho' as displayed below

As you can see in this scene music is implemented to create shock and horror to the audience and sound fx has been used to make the lesser obvious sounds more noticeable such as the shower curtain's rings snapping and the running shower.
Sound effects themselves are used mainly for diegetic sounds whilst music is implemented usually for non-diegetic sounds.
Obtaining music and sound effects is a relatively easy task you simply have to go on a website which has downloadable music and fx register and download. www.filmsound.org has a comprehensive library of websites containing free music and sound effects.

Stock Footage.

Stock Footage.

Stock footage is pre-shot footage from a different filmmaker and is used as a way to save money on shooting specific scenes. Stock footage can also be used as story developing device and can build tension within the audience. It tends to be historical either footage, outtakes or simply footage that never got used.
There are numerous websites available to obtain stock footage including
http://www.stockfootageonline.com/
http://www.stockfootageforfree.com/

http://www.bbcmotiongallery.com/
The video below is a example of stock footage.

What does a post production facilities house do?

What does a post production facilities house do?
A post production house is simply a house featuring everything a editor/director/producer would need during the post production stage of the film including editing software and sound facilities for voice overs and tracklaying an example of post production house would be VET Production based in Shoreditch, London (www.vet.co.uk) 

What does post production involve?

What does post production involve?
Post production is the third and final stage of the project it's when the film is edited, previewed and released. This tends to be the longest part of the films lifecycle as all the hard work organizing is over and it's down to the great subtle art of editing. During post production the Director and Editor will tend to spend hours within editing suites finely tuning the movie to make it as immersive as possible. There will be much time spent cutting the unusable footage, editing scene's in different ways and general tinkering with the footage. 

The next stage, after making the final edit can be to preview the footage, this will be done especially if the project is a large one to make sure it's a big a success as possible. If the film obtains negative feedback the film will be sent back to edit to try and resolve the issues. If on the other hand the film is a success it will be released and will be available for anyone to watch.

What does the production process involve?

What does the production process involve?

Production occurs after the film has been planned to it's most fullest degree, the cast and crew are onboard, finance has been obtained and the film has been greenlit to be shot. During production the project is filmed and prepped to be edited. Production involves many hours of hard work from everyone involved, long days are spent organizing what is being shot where and is then usually re-shot numerous times for different angles, sets are assembled and disassembled, Cast read over their lines preparing for the scene, it's when the project lifecycle is at it's most hectic and fast paced.

Where can you get costumes from?

Where can you get costumes from?

Costumes can be obtained from simple fancy dress stores such as www.escapade.co.uk

or for more professional looking by going to large scale specialist companies such as Legacy (www.legacyefx.com) the creators of the Iron Man and Avatar costumes although these costumes would cost considerably more so it's only really an option if there is a large amount of funding. As a cheaper alternative charity shops are always an option and even local tailors can help create a costume specialised to your requirements.

Where can you hire production equipment from?

Where can you hire production equipment from?

Film Production equipment such as cameras, lights, tracks, tripods, boom mic's can all be obtained from specialist hiring companies such as www.aerialcamerasystems.com.

Of course you could buy a set of camera's yourself but this could prove to be a much more expensive option.

I myself am very lucky to be a University of Cumbria student where camera's can be booked out at any time for free. So if I need a camera the AV department will be my port of call.

Where can you find a cast?

Where can you find a cast?

The most easiest option for finding a cast is by simply using family and friends to act within the film although this can lead to problems such as people not taking you seriously and an unprofessional looking final product. If the project has enough funding behind it a casting agent can be hired to find a professional cast of actors for the piece using the contacts they have gained through the years. If a substantial amount of funding has been put in place the more well known actors can be used by contact through their managers, this would help the film obtain more exposure and create hype. Alternatively there are websites such as www.castingnetwork.co.uk which can help you obtain a full cast for your production without the hassle of involving a casting agent.

Potential production company logo doodle.

This was pretty much the only thing I could come up with for a production company logo not that sure on it either. Production company name to follow once I think of something cool. Made this by sketching it the logo, scanning it onto the computer and preened it up on photoshop.

What issues may you come across regarding locations?

What issues may you come across regarding locations?

Many things can go wrong whilst filming on a location, one of the main problems I've experienced whilst shooting is sound, especially when filming in a populated or busy area. A way to resolve this problem is by simply using more professional equipment e.g using a boom mic instead of filming using a camera's built in mic. A simpler way would be by going to the area you wish to film at a quieter period during the day such as dawn or dusk.

Lighting also can affect the overall outlook of a sequence as if the lighting changes continuity is scrambled, colour correction is a time consuming option but the easiest way to get around this problem is by shooting on a day where there is little variation in weather.

All in all during filming there are an infinite amount of problems that may arise involving location but by simply being organised can erase the opportunity of the shoot going sour. A solid call sheet listing the days programme can make sure that any chance of hiccups during the shoot are less likely to occur. Should a problem arise the cast and crew should band together to try and come up with creative and quickly thought up ideas to try and keep the days programme on course.

Where can you find a crew?

Where can you find a crew?

Crew can be found either through contacts, friends or production companies specialising in creating films. Websites such as shootingpeople.org are incredibly helpful for finding specialists that deal in many different aspects of filmaking such as sound recordists, cameramen, lighting specialists and even producers and directors.

Two local production companies specialising in crew hire are wrightwalker productions (www.wrightwalker.co.uk) and scruffy dog media video production who specialise in commercial productions (www.scruffydogmedia.com) 

How can you finance a film?

How can you finance a film?

Film finance can be obtained from numerous sources including private distributors, bank loans, government grants from film council's including The UK Film Council (http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/) and the Australian film council (www.screenaustralia.gov.au) and even family and friends (One of Stanley Kubrick's earliest films 'Killer's Kiss' was funded by family and friends) . Normally the financial investment is valued over the course of 10 – 15 years after the films initial release. Independent film makers tend to have a more difficult time obtaining finance as most financiers will not be willing to gamble on a film with a cast of lesser known actors or a film with an unconventional plot line. 'Indie' films therefore have to be sparing with the finance they have obtained and be creative in their way of filming.

What is Pre-Production?

What is Pre-Production?

Pre-production is the preparation before the film is shot, generally speaking a film enters pre-production once the picture has been given the go-ahead, all funding, certain cast members and crew are on board and ready to begin the project. During pre-production schedules are written, the script is broken down, locations are found and the rest of the crew are hired.