Filmmaking: Pre-production, Casting & Production

TV Production vs Video Production

• TV and video are essentially the same media for practical purposes.
• Both TV and video productions require the same skills, equipment, and techniques.
• TV programs are usually transmitted directly to the general public via broadcast transmitters, cable, or satellite.
• Video is typically used for non-broadcast or closed-circuit material.

Television

• Television broadcasts are propagated via broadcast transmitters, satellite, and cable.
• Television is designed for public broadcasts.
• Television programs include newscasts, weather reports, sports, interviews, dramas, documentaries, music, science films, comedies, adventure, hobbies, wildlife, talks, dance, children's programs, game shows, demonstrations, talk shows, etc.

Video

• Video is propagated by VCR cassettes, DVDs, Blu-Rays, satellite, and cable.
• Video is used for individual, carrel, or group viewing for home, study centers, workplaces, training centers, libraries, seminars, sales points, exhibitions, etc.

The Scale of Operations

• TV and video programs are made by production units that can range from a single person, to a multi-camera team.
• Organizations may use fitted studios and mobile units for remote/outside broadcasts or hire the required equipment from facility houses.
• Program makers primarily work on location, either exterior or indoor.
• Programs may be produced by broadcast organizations (in-house) or freelance production houses.

Live or Taped

• Live Production
• The audience witnesses events as they happen.
• Viewers feel like they are watching directly through the camera's eye, with the excitement of the unexpected.
• Live productions can add tension and excitement, especially in sporting events with unknown outcomes.
• Recording
• Videotaping offers the director extra productional dimension.
• Recording provides flexibility to correct and modify the production to create a polished product.
• Recording simplifies the production process.
• The recorded product can be marketed or archived for future programs.
• An unrecorded live production is irretrievably lost.

The Production Phases

• The production phases consist of tasks completed BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER the actual production.
• The three production languages in phases are preproduction, production, and postproduction.

Pre-Production

• Conceptualization involves noting all thoughts, regardless of perceived value or relevance.
• Other key aspects include research, scripting, and storyboarding.
• Casting is a pre-production process of selecting actors for TV shows, movies, commercials, or plays.
• Directors and producers hire a casting director to manage auditioning, screen tests, and callbacks.
• Crew selection is another key aspect

Why Casting Is Important

• Casting is crucial in filmmaking as performances significantly impact the audience and critics.
• Well-cast actors enhance a project, while miscasts can negatively affect a character's believability in a film or TV show.
• Audiences need to believe in an actor's performance, even if the character is unlikeable.
• Finding the right talent is can be challenging, requiring critical analysis, instinct, and good timing.

How to Cast a Film

• Break down the script: Casting directors read the screenplay and create descriptions for each speaking role, leading to a casting breakdown of all the character roles, including age ranges, appearance, character notes, and backstories.
• Send out the breakdown: Casting directors set up open auditions online or send the breakdown directly to talent agents to find lesser-known actors who may improve the roles.
• Provide sides: Actors may audition in person or via self-tape; sides are small samples of relevant dialogue and actions needed for the audition.
• Send a callback: Seeing as many performers is essential; call back performers to perform scenes and compare the actors.
• Screen test: A filmed audition in which actors perform sides on-camera to gauge wardrobe, makeup, and the actors chemistry
• Make the selections: The casting company wrangles the talent; the director and producers decide which actors suits the role.

Production

• The production process begins with shooting in either a studio or on location.
• Lighting technicians adjust the lighting for better visual quality before shooting.
• Shooting can be done using a single camera or multiple cameras.
• The production stage for film and television is nearly the same.

Post-Production

• After shooting, the rushes (raw visuals) are assembled to ensure visual clarity.
• During this phase, music is selected or edited for the visuals.
• The editing phase involves assembling visuals from different locations and times and organizing them with the original script and digital manipulation techniques like animation, visual effects, and sound mixing.
• There are two types of editing: linear and non-linear.
• Non-linear editing is possible with digital equipment and uses computer software like Adobe Premier Pro and Apple's Final Cut Pro.

TV Production

• Starting production requires balancing artistic goals with practical limitations.
• Presentation influences how the audience receives and interprets ideas.
• The production model is a plan to streamline production phases for various productions.

Effect to Cause Production Model

• the effect-to-cause production model goes from the initial idea and story angle directly to the desired effect which is the process message
• Back up with medium requirements that suggest production elements and processes necessary to produce the defined process message

Defined Process Message

• The production message relies on the desired impact on the target audience.
• It also moves to the medium content, people, and equipment for the three process phases.
• Streamlining the production process depends on a useful angle.
• Angle is a specific story focus from which to look at and describe an event.
• Successful programs occur when matched with defined messages.
• A proper process message and specific angle leads to the choice of equipment, crews, and location.

The Production Team

• The Production team is categorized into production staff, technical crews engineers and administrative personnel
• Production personnel can also be known as nontechnical or technical personnel

Nontechnical Production Personnel

• Nontechnical production personnel translate a script or event into television images.
• Non-technical production personnel are also known as above-the-line because they fall under a different budget from the technical staff.
• In smaller TV operations, personnel may carry out different functions.
• The floor manager provides information from the director to the crew on the studio floor, and back.
• Line producers are at the heart of the production, hiring the crew, allocating the money, and ensuring the filming is done safely, creatively, on budget, and on time.

Nontechnical Production Personnel and Their Functions

• Executive Producer: manages budget and coordinates with clients, station management, advertising agencies, financial supporters, and talent and writer's agents for one or several large productions or program series.
• Producer: is responsible for all personnel working on the production and for coordinating technical and nontechnical production elements, often serving as writer and sometimes as director.
• Assistant Producer: assists the producer in all aspects of production and often coordinates, such as telephoning talent and confirming schedules.
• Production Manager: schedules equipment and personnel for all field and studio production
• Production Assistant: Assists the producer and director, taking show improvement notes during rehearsals.
• Director: Is responsible for transforming scripts into effective video and audio messages, and directs all technical operations
• Assistant Director: Assists director
• Floor Manager: Coordinates talent, relays director's cue, and supervises floor personnel or responsible for setting up scenery and dressing the set, and is called floor director and stage manager.
• Writer: At smaller stations and in cooperate tv, the script is written by the director or producer
• Art director: The art director is responsible for the creative design aspects of the show which includes set design, location and graphics.
• Graphic artist: is responsible for preparing computer graphics, titles, charts, and static and electronic backgrounds.
• Make-up artist: makeup for all talent, usually freelance.
• Costume designer: designs costumes, usually freelance.
• Property manager: maintains and manages appropriate use of set and hand properties.
• Sound designer: responsible for constructing the soundtrack; includes dialogue and sound effects in post-production.

Engineering Staff and Functions

• Chief Engineer: heads all technical personnel, budgets, and equipment, designs the system including transmission facilities, and oversees the installations and day-to-day.
• Assistant Chief Engineer: Assists the Chief Engineer in technical matters and supervision known as the engineering supervisor.
• Studio and Remote Engineer: Oversees aspects of technical operations
• Maintenance Engineer: Maintains technical equipment, and troubleshoots productions.
• The engineering staff are responsible for the purchase, installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment

Non engineering Technical Personnel & their responsibilities

• Non-engineers skilled in technical aspects consist of technically trained production people.
• Technical Producer: Handles the switching and acts as technical crew chief.
• Camera Operators (videographer): Operates the cameras and often lighting for simple shows, and works in field productions (ENG/EFP)
• Director of Photography (DOP): Manages the lighting in film productions, and for EFP operates the EFP camera.
• Lighting Director: lighting charges, primarily in large productions.
• Audio Technician: In charge of all audio productions and works audio console during work.
• Video Editor: controls post-production equipment by making or editing creative decisions,.
• Character generated Operator (C.G) recalls computer names and visual material to be integrated with the video image.

Technical Production Systems: Basic Television System

• A TV system consists of people and the equipment to operate production programs
• The television camera converts visual images into electrical signals for storage or visible re-conversion.
• The microphone converts sounds into electrical signals to loudspeaker
• The basic television system converts energy(image/sound) into electrical energy.

Technical Production Systems: Expanded Television System

• the expanded system include equipment in varied configurations
• Productions use the multi-camera system such as news, interviews, and operas
• the elementary multi-camera includes 2+ cameras and camera control units, preview monitors, switcher, line monitor ,video recorder/ transmission device
• Audio portion of the expanded system includes 1+ microphones ,audio mixer or console, and audio monitor, (speaker ) and transport sound signals to video recorder and or transmitter

Technical Production System Multicamera System

• This system includes quality controls (CCU and audio console )selection controls (switchers & audio consoles ) and monitors for previewing pictures and sound

Field Production System: Electronic News Gathering (ENG) System

• Consists of a camera-coder and mic
• camera-coder has video and audio quality control as well as video and audio recording capabilities
• Portable transmitter is necessary to send live field pick up to the studio

Technical production Systems Electronic Field Production(EFP)

• This EFP system is that for ENG,but may more than one camera to feed the output to separate video recorders

Pre Production

• It plans the move from idea to the script.
• Main factors are budget script, proposal and treatment
• Factors influencing the productions are presented in the TV production proposal
• Proposals is a written document that stipulates what you intend to do
• Includes briefly explains the program and major aspects of the presentation

TV Production Proposals

• There is no standard format for proposals
• How a producer presents subject and facilities depends on audience
• The Nature of the subject
• Program title ( keep it short and memorable
• Program Objective
• Target Audience
• Program Format
• Show Treatment ( brief and concise
• Production Method
• Tentative Budget

Conclusion

• Videotaping needs attention to detail in pre-production , post production and production phases
• Through BEFORE ,DURING and AFTER the production
• It is to though a checklist before recoding
• Helpful checklist for tape recording or tapeless.

Coordination task In preproduction

• Communication, filing facilities requests and requests a schedule and securing publically

Explore pre-production activities like character development and casting. Understand the importance of casting breakdowns, open calls, and 'sides'. Differentiate between video and television production, and identify suitable production methods for various projects.