Make sure that you have experienced what it is like to execute each role and understand the terminology involved—you will be able to direct and support your team far more effectively.
Film director James Cameron has a proven track record for producing iconic, record-breaking films, including Titanic, Avatar and the Terminator and Alien series. In addition to being major commercial successes, these films have been incredibly influential on popular culture, even to the extent that parts of their dialogue are immediately recognised worldwide.
Before you radiate, you must absorb
James Cameron was born in 1959 in Ontario, Canada. He initially studied Physics at Fullerton College before switching to English and eventually dropping out. He was fascinated by science fiction in his younger years and was inspired to learn more about filmmaking after watching Star Wars. Cameron began driving a truck to support his fledgling screenwriting career and spent time studying books related to film production and visual effects in the local library. He created his first short movie, Xenogenesis, with a $20 000 budget, made up of contributions from a consortium of California dentists (Cameron, 2021).
That film opened the doors to several small jobs in the entertainment business. Cameron worked as a model maker, art director, special effects artist and production designer until, finally, he became the director of an independent film, and, soon after, was inspired to write The Terminator.
Working his way through the ranks and gaining experience enabled Cameron to understand the roles and terminology used by each member of the filmmaking team, allowing him to become a better director.
Make sure that you have experienced what it is like to execute each role and understand the terminology involved—you will be able to direct and support your team far more effectively.
You are constantly humbled before the craft
One of the most important lessons that Cameron conveys is that you should stay curious and never stop learning, regardless of where you are in your career. Cameron's use of computer-generated images (CGI) and a nearly full-size replica of a ship produced the blockbuster Titanic. During production, his team's pioneering work to simulate realistic flowing water advanced the CGI craft further.
Cameron took CGI motion capture to the next level in Avatar, when facial rigs were developed that allowed an actor's performance to be captured and reproduced via CGI, resulting in realistic emotions to be expressed on a computer-generated model (Cameron, 2021). They also created Simulcam, which allowed actors to be directed in a virtual set, complete with backdrops in real time (Cameron, 2021).
Working on your business is just as important as working in it. Make sure that you are aware of new advances in your field and keep a watchful eye on other markets and industries. Blending special effect modelling and computer graphics took filmmaking to another level—can you do the same in your business?
Plan, but be flexible
The creation of a film goes through several distinct stages that are can be compared to a product launch. Once a film goes into production, the daily costs for staff, equipment rental and backdrop/location staff are incredibly high, so planning is essential. Let us take a closer look at each stage, and the key personnel who make it happen. While they may have different job titles to what aesthetic practitioners are used to, you will recognise the roles compared to a clinical setting. It is worth noting that, while one person may have several positions, there is a set of formal responsibilities and expectations for each one, rather than assuming that one role will seep into another.
» The creative law of thermodynamics applies to your aesthetic brand—your next great script and execution for your business requires you to go out and gather what experience you can before creating your product «
Development
The development phase is where the story idea begins to be developed. There is a high-level draft of the script, and the financial costs associated with it begin to be understood. The story for the film is also usually summarised into a single page for potential backers. A logline, which is a single sentence that describes the premise of the film and the main character, is developed and used to gain financial backing for the film and tease the audience.
The development stage is where the idea will keep being refined until a financial backer gives it the green light by financing it. At this stage, relatively little money is spent, but using ingenuity to find ways to make the idea stand out from a sea of competing ideas is vital. It is also possible to self-finance the idea and potentially use that as a springboard, but the target audience should be reached out to for feedback. In some cases, films have been backed by fan funding, such as Iron Sky.
The key role in this phase is the person with the idea, who is essentially an entrepreneur. This is an exciting time, as it is when product ideas can be developed, feedback gained and ideas repeatedly refined without the burden of too much expense. The only way to get feedback to determine if the idea should get the green light is to keep pitching and refining it.
Pre-production
Once backing has been received for the idea, it is time to get planning and visualise it in its finished form. In this stage, the script will be finalised, shooting schedules will be developed and cast and key film members who are specialists in their field will be gathered for their advice.
Plans will also be made regarding how each scene will be shot in detail, and how that will be processed by the audience will be considered, which will form the screenplay and shot list. Getting actors to start rehearsing scenes will allow the screenplay to be fine-tuned and early feedback will be gained. Cameron has used this time to great effect to listen to his actors about character development and change both dialogue and scenes accordingly.
The critical roles during pre-production are:
- Screenwriters: develop the story and turn it into a script
- Executive producer: secures financing for the film and is the high-level liaison between directors and financial backers and, ultimately, is responsible for the project's successful completion
- Casting director: responsible for hiring the actors and ensuring their availability
- Line producer: oversees the physical execution of producing the film on a daily basis
- Location manager: researches and obtains the appropriate permissions for filming locations
- Production manager: responsible for daily production decisions relating to budgets, staffing, equipment, props and scheduling. They usually work with the first assistant director, who is responsible for the daily shooting schedule from a creative perspective, and normally the most vocal on the set.
Production
The production stage is when the film will be captured, and the costs of executing the plan are at the highest. Again, planning and rehearsal are key. There is a call sheet for each day, which lets the crew know where they need to be, at what time and what they will be doing. With any luck, the day will be executed without a hitch, but there are backup plans in case of events outside of anyone's control, such as bad weather, crew sickness or equipment availability.
Planning the day and making sure that everyone knows what they are doing can consistently make a complex process run smoothly. By considering what could go wrong daily, and being ready for it, a perceived crisis can quickly be navigated around.
In addition to the cast and the roles established during pre-production, the following roles also become prominent:
- Visual/special effect supervisor: responsible for the creative aspects of the special effects and heavily involved in post-production to make those effects appear realistic
- Director of photography: works closely with the director to ensure each scene's correct lighting and framing. In addition to this, there are numerous technical roles associated with operating the equipment effectively.
Post-production and distribution
In post-production, the raw film output is finessed into a movie. The film clips are edited into the correct order, if needed, vocals are re-recorded and background music is applied. At this point, marketing and distribution will be organised to build excitement among fans once the film is ready. Principle roles include:
- Editor: determines which clips are going to be used and assembles them into the file
- Sound designer: manages the sounds, including atmospheric sounds. They may also organise re-recording dialogue if appropriate
- Marketing team: produces merchandise and advertising material
- Distribution agent: appointed to release the film into the cinema, sales and streaming. Sometimes, this can be a challenge if someone is not known to the industry, which is why a great marketing team, along with networking by the principal roles in the film, is essential
- Legal team: ensures the interests of the filmmaker and the financial backers are protected.
Summary
The creative law of thermodynamics applies to your aesthetic brand—your next great script and execution for your business requires you to go out and gather what experience you can before creating your product. A formal, rehearsed plan and well-defined roles and responsibilities at each phase ensure that the project is completed and in budget.
Can you apply the same to your crew for your next blockbuster for your brand?