How does actors film a movie? All those Producers and executie producers how do

Question:actors and actresses what to say and what to do? Please explain everything as much as you can.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: actors and actresses what to say and what to do? Please explain everything as much as you can.

The director has a shooting script out of which he selects a shooting schedule, the actors needed each day for what is on the schedule, called a call sheet, show up and do what they are told by the director. All those producers are in charge of the business operation of the film, getting everything needed to where it needs to be for the shooting schedule, the executive producers are in charge of the financing of the film. Annon. is wrong about one thing, film making is pretty boring. you stand around all day waiting for everything to get set up, you run through the scene, then they have to set the lights and camera while you wait some more and then you film the scene until the director is satisfied, often many times over again. then you stand around and wait while they set up the next scene. And repeat. Not much glamor.

Well, there is a person who comes up and writes the story. Then, they add lines to the story kind of like a book but as like the situation/event that is happening in the movie/story. The people hire actors but before they do that they want to test them to see if they are good at acting before hiring them. Once they hire the actors, they act out and say their lines. They do from scene to scene so they film one scene say about... fifteen seconds if someone is talking. Then they switch to the other person who is talking. There are sometimes more than one camera filming like if the sound is continuing but the scene hasn't changed yet they keep recording the sound but change who they are filming. Hope it sounds great to you! Film making is fun... I do that with my small camera it is so fun! XD

I second Theatre Doc on this one. Our favorite saying was "Hurry up and wait!" LOL

Honestly you have no idea how much info you're asking for. There's an absolute ton of info left out so far, but I think you've been given enough to start with.

Marianne

I do not need, or even want the 2 points, but I must chime in...

Doc and Marianne are the ones to listen to.

Let's see Y!A ding me 26 points for that.

But I'm not bitter........

well an idea is developed by one or more writers and steered by sevearl producers

they attempt to attach big stars and directors to the project

they attempt to get finnancing for this package

they work it and re-work it, ususally over one to two or more years before production starts

an assistnat director and production manager work the script into a final draft and then with the producer and director they see what they can remove or consolodate to cut costs

they group the script by actors, locations, sets, day work and night work.

at this point multiple locations are consolodated into a single location and scenes with 6 actors are cut to 4 actors with lines given from a deleted charater to one who remains

You have above the line people, such as Jim Carey who is paid $20 million flat and basically wavies all royalties.

This is paid on a weekly basis over generally a 5-15 year period depending on his need and tax situation

Below the line people get union royalties and residuals

A fairly big actor works 1 week on the film and negociates a $50,000 fee and credit line. When the movie goes to HBO he or she gets union scale of $2,500, plus any other royalties he was able to negociate

By the time it hits local TV he or she gets flat $2,500 per market and this scales down over 10 years to eentually $250 per market

The writer gets more like $20,000 for HBO and $5,000 per local market scaling down to $500

stars and key players may have other committements so the schedule is coordinated for their avaialble days

they obtain permits to shoot

the art department draws a picture of every bit of action. From this one ore more senior art people deisgn sets and cosumers design costumes.

set drawings are turned into blue prints and just before shooting starts a crew builds the sets

if it's an action film the actors work with stunt people and train

then they start shooting and as they shoot they change things, actors may suggest new lines, director may suggest new lines

the director and stunt people may change concepts in the script to be more unique and original

once it's done they edit 6-12 hours of footage into less than 2 hours if they can, if not they look at what they have and decide if they can trim or cut things out to get it under 2 hours

the director gets to make the first final cut

as this is done music is recorded and sound effects are created step by step to replace the sounds done live.

if special effects are required one or more effects houses are commissioned

this may happen before production, during production or after production depending on the type of effect

then it is previewed and changes are made

the director is eventually released and the existing print is show to distributors or studios who then request other changes and trims and sets a release date

the producers and studios have the final say in the trims and cuts

they continue to preview it to audiences

if necessary they change the release date to make more changes to the film or they release the film as is even if they aren't satisfied

a lot depends on the film and date

An action film has to release in early summer, if they can't make that date they might change a christmas release or wait a whole nother year

they will not do that without a good reason

the distributor then decides how many screens to open a film on. Each screen require a print and 1 minute of screen time costs about $200 per print, so that means prints cost like $20,000+ each. 200 screens means $400,000 in prints plus shipping

the distributor then splits 40/60 with the theater on ticket sales

The distirubtor then pays the studio a percentage of the fees collected

The studio then pays all the above the line contract players, producers and directors and some below the line people, plus pays into the union funds and keeps a share

IF a film costs $100 million to make and grosses $20 million the first week on 200 screens the distributor gets 8 -10 million and the studio gets 4-5 million

A $100 million film must bring in $200 to the distributor ($500 million gross at the theaters) to break even

The life of a film is conisdered to be 10-15 years

Pay per view gets the movie 3 months after distribution to theaters and pays $1 or less per $3 charge to the distributor for each view

At the preview screenings all the TV networks get a look and bid.

If the film is really hot HBO or Showtime usually gets first crack after pay per view and pays $2-10 millioin for 10 to 30 days exclusive and 20 days no exclusive

10 -30 days after HBO gets it it usually goes to DVD

A differnt distribution arm handles DVDs

Showtime may get a second run after HBO if they want to for a lot less money. $1-4 million

Broadcast isn't what it used to be Few movies are on TV these days but they do pick and choose special films and pay $1-$5 million for 2-3 screenings

Then there is DVD

First run they wholesale for $11-13

Retailers keep the difference between wholesale and retail

A distributor like Ingram keeps 40-60%

The DVD arm of the studio gets the rest

The studio gets 40-60% of what the DVD arm collects.

After 6 months the retailer can return overstock for full credit to ingram and ingram can return these to the DVD arm

we are now talking a year from release

The DVD arms places these back with ingram at a flat rate as a discount item.

Flat rate could be $3-$5

Ingram sells them for $7-10

These become the $13 videos

After 3 months these can be returned

After a while the DVD arm blows them out to a cut or blow out distributor for $1-3 each

These now become the $5 to $8 DVDS

This now in the second year

Film packages are sold to local TV stations

Paramount may sell packs of films and films and TV shows to local stations for $10millon or $20 million over a 5 year run

This means a local station in the 3rd year after release can show the movie as much as they want for 5 years

Showtime and HBO also buy such packages

The package can be 5-20 titles

The studio may do a 2 or 3 title DVD re-release

Cuts, blow outs and 2/3 title DVDs pay little if anything to most of the principals

We're talking 3 titles in a $12.50 retail package taht gets the studio $1-3

These are the kinds of things the writer's guild strike was aabout

Currently tye may get nothing for such an offering or as little as $250

If you are a one liner in the film you get $600 for that one day of work, $600 when it hits pay per view $600 when it hits showtime or hbo, $500 for the sloopy seconds, $500 for the network airing, $250 for australia, $250 for the UK, $75 for the DVD $150 for the localper market scaling down to $40 after 10 years

So, in year 3 a day player has made about $3,000-$5,000 for one day of work in one movie

That's the union minumum contract

That's waht your $2,500 SAG card with $100 yearly dues gets you

By year 3 jim carey has gotten $2-4 million for six months or 1 year of commitement and six to eight weeks filming and a month of promotion

Now if the film cost $100 million to make and after 5 years has only brought in $75 million to the studio it is stillin the red and not paying net profits to any of the financiers nor to the studio

To bring $75 milloin to the studio it must have a world wide all media gross of $150-200 million

These films are financed by banks who finance a whole package. They finance a studio year to year or an individual picture

When the studio buys a picture they agree to pay all the indebteness

Films are financed with limited partnerships and bank loans and production company money

ALL of these notes are paid in full when a studio buys the film

If a production company or the partnership has net points in the film they don't see one cent until the film pays back all the studio costs

So if a limited partnership owns 10% of the net in this film they got back their investment money but made no profit yet

When the film generate $1 million in profit ($100 million back to the studio plus $1 more) they get $100,000 to divide among their investors

If the writer owns 5 net points they finally get $50,000 on top of their fee and residuals.

This may take 10 years to happen

it may never happen

An above or below the line actor or writer or director with 1% of teh gross has gotten $750,000 if it's a dollar one gross