Introduction to film production
Screenplay- a written version of a movie
Slugline- an uppercase line of text with a blank line above and below it, which acts as a code to convey information to the crew. Usually states where the scene is set and what time.
Location scout- finds somewhere to film the scene
Production designer- alters the location to fit the world of the film
Cinematographer- decides how to light it
Line producer-uses the location to help figure out how much the film is going to cost- shooting at night is more expensive than shooting in the day
Action- short, assertive sentences that describe who's in the scene and what they're doing- written in present tense
Dialogue- words spoken by characters
Joseph Campbell- steps taken by main characters as they transform over the course of a story
1. call to adventure
2. assistance
3. departure
4. trials
5. approach
6. crisis
7. treasure
8. result
9. return
10. new life
11. resolution
Conflict
External conflict- occurs whenever the protagonist encounters physical obstacles
Internal conflict- when the protagonist wrestles with some emotional or psychological obstacle
the more conflict the protagonist faces the more they have to transform to overcome it.
Three act structure
Act one
- sets up the world of screenplay
- introducing us to the characters
- identifying the protagonist
- identify the goal
Act two
- increasingly difficult conflicts
- meet allies
- success and setbacks
- brought to a point of hopelessness
Act three
- climax of the film
- face off between the protagonist and antagonist
- defining moments in achieving the goal
- hollywood movies usually achieve the goal
Sources of finance
Film finance is an aspect of film production that occurs during the development stage prior to pre-production, and is concerned with determining the potential value of a proposed film.
Film budgets are determined by what the market will bear to purchase the film once completed.
Films need money to be made and the amount go money needed all depends on the size and the type pf production. Many Hollywood films are funded by production companies such as Warner Brothers, whereas other films get their money from crowd funding websites like Kickstarter.
Films need money to be made and the amount go money needed all depends on the size and the type pf production. Many Hollywood films are funded by production companies such as Warner Brothers, whereas other films get their money from crowd funding websites like Kickstarter.
The 'negative costs' of feature films is what it takes to pay for talent, labour, materials and effects in order to produce the film. Additional costs can be for prints, advertising, marketing and promotion. In the UK, there are a number of sources for project development and production support , such as the BFI Film Fund, which os the lead agency for film, Creative England Fund, BBC Films and Film4.
British film funding
The BFI is the lead agency for film in the UK. The BFI Film Fund has a number of funding strands, investing over £26m of Lottery funds per year to support film development , production and distribution activity in the UK. It was established to encourage the development of the arts of film, television and moving image throughout the United Kingdom. Their objectives are to support:
To be eligible to apply to the BFI Production Fund, there are a list of statements that must be ticked off before submitting an application for funding. These statements include the project being certified as a British film, the project must meet the BFI diversity standards and the production budget must be over £ 25,0000 and can't be over £15million.
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people who each contribute a relatively small amount, typically via the internet. Examples of this are websites such as Kickstarter and GoFundMe. Wish I Was Here is an example of a film that uses crowdfunding successfully. The film raised $3,105,473 of the $2 million goal from 46,520 backers. It has a box office of $5.5 million and is rated 6.7/10 on IMDb
- the early careers of ambition filmmakers
- work with cultural relevance or progressive ideas
- filmmaking that takes risks on talent, form and content, where the more commercial sector cannot
- work that recognises the quality of difference
- an increase in the number of active projects originated by filmmakers outside London and the South East of England
To be eligible to apply to the BFI Production Fund, there are a list of statements that must be ticked off before submitting an application for funding. These statements include the project being certified as a British film, the project must meet the BFI diversity standards and the production budget must be over £ 25,0000 and can't be over £15million.
Logistics
The budget includes all costs relating to the development, production and post-production of a film, so it includes costs such as the payments to talent and the costs of acquiring the script. The budget is divided into above-the-line costs and below-the-line costs. Above-the-line costs include the costs for the rights, producer and talent whereas the below-the-line costs are all the costs of production and post-production.
An example of a film production that had to stop shooting because of financing is Divine Rapture. The film was supposed to be a comedy about miracles happening in a small Irish community, starring Johnny Depp, Marlon Brando and Debra Winger. However, after just two weeks of filming the production company CineFin was in a financial crisis. They had only films about 24 minutes of footage, but the time they'd left the location they were filming at, the small town went bankrupt. Many people were put out of business and some lost thousands of dollars in checks. The only person that got paid for the work in the film was Marlon Brando.
'It's all good'- a group of filmmakers crowdfunded $78,000 for a film on Indiegogo, and it seemed like they disappeared with the investment, taking the money and going on holiday to Italy. Supporters were furious as it was their money that was supposed to be spent on a film, and demanded their money back. However the directors did make a film which is about not making a movie. Played by the filmmakers themselves, its about three filmmakers who crowd fund more for a film and then blow it all.
Job types in film:
There are many different job roles in film, TV and animation which range in the amount of skills needed.
Director- the creative leads of the film that hold the creative vision throughout the whole process, from pre-production to the final edit. Directors bear a lot of burden of making a film. They're involved form the time the script is accepted to the moment of the films release and responsible for making sure that the film doesn't fail.
Producer- the financial, practical and creative heart of a film or TV drama. They are often the first to get involved, spotting the creative opportunity and commercial viability of a production,
Development producer- find stories and scripts and get them into good enough shape tone commissioned by a TV channel or made into a feature film
Other considerations film-production companies need to consider are facilities, materials and personnel. Facilities is a factor that needs to be thought of when making a film, because during the making of a film, facilities will be needed whether its somewhere for the cast to get their makeup done, or a place to store equipment. When making a film all facilities that may be needed has to be thought of so they can be arranged when production and post-production start. There are many materials needed for films that need to be thought of such as sound library materials, photo-library materials and scripts. These, and more materials may or ay not be original to the film being made but could still be used if the producer gets permission from the owner, or if the material is royalty free. The last thing film-production companies need to consider is personnel. Many people are needed to make a film, and these include producers, directors, actors and crew members. Films have many jobs that need to be taken on, which means finding people with the right experience for the job along with making sure they will have the means and time to do their job, which may be difficult. Personnel such as contributors are needed. They are people who contribute to the making of the film, so an actor would be considered a contributor. Others me be experts such as directors or composers.
Some more things to consider when making a film:
Logistics planning- diligently planning the most tome effective and cost-efficient routing of film props, food catering, camera equipment and film dailies.
Freight forwarding- arranging and tracking each ago shipment whether by air, ocean or ground freight transport so the cargo is safely and securely transported from location to location
Air charter- people who arrange for the transport of people such as actors as well as the freight
Films take a lot of time to create. There are many dates in which filmmakers have to stick to. The announcement is the date when its publicly announced that the film will be made, which is usually when the script has been written. The release date is the date in which the film is shown in cinemas for the public to watch. The average Hollywood movie is announced 871 days before being released. Pre production usually takes around 150 days, principle photography 160 days and post production 300 days. However there are many factors which could effect the time it takes to make the film. For example, if personnel or facilities are easily available, then it may take less time to start producing the film. If the filmmakers need specific people or equipment it may take longer to begin producing, therefore it all take longer to release the film.
There is a lot of production equipment needed to create a film. A video camera is the centrepiece of filmmaking, and the camera chosen usually depends on the budget of the film. Different lenses may also be needed depending on the shot the filmmaker is trying to create. Another essential piece of equipment is a tripod, which is used to keep the footage that is recorded steady so it looks more professional, however some scenes may use a handheld camera where a tripod isn't needed. A camera light is sometimes used to control the lighting so there is light where is needed, but also to get rid of any unwanted shadows. Bright or darker lighting may also add to the tone of the scene being filmed. To make the audio sound better, external microphones cam be used which pick up more sound so it's higher quality sound.
There is also equipment needed for post production, so after the film has been shot. Memory card readers can be used to transfer files safely to make sure they're backed up so no footage is lost. Editing software is a key part of post production as it brings the film together. There are many editing softwares such as Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro, and these softwares come at different prices, so it depends on the budget as to what can be bought. A hard drive can also be used to store footage, again to make sure none is lost or deleted.
Overall there is a large cost for production and post production facilities which should be included in the film budget, unless the filmmaker already has some equipment. The cost can be cheaper if cheaper equipment is used, for example if the film was shot on a phone camera instead of a DSLR camera, or if a free editing software is used.
A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, in addition to or instead of using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage. Filmmakers often choose to shoot on location because it creates better realism and it is also cheaper. It is common for films to be set in one place, but filmed in another, usually for reasons of economy or convenience. An example of this is The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which is set in Southwest USA but filmed in Spain. However, although filming on location is cheaper, it has many limitations. Permission may be needed, and there may be costs involved when filming in public places or certain locations, which adds cost to the budget and takes more time to be approved to be able to film there. The weather could massively impact filming, for example if its raining at the location the production of the film will have to be put on hold until the weather is better. Weather could also effect the lighting of the scenes, so if the filmmaker wants a specific lighting for scenes it may be difficult to achieve this.
There are many people that are involved in making films. The technical crew are those involved in production. The producer is essentially the group leader and is responsible for managing the production from start to finish. They develop the project from the original idea. The director is primarily responsible for overseeing the shooting and assembly of a film. The cinematographer or director of photography is responsible for capturing the script on film or video. When the director wants a shot to achieve certain atmospheric or visual qualities, the DP achieves this through their choice of lighting and manipulation of the camera.
Actors are responsible for portraying the characters in a film. They work closely with the director and cinematographer. An extra is a background actor that usually does not speak. They are used to create a setting that looks more realistic.
The BBFC is the British Board of Film Classification. It's a non-governmental organisation founded by the film industry and is responsible for the national classification and censorship of films within the UK. The BBFC's classification standards aim to reflect people's current views and expectations, and that their decisions give weight to what people find acceptable for each age rating. To make sure this is the case, every four of five years the BBFC carries out a major public consultation to find out what people think about the age rating of films and videos before they are released, and whether their classification standards meet their concerns. They have two over-riding principles which are: to protect children and vulnerable adults from potentially harmful or otherwise unsuitable content, and to help children and families choose what's right for them and avoid what's not.
The BBFC has case studies which explore why a film has a particular age rating, if it was cut, or if it was banned. An example is the film A Quiet Place, which is rated 15 uncut. In March 2017, the film came to the BBFC for an advice viewing, which is a stage prior to formal classification. The film requested for it to be in the 12A category as it includes 'terror and some bloody images'. However the Compliance managers that used the BBFC's classification guidelines and citing precedents, they determined that the film was likely to receive a 15 rating for the sustained and intense threat throughout. They informed the company that changes in the form of cuts or reductions would not address the tonal elements of the threat and horror sufficiently in terms of the film's suitability at 12A. The film company accepted the advice and submitted the film for formal classification with a 15 request. This was achieved and the film was duly rated 15 with the BBFC insight of 'sustained threat'. The reason it was rated a 15 was because there's moments of moderate violence which include bloody images, however the film did not have to worry about the issues concerning bad language, as there is very little spoken dialogue in the film.
There are various regulations in place to ensure the the UK remains 'film-friendly. These include regulations on filming in public, working with children, working with animals, using weapons, using explosives and unions.
When filming in public spaces, filmmakers must check if permission is required from the appropriate local authority or council. They are responsible for public land, public buildings, roads and parking. They will also need the full co-operation of the local police force if planning to film on a public highway or use special effects, explosives or fire arms. Permission is also needed to portray uniformed police officers or marked police vehicles on film. Before filming on a public road, local authorities must be contacted and the Highways Department of the local authority. Both will need to make sure that the plans are safe and pose no threat to road users, Plans for stage stunts must involve a stunt co-ordinator in plan discussions. If filming inside a shop or restaurant, written permission is needed to use the location, and to show the chain's name or trademark. If filming outside a shop or restaurant, permission isn't needed to show its name or trademark, however, of the location chosen is used to communicate negative messages in the film, legal proceedings may be risked.
When working with children, all children under 'state school leaving age', which may be 16 or 18, are required to be licensed by the child's local education authority. This license dictates the hours they are permitted to work, and any special; steps that need to be taken to protect the child, and other requirements that may need to be considered.
When working with animals, filmmakers must source animals that meet the productions requirements, and these must be from a known industry supplier or owner. The RSPCA guidelines must also be used for the Use of Animals in the Audio-Visual industry.
If the film uses weapons,the police must be informed whether they're replicas or functioning replicas, even when shooting on privately owned land. The Health and Safety Executive has an information sheer on the legal obligations as well as best practice.
Individuals employed within specialist filming areas, including working with explosives should have the relevant experience and qualifications. The Joint Industry Grading Scheme is the assessment scheme for such practitioners in safety critical departments. The relevant police department should also be informed of the intent to use explosives.
The UK unions provide guidance and support on pay rates and working practices. Equity is the UK trade union for professional performers and creative practitioners. BECTU is the UK's media and entertainment union; sectors covered include broadcasting, cinema, film, digital media and independent production.
The ASA is the self-regulatory organisation of the advertising industry in the UK. They respond to complaints and check adverts across media to make sure they are sticking to the rules. The UK Code of Broadcast Advertising applies to all advertisements and programme sponsorship credits on radio and television services licensed by Ofcom. The Code is enforced by the ASA.
Compliance is a code that says that advertisements should not mislead or cause serious or widespread offence or harm, especially to children or the vulnerable. Broadcasters are responsible for ensuring that the advertisements they transmit comply with both the spirit and the letter of the code.
Another code that must be followed, similar to the British Films Commission is that children must be protected from advertisements that could cause physical, mental or moral harm, so the age of the audience must be take into account to avoid unsuitable scheduling. As well as children, a harm and offence code has been put in place that says that advertisements must not cause serious or widespread offence against generally accepted moral, social or cultural standards. They also must not exploit the special trust that persons under the age of 28 place in parents, guardians, teachers or other persons.
An example of a film production that had to stop shooting because of financing is Divine Rapture. The film was supposed to be a comedy about miracles happening in a small Irish community, starring Johnny Depp, Marlon Brando and Debra Winger. However, after just two weeks of filming the production company CineFin was in a financial crisis. They had only films about 24 minutes of footage, but the time they'd left the location they were filming at, the small town went bankrupt. Many people were put out of business and some lost thousands of dollars in checks. The only person that got paid for the work in the film was Marlon Brando.
Job types in film:
There are many different job roles in film, TV and animation which range in the amount of skills needed.
Director- the creative leads of the film that hold the creative vision throughout the whole process, from pre-production to the final edit. Directors bear a lot of burden of making a film. They're involved form the time the script is accepted to the moment of the films release and responsible for making sure that the film doesn't fail.
Producer- the financial, practical and creative heart of a film or TV drama. They are often the first to get involved, spotting the creative opportunity and commercial viability of a production,
Development producer- find stories and scripts and get them into good enough shape tone commissioned by a TV channel or made into a feature film
Other considerations film-production companies need to consider are facilities, materials and personnel. Facilities is a factor that needs to be thought of when making a film, because during the making of a film, facilities will be needed whether its somewhere for the cast to get their makeup done, or a place to store equipment. When making a film all facilities that may be needed has to be thought of so they can be arranged when production and post-production start. There are many materials needed for films that need to be thought of such as sound library materials, photo-library materials and scripts. These, and more materials may or ay not be original to the film being made but could still be used if the producer gets permission from the owner, or if the material is royalty free. The last thing film-production companies need to consider is personnel. Many people are needed to make a film, and these include producers, directors, actors and crew members. Films have many jobs that need to be taken on, which means finding people with the right experience for the job along with making sure they will have the means and time to do their job, which may be difficult. Personnel such as contributors are needed. They are people who contribute to the making of the film, so an actor would be considered a contributor. Others me be experts such as directors or composers.
Some more things to consider when making a film:
Logistics planning- diligently planning the most tome effective and cost-efficient routing of film props, food catering, camera equipment and film dailies.
Freight forwarding- arranging and tracking each ago shipment whether by air, ocean or ground freight transport so the cargo is safely and securely transported from location to location
Air charter- people who arrange for the transport of people such as actors as well as the freight
Time
Films take a lot of time to create. There are many dates in which filmmakers have to stick to. The announcement is the date when its publicly announced that the film will be made, which is usually when the script has been written. The release date is the date in which the film is shown in cinemas for the public to watch. The average Hollywood movie is announced 871 days before being released. Pre production usually takes around 150 days, principle photography 160 days and post production 300 days. However there are many factors which could effect the time it takes to make the film. For example, if personnel or facilities are easily available, then it may take less time to start producing the film. If the filmmakers need specific people or equipment it may take longer to begin producing, therefore it all take longer to release the film.Facilities
There is a lot of production equipment needed to create a film. A video camera is the centrepiece of filmmaking, and the camera chosen usually depends on the budget of the film. Different lenses may also be needed depending on the shot the filmmaker is trying to create. Another essential piece of equipment is a tripod, which is used to keep the footage that is recorded steady so it looks more professional, however some scenes may use a handheld camera where a tripod isn't needed. A camera light is sometimes used to control the lighting so there is light where is needed, but also to get rid of any unwanted shadows. Bright or darker lighting may also add to the tone of the scene being filmed. To make the audio sound better, external microphones cam be used which pick up more sound so it's higher quality sound.
There is also equipment needed for post production, so after the film has been shot. Memory card readers can be used to transfer files safely to make sure they're backed up so no footage is lost. Editing software is a key part of post production as it brings the film together. There are many editing softwares such as Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro, and these softwares come at different prices, so it depends on the budget as to what can be bought. A hard drive can also be used to store footage, again to make sure none is lost or deleted.
Overall there is a large cost for production and post production facilities which should be included in the film budget, unless the filmmaker already has some equipment. The cost can be cheaper if cheaper equipment is used, for example if the film was shot on a phone camera instead of a DSLR camera, or if a free editing software is used.
Locations
A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, in addition to or instead of using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage. Filmmakers often choose to shoot on location because it creates better realism and it is also cheaper. It is common for films to be set in one place, but filmed in another, usually for reasons of economy or convenience. An example of this is The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which is set in Southwest USA but filmed in Spain. However, although filming on location is cheaper, it has many limitations. Permission may be needed, and there may be costs involved when filming in public places or certain locations, which adds cost to the budget and takes more time to be approved to be able to film there. The weather could massively impact filming, for example if its raining at the location the production of the film will have to be put on hold until the weather is better. Weather could also effect the lighting of the scenes, so if the filmmaker wants a specific lighting for scenes it may be difficult to achieve this.
Personnel
Actors are responsible for portraying the characters in a film. They work closely with the director and cinematographer. An extra is a background actor that usually does not speak. They are used to create a setting that looks more realistic.
Materials
There are many materials needed to make films. One of which is scripts. A script or |screenplay is a written work by screenwriters for a film. These screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression and dialogues of characters are also narrated.
Animatics are another part of film. It's defined as a series of images played in a sequence, often with a soundtrack, or an animated storyboard. The goal of them is to define the timing for a piece of moving image, and they can be created using software such as Photoshop. Animatics are a stage of pre-production, after storyboarding and before the designing phase. They use the same images as the storyboard, but stitched together in sequence and rendered as a video. The benefits are that if a storyboard has already been created for the film, its easy to make an animatic as they are quick to produce and are cheap. They also create a consensus of the film, as it would be the first time the filmmakers see the film in motion.
Costume design plays an essential role in making a movie. The costume designer works alongside the director, lighting designer and other creative personnel. Costumes help to define characters, as they can communicate the details of a character's personality to the audience, and making the characters more memorable. They can also be used to describe the age of the characters, their mood, what culture they're from or love in, or what occupation they have.
Production assets are any item purchased or manufactured during the course of production which will have a residual value and may be available for sale once no longer require by production. Agreement should be reached in pre-production for a minimum level of net cost to constitute an asset. These help the film make more money, as many people would be interested in buying these assets if the film is well recognised.
Animatics are another part of film. It's defined as a series of images played in a sequence, often with a soundtrack, or an animated storyboard. The goal of them is to define the timing for a piece of moving image, and they can be created using software such as Photoshop. Animatics are a stage of pre-production, after storyboarding and before the designing phase. They use the same images as the storyboard, but stitched together in sequence and rendered as a video. The benefits are that if a storyboard has already been created for the film, its easy to make an animatic as they are quick to produce and are cheap. They also create a consensus of the film, as it would be the first time the filmmakers see the film in motion.
Costume design plays an essential role in making a movie. The costume designer works alongside the director, lighting designer and other creative personnel. Costumes help to define characters, as they can communicate the details of a character's personality to the audience, and making the characters more memorable. They can also be used to describe the age of the characters, their mood, what culture they're from or love in, or what occupation they have.
Production assets are any item purchased or manufactured during the course of production which will have a residual value and may be available for sale once no longer require by production. Agreement should be reached in pre-production for a minimum level of net cost to constitute an asset. These help the film make more money, as many people would be interested in buying these assets if the film is well recognised.
Adherence to codes of practice and regulation
The BBFC is the British Board of Film Classification. It's a non-governmental organisation founded by the film industry and is responsible for the national classification and censorship of films within the UK. The BBFC's classification standards aim to reflect people's current views and expectations, and that their decisions give weight to what people find acceptable for each age rating. To make sure this is the case, every four of five years the BBFC carries out a major public consultation to find out what people think about the age rating of films and videos before they are released, and whether their classification standards meet their concerns. They have two over-riding principles which are: to protect children and vulnerable adults from potentially harmful or otherwise unsuitable content, and to help children and families choose what's right for them and avoid what's not.
The BBFC has case studies which explore why a film has a particular age rating, if it was cut, or if it was banned. An example is the film A Quiet Place, which is rated 15 uncut. In March 2017, the film came to the BBFC for an advice viewing, which is a stage prior to formal classification. The film requested for it to be in the 12A category as it includes 'terror and some bloody images'. However the Compliance managers that used the BBFC's classification guidelines and citing precedents, they determined that the film was likely to receive a 15 rating for the sustained and intense threat throughout. They informed the company that changes in the form of cuts or reductions would not address the tonal elements of the threat and horror sufficiently in terms of the film's suitability at 12A. The film company accepted the advice and submitted the film for formal classification with a 15 request. This was achieved and the film was duly rated 15 with the BBFC insight of 'sustained threat'. The reason it was rated a 15 was because there's moments of moderate violence which include bloody images, however the film did not have to worry about the issues concerning bad language, as there is very little spoken dialogue in the film.
Clearance and Legals
Copyright is the exclusive right given to the creator of a creative work ( such as film) to reproduce the work, usually for a limited time. It protects the visual images and accompanying sounds pf 'cinematographic films'.
At some stage, filmmakers may want to use copyright material owned by others in a film or video, but before this is used, they must get permission from the original owner. When filmmakers seek the permission of a copyright owner, it's called copyright clearance.
Copyright clearances are needed for:
- screenplays
- written works that are read out loud or seen
- music that is used on a soundtrack
- artistic works that are seen in a film
- footage from another film or video including news footage
- parts of other films that may be included
Clearances are important because they make sure that the people making the film to not infringe the rights of others, and many film festivals, funding bodies and distributors will need to see clearances before they agree to work with them.
There are also moral rights, which are persona rights that connect creators of a work to their work.
Filmmakers have the moral right to:
- be acknowledged, meaning they have the right to have their name listed in the credits
- stop anyone else from being named as the producer, director or screenwriter of the film
- protect themselves by taking legal action of the film is treated in any way that hurts the filmmakers reputation
If filmmakers have included the work of other people in their film, they must respect their moral rights by listing them in the credits.
Royalty free music refers to a type of music license that allows the buyer to pay the music license only once, and use the music for as long as they want. For example, if a company buys a license for a song to use in a TV advert, they will only pay once but the advert can appear on every ad break. Its the opposite of Protected to Managed Rights licenses which the buyer pays a royalty according to the number of times the song is used.
Royalty free music refers to a type of music license that allows the buyer to pay the music license only once, and use the music for as long as they want. For example, if a company buys a license for a song to use in a TV advert, they will only pay once but the advert can appear on every ad break. Its the opposite of Protected to Managed Rights licenses which the buyer pays a royalty according to the number of times the song is used.
Regulations
There are various regulations in place to ensure the the UK remains 'film-friendly. These include regulations on filming in public, working with children, working with animals, using weapons, using explosives and unions.
When filming in public spaces, filmmakers must check if permission is required from the appropriate local authority or council. They are responsible for public land, public buildings, roads and parking. They will also need the full co-operation of the local police force if planning to film on a public highway or use special effects, explosives or fire arms. Permission is also needed to portray uniformed police officers or marked police vehicles on film. Before filming on a public road, local authorities must be contacted and the Highways Department of the local authority. Both will need to make sure that the plans are safe and pose no threat to road users, Plans for stage stunts must involve a stunt co-ordinator in plan discussions. If filming inside a shop or restaurant, written permission is needed to use the location, and to show the chain's name or trademark. If filming outside a shop or restaurant, permission isn't needed to show its name or trademark, however, of the location chosen is used to communicate negative messages in the film, legal proceedings may be risked.
When working with children, all children under 'state school leaving age', which may be 16 or 18, are required to be licensed by the child's local education authority. This license dictates the hours they are permitted to work, and any special; steps that need to be taken to protect the child, and other requirements that may need to be considered.
When working with animals, filmmakers must source animals that meet the productions requirements, and these must be from a known industry supplier or owner. The RSPCA guidelines must also be used for the Use of Animals in the Audio-Visual industry.
If the film uses weapons,the police must be informed whether they're replicas or functioning replicas, even when shooting on privately owned land. The Health and Safety Executive has an information sheer on the legal obligations as well as best practice.
Individuals employed within specialist filming areas, including working with explosives should have the relevant experience and qualifications. The Joint Industry Grading Scheme is the assessment scheme for such practitioners in safety critical departments. The relevant police department should also be informed of the intent to use explosives.
The UK unions provide guidance and support on pay rates and working practices. Equity is the UK trade union for professional performers and creative practitioners. BECTU is the UK's media and entertainment union; sectors covered include broadcasting, cinema, film, digital media and independent production.
The ASA is the self-regulatory organisation of the advertising industry in the UK. They respond to complaints and check adverts across media to make sure they are sticking to the rules. The UK Code of Broadcast Advertising applies to all advertisements and programme sponsorship credits on radio and television services licensed by Ofcom. The Code is enforced by the ASA. Compliance is a code that says that advertisements should not mislead or cause serious or widespread offence or harm, especially to children or the vulnerable. Broadcasters are responsible for ensuring that the advertisements they transmit comply with both the spirit and the letter of the code.
Another code that must be followed, similar to the British Films Commission is that children must be protected from advertisements that could cause physical, mental or moral harm, so the age of the audience must be take into account to avoid unsuitable scheduling. As well as children, a harm and offence code has been put in place that says that advertisements must not cause serious or widespread offence against generally accepted moral, social or cultural standards. They also must not exploit the special trust that persons under the age of 28 place in parents, guardians, teachers or other persons.
Trade unions and professional bodies
Pact ( producers alliance for cinema and television) is the trade association representing the commercial interests of the UK independent television, film, digital, children's and animation media companies. They help to shape the best possible regulatory and legislative environment for the independent production sector to grow domestically and internationally. Their five main areas of work are: policy and campaigns, legal and business affairs, international, markets and missions and diversity.
Pact responds to political and regulatory reviews on behalf of members such as Ofcom consultations on the BBC's commercial and trading activities and the BritBox materiality assessment. They work with these members to get their input into Pact's responses to consultations that affect the production industry.
They are also committed to improving diversity within the media industry and work collaboratively with both their members and broadcasters to ensure that diversity is included and is seen as important. An example that is on the Pact diversity website (linked here) is Idris Elba's take-over of BBC Three. This came about when Idris championed diversity of thought in a speech to MPs and the BBC Three Controller asked to put the speech in practice. The result was a reason inviting writers, filmmakers and contributors to tell stories they wanted to tell whilst ensuring the offering was made by diverse and emerging talent.
Pact responds to political and regulatory reviews on behalf of members such as Ofcom consultations on the BBC's commercial and trading activities and the BritBox materiality assessment. They work with these members to get their input into Pact's responses to consultations that affect the production industry.
They are also committed to improving diversity within the media industry and work collaboratively with both their members and broadcasters to ensure that diversity is included and is seen as important. An example that is on the Pact diversity website (linked here) is Idris Elba's take-over of BBC Three. This came about when Idris championed diversity of thought in a speech to MPs and the BBC Three Controller asked to put the speech in practice. The result was a reason inviting writers, filmmakers and contributors to tell stories they wanted to tell whilst ensuring the offering was made by diverse and emerging talent.
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