Unit 1 - Roles within a pre production on set

During the pre production process there are many roles that are important because we will need when it's time before and during the movie as they are important. The are many roles that play a vital part in the pre production process such as:

Responsibilities of Actors

These are the people who play characters in films. Their responsibility is to learn their lines, show up on time and take care of the props provided. They also need to be organized as the costumes they wear need to be taken care of.

Without actors we would not have movies and TV shows since there would not be anybody to cast. Actors are important to a pre production process because they need to practice their lines. If an actor were to go on camera without a pre production process they would be a mess and it would be time consuming. Acting may seem like an easy job but it takes time. An actor needs to understand the character they’re playing. For example, in the movie ‘the theory of everything’ an actor called Eddie Redmayne played Stephen Hawking and how he got his disease. This actor had an pre production process to learn how to act crippled.

The history of acting goes back around to ancient Greece. It is believed that one of the first actors was a Greek call Thespis of Icaria. This is dated to 12BC. 

Responsibilities of Writers

Writers are responsible for researching the story, developing the narrative, writing the screenplay, and delivering it, in the required format. Writers therefore have great influence over the creative direction and emotional impact of the screenplay and, arguably, of the finished film. Writers are the ones who come up with ideas and put the script together. Without writers it would be difficult to keep everything organized. Not everyone has the creativity that writers posses to write a script.

Writers are important to the preproduction process because they are the ones who come up with the story idea. They write the characters, where the characters are from, the plot. Without them in pre production process would be a mess without a writers direction to follow.

The history of writing goes back to 1896 when writing wasn’t as important as it  today.  Many scenarios were written in synopsis form and rarely were longer than one paragraph. Scenarios were so short that they included a title and a one-line description of the action to be seen. It wasn't’t until 1901 when films were becoming popular that writing became  series and film scripts were finally made.

Responsibilities of Directors 

Directors are people who direct the making of a film. During the preproduction stage, the director's responsibilities can be divided into four principle tasks: (1) collaborating with the writers on the development of the script

(2) assisting the casting director in hiring appropriate actors, and conducting rehearsals

(3) cooperating with the producers in developing a practical shooting schedule

(4) planning the overall visual look of the film with the production designers and the director of photography.

Directors multitask efficiently, ensuring that all tasks are executed effectively, solving any unforeseen complications that may arise during production are responsible for organizing film.  A film director also controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects, and visualizes the script while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfillment of that vision. 

The history of a film director goes back to1866 when  The Duke of Saxe Meiningen is often regarded as the first man to resemble anything even remotely to  a modern Director. He was not even really a theatre person to begin with. He was a patron who invited a touring company to live in his manor. Since he was supporting them, he had the ability to tell them what to do, and stumbled into the role of a Director.

Responsibilities of casting directors

In pre-production, Casting Directors work with both the

Director and producer to assemble the perfect cast for the film. As a result, casting directors must have in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of new and existing acting talent. They are responsible for matching the ideal actor to each role, based on a number of factors, such as the actor's experience, ability, reputation, availability and box office appeal. Casting Directors also work closely with Production Accountants to prepare the casting budget.

The history of casting directors go back to the the late 1950s led by two of the first casting directors Lynn Stalmaster and Marion Doughtery. For his casting work on The Thomas Crown Affair, Stalmaster was the first person to receive the "casting by" credit that became standard in main title credits ever after.

Responsibilities of producer

The many responsibilities of producers are often responsible for coming up with the idea for a production, or selecting a screenplay. Producers secure the rights, choose the screenwriter and story editing team. The independent producer usually initiates the production process by finding the script and starting the process. The producer finds the director and pursues the primary goals, to balance and coordinate business and financial aspects in the service of the creative realization of the playwright's and producer’s vision.