Top Films are staple diet for the average Indian. It is, in fact, a composite craft, requiring the interplay of numerous separate skills. Its technology has seen tremendous development within this century, and is being continuously refined and expanded. Its versatility and potential as a medium of expression has always attracted the finest creative talent to its fold.
Cinema, today, is a recognised industry and India, in particular, has the distinction of being the largest producer of films in any given year. The bulk of these come from the big studios in Mumbai and Chennai.Regional cinema is also fairly active in each state, Bengal and Kerala being the best known for the quantity, quality and innovativeness of their films.
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A number of different sectors operate independently within the film industry. These include:
Entertainment or Feature Films
This is an enormous sector in terms of turnover and employment. Most feature films are made by independent producers or studios, who raise the capital for their ventures through various sources, including private financiers and business corporations. The greater part of mainstream cinema, which sustains this sector, comprises big budget productions. A few smaller films, made by committed producers or directors with modest funding, have also gained recognition in India and abroad. Feature film-making has, to some extent, been affected by the advent of video. Copyright piracy has cut into distribution profits.
Documentaries or Shorts
These are smaller films, both in length and budget and are basically devices to record and communicate information. Documentaries and short films that are mainly non-fictional in content and can be on any subject. Growing information consciousness and the expansion of television networks through satellite and cable services have greatly enlarged the market for these films.
Corporate Communications
These films are used by companies or organisations to inform clients, collaborators, associates, the public, or sometimes their own employees about their overall activities or aspects of their operations. Some production companies specialise in this type of film-making.
Advertising Films
Though seldom longer than thirty seconds in duration, advertising films are often made on substantial budgets. Their purpose is to promote a product or service that is being advertised. They are usually produced or commissioned by advertising agencies.
Training Films
These are teaching aids, used by educational and training institutions. This is a specialist area, the scope of which is growing steadily with the increasing employment of audio visual aids in education.
Public Interest Communications
Government and non-government welfare organisations commission the production of films on health, safety and other matters of public concern. A large number of these public interest films are made and exhibited for general viewing every year. These are like socially relevant advertising films.
Government Departments
The film industry interacts with various government departments that facilitate and control productions in different ways. These departments include:
The National Film Development Corporation
An autonomous body set up to encourage the production of quality films in India, it provides partial funding for some film projects and aids their promotion, sale, distribution and export. It is also involved in the selection, import and distribution of a proportion of foreign films screened within the country.
Central Board of Film Certification
It reviews and attests all films before they can be exhibited for public viewing, to ensure that their content is not inflammatory or prejudicial and meets with the required norms of decency and good taste. More unpopularly known as the Censor Board.
Films Division
An organ of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, it produces government-sponsored newsreels, documentaries and public interest films that are screened compulsorily before the main programme at all public cinema theatres.
The Directorate of Film Festivals
It organises national and international film festivals, bazaars and other promotional events to encourage production, marketing and viewing of cinema.
The National Film Archives
It acquires, documents and maintains records on and copies of all films produced in India, with the aim of preserving them for posterity.
The craft of film-making depends essentially on teamwork and the close coordination of variously skilled individuals. The size of film units can range from 200 people upwards on big features to smaller than a five-member crew on documentaries or corporate presentations.
The nature of the work includes many diverse activities such as raising capital for the film, its distribution and screening and all the stages of its crafting. On larger productions, each activity is handled by a separate department. In smaller units, each individual undertakes a specific function. As a certain degree of expertise is essential for most jobs, there is little, if any, overlapping of duties. Due to the enormous costs involved in shooting a film, and the interdependence of departments on one another, timing is a vital aspect of all film work. A small delay by even a junior member of the unit can result in heavy losses for the production company.
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Entry in this profession could be by specialising in any one aspect of film-making and joining a production company, or by starting as a ‘runner' in any of the departments and learning on the job while working one's way up the ranks. Some of the world's greatest directors or producers have started their film careers in this manner.
Most feature productions have an elaborate hierarchy in which each member of the unit performs a separate and well defined task. Each operation is chiefed by a head of department who has assistants at different levels to carry out specific duties. The various strata of functioning are innumerable.
Main titles in film production include:
Producer
He carries the project through from start to finish and is ultimately responsible for its success or failure.
Director
He coordinates all the creative and technical elements of the film.
Screenplay Writer
He adapts original story idea or published work into a format suitable for the screen.
Actors
They perform for the camera and include principal actors who play the lead roles; secondary actors, who play supporting roles; extras, who are extraneous people necessary to the scene but not in the storyline.
Cinematographer
He designs and composes each scene to the shot.
Camera Operator
He sets up shots on the cinematographer's instructions and operates the camera.
Lighting Director or Cameraman
He or they work out lighting plan for each shot. This could also be done by the cinematographer.
Sound Recordist
He is responsible for the quality of recorded sound.
Sound Mixer
Edits and puts together the various elements of the sound track.
Casting Director
He is responsible for selection of artists in the film.
Art Director
He provides overall design of all physical elements of the film.
Properties Manager
He ensures that the right props are available as required during the shooting of scenes.
Construction Manager
He is responsible for building and preparation of sets as required.
Music Director
He is responsible for composing and arranging the music and orchestra for film soundtrack.
Lyricist
He writes the words of the songs in the film.
Special Effects Manager
He provides the film's special effects.
Stunt Arranger or Coordinator
He works out action sequences and is responsible for safety of stuntmen and women.
Choreographer
He visualises dance sequences and personally instruct artists and could be assisted by a coach.
Costume Designer
He researches and designs all costumes to he worn by actors and extras in the film.
Wardrobe Master or Mistress
He supervises procurement, tailoring and maintenance of costumes and accessories.
Make-up Chief
He decides make-up for actors and supervises its application.