Key roles

I have decided to conduct some research into the different roles in the film industry so that we can assign these roles to each of the members in our team.

Distributor
I have decided to conduct some research into the role of the distributor as I would like to find out how important their role is in the film industry.

The role of the distributor is to promote the film on release, In order to do this the distribution team usually creates a distribution plan; This contains information on The budgeting, the marketing and the prints created.

There are factors that the distributor needs to take into account for example ...

• The competition - If there is competition releasing a similar movie then they need to take this into account as having two similar movies in the market at the same time can result in a lower turnover for both of the companies.
• The U.S.P - the unique selling point of the film needs to be taken into account as this can be a major factor to promote the film
• The actors - having main stream or blockbuster actor/actresses can also help to promote the film as their fans will want to see them in their newest role. Also having big stars in the film means that any party or event they go to may help to promote the film
• Awards - having the film win awards means that more people will be willing to watch the film and also will get them exited about being able to see a piece of work that has won awards.
• The certification of the film - this is really important because it decides the size and age of the market that the film can get to.

The marketing plan

• to raise awareness of the film
• the creation of trailers, posters and websites
• Promotional partners ships (MacDonald's)
• word-of-mouth (can have a negative effect)

Producer
A film producer role is to firstly to obtain the rights to create the screenplay. The producer oversees the process of creating the film, through co-ordinating and supervising the major aspects of the film. Their role also includes fund raising for the film and also hiring important staff such as the line producer and the casting director.

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From the first draft script, through all stages of production, to the final dub, success or failure rests largely in the hands of the producer. Experience in this field does not come overnight. Rather it is born out of long years of creative and technical know-how, and above all a love for the job and all that goes with it, together with the ability to choose the right talent with which to surround himself. - Julien Wintle (1913–1980) (producer and editor)

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The producer also is in charge of the roles of executive producer and the line producer

The executive producer is not involved in the day-to-day production but is in charge of representing the financial investor of the film; this could be the distributor or a film studio. The executive producer can be also be the author of the book that the film is based on or even an actor who has convinced the studio to run the filming process.

Co-producers and Associate producers are not as involved as the executive producer, their role is to support the executive producer and producer where needed.

A line producer's has a very hands on role they are involved in the day-to-day financial and production problems, they are also involved in supporting the director with their decisions.

Casting director

I thought that I would do some research on who actually casts a film as I always thought that it was mainly the director's job to do so, but from my findings its not.

The casting director is the main person who casts a film, from choosing the main role down to extras used in the background. They are given a rough image that the director imagines to play the part, for example he may give them the gender and the persons particular age/hair colour/skin colour etc, and the casting director has to find someone who fits the bill.

When casting an actor an audition process is generally taken out and the casting director is given the final word about who plays the part. Famous casting directors include Kerry Barden who casted films like American Pyscho and Se7en and Sheila Jaffe who casted Rambo and The Italian Job. This illustrates that they each have a particular genre that they mainly specialise in to make them appeal to production companies looking for casting directors.

Film director
The job of a film director is one of the most important roles when creating a film. Their job involves many creative aspects whilst organising a production team. They are the main person needed to make a film as they control everything. They include;
-Bringing the author/ screen writer's vision to life
-Overseeing the work of the film producer
-They cut the script into short sequences, and decide on the camera angles that will work well with certain events
-They normally conduct a rehearsal so that they know how the scene will look and if any small changes need to be made e.g. the way an actor speaks a line
-Once the film is finished they work closely with the editor to ensure that certain emotions are portrayed well through editing, the composition of shots are correct and that the sound matches on screen actions.

Examples:
Steven Spielberg- War Horse, Shindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Transformers, War of the Worlds, Jurassic Park, ET, Indiana Jones etc.
Tim Burton-Edward Scissor Hands, Alice in Wonderland, Sweeney Todd, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Corpse Bride
Guy Ritchie- Rock'n'Rolla, Sherlock Holmes, Suspect