Marcin Legeżyński The Amazing Film Industry

Have you ever been on a film setfilm setfilm set? Motion picturesmotion pictures [motion picture]Motion pictures are a particularly attractive form of art and many people love watching films for leisure or because they want to learn about a particular topic. But who are the people involved in the process of making a movie?

Most of us will immediately think of actors and actresses who play in films. The job of an actor is a very rewarding, but also challenging one. Actors and actresses perform various roles in films of different genresgenres [genre]genres. It is a job for any age: from child actors to elderly people. Everyone has a chance, provided they have some talent and a lot of luck. Acting jobs are often very well‑paid, so many people imagine they could easily become a top actor or actress earning plenty of money. The reality is that there are hundreds of candidates for these jobs and only the most outstanding ones receive top roles in blockbusterblockbusterblockbuster films. Others must earn their living playing in C‑class movies, TV advertisements or other, less reputable productions. Still, they have the chance to experience the job and often enjoy it a lot.

There are also roles that involve extrasextras [extra]extras: background performing actors who don’t usually have speaking roles. Some films require hundreds or thousands of extras to create the effect of crowds of people, armies or other large gatherings. More dangerous roles frequently involve stuntsstunts [stunt]stunts. These may include horse‑riding, jumping from heights, fight scenes or car chases. Although the job of a stuntmanstuntmanstuntman seems risky, there are many safety measures in place to protect these people from injuries.

Actors often depend heavily on a prop departmentprop departmentprop department. This team of people takes responsibility for creating propsprops [prop]props required in films, which range from weapons and furniture to large vehicles, planes or even spaceships, depending on the genre. People responsible for planning all the necessary props, decorations and film set surroundings are art directorsart directors [art director]art directors.

If you are enchantedenchantedenchanted by the camera rollingcamera rollingcamera rolling, you could consider a different role in the film industry and become a cameramancameramancameraman. Operating film cameras has become an art and it requires extensive knowledge of equipment, shootingshootingshooting techniques and other important aspects of image recording. If you have ever tried recording a video on your mobile phone, you will agree that choosing the right scene, doing close‑upsclose‑ups [close‑up]close‑ups and including everything you have planned for in your video is not an easy task. However, there are hundreds of successful cameramen winning important film awards for their jobs and this role can be extremely interesting.

Usually, cameramen work under the guidance of the directors of photographydirectors of photography [director of photography]directors of photography, whose job is to plan for the entire shooting process, coordinate all cameras used in the production and take part in post‑productionpost‑productionpost‑production. That stage of the film making consists of editing audio and video, and adding special effects. Most films require very complex and careful planning by the director of photography before the “Action!action!Action!” signal is given and the cameras start rolling.

But what about the texts that actors learn and perform on set? These are crafted even before the main production begins. The so‑called screenplaysscreenplays [screenplay]screenplays consist of film scriptsscripts [script]scripts, the lines that actors say and scene descriptions. They are sometimes based on books and their creation is carried out by screenwritersscreenwriters [screenwriter]screenwriters. Some larger movie productions require numerous writers to work on screenplays.

Undoubtedly, the most important person on set is the directordirectordirector. A director’s job is to pull all the strings together in order to create the amazing effect of the film. Usually, we picture them as sitting on designated chairs marked with the “director” sign and shouting “and cut!cut!cut!” to end a shotshotshot. However, the role is much more complex. It requires outstanding management skills to keep control over numerous crew members and the film cast to create their vision of the story that is soon to be enjoyed by the audience in cinemas.

Directors must also depend on appropriate funding for a film to be completed. The money is provided by producersproducers [producer]producers and often reaches enormous amounts. The most expensive films often cost millions of dollars! Still, the film industry is extremely lucrative and producers investing funds in a film can expect large returns from ticket sales all over the world. Producers are usually responsible for finding and hiring the right crew and cast for their films.

Films are a truly amazing art. Their creation requires not only large funding, but also involves many talented crewcrewcrew and castcast (noun)cast members, huge effort and often takes a very long time. If you are ready for the challenge, take a closer look at film job opportunities available and take the first step to a film career. However, if filmmaking isn’t your cup of tea, you may still enjoy watching them in the cinema or from your sofa!

1 Źródło: Marcin Legeżyński, licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.