The process of filmmaking is a complex, but very rewarding one. In the initial stages of the process, there is a story or idea that is thought of by an individual and subsequently, he or she begins writing it. The film company, or movie studio more often than not hires scriptwriters to work with the individual's concept and flesh it out. Once the script is completed, then the various roles within the film are cast by the casting director. He or she will interview and observe a significant amount of people as they read the lines from the movie - to effectively determine the appropriateness of each individual within the film, if applicable.
According to an article in Backstage, the casting process involves a variety of decision makers including, but not limited to: executives, studio heads, producers and the director of the film. There is usually a call put out for the roles within the film and then the tryouts are executed. The casting process can take up to 2 to 3 months, depending on the amount of people trying out for the role, and the individuals involved in the selection process (1).
After the casting is completed, then the studio begins to work on shooting the film, which entails the pre-production and production processes. The entire process from the idea to the shooting is referred to as the development stage. An additional aspect of this stage is securing funding. Typically, there is what is referred to as a film distributor that is contacted in order to gauge the appropriateness of the film in a particular market and the overall potential for success. Hollywood tends to observe during this phase of the development process whether or not the film will be successful, or if there is a strong likelihood that DVD sales will be better. Once the development stage is complete, there is a pre-production stage. During this stage, there are numerous positions that are assembled, which include but are not limited to: the storyboard artist, who crafts and puts together the various images that assist the production team is successfully executing the story on screen; a production designer, who works with the director on the visual concepts surrounding the film; the director of photography, who works with the cinematographers and camera operators; and the sound mixers. The studio will also employ the use of a costume designer, and a makeup designer. Depending on the amount of money that the studio is putting up for the film, there will be an array of assistants for each of the aforementioned individuals that assist in ensuring all of the i's are dotted and t's are crossed with respect to the shooting process.
The production phase is one of the larger parts of the filmmaking process. It combines a variety of different talents and skillsets of each individual to effectively pull off. A crew is typically assembled during this process that include picture and sound editors, script supervisors and production assistants, that work in tandem with each other to make sure that all aspects of the film are running smoothly and in accordance with the schedule. It is also during this time that the studio may employ the use of an assistant director, who informs the necessary individuals about how the process in shooting will take place. The production assistant is typically responsible for the call sheets, which are daily schedules of what scenes will be shot and the specific information of the crew members and cast involved in said scenes.
Once the shooting is complete, the film moves into the post-production process, which is quite extensive. Various individuals including video editors, sound designers and effects people will work with each other to decide what scenes work and what do not as far as the number of shooting takes. Moreover, sound mixers work to add music and effects to the film. Usually video editing software is used in the phase to correct certain aspects of a scene such as texture, color, etc. The individuals working on the post-production process have to pay particular attention to the sound and music of the scenes as they are editing, so that once the process is complete - the film is ready and there are no issues in terms of hearing what the actors are saying in each scene, etc. The post-production process can take a rather lengthy amount of time depending on the quantity of individuals involved, and what the studio is expecting in terms of finished product. The time frame can vary from 2 months up to 6 months. There are some films that are shot, for example in 2014 that are just now being unveiled to the public in 2016 – while others emerge from the production companies and studios almost immediately. An additional element associated with the post-production process is whether it is an animated film. If this is the case, the process may take longer as every facet of that film has to be double and tripled checked, probably even more so than a conventional, live action film.
The final stage is referred to as distribution. Films are by and large distributed to cinemas. There are occasions where they are distributed directly to retailers. This aspect of the stage is stated to be direct to DVD, or direct to consumer media. Additional aspects of this stage include an archiving of the film by the production company, and the studio - as well as a screening of the movie to the heads of the studio.
During this phase, there is an extensive amount of advertising that is executed including press kit creation, posters and television marketing. The various individuals who are either in the film, or who worked on the film may be interviewed by journalists, movie critics and other figures within the entertainment industry. Additionally, there is what is called a red carpet premiere that is planned where each individual involved in the film - from actors to sound mixers - are invited to screen the film for the first time. There are certain instances where a film may be promoted for a period of time before it opens to the public, and then promoted again once it actually opens. An example of this is the recent Star Wars film. Disney executed heavy promotion prior to its opening, and the promoted it again after it was released to the public.
Valenti’s 9 Hot Buttons and The Godfather
In his document entitled, The 9 Hot Buttons of Violence, Miguel Valenti discusses specific elements that are often woven into dramatic, thriller and horror films. The nine elements are: the choice of perpetrator, the choice of victim, the presence of consequences, rewards and punishments, the reason for the violence, the presence of weapons, realism, use of humor and prolonged exposure. In order to properly explain each of the elements, The Godfather movie was selected. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the film follows the Corleone family and their operations in crime in the state of New York. At the onset of the film, viewers are given the opportunity to delve into the main characters - Vito Corleone, played by Marlon Brando; Michael Corleone, Vito's son played by Al Pacino and Sonny Corleone, Vito's other son, played by actor James Caan.
The viewers are able to immediately see the choice of perpetrator, which in the film is Vito Corleone, who does whatever he needs to do in order to properly protect his family. In the process of orchestrating whatever he needs to do in order to protect his family, this gets him shot and he ends up in the hospital. The audience is made to sympathize with Vito and the rest of the Corleones as they deal with Vito on his death bed. One character, in particular, Michael wants to obtain revenge on the family that had his father shot. In order to do this, the infamous restaurant scene is setup.
The visuals provided by Coppola offer an additional element of sympathy, as the viewer can see glimpses of Michael's movement from wanting to avenge his father’s attempted murder and not wanting to avenge them. The entire scene is essentially a way to visually understand the mental constructs associated with Michael Corleone as he kills two individuals who were involved in the crime. In using Valenti’s 9 Hot Buttons to explain this, the second element, the choice of victim, are the police officer and another drug lord, Sallazzo. It is plausible to consider that much of the selection or rather choice of the victim is used as a device to move the plot along to Michael Corleone eventually taking over as the Godfather. Moreover, it allows the viewers to thoroughly understand how powerful the Corleone family is, because of Michael’s abrasiveness in shooting the two individuals in cold blood.
There are consequences to his actions, which is the third hot button that Valenti describes. In this particular hot button, the presence of consequences, it is clear to the audience that the Corleone family, while powerful, will understandably have to deal with a potential retaliation from the Sallazzo family. It is not surprising when Sonny Corleone is gunned down in cold blood as a result of what Michael Corleone executed. What is more surprising is the way in which he is, as a family member ended up double-crossing the Corleones in order to afford Sonny the opportunity to be in the ‘right place at the right time’ to be killed. This part of the film also moves the story forward into Michael eventually taking over as godfather – as he is the only viable character to do it given that Sonny has been murdered, and Vito is pretty much removed from the daily operation of the crime business.
The rewards and punishments aspect of The Godfather exist in Michael having the support of the other families in avenging Sonny as they argue that they had nothing to do with his death. Additionally, Michael marries his love, Kay, shortly after the death of Sonny – seemingly understanding that there is ‘no time like the present’ to do so given that he fully understands and acknowledges that the events he will be setting in motion could get him murdered like Sonny was. The punishments associated with this part of the film can be identified as Michael punishing all of the individuals whom he believes is responsible for Sonny’s death. Deemed the baptism spectacle, a series of murders take place of the individuals while Michael’s son is baptized at church. Each of the deaths are the heads of the other families, who had initially proclaimed that they would help Michael avenge his brother’s death.
The presence of weapons in The Godfather is very prevalent. From the gun that Michael uses to shoot the two individuals in the restaurant, to the guns used to kill the family bosses, to the garrote that is used to kill Luca in the first part of the film, viewers get a firsthand look at the quantity of weaponry available to the characters. The use of weaponry in the film adds a significant amount of substance to the plot as arguably, it could not be referred to or called a drama without some type of weapon available in it. One of the key aspects that Valenti points out is that the presence of weapons in films tend to be larger than they actually are. In other words, the props (weapons) are created in order to offer a larger than life aura to the plot, and to create tension between the characters. This is especially evident in the scene where Sonny Corleone gets killed as he desperately tries to flee but is unable to. The realism factor associated with the film is that it is mirrors that of actual mafia.
In an article by TVOverMind, it states the "violence is incredibly realistic [especially] in the scene with Sonny's death at the toll booth. He takes dozens of bullets sitting in the passenger seat and it's really intense" (1). The writer of the article finds it a bit over the top, however, stating that "how [could] they leave a man getting riddled with bullets to the point where he should be dead, then he actually opens the door to be shot even more" (1). Realism in cinema is often a tricky element to tackle because some films are so outlandish that the believability factor will be completely tossed out the proverbial window by audiences. However, even with the scene in The Godfather, where Sonny gets out of the car after being sprayed with numerous bullets, there is still a believability factor because of the shock to Sonny's body - and the fact that the movie deals with mafia operations. Chris Messenger in his book, The Godfather and American Culture: How the Corleones Became Our Gang, he notes that the realism is nuanced in the film. There is a seemingly commitment to being as real as possible with the characters as possible. The choices made by each character are consciously done and important to the narrative. It is a crucial articulation that Puzo seeks to achieve with the plot and Coppola with the film itself (108-111).
There are several instances in The Godfather that allow humor or rather a comedic undertone to take over. This is positive for the film in terms of expanding its nature as audiences sometimes can become overwhelmed if there are no elements of lightheartedness to it. The lines, "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" (The Godfather) and "Luca sleeps with the fishes" (The Godfather), while dramatic in the ways in which they are executed - are indeed meant to be comedic, because viewers are coming to extensively understand how the Corleone's operate. In addition to this, Vito's character is brilliantly portrayed by Brando who appears to have his cheeks stuffed with cotton balls, as a funny or humorous quality to the character. The speeches he provides to the family are made sillier just for the mere presence of the cotton balls. The prolonged exposure to violence is a specific element that Valenti suggests that the more it is observed, the more the audience becomes used to it. Throughout the entire first part of the film, it is evident that there will be an overwhelming amount of violence shown given the subject matter and the visuals that are displayed on screen.
Works Cited
"Four Legitimate Flaws With The Godfather." TVOvermind, 11 Feb. 2016. Web. 4 Apr. 2016. <http://www.tvovermind.com/movies/four-legitimate-flaws-with-the-godfather>.
The Godfather. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Paramount Pictures, 1972. DVD.
Lowenstein , Melinda. "A Guide to the Casting Process, From First Read to Meeting the Network Execs." Backstage, 26 Jan. 2012. Web. 3 Apr. 2016. <http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/a-guide-to-the-casting-process-from-first-read-to-meeting-the-network-execs/>.
Messenger, Chris. The Godfather and American Culture: How the Corleones Became "Our Gang". Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 2002. Print.
Valenti, Miguel. The 9 Hot Buttons of Violence. Doc, Print.
