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Development
Development is the phase between having an idea for a film and starting to make it.
The Development phase is when you come up with an idea and then spend time shaping and re-shaping it, until it is a plan for a film. This plan will help other people see what it is that you’re trying to achieve. Any potential funders will be able to decide whether or not to support your film. If you are working for a television company, like Kate, then your bosses will be able to decide whether or not to give you the go ahead. Often the development phase of a film is unpaid. It is only when you’ve built your fantastic idea into a convincing proposal that you will be able to persuade people to provide you with funding.
The stages involved in development may not happen in the same order each time, but are generally…
1. Start with an idea
It’s hard to say where you will find inspiration for your idea. It could come from a chance conversation with a friend, as Bim found. It could be brewing in your mind for years. Nancy, for example, had long wanted to make a film as a tribute to her old car.
An idea could pop into your head as a result of listening to a piece of music. That’s what Nikki experienced when relaxing on holiday. Maybe you’ll be letting your imagination run free on another project, when an idea will occur to you. This is what happened to Gary as he wrote about the characters he wanted to appear in his feature film, and an idea for a short film occurred to him.
You might have a great idea, only to discover there is an even better one. This is what Kate found when their filming was snowed off during the winter. Or you might have a burning desire to communicate something very personal, like Zoe’s experience of tinnitus.
2. Develop your idea into a treatment
You need to move from a raw idea into what’s known as a “treatment”. This is a document that captures the key ingredients that will go into your film. A treatment often starts with the title, sometimes a sub-title, the name of the director and the length you expect the film to run for.
Then you will follow this with a short and punchy sentence that sums up the essence of the film. It’s a bit like the “billing” for a programme that appears in a newspaper or TV Listings magazine.
Next you might describe a key scene from your planned film. It could be the opening scene or it might be a crucial moment you expect within the film. It should plunge the reader right into your way of thinking about the film, so they can really grasp what your film might look and sound like.
Your treatment can go on to outline the journey that an audience will go on as a result of watching the film. Often it is useful to highlight why the film should be made – a sort of justification explaining the freshness or topicality of your idea, and why now is the right moment for the film to be made. A treatment is often about four sides of A4. And it is often written and re-written. In a way it helps you to evolve your idea, so it is well worth getting other people’s opinions.
3. Develop a script
Whether you are making a documentary, an experimental film or drama, you should develop a script. A script isn’t just dialogue, it gives location details and direction. It doesn’t break things down into different shots, but gives an overall sense of the feel of particular scenes. Remember to consider sound too. For Zoe, this was an important part of her script.
It’s really important to treat your script as a “living document”… That means that you can keep adding to it and changing it as you go. If you are working on a drama then be open to the actors’ interpretations.
4. Explain your idea to other people
You may have a really strong idea of what you want to film, but often you need to convey this to other people. This doesn’t mean just to actors or people who are working alongside you, but often also means potential funders or people who are in charge of you.
One way of getting your idea across is to put together a pitch pack. Gary and Bim both did this for their dramas. Their packs included a “Director’s vision”; screenplay and “mood board”.
Pitching is about getting your idea across really simply and powerfully, as Nikki explains. You need to be able to sum up your idea in a short and punchy paragraph.
5. Ask for help, but believe in your idea
Finally, it’s worth remembering the passion you have for your original idea. It’s easy to feel you have to change things to please other people – people who are providing money or are offering you help and advice. But they’re not always right and it’s ok to stick up for your first strong idea!
