Types of Filmmaking

Filmmaking (or producing movies) is a modern form of artistic filmmaking whose ultimate purpose is the creation and distribution of visually stunning motion pictures, television shows, documentaries, music video, and many other forms of visual entertainment using actors, models, locations, and various props. For most aspiring filmmakers, the first steps in this journey require obtaining a basic understanding of the industry. Filmmakers are grouped into three basic categories depending on the complexity of their work. The easiest type of movie to make is a film student; these aspiring filmmakers are capable of completing a short film within a week. More experienced filmmakers tend to work for film studios or other commercial production companies. Most professional filmmakers will spend years learning the art of film making before they can pursue an independent career.

The term ‘filmmaking’ is also used as a collective term for all the mediums of cinema that depict motion pictures. Films include films, theatre, videos, computer games, and television shows. Documentary films often use audio recordings to tell the story while non-fiction films generally use film to convey information. It is believed that there is hardly any part of the body of film that does not play a role in the creation of the final motion picture.

Motion pictures are also produced by television networks and channels. These broadcasts are known as TV shows, telecasts, or broadcasts. Some companies specialize in the production of films and television series while others produce both films and television series. Film critics usually rate the quality of movies released theatrically. TV shows that are broadcast on national networks are rated according to their popularity and viewer base.

Filmmakers depend heavily on the advancement of technology to create their motion pictures. Advances in camera and sound recording devices have dramatically changed the quality of movie making. Filmmakers are able to create moving images with special digital cameras. Improvements in editing techniques allow them to make realistic visual tracks of their subjects.

Documentaries are one of the oldest forms of cinema. The medium has changed drastically over the years. Earlier documentaries were made by attaching colored slides to a reel of film. These reels were opened and closed while the images in the slides were recorded. Thus, filmmakers had to obtain as many natural moments as possible while still recording the documentary films.

Another form of film emerging from the Great Depression was the expressionist motion picture. Here, the filmmakers used photographs taken by amateur photographers in everyday settings. Thus, the images from the photography and the real world were fused together to form a painting. The works of Mary Shelly, Edith Grossman, and Florence Lentz are some of the famous expressionist motion pictures of the 1930s.