Learn more here about how we choose our projects at Strata Productions and what goes into the making of a completed motion picture.

IN DEVELOPMENT

During the development phase of production, a project is researched and a screenwriter is hired to write the screenplay. At Strata Productions, several decisions go into the development of a feature film. Whether a fictional narrative or a story based on real events, the criteria for every project we develop is the same. Is it a story worth telling? Why tell it now? Who is the audience for the movie?

In our company's history, we've been attracted to stories that are character-driven, which is also why notable actors have appeared in our films. Central to the success of any movie, an audience must relate to the film's principal characters, to the story's hero and the journey he's taking on the screen. Without making this connection, viewers quickly lose interest in the story. Create meaningful characters and most stories tell themselves. It's a time-tested formula that's worked since the invention of film.

PRE-PRODUCTION & PRODUCTION

Once a screenplay has been "green lit" for production, a budget is created and financing begins. During this phase, the film's locations are scouted, key personnel brought onto the project (producers, a director, cinematographer & others), and plans are made for the principal photography phase of production.

The pre-production phase can take anywhere from six months to a year or more, depending upon the complexities of the project. Movies requiring several locations, elaborate sets and costumes, and multiple company moves typically take longer to reach the principal photography stage.

The next step is the casting of all the roles in the movie and hiring a film crew. Here, contracts are negotiated and contractural agreements made with the respective unions, and cameras are ready to roll. Depending upon the intricacies and challenges of the project, principal photography may take a few weeks or several months. We've taken anywhere from four to twelve weeks to complete all of the photography for the movie.

POST-PRODUCTION

Post-Production is the stage after principal photography when the filming is wrapped and the editing of the visual and audio materials begins. This includes all of the tasks associated with cutting raw footage (or digitizing it depending on the format), assembling the many scenes of the film, adding music and sound effects, just to name a few.

Film editing is an art all its own. The careful assemblage of scenes and stringing them together to tell a cohesive story may seem the easiest among all the phases of a film production's journey, one that is rife with possibilities. An editor is typically given a few weeks to achieve a "rough cut" that is shared with the director and the heads of other departments. After everyone weighs in, a second edit commences, which is often scored with temporary music (the temp score).

It's been said that great movies are made in the editing room, and there's a good deal of truth in this observation. If all the elements of a film are in place and working together--story, characters, direction, performance, sound and music--the editor's job is made easier. In the end, the best movies are those whose craftsmanship is all but invisible to the viewer and often goes unnoticed.