Production - from start to finish

Single Camera Technique is, essentially, filming a TV show, short film, feature-length film, etc, with only one camera at a time, as opposed to multiple cameras; as is most commonly used in Blockbuster Feature Films. Single Camera Technique belongs almost exclusively in Sitcoms (with the exception of Independents and Short Films). Of all of the reasons that sources gave as their reasons for their preference to Single Camera over Multi-Camera; the main reason given tended to be that the feeling of actually being there, watching what is happening on screen as if you were next to them, is present more with Single Camera than it is with Multi-Camera; one reason for this being that smaller sets can be used, where multiple cameras and equipment could not fit, but one camera could, creating a more realistic setting. Another reason is that there is a lot more flexibility in terms of camera placement, There is more room to get inbetween characters, to experiment more with camera angles, and create a vision of the characters that you would not normally see from multiple cameras. Some sources also said that as a result of having only one camera, less lighting is required in the smaller sets; and so makes the lighting look more realistic and subtle.
Single Camera Technique is mainly used for Sitcoms because obviously filming action scenes or fast-paced scenes would be extremely difficult to film with only one camera; and so with Sitcoms Single Camera Technique can be used to create a more real effect; some people say that it makes the actors act more naturally when it comes to comedic timing; as a retake will have to be shot each time, and so the reactions will be different each time, and so the director has a higher chance of finding a better take than with multiple cameras.

Development
The development process revolves almost completely around the script; the idea for the script, the script writing itself; sending the script to script-readers, and receiving notes for the script.
The process of screen-writing itself can be done by an independent writer; and then pitched to a production company; or sometimes, when a production company have an idea for a movie, they can hire a screen-writer to write the script for them.

Structure is the way that the plot flows through the story. One page of screenplay, edited in film format, equals one minute of film. A Feature Film Script must be between 85 and 117 pages long; unless it is a screen-writer who has made a name for themselves and producers know that they can pull it off; or if the screen-writer is requested to make the script a different length by the producers/director.
There are various different structural methods used in script-writing, and the main two methods are as follows:

Syd Field's Theory of 3-Act Structure states that every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. This is the main method of structure.
The beginning is "Act 1". Act 1 runs up until around 27-30 minutes into the film. Ten minutes into the film, and no later, should be the "Inciting Incident"; the moment in the film where something happens that sends the hero onto their adventure. The first ten minutes into the film are the "Ordinary world".; the Protagonist's ordinary life before the inciting incident. At the end of Act 1, there will be the "1st Act Break"; which is the "1st Reversal"; which is where there is a change in the story, and the story changes direction. After this, the "2nd Act" begins.At roughly the middle of the film, there will be the midpoint; which can be quite often in a story based in the hero's journey when the mentor dies. More bad things will keep happening to the antagonist up until the "2nd Act Break", which will happen at around 75 minutes in; which is where there tends to be the "big fight/conflict/etc), This then goes into the final act, "Act 3" where the film begins to pick up, and there is the resolution of the problem up until the end, and the ending is the "3rd Act Break".

Another popular structure that screen-writers follow is the 4-Act Structure.
Pages 1-10 in the script are the ordinary world. Page 10 is the inciting incident. The 1st Act is "The Loner"; its is about isolating the protagonist; which takes up 1-25 pages, of which the protagonist is unsure of what is going on, and it is the beginning of the adventure, etc. The 2nd Act from pages 25-50 is "The Wanderer"; which is when the protagonist is searching for answers; the protagonist tends to meet the mentor then. At the midpoint, around 50 pages in, a major incident happens, which tends to be the death of the mentor. The 3rd Act is "The Warrior"; which is around pages 50-75, when the protagonist has discovered who the enemy is, and is beginning the fight, or is trying to resolve the problem, etc.
The 4th and Final Act; Also known as the "Denouement"; is called "The Martyr"; which is when the protagonist makes some sort of self-sacrifice, or has a moral choice/dilemma; and then it ends with the conflict/problem being resolved.

Joseph Campbell's idea is that all stories are set out with the same structure and that they all follow the "Hero's Journey", or the "Monomyth", and that this is the fundamental structure which has stemmed from Greek Mythological times, and has been repeated through history throughout various myths, etc.
This structure contains twelve stages, which are as follows;

1- The Ordinary World - The Hero's ordinary life at the beginning of the story, before the adventure begins.
2- Call To Adventure - When the Hero receives a call to adventure; such as a family member being in danger, etc.
3- Refusal of the Call - The Hero has fears that need to be overcome about starting the adventure.
4- Meeting the Mentor - The Hero meets their mentor figure, to help them overcome their fears; the mentor usually gives them something they need; such as a weapon, or knowledge, etc.
5- Crossing the Threshold - The Hero is now ready to set off on their adventure, and truly begin their quest.
6- Tests, Allies, Enemies - The Hero is confronted by a series of tests; Obstacles are put in the Hero's path; and they discover who their allies are, and meet their enemies.
7- Approach to the Inmost Cave - The Inmost Cave can represent many things in a Hero's Journey; such as an actual dangerous location, or an inner conflict, which up until now the Hero has not had to face. The Hero must make final preparations before facing their Inmost Cave.
8- Ordeal - The Supreme Ordeal may be a dangerous physical test, or a deep inner crisis, that the Hero must face in order to survive, or for the world in which the Hero lives in to continue to exist.
9- Reward - After defeating the enemy, surviving death, and overcoming their greatest personal challenge, The Hero is transformed into a new state, emerging from battle as a stronger person and often with a prize.
10- The Road Back - The Hero must return home with their reward, but there may still yet be obstacles the Hero must face to return to their Ordinary World.
11- Resurrection - This is the climax in which the Hero must have their final and most dangerous encounter with death.
12- Return with the Elixir - This is the final stage in which the Hero returns back to the Ordinary World a changed person.They will have grown as a person, learned new things, faced terrible dangers and even death but now is starting a new life.

Whether or not a screenplay follows these rules depends on the genre of film; although the theory is that all films follow this structure, this is obviously disputed; as there are various films which can differ in plot structure; as typically this act structure is based on adventure film; but is theorised to apply to all genres of film; however obviously this cannot apply to some genres of film; (see below).

Depending on the genre of the story; the story would be written in a different way. For example; if you are tasked by a production company with writing a musical, or a rom-com, or a horror/slasher film, etc; then the Hero's Journey would not necessarily apply; and so you would not write it as such; it would not be written with the Hero's Journey in mind, or the 4-Act Structure; these genres films, as well as a few others, have their own rules to apply when writing their scripts, and obviously cannot follow these rules; and so do not require a mentor.
Also, the genre of the film affects the screenplay in a more direct way - the characters that will appear in the film; the setting of the story; the core concept and plot of the script; if a production company approach a writer to write a romantic comedy; then you would not include science-fiction elements; and would not necessarily be written to convey a deep meaning.
When a script is written, and then sent to producers, to attempt to get the company to accept the script, then this is called a "Spec-Script"; and in this case; obviously genre can be whatever the writer wants it to be; however the writer should have the genre in mind when selecting a production company to produce their screenplay. For example; certain production companies such as HBO only produce TV shows; so they would not produce films; and also, certain film production companies only produce certain genres of film; for example, Warner Bros would not necessarily produce and 18-Rated Horror movie; and so it would not be logical to approach them witha  gory horror screenplay; and certain production companies may take a screenplay for a film genre that they would not usually produce; but demand alterations before they begin the production; for example; to remove some foul language, or change some action scenes, or even to alter the characters slightly to make them more appropriate for their target audience, etc.

There are various things which affect whether the outcome of a screenplay is good or bad; the screenplay is, in my opinion; the most important aspect of any production; it is extremely difficult to make a good film or television show with a bad script; however obviously, you can still make a bad film or television show with a bad script. In my opinion; what makes a screenplay good; is when it has the creative touch of the writer; by either the story itself being different from other stories of a similar genre; or by having characters that also differ from characters in other films of the same genre. Another way that I see a screenplay as being a success, is when there is space for the Auteur of the director to be displayed easily; without ruining the creative influence that the writer has put across; and this seems to typically be when there are action scenes; or the book is set in very unique setting; and so the director can express his directorial style via the cinematography of the film, and through how the action scenes are displayed; without completely eliminating the creative influence of the writer. However, what I have said here I feel mainly applies to adventure and action films; within other genres there are a variety of ways in which the writer can create a beautiful screenplay; but the point that I am putting across here, is that I feel the way that a screenplay can be best made is when it can incorporate multiple creative influences into itself without losing something in the process.

The main thing preventing an independent writer's script from reaching a production company is the script-reader; someone who is hired by the production company to read the scripts to see if any of the scripts are what the production company is looking for. If a script-reader doesn't like the script that they have been given, then the script goes no further and the production company will not receive it.
If the script-reader does like the script; they will pass it on to the production company; who will then read the script and make the final decision on whether or not they want to go ahead with the script or not. This is why selecting a production company in accordance with genre is very important; as the script-readers will filter through and ensure that only films that the production company have specified that they want will get through to the producers; and usually producers will specify that they only want to see screenplays of a specified genre; and so screenplays of other genres will not get through to them.

Pre-Production

It is difficult to say when Development ends and Pre-Production begins; but some people define it as in that Pre-Production begins and Development ends when the script has been locked; meaning any changes to the script will have been carried out by now and there should be no more changes to it.
Pre-Production documents are prepared for various reasons; for safety precautions; so that the director can concentrate on the direction of the production and nothing else, and also to save time on set; as every hour spent filming is costing the Production Company money; and so to stay within budget, it is vital to save time when you are paying for equipment and cast and crew, and having well-prepared Pre-Production documents is the easiest way to save time and money when filming on set,
There are some directorial decisions that cross over between Pre-Production and Production, but the following Pre-Production documents are necessary far before Production begins, and are as follows:

The Budget - Arguably the most important preparative document; the budget covers all necessary costs for the equipment, the cast, the crew, the editing suite and software, the advertising campaign, and the costs of distribution. It is important for the budget to be calculated correctly in order to avoid exceeding the budget, and ruining all possible profit margins upon release of the film.
Shooting Schedule - Deciding on dates to begin filming; calculating how long the film will take to shoot; and ensuring that all cast and crew are available on each of the days, and ensuring that equipment is booked out ready for each of these shoots if necessary; Planning out timing for the shoots like this is extremely important in order to ensure that this does not result in exceeding the budget; as additional costs can be huge in hiring the equipment out for an extra day that was not planned, or in paying an actor for an extra day, also.
Equipment Booking Sheet/Form - Ensuring that all equipment is booked well in advance for the appropriate timescale; as mistakes in equipment booking can result in a huge loss of money; as cast and crew would have to be paid for a day in which no shooting can be carried out.
Call Sheet - A Call Sheet is similiar to a Shooting Schedule; except this is more for the cast and crew; it lets all the cast and crew know where they will need to be, at what time; to ensure no lost time on the day. The Call Sheet also includes the names and contact details of all cast and crew so that they can be easily contacted in case of any changes in scheduling.
Risk Assessments - Risk Assessments need to be performed in order to ensure that ALL people involved in the production; Cast, Crew, Production team, etc, are aware of the risks involved on set, and how to be safe; as well as so that the environment being risk assessed can be checked to see if it can be made any safer to further reduce risks. This also serves as a safeguard to the production team in case of a potential lawsuit.
Floor Plan - A Floor Plan is essentially a diagram of where everything is placed on the set; props, filming equipment, etc. This is so that the crew responsible for getting the set ready can place everything correctly on set and get everything in place as smoothly and quickly as possible in order to save time.
Script Breakdown - A Script Breakdown is literally breaking down the script and seeing which props are necessary for the film; which actors would be needed, as well as extras, as well as what is needed from a location for the film, and if this needs to be altered at all.
Storyboard - A Storyboard is essentially a visual representation of the script; it shows when characters move in and out of the frame and in which direction, so that everyone knows where they need to start off a scene at and where they move to before they even reach the set.
Actor Clearance Forms - These are forms that the actor signs confirming that everything that they will film is permitted to be used within the film, trailers, and all other promotional material. Sometimes, they will be required to confirm that they will attend interviews in relation to plugging the film, and that they cannot release certain information in regards to the film publicly until given permission by the production team.

The director will also make various decisions on what the film will look like before filming even begins, so that he can begin tailoring the set to his vision; through the mise-en-scene of the film; as well as through what he wants the colour pallet of the film to be like, and the landscapes.
Colour pallets can be expressed through a few different ways; not just through post-production editing; some directors like to express the colour pallet of the film through the colour of the costumes, props, landscape, and lighting. And so this is a decision that would be made in Pre-Production, rather than in Post-Production. The director would collaborate with the Props Master and the Head of Costume in order to create a colour pallet representative of his vision of the film, before even considering using lighting effects and editing. Usually, the costumes required will be roughly outlined in the script, or will be gauged from the setting of the story, and the time period that the story has been set in; However, the director will always have the overuling decision on the overall tone of the cast's costumes; whether he is going for a particurlarly expensive, classy looking costume set, or perhaps a darker toned costume set; as this all is a part of the colour pallet; even if it is not specific colours; just a certain tone the director wants the costumes to be (e.g. - Dark browns, beiges, various grey tones, etc.) The director will also collaborate with the Location Director in order to select landscapes befitting of the auteur of the director.

Casting decisions will also be made in the Pre-Production phases; holding auditions, approaching agents about their actors, etc. This is usually done fairly early in the Pre-Production process, as the production team will need to know who is acting in the film before they carry out their budgets and schedules, etc.
The director will sometimes speak to the actors about how they want them to perform briefly before production begins, so that the cast can prepare themselves slightly for their character before they begin their rehearsals; but the majority of character/acting decisions will be made during the production process.

Production

By the production stage of the process, almost all decisions regarding the film should have already been made, and the only decisions that should be left; (aside from editing), would be decisions which would demonstrate the auteur of the director; the only decisions remaining being the ones which add the director's unique style to the film.
The Production Stage of the film begins as all the Pre-Production documents are signed and sealed; and the Production company are ready to go. Production is essentially the process from shooting, to the minute the Data Wrangler has backed up the raw data. From then on, it is then into the Post-Production process.
The Production stage and the Post-Production stage are where the Director can really flex their creative muscle, and can begin to shape the production into what they want it to be. The Director relies on the mise-en-scene and the actors to express his vision during the Production process, and through the editing and sound and music in the Post-Production stages.
The Director has a number of crew who they will work in collaboration with in order to ensure that shooting goes smoothly, which are as follows:

The Director - The Director ensures that shooting is carried out smoothly; decides when a shot needs to be run again, decides what order the shots will go in, direct the actors in how to portray their characters in a more fitting manner, as well as shaping the production into their own style; making the film their own.
1st Assistant Director -The First Assistant Director handles all the questions that any cast and crew may need to be answered; to see if they can answer the questions themselves, and then filter important and appropriate questions to the director; in order to prevent the director from spending their whole time answering questions and to prevent disruption on set. The 1st AD usually helps all cast and crew with any minor issues they may have, and follows instructions from the director.
Director of Photography - The Director of Photography handles all technical issues with the cameras, ensures that they have the correct cameras and camera equipment, discusses lens choices with the director; in order to tailor the look and style of each shot. Typically, the Director of Photography selects a choice of Lens' and demonstrates them to the Director before coming to a decision. The Director of Photography manages all the Camera-Operators on set.
Gaffer - The Gaffer is essentially the general handyman on set; ensuring that all equipment is working and fully operational,  and ensures that all equipment is transported safely from place to place. Any technical issues, and the Gaffer will endeavour to resolve them, unless they are more major issues than the Gaffer can resolve; and then the crew would approach the 1st Assistant Director first, to ask for assistance with their technical issue.
The Sound Department - The Sound Department collaborate with the Director to select the best possible sound recording equipment, and manage all sound equipment. They record all sound and speech necessary to be recorded on set. The Director of Sound is the only other person aside from the Director and Assistant Director who can call "Cut" on a scene; as if there is a problem with the sound, then this cannot be altered in Post-Production and a retake would be unavoidable.
The Data Wrangler - The Data Wrangler takes all raw footage from the cameras at the end of the shoot and puts them onto multiple back-ups, to ensure that the footage cannot be lost.
Art Director - The Art Director works directly below the Production Designer. They work collaboratively with the Set Decorator. The Art Director works with the other departments in order to craft the look of the fim; e.g. - the construction and set design teams. They work with the director in order to create the artistic look that the director desires.

Although the Director will make some shot decisions in Pre-Production; there are many directors who simply roughly outline their shot decisions in Pre-Production, and make the majority of shot choices in Production; when they can physically look at the set and it's composition. In Single Camera, there is a lot more flexibility with where the camera can be placed within the set; as other cameras and equipment do not have to be avoided; and shooting is possible in smaller sets where it would not normally be possible using Multi-Camera technique. And because of this flexibility in shots, it is a possibility for the director to shoot takes multiple times with different unique angles to see which creates the best effect.
An example of this is that when filming The Office (US), the producers were debating whether a shot was possible that Einhorn (The Director) wanted; a long shot throughout the building, following one of the main characters; and so Einhorn walked the length of the shot with the camera to determine whether the shot was possible or not; as it was unsure whether the camera-operator could capture all of it or not.

The position of the camera in relation to it's subject is often used to convey meaning within a shot; for example, with single camera, it is easier to get inbetween two characters and get a solid shot reverse shot between the two, or even possibly a 180° degrees pan between the two characters; which can be used to convey a closeness, and the relationship between the two. For example; in The Office (US); there are a lot of scenes of "Talking Head interviews", behind which is the idea that the cast are speaking to the "Documentary crew". These shots are always carried out with the seat in the same place, the character sat in the same place, and the camera in the same position, at the same distance, and the same angle; this, in a way, demonstrates the barrier between the character and the documentary crew; reminding you that the character isn't just breaking the fourth wall, and is in fact still speaking to a character on screen; but the fact that the character is looking at the camera, and talking, in a way, to the audience whilst speaking, involves the audience; as well as the fact that the camera is close enough to the character for the shot to seem more intimate; but not so close that it seems informal in the way the character is speaking to the "Documentary crew".
As a rule of thumb; the camera being close to the subject shows intimacy;  to make you feel closer to the character; a wide shot to demonstrate the shot on a scale rather than focussing on one character, showing you the environment as a whole, and giving the viewer a shot of "the bigger picture".
The camera focussing on something other than characters in the frame; for example an object in the background; is designed to draw the viewer's attention to it; and to attach significance to this object and make the viewers curious, and observe it for more information throughout the film.
Because Single Camera Technique is mainly used in order to be able to create shots that would not normally be possible; or in locations where shooting on multiple cameras would not be possible; a lot of shots used in Single Camera productions are shots which are quite close in; and at angles which would not normally be possible, and so shots can convey meaning within shots with methods which you would not normally see carried out in a typical Blockbuster film. For example, an over the shoulder shot in an enclosed location; such as a thin corridor, etc, with which framing can be used within the doorframe or the exit to the corridor, to express meaning between two characters such as a rivalry, a romance, etc, or even with just one character, silhouetted to create the illusion of the beginning of a character's journey. There are many interpretations of the meaning shots convey; however I believe that the way that a viewer interprets a shot will vary, depending upon the person.

There are multiple theories about filmmaking that are put in place by the director in order to give artistic feel to a film, and to create a certain atmosphere or emotion within.
One of these theories commonly put into place by directors is Kuleshov's theory, regarding Shot-reverse-shot in order to portray emotion. The basic explanation for this theory, is that by showing an image, before showing an expressionless person, or an animal, etc, then the viewer's emotions will be reflected onto the emotionless person or animal. For Example; showing videos on animal cruelty followed by a shot of a dog will make the dog appear sad; as the viewer will reflect their emotions of the previous video onto the shot of the dog; making the dog appear sad to them. However, showing a video of a happy family and children, and then a shot of an expressionless man, will make the man look happy and reflective, despite the fact that he has a blank facial expression; as it will be the viewer projecting their emotions onto the shot on the screen again. Kuleshov theory extends to both Production and Post-Production; as obviously it is edited into place through Post-Production, but obviously the shots need to be made in the first place, in order to be edited afterwards, so it also regards to Production.

Another theory present within filmmaking for some years is Auteur Theory - The theory that the director is the "Author" of the film. Directors display Auteur through a distinctive feature; something that is included within every production that the director produces; something that, once it is seen, the director's presence within the film is immediately recognisable. This can be how the lighting is used; the composition of the director's shots, the camera angles, or even the music.
For Example; Sam Mendes' Auteur is that he will use the camera to make beautiful shots in  situations where you would not normally accept beauty, and with a sort of grace to his shots, even when something seedy or violent was happening on screen; as well as his refusal to shoot close-ups; as he claimed he found them overused and overrated.

The Directorial Style that the director has obviously can include his "Auteur symbol", but is on a lot wider spectrum; this can include the mise-en-scene, or the colour pallet of the film. This is the complete look of the film; in a way. It can be used to make scenes look seedy, or classy, or even can just be a less subtle approach to colour grading than will usually be considered. For example, David Fincher's Fighjt Club was colour graded as close to green as possible without actually becoming green (And at some points, it does become green); which was a part of his directorial style; adding his own style to the piece; but not a style that will necessarily carry across to other films he directs; whereas Auteur is a distinguishable style which will not vary from film to film.

Post-Production

The Process of Post-Production is everything that happens from when the Data Wrangler saves the raw camera footage, and passes it on to the editing department. Almost the entirity of the Post-Production process is editing; as well as sound and music, special effects, and then also marketing and advertising, before the release of the film.

Importing - Is when video clips and footage are transferred into the editing software of choice. Several videos/clips/footage can be imported in a software at a time. The footage is from then on, ready to be edited.
Whereas Exporting is the process of saving the completed edit/edits into the desired location in the desired format. (mp4, jpeg, etc.) Before it had been saved into the select format; the video files would have been in a different format; For example, if footage was being edited on Adobe Premiere Pro, it would be saved as a "Premiere Pro file"; and this could not be viewed on any video playing software, or burned to disc, etc; this file format is used purely for when video is in the middle of being edited. Exporting is only done when the footage's editing is completely finished; as it will change file format and it will be difficult to edit after that point.

Audio Mixing is an extremely important aspect of Post-Production; a film can look beautiful visually, with all scenes cut correctly, and in the right place, but if the sound is off, or not working correctly, it would ruin the entire production, and so it is the job of the Audio/Sound Mixer to ensure that the sound is working correctly.
During Production, the Production Sound Mixer's role is to record dialogue and any fx necessary for the production. The Production Sound Mixer overlooks the majority of the sound crew; technicians and boom operators, etc. They determine which microphones would be most suitable for each scene, and to ensure that the sound levels are consistent, with no issues; and to generally ensure that all endeavors relating to sound are handled smoothly and with no technical hitches.
However; when it reaches Post-Production; it is the role of the Production Sound Mixer to collaborate with the director and find the best fit, sound-wise, for the film, and to ensure it is what the director's vision entails. The first step in this process is by using an Audio Mixing sofware to correct the sound and to combine it with the video.
All Audio Mixing softwares, despite the differences, share the same basic structure: An Input section, an Output section, and a control section. The Input section is also called a "channel"'; simply put, this is where you input the music that you want to alter/use.
The Control section of the mixer is used to blend different sounds into one soundtrack; with the sounds taken from the various "channels". Sound levels can also be altered accordingly using this Control section.
The mixer sends the completed soundtracks to the Output Channel; where the completed soundtrack can then be saved into it's respective format and saved.
Another aspect of Audio and Sound that can be done either alongside Production or in Post-Production is Folay; a way of creating sound effects without creating them electronically; For example if there is a shot of a person walking across gravel, but it is too windy to capture the sound correctly. the "Folay Walkers" will literally walk across gravel and capture the audio so that the sound is real.

The way that a film is edited can completely change a film from the original raw footage. The story can be completely shaped by the editing. And so the Editor and the Director work together very closely in order to ensure that both the Editor and Director can combine their style effectively without one pushing the other out. The Editor and the Director make the major decisions together, and the Editor is in charge of the assistant editors, who handle small editing choices and prepare the raw footage for the major edits. The editing process usually can take anything from four to eight months. When the film is being edited, the look of the film can also be altered significantly by the use of colour grading; where a film can be graded with a certain colour, for example, Blue; in order to make the whole scene look darker; without making the colour look like it is actually blue.

The sound effects and music within the video are added on and altered in post-production; and the Audio and Music Team are responsible for this. The Director also works collaboratively with the Audio and Music effects team in order to create the correct tones and sound for their film to also express their directoral style.

In conclusion, the development process is used to correctly demonstrate the writer's style; and from pre-production onwards; the majority of the decisions are made to demonstrate the director's vision, whilst still accomodating the writer's style.

References


http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/the-hero-journey-mythic-structure-of-joseph-campbell-monomyth.html
http://ask.metafilter.com/34097/Why-use-singlecamera-mode-when-shooting-television