Look over the Pitching the Screenplay section of the Screenwriters & Playwrights Home Page. Delve into the links for successful pitches and the 10 Commandments of Pitching. What do these suggestions tell you about what kinds of projects the major studios are looking for in large-scale production? Pick out some of the suggestions and consider how focusing the pitch in these ways might affect the types of films that get produced in large-scale production.

Independent production differs from large-scale production primarily because independent productions are not funded by a major studio distributor. This lower scale of investment allows filmmakers more creative control over their films, and the films are generally considered to be less affected by commercial motivations. Look closely at the websites for a large-scale production studio, Warner Bros., and an independent studio, Lionsgate Films. What differences are there in the types of films being released by these studios? What differences are there in how the films are marketed on each respective site? Who do you think the target audiences are? What are the similarities?

Scan through some of the archived questions on the Hollywood Network: Finance section.

What are some of the major challenges a filmmaker must be aware of when trying to finance his or her film? What components does a filmmaker need to have in place before trying to secure financing? What kinds of shortcuts can a filmmaker take in financing a film?

The differing shapes of film and TV screens require that home video and DVD distributors of feature films make a choice: to letterbox or not to letterbox. Many cinephiles vigorously defend letterboxing; others disagree. Read through the arguments at the following two websites, one for letterboxing and one against letterboxing. Which argument do you find the most compelling? Should all feature films broadcast on television and released on video be produced in the letterbox format? Why or why not?

The future of filmmaking lies in computers and technology. Films such as Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Traffic rely heavily on computer-generated imagery. Look at the websites for the Attack of the Clones and Lord of the Rings and examine the process filmmakers go through to create CGI. Is this process more cost-effective than creating the situation and characters as was previously done in film? What are the advantages to using CGI? What are the disadvantages?