How Best Picture Movies Get Made: A Beginner-Friendly Film Production Workflow

If you’ve ever watched the Oscars and thought, “How did they pull that off?”—this is the real step-by-step.

Award-winning films don’t magically appear on screen. They’re built through a structured (but very human) film production process that happens in clear phases. Once you understand the filmmaking workflow, movies stop feeling mysterious—and start feeling achievable.

Let’s break it down in plain English.

The Big Picture: The 3 Phases of Filmmaking

Nearly every Best Picture contender—whether it’s an indie darling or a studio epic—follows the same core structure:

1. Pre-Production – planning the movie
   
   

2. Production – shooting the movie
   
   

3. Post-Production – shaping the movie
   
   

But before any of that? There’s an often-ignored phase beginners rarely hear about…

Development (Before “Pre-Pro” Even Starts)

Development is where movies are born, not shot.

This phase can take months or years, and it includes:

• The script – writing, rewriting, polishing
  
  

• Packaging – attaching a director, producers, cast
  
  

• Financing – investors, studios, grants, or presales
  
  

• Key crew attachments – DP, production designer, editor
  
  

💡 Oscar films live or die here. A strong script plus the right collaborators is what attracts money and talent in the first place.

Beginner takeaway: Movies don’t start with cameras—they start with relationships, planning, and clarity of vision.

Pre-Production (Where the Movie Is Actually Built)

If development is the idea, pre-production is the blueprint.

This is where chaos gets organized.

Key elements of pre-pro include:

• Script breakdowns – identifying every element needed for each scene
  
  

• Schedules – mapping out shooting days efficiently
  
  

• Budgets – allocating money realistically
  
  

• Hiring crew – from department heads to PAs
  
  

• Locations – scouting, securing, and locking them
  
  

• Permits & insurance – legal protection (non-negotiable)
  
  

• Tech scouts – walking locations with all departments to plan logistics
  
  

By the end of pre-production, everyone should know:

• Where to be
  
  

• When to be there
  
  

• What they’re responsible for
  
  

👉 CTA: Want the jargon + set rules film school skips?
 Grab the Get Reelisms guide—it breaks down how real sets actually function.

Production (What Happens on Set, Day to Day)

This is the part most people picture—but it’s only one slice of the process.

Production includes:

• Call sheets – the daily roadmap (who, when, where)
  
  

• Blocking – planning actor movement for camera
  
  

• Rehearsals – refining performance and timing
  
  

• Coverage – shooting wide shots, mediums, close-ups
  
  

• Dailies – reviewing footage to catch issues early
  
  

• Set etiquette – hierarchy, communication, and professionalism
  
  

🎬 Best Picture films aren’t calm because they’re expensive—they’re calm because everyone knows the system.

Beginner takeaway: A smooth set isn’t about talent alone. It’s about preparation, respect, and clear roles.

The Handoff Moments Beginners Don’t Know Exist

These transitions confuse newcomers—and cause real problems if misunderstood:

• Picture lock – edit is frozen; no more visual changes
  
  

• Turnover – footage is handed to sound, color, VFX
  
  

• Temp sound & music – placeholders for testing tone
  
  

• Final mix – where everything comes together
  
  

Knowing when these happen matters just as much as knowing what they are.

If You’re New, Here’s What to Learn First (Checklist)

If you’re just starting out, don’t try to master everything at once. Focus here first:

✔ Understand the film production process from start to finish
 ✔ Learn basic set hierarchy and job roles
 ✔ Know how call sheets work
 ✔ Practice good set etiquette
 ✔ Learn common film terminology so you don’t feel lost

🎯 Master these, and you’ll walk onto set with confidence—not confusion.

Final Thoughts

Best Picture movies aren’t made by magic. They’re made by people who understand the filmmaking workflow and respect every phase of the process.

🎬 New to set life?
 Start with our Film Set Terminology + Etiquette resources and learn the stuff everyone assumes you already know.

Because once you understand how movies get made—you can start imagining yourself making one.