Filmmaking is a broad term that involves anything from running camera equipment to production and direction of movies. This complex process involves many people. It may take years to complete a film. The most important players are the writer, the director, the producer, the cinematographer, and the editor.

The producer will find a story worth making into a movie. He or she will then choose the key theme and develop an idea of how the movie will go. A screenwriter will then develop the story for film, focusing on the theme provided. The director and producer will decide which actors and actresses will appear in the movie, and the director will collaborate with a myriad of people to develop the idea into a film. The cinematographer runs the film camera, recording all of the scenes. A cinematographer is most heavily involved in the process known as film production. This is the actual creating and filming of a movie. The raw footage is then sent to an editor who decides which footage to keep. The editor then pieces the film together so that it follows the order of the story.

Though all of these people are involved in the process of filmmaking, the filmmaker is generally considered the director. The director provides the artistic focus and runs rehearsals to ensure that the main idea is developed and maintained. Filmmaking is a complex process and the director enlists the help many people, including choreographers, lighting technicians, set designers, costume directors, and technical directors. In spite of the complexity, filmmaking is a multi-billion dollar industry. People all over the world enjoy the product of these artists.