Before selecting a specific film or films, you, the producer, and the director, will have to answer a number of basic technical and aesthetic questions about the entire production. The answers you provide will help greatly in the selection of the films that will best translate your concepts into moving pictures on a screen that convey your intended message accurately, completely, and effectively.

You should consider the following factors because they directly affect your choice:

• Anticipated release format. Will the finished prints be 35 mm or 16 mm? Shooting a 16 mm camera film to produce 35 mm release prints will involve some sacrifice in image quality.
• Number of finished prints needed. If you need only one and you need it fast, a reversal film designed for direct projection will be ideal. If you are producing several prints, the camera film should be selected with an eye toward the economics of the various film printing systems.
• The finished form of the picture. Should the finished film be in color or in black-and-white? The aesthetic impact of black-and-white film is distinctly different from that of color. What feeling should the film convey? The sharp distinctions in hue and density provided by a color film image can convey more information than the same image composed of shades of gray. Filmmakers should not assume, however, that color is always more interesting, or that black and white is always less expensive. Should the film be silent or should it have sound? A sound track can help to focus and direct a viewer's attention to the message. Answers to these questions depend on the purpose and audience for the film.
• Type of lighting and exposure index. Will the subject be filmed indoors or out? Can you control the light? Some films are especially designed for low levels of light or for sensitivity at particular bands of the spectrum. All films are balanced for particular kinds of lighting. Will your film give you an accurate record of the colors in the scene if you make the motion picture only in the light available to you?
• Type of filtration needed. If you have to use several filters to compensate for uncontrolled elements in the scene or in the lighting, will the film be fast (sensitive) enough to record a high-quality image?
• Type of processing and printing facilities available. Few labs process all types of film. If your nearby laboratory processes only color film, you may have to send your black-and-white film to an out-of-town lab. This situation can be especially time-consuming if the film requires editing and must be shuttled back and forth several times. You can avoid much anxiety by getting to know the personnel at the laboratories that process your films and explaining your special needs to them. It may be worthwhile to select films that can be processed by a laboratory directly familiar with your needs.