Abstract
This research project investigates a small film production company’s projects transformation process and workflow management. It is a case study of a Soweto-based filmmaking company benefiting from the area’s uniqueness and newness as a film production zone. This research analyses a film project workflow and examines, in full, the operational activities within the input-transformation-output process. It builds on operations management literature concerned with efficiency and effectiveness in the production process. This study makes a theoretical contribution to operations management’s sub-field of workflow and process management. Research questions focused on the key operational aspect of the FPCS film-making process and operational activities performed during different film production stages. A qualitative research design was employed. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were undertaken with employees and stakeholders of an emerging film production company in Soweto. The qualitative data were coded through the use of NVivo software, and the content analysis revealed that equipment acquisition proved to be one of the most important factors in the workflow activities of the filming company. Resources are needed to execute the project plan, and management of those resources by skilled operations or project managers is part of how successful filmmaking project workflows became feasible.
Keywords: Film production, Filmmakers, Industry, Operations Management and Workflow Management.