Step 1: Idea and Development
Finding the initial idea for the film is the core of the whole filmmaking process. Not every idea for a film is a good idea for a film, and indeed, most concepts won’t make it to the next level. But once you find an idea that excites you, you will need to develop it so it forms the foundation of your film. This phase of the process will help you understand exactly what you want to say and how you want to say it, and will make it easier for you to convey it to other people, on-set and off-set, thus making sure that everybody’s on the same page.
Development is where the creative juices start flowing, the story takes shape and begins to mold together. A Producer will use every resource they can grab onto until they find a story worth pursuing.

Next, write your script using a script format; think about characters, dialogues, sights and sounds. An important tip is to have all details in the script, but not too many details: a good filmmaker should always know his strengths and weaknesses, and allow the professionals who work with him to make decisions in areas he’s not familiar with. After you have secured financing for your feature, whether through independent financiers, crowd sourcing (kickstarter, indigogo), or a studio deal, your film has been given the green light and you can move to the next stage, preproduction.
Step 2: Pre-Production
Many consider the pre-production phase the most important phase in the filmmaking process. In pre-production you plan all the logistical and creative aspects of the production, while trying to think about all possible problems and tackle them in advance. For that reason, a good, comprehensive pre-production can save you a lot of time, money and effort.Try to estimate how many days of production you’re going to need in order to get all the wanted audio and visual materials, and plan your days in the most cost-effective way possible. Budget should also be taken under account when planning the production itself and it’s important to keep track on expenses at all times.

Other topics that need to be settled in the pre-production phase are finding locations, designing and constructing sets, planning basic camera movement and coming up with Plan Bs in case things don’t go as planned (e.g. weather problems).
Step 3: Principal Photography (shooting)
After you have finalized your script, fully casted your film, booked all of your equipment, locked all your locations, hired the remaining crew, completed you story board and mastered your shot list, you should now be feeling pretty good because you are ready for Principle Photography.
During Production, the 1st AD will run the set and make sure everything is happening in a timely manner. The 1st AD is responsible for onset safety and making sure each department is working while monitoring how much time is needed for each respective department.The 2nd Assistant Director works directly with the 1st AD and is responsible for preparing the daily call sheets and making sure the talent reports to set. This means making sure the talent has gone through wardrobe and makeup and is camera ready.

The Gaffer, Grip & Electric, 1st assistant camera, 2nd assistant Camera, and Sound Mixer are all necessary members of the team.

There are some essential things filmmakers need to know (or they find out the hard way) before they step onto that first set. These lessons tend to come with experience, but in a world of youtube filmmakers and DSLRs, it’s better to list them out now to avoid painful mistakes later on during filmmaking.
It is only meant to help you aspiring Directors out there in building the relationships and experiences you need now to be successful later on.