Hollywood uses outsourcing on virtually every major production sent to theaters. Movie making is a labor intensive business – actors need to be hired and coordinated, sets built and maintained, and editing has to be done before the final product is released. Outsourcing as much of this process as possible can help to keep costs on Hollywood productions within budget.

As the attempt to invoke a sense of realism in films has become standard, shooting portions of movies in faraway locations has become the norm. Much of the building work done on sets in remote filming locations can be outsourced to local construction companies. Rather than bringing along technicians and equipment, work can be given to a local firm that can build a set to specifications on site before the actors even arrive.

Even within the Hollywood area itself outsourcing can be utilized to maximize cost savings on a film. Rather than keep armies of publicists and extras on the payroll, Hollywood film producers can outsource the process of generating publicity and hiring extras to dedicated marketing companies and talent agencies.

Special effects are yet another major component of Hollywood film production where outsourcing is common practice. Talented CGI animators are in short supply, and the talent is quite often located far from Hollywood. Special effects that rely on computer technology rather than stunts and pyrotechnics are routinely outsourced to computer companies that specialize in this sort of work. Filming can be done in front of a green screen with the CGI effects incorporated into the background during post-production.

Outsourcing has been standard practice in Hollywood for decades, and the cost savings associated with contracting specialized companies to do much of the technical and labor intensive work has saved production companies huge amounts of time and money.

Image: Minkelhof