[in production] the first stage in film production in which the market demand is studied, primary audience selected, genre chosen, the ideas for the film are created, the screen-play is written, investment documentation prepared and financing sought and obtained. (Barnwell, 2018)
[in screenwriting] the gradual growth of a screenplay from germinal idea to fleshed out plot to final script (Austin Community College, 2014). [In production] the period of rewriting the screenplay after several rounds of notes (Haddad, 2005). The period of time before pre-production where a film's script is developed, principal players are attached, and operating agreements are solidified. (Wales, 2017)
