It's true that all movies start as words on a page, but this gets you maybe a tenth of the way down the road to a completed film -- and even if you embark on this journey with a brilliantly crafted screenplay, there are still a myriad of opportunities to make an absolute dog along the way. That's because filmmaking is a highly collaborative art form. Everyone, from the director to the cinematographer to the editor to the production and costume designers needs to be dedicated to properly serving that terrific screenplay.

One of the most important stages in film production is, of course, casting. There is an art to great casting (which is why it now has its own Oscar), particularly when it comes to piecing together a comedy. Again, it's not just a matter of bringing together some of the funniest people on the planet. You need look...