The post war years rendered difficult for Italians, whose society took a big hit as Mussolini's government collapsed. After years of dominating the industry through producing "white telephone " films, film critics began to harshly criticize its attempts to imitate American film and suggested that there be more realism coming from Italians. Filmmakers took this advice and began to take necessary steps in order to create a natural and original style for Italy. This natural and realistic style became known as "Neorealism. " This movement leaned towards shooting on location rather than studio work, as well as the grainy kind of photography associated with documentary newsreels. While film studios were unavailable after the war, neorealist directors shunned them primarily because they wanted to show what was going on in the streets and piazzas of Italy immediately after the war. Such filming often cost much more than work, in the more easily controlled studios. In the streets, it was never possible to predict lighting, weather, and the unforeseen occurrence of money-wasting disturbances. This idea also occurred in British cinema. British filmmakers began shooting on location and aimed to capture gloomy backgrounds in black and white. By committing to the desire to express daily problems in contemporary life, Lindsay Anderson and Karel Reisz were able to start the Free Cinema Movement. Perhaps the most original creations of the movement was Lindsay Anderson's young rebellious approach in O Dreamland, which gave viewers the confidence to ignore society's rules and live by their own. In Italian neorealism, the brilliant use of nonprofessional actors by Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni allowed viewers to see a natural essence occurring in an authentic environment. These components are what made these directors, for-fronts and definitions of their respected revolutions. .
Federico Fellini began his career as a scriptwriter and started out making films in the orthodox neorealist tradition.