Rocliffe Notes - A Guide to Low-Budget Filmmaking E-Book

Farah Abushwesha

• Herausgeber: Creative Essentials
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 294

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

A second book in the ROCLIFFE NOTES series, formed from the questions of newer filmmakers. This is a practical compendium for screenwriters and filmmakers in the form of notes and opinions. These provide a step-by-step, common-sense guide, with suggestions on how filmmakers package a film. The book covers everything you need to know to get a low-budget film made, from understanding budgeting and different types of finance, to casting, crewing, scheduling, production and festival strategy. This book explains how to turn your script into a film. It offers a unique insight by providing insider confidences, from established industry players to peers, on how you don't need permission to make films. A revelation for all would-be filmmakers, this is a guide to the nuts and bolts of making a film.

Leseprobe

Critical Acclaim for Farah Abushwesha

‘This is the book I wish I’d had when I started out working in the movies. Would that it had existed a few decades ago. It’s detailed, optimistic and full of practical and useful information’

– John Malkovich

‘A really useful guide to getting on in the world of film’

– Richard Eyre, Writer & Director

‘An insightful and crystal clear read for anyone wanting to produce their first film, be it a short or a feature’ – Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, Producer

‘Takes you through every stage from conception to distribution in clear concise steps. Brilliant’ – Colm Meaney, Actor & Producer

‘A fantastically comprehensive, nuts-and-bolts breakdown of the entire production process, offering essential, practical guidance for anyone serious about making a film that audiences will eventually want to see’

– Matt Mueller, Editor, Screen International







CONTENTS

CONTRIBUTORS 11

INTRODUCTION 15

01. THE LADDER 19

Level: First-Timer/Newbie 19

Level: Have Some Experience 20

Level: Semi-Professional 20

Ask for Advice 20

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Meeting for Advice 21

02. SHORTS 23

The Value of Shorts 24

What Are Shorts? 25

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Assessing Short Films 26

Funding A Short Film 27

Short-Film Production Schedule 27

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Short-Film Production 28

Sample Short-Film Production Schedule 28

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Short-Film Shots 30

03. DEVELOPING AND PACKAGING A MOVIE 32

A Movie 32

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… What A Film Is 35

Keep The Script Within A Low Or Micro-Budget 36

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Creative Solutions 38

Director And Producer Meet 39

Director-Producer Working Relationship and Preparation 43

ROCLIFFE NOTES on…

Director-Producer Pre-Prep Conversation 45

Pitch And Package 46

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… The Verbal Pitch 46

Basic Film Overview 47

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Film Packages 48

A Director’s Vision 49

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Directors’ Statements 50

Things Learnt On The Job 51

04. FINANCING 57

The Routes To Investment 58

Types Of Funding For Indie Films 58

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Film Funding Fact Finding 66

What’s In It For An Investor? 68

Finance Plan 70

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Finance Plan 70

Meeting With A Financier 71

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Meeting A Financier 71

Producers’ Tips On Investors 72

Completion Bond 74

Closing Financing 74

Challenges And Advantages Of Low-Budget Filmmaking 76

05. SCHEDULING 80

Get Started 80

How Long Will Tell You How Much 81

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Creating A Schedule 83

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Scheduling 88

Different Types Of Schedules 91

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Working With Small Crews 91

06. BUDGETING 93

Time + Money + Talent 93

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… How To Budget 96

Paying People And Expenses 97

Above-The-Line Costs 98

Below-The-Line Costs 99

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Ways To Budget Effectively 100

07. A TO Z OF PRODUCTION 103

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Soft Prep Activities 104

Director Or Writer-Director Prep 105

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Director’s Prep 107

A Basic Shot List 108

A Production Team 110

Accommodation, Per Diems, Travel 113

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Travelling Crew 114

Accounts 115

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Accounts 116

Art Department/Production Design 117

ROCLIFFE NOTES on…

Design Considerations On A Low Budget 118

Casting Process 119

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Casting 122

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Working With Actors 127

Catering 128

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Catering On Budget 128

Continuity 129

Costumes 130

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Low-Budget Costumes 131

Dit, Edit And Workflow 132

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Workflow 133

Equipment 134

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Equipment Hire 134

Hard Drives 136

Insurance 136

Locations 137

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Locations 139

Make-Up And Hair 141

Safety/Set Medic/Health And Safety 141

Stunts 142

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Stunts 143

Transportation 144

Unit Base 144

Visual Effects 144

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Different Visual Effects 145

08. CREWING UP 147

Crewing Up Or Finding Your Crew 148

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Finding Crew 148

Different Departments On Bigger Productions 149

Bare Minimum Crew 150

Ideal Small-Set Production Crew 151

Breakdown Of Each Department And Responsibilities 152

Screenskills 155

Screen Training Ireland 155

09. PAPERWORK 157

Legal Contracts 157

List Of Main Contracts Used 158

Negative Check/Script Clearance/Libel Read 158

Clearances 159

Production Paperwork Trail 160

Common Terms Used In Filmmaking 163

10. POST-PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY 164

Elements Of Post-Production 165

A Post-Production Supervisor’s Insight 166

The Edit 168

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Editing 169

Feedback And Test Screenings 171



ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Screenings 171

Music 172

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Music 174

VFX – Visual Effects 174

Picture Post/Digital Image 175

Sound 176

Credits 176

Opening Titles – Main Credits 177

Closing Titles – Main Credits 178

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… End Roll 179

Delivery And Deliverables 180

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Deliverable Items 181

11. MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 183

Marketing Plan 183

Publicists 185

A Publicist’s Notes On The PR Process 186

12. FESTIVALS AND MARKETS 190

Things Festivals Will Want 193

Wendy Mitchell’s Festival Tips 193

Markets 195

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Markets 195

Festivals 196

13. SALES COMPANIES 200

Film Sales 200

What Do Sales Companies Do? 201

Sample Sales Estimates 204

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Sales Agreements 205

14. DIRECT OR SELF-DISTRIBUTION 208

A ROCLIFFE CONVERSATION with… Charles Gant 210

What Are Aggregators? 212

ROCLIFFE NOTES on… Direct Or Self-Distribution 213

Paul SNG On Making, Marketing And Distributing

Dispossession 214

Lindsay Campbell From Underground Films On Self-

Distributing One Million Dubliners And Strange

Occurrences In A Small Irish Village 216

15. LISTS 218

Recommended Reading 218

Directories 218

APPENDICES 231

 CONTRIBUTORS

ADO YOSHIZAKI: Producer, Co-owner NDF International (City of Tiny Lights, Last Passenger)

AISLINN CLARKE: Writer, Director (The Devil’s Doorway)

ANDREA HARKIN: Writer, Director (Come Home, The Party, The Trial of Christine Keeler)

DREW JONES: Visual Effects Producer (Top Boy, Beast)

ANDREW NERGER: Head of Sales at The Movie Partnership

ANNA GRIFFIN: Producer (Calibre, The Lilting)

ANNE LAURILA: Producer, Finnish Film Commission

ASIF KAPADIA: Director (The Warrior, Senna, Amy)

BEN BLAINE: Director (Nina Forever)

BENNETT MCGHEE: Producer (VS, Bo66y)

BRIAN O’SHEA: CEO of The Exchange

CAMILLE GATIN: Producer (The Girl with All the Gifts, Shadow Dancer)

CARISSA BUFFEL & KEVIN MATUSOW: CEOs of Traveling Picture Show Company

CHARLES GANT: Film Journalist

CHRISTINE HARTLAND: Producer (WMD, Containment)

CLAIRE FREEMAN: Music Supervisor (The Theory of Everything, City of Tiny Lights)

CLARE CREAN: Sales & Marketing Consultant

CONOR BARRY: Producer (Mammal, Pilgrimage, You’re Ugly Too)

DANNY HUSTON: Director, Actor (The Last Photograph, Wonder Woman, Ivansxtc)

DESTINY EKARAGHA: Director (A Proposal, Gone Too Far)

DOMINIC BUCHANAN: Producer (Gimme the Loot, Lilting, King Jack)

EMILY MORGAN: Producer (I Am Not a Witch, Make Up)

FODHLA CRONIN O’REILLY: Producer (Lady Macbeth, Head Over Heels, My Generation, Ammonite)

GEOFFREY AREND: Actor, Director (500 Days of Summer, Madam Secretary)

GRAINNE HUMPHREYS: Director of Dublin International Film Festival

HELEN SIMMONS: Producer (Chubby Funny, Ilkley)

HILARY DAVIS: Sales & Marketing Consultant

IAN BONHÔTE: Writer, Director, Producer (McQueen, Alleycats)

JAMES KNOX: Entertainment Publicist

JOHN MADDEN: Director (Shakespeare in Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Miss Sloane)

JONNY PATERSON: Producer (Halfway)

KRISTEN O’BRIEN: Freelance Entertainment Publicist

LAURENT BOYE: CEO at Jazo PR

LINDSAY CAMPBELL: Producer (One Million Dubliners, Handy, Strange Occurrences In A Small Irish Village)

MANON ARDISSON: Producer (God’s Own Country)

MARNIE PAXTON-HARRIS: Director, Script Supervisor

MASOUD AMRALLA AL ALI: Artistic Director of Dubai International Film Festival

MAXINE PEAKE: Actress, Writer, Director

NICK THURLOW: Producer (Moonlight, The Kid)

PAUL SNG: Producer, Director (Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle, Sleaford Mods: Invisible Britain)

PETER PEDRERO: Stunt Coordinator (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Avengers: Age of Ultron)

PETER SMYTH: Producer (Lady Macbeth, Containment)

RAY PANTHAKI: Actor, Writer, Director (Colette, Convenience)

RORY DUNGAN: Producer (The Cured)

SALLY EL HOSAINI: Director (My Brother The Devil, Babylon)

SARAH ARNOTT: Sales & Marketing Consultant

SARAH BROCKLEHURST: Producer (Black Pond, Animals)

SARAH GAVRON: Director (Suffragette, Brick Lane)

SAUL DIBB: Writer, Director (The Duchess, Bullet Boy)

SEAN BAKER: Writer, Director (The Florida Project, Tangerine, Starlet)

SHANNON THOMPSON: Make-Up Designer (Irreplaceable You, Fast Colour)

SHARON BIALY: Casting Director (Irreplaceable You, The Handmaid’s Tale)

SHIRLEY HENDERSON: Actor (Stan & Ollie, The ABC Murders, Harry Potter films)

STEPHANIE LAING: Director, Producer (Irreplaceable You, Veep)

TINA GHARAVI: Director (I Am Nasrine)

VERITY WISLOCKI: Producer, Post-production Supervisor, Wislocki Films (The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Imitation Game)

WENDY MITCHELL: Contributing Editor Screen International, Film Festivals Aficionado

WHITNEY ANNE ADAMS: Costume Designer (Irreplaceable You, Piercing)

Dedicated to the memory of screenwriter

Eoin Rogers 1977-2017 with stories still to tell,

he ceaselessly gave up his time to support and

encourage other filmmakers.

INTRODUCTION

So you want to make a low-budget film? You’ve seen people do it, you’ve got a story to tell – it must be achievable! But then you think about the nitty-gritty: turning your brilliant idea into a fully fleshed-out script, casting it, financing it, figuring out the length, the style, the audience, the budget... and suddenly, it can feel very unachievable. Think of this book as a guide to help you know that yes, it can be done.

This book is for those embarking on making a short or a feature – whether you’re a director, writer, actor, producer or doing everything yourself. It is a demystification – from understanding the rudiments of budgeting and scheduling to creating a finance plan. This is not an exact or comprehensive guide; it is the things I needed to know or have been asked the most.

A film made for a low or micro-budget means you’re forced to think about solutions creatively, even more creatively than if you had the biggest budget in Hollywood – that’s the key to low-budget filmmaking. The process will be tough and the rewards may feel far away, but your focus as a filmmaker is to make the best film you can possibly make. Expect the unexpected and that mistakes will happen, and remember your priority isn’t what festival or platform you screen on, but to make the best possible version of your film. Don’t make yourself a prisoner of the things you get wrong. As Oscar Wilde said, experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. Give yourself permission to make something, to fail or succeed at it, and then do it again. Don’t listen to the voice in your head telling you ‘you

can’t’, or those you think may ridicule you for aspiring to something more. Nothing beats the experience of doing it yourself.

I cut my producing teeth by making several shorts. I worked as a production coordinator on The Scouting Book for Boys with Tom Harper, Jack Thorne and Ivana Mackinnon. On that film, I met many great people who I continue to collaborate with today. My first feature as a producer was Pressure. On that film Danny Huston asked me to be a producer on The Last Photograph. I made a Screen Ireland signatures short, The Party, with Andrea Harkin and Conor MacNeill, which was nominated for a BAFTA and a European Film Award. Through Rocliffe New Writing Competition I met Stephanie Laing, made comedy content for her comedy platform PYPO, and later produced her directorial debut, Netflix Original Irreplaceable You.

My immense gratitude to those who painstakingly read, reread, consulted and advised – Wendy Mitchell, Emily Morgan, Ed Cripps, Verity Wislocki, Helen Simmons, Catherine Freeman, Aiman Aliff and Christos Michaels for their thoughts on early drafts of this. Thank you too to the generosity of my fellow filmmakers who contributed their experiences so honestly.

DISCLAIMER

The copyright and samples in this book are owned and retained by the originator of the work. This work has been created for your general information only. The owner, the author of this book and the publishers cannot therefore be held responsible for any losses or claims howsoever arising from any use or reproduction. Nothing in this book should be construed as legal advice. The information provided is not a substitute for consulting with an experienced entertainment lawyer, film practitioners, or receiving counsel based on the facts and circumstances of a particular transaction. Furthermore, case law and statutes and European and international law and industry practice are subject to change, and differ from country to country.

This book is about good practice.



1

THE LADDER

Each project has its own unique requirements, and these will give you a unique and first-hand insight into the things that work for those making films (extraordinary ones) at lower-budget levels. Filmmaking is a journey – there are highs and lows. Enjoy the highs for they are few and far between. You can’t predict the outcome but you can learn from the process and meet collaborators doing it.

There are different kinds of filmmakers at different levels. There’s always something to be learned from everyone you meet, both higher up and lower down.

LEVEL: FIRST-TIMER/NEWBIE

(GREAT PLACE TO BE)

IS THIS YOU: Never made a film, never read a script but want to make something to see how it works and fancy giving it a go.

EXPERIENCE: Know little about equipment, have no money but plenty of willing friends and family who will help out.

AUDIENCE: Cast, crew, friends and family – maybe festivals if you submit.

WHERE TO START: Read shorts, read about writing shorts, write a script, do a short course to see how it works, make a film on a phone.

LEVEL: HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE

IS THIS YOU: Made one or two shorts, worked in film, done a few courses.

EXPERIENCE: Know a bit about equipment, got some contacts in the industry and got a little money. Know the technical side and feel a bit more prepped in terms of what you have to do and what to expect. More confident about what can be done.

AUDIENCE: Cast, crew, friends, family, industry and festival circuit.

WHERE TO START: Get feedback on the script, call in favours from industry contacts, apply to funding schemes.

LEVEL: SEMI-PROFESSIONAL

IS THIS YOU: Made several shorts including award-winners, have an agent, need a producer and a feature film.

EXPERIENCE: Ready to make a feature, have good contacts in the industry, confident in ability and know what matters on a set.

AUDIENCE: Potential strong launch at festival with good reviews and potential for distribution.

WHERE TO START: Make the script the best it can be, talk with sales agents and work with experienced DoPs and production designers to prep.

ASK FOR ADVICE

The best way to get started is to ask for advice from those who have experience. They won’t have all the answers but they may tell you how they would have done things differently.

Prepare for that meeting and make sure all parties are aware of the purpose of it. Send a short, but sweet, email asking to meet for a coffee for advice on a particular topic. If the person you ask can’t help, they may be able to direct you to someone who can.

Most people will be happy to share their pearls of wisdom on how they got into the industry. The most common questions are about how to find the money, feedback, careers, budgets, who to collaborate with, how to get a script to work and then get it made. Probably where to find funding is the most-asked question before ‘Will you read my script?’. Apart from the usual suspects like funding bodies, they may offer practical help such as recommendations for crew and producers.

There’s a difference between asking for advice and asking someone to give you their expertise for free. Some expertise will come with a small fee – a professional script report, a budget, a schedule. Before you complain, this is the price of business. Come to expect this.

Be honest about the advice you are looking for. You won’t be the first and certainly not the last to ask for help and, as you make your way up the ladder, it is expected. Most of us will send the ladder back down, but make a favourable impression and come prepared.

ROCLIFFE NOTES on…

MEETING FOR ADVICE

• Get a notebook and a pen or pencil. Take it with you everywhere and make notes.

• There is a lot of information on the web.

• Prepare a list of questions to ask at meetings on what you’ve read or learnt – although avoid conspiracy theories.

• Before sending someone a script to read or a film to watch – ask! Don’t assume people have the time and don’t be cross if they haven’t.

• Spend the time listening to the experienced person, not talking about what you want to do or trying to compete with them – they’ve got the years/credits.

• Be wary of myths of people stealing ideas – there are less sharks and most people are willing to help and have integrity, but protect

your work. Email it. Watermark it. Keep track of who you tell it to. Ideas are in the ether – use them or lose them.

• Ask people how they got started or have seen other people break in.

• Enjoy the company of the person you are meeting and don’t expect to learn how to make a film in an hour – there’s no fast or magic answer.

• Ask people to connect you with others in the industry. If getting a quote from a camera house, ask if they can recommend a DoP – make connections. Someone may pass on your contact details even if they don’t give you a direct contact.

• When looking for a producer or writer, look at recent graduates from film schools, award-winning films, go to film festivals, watch short films and read the credits, go on training schemes – connect.

• Write to literary agents to ask for recommendations but send them a short brief of what you are looking for – is it a short or feature?

• Check the recent funding rounds from national funding bodies – who is on their watch list?

• Go on short courses or initiatives – Screen Training Ireland and ScreenSkills, for example.

• Keep all your questions to a single email. Sending question after question clogs up an inbox and is disrespectful.

2

SHORTS

For many of us, working on shorts gives us some experience. There has been such a change in recent years with camera phones and the internet that shorts and short-form content are now easy to produce for anyone wishing to do so.

Shorts can be great films. They are an amazing way to learn and understand the different crafts behind the technical arts such as editing, camera, sound and lighting.

They can take you on journeys to film festivals and a network of new talent. What a short can do is prove what you are capable of and work as a showreel of work you have done.

While a short provides an absolutely brilliant learning curve, it doesn’t automatically make you a feature-filmmaker. Where a short differs from a feature is that a story told in ten minutes is not necessarily one that can be stretched out to 90 minutes. The structure is different. Shorts don’t usually make their money back. They will generate interest, but not necessarily. You need to commit time and money and they take a lot of effort to set up.

Short films allow you the space to learn and lessons to be learned, including multitasking as an individual and as a team. You will discover that what you need to know more than anything is how a set works, physically and mentally.

Some newer producers and directors think it’s about control, which it is, but mostly it’s about handling responsibility and communication. The biggest responsibility when dealing with actors, crew, budgets and other aspects of a production is staying calm. A stressed-out

producer or director means everyone else will be stressed-out too. The biggest lesson you need to learn when making shorts is how to remain calm and to calm the people around you.

These skills are not necessarily innate. You have to learn to steer yourself and develop the confidence to share your vision or communicate your team’s vision, while at all times being financially responsible. It can be overwhelming, but the overriding rule of filmmaking is that nothing is unachievable. There is always a way round a problem and you can always find a solution while keeping things in perspective.

Ask yourself why you want to make this film and what you want from it. What do you want this film to do? Why do you want to tell this story?

THE VALUE OF SHORTS

Shorts are fantastic because, in a short time, you learn to handle the all-encompassing responsibilities of managing a crew, cast, finances, creativity and, above all, delivering a film. I actually believe you have more creative control on a short than on a feature and it’s a wonderful way to grow and learn.

RORY DUNGAN: We’re lucky in Ireland that there exists a variety of soft funds for making short films (Filmbase, Galway Film Centre, Cork Film Centre). We accessed as many of them as we could. They were always highly competitive so many projects never quite made it, but, thankfully for us, a lot of them did. This allowed us then to start making shorts with Screen Ireland and start getting our feature films developed through funding with them.

FODHLA CRONIN O’REILLY: Will [Oldroyd] and I shot a teaser and it was good to see how he was on set and for us to get to know how the other worked. It built trust and a shorthand.

CONOR BARRY: Shorts are a proof of your ability to hold responsibility and a remit, but also, as a writer/director or producer, you’re involved with a particular style of filmmaking, not a copy of other things. You should be able to go ‘that’s what I’m about’. It’s a calling card in terms of the tone or style.

SARAH GAVRON: You have to show you can direct in order get a directing job. Short films are a great way, or commercials or theatre – whatever it is that shows your work as a director. I made nine short films and it was with the ninth short that I had my break – it won some awards, got me an agent and meetings with film companies and broadcasters. I made that short while at the National Film and TV School – having fellow students, equipment and expert guidance on hand helped enormously.

TINA GHARAVI: Shorts are great – they are such an important part of building your storytelling confidence and testing yourself.

DESTINY EKARAGHA: Short-film funding schemes helped to jumpstart my career. Southern Exposure, a borough fund, funded Tight Jeans. The Park was funded by Film London. The funding and support I got from each of them enabled me to make the films exactly as I intended and for that I will always be grateful.

SALLY EL HOSAINI: I made a 60-second short, then another longer short film. I then tried to make some much more ambitious short films but never got the funding together. The only reason I made shorts later in my career was because I kept getting told that you have to make shorts to show what you can do in order to make a feature. So, for me, short films were always a means to an end.

WHAT ARE SHORTS?

I can’t remember who first said it but I’ve never forgotten the advice to think of shorts as visual poems building atmosphere and tone.

Film is a subjective medium. We all know what we like and don’t like. We can be looking at the same film and it will engage us differently. There are no rules, and then, on the other hand, there is nothing but the rules: rules of genre, etiquette, form and expectation.

Short film and form is exploding, not only in Ireland and the UK but also globally. Although with the changing economic climate there are fewer funding opportunities for short-film schemes than a few years ago, in the rest of the world a whole new generation of filmmakers from Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East are finding their filmmaking

voices. Adverts want short-form stories, editorial wants stories, and we even have stories on Snapchat and can put videos on Instagram.

Add to this digital technology, and the fact that some celebrated short films were actually conceived, made and produced in someone’s bedroom, and you can see why there are so many short films saturating the marketplace. For your short film to be noticed you really have to make something that’s unique, visionary and pleasing to an audience.

Watching shorts is essential for filmmakers. Try to watch as many as you can. Creative inspiration comes from many sources and the best way to learn what works is by watching where others fail. Too few aspiring filmmakers watch shorts. You also have to care passionately about the story because it is a time-consuming labour of love.

ROCLIFFE NOTES on…

ASSESSING SHORT FILMS

Watch short films to see what kind of shorts work for you. Constantly be asking questions – why, what, when, who and where? The great thing about shorts and short-film scripts is that they can be read/watched, assessed and dissected quickly:

• What does it make you think of?

• Can you sum it up in one line?

• What genre is it?

• What do you think the starting point (inspiration) for the writer was or what do you think the writer was trying to say with it?

• Does the story have a beginning, middle and end?

• Did the ending work for you?

• Does the script excite you or bore you?

• What do you find frustrating or irritating about this script?

• What does it say to you?

• How successfully is the writer building character?

• Are they trying to tell too big a story that isn’t appropriate for the length?

• How does the writer deal with time?

• Does it resonate with you after you’ve read/watched it?

• Is there an image that sticks in your mind?

• Ask questions – why, what, where, when and how

FUNDING A SHORT FILM

There really are only a few possible sources of finance for a short:

• New talent film funds – Screen Ireland, BFI (see SOFT MONEY SOURCES)

• Regional funds – Film London, Northern Ireland Screen, FilmBase Ireland, etc. (see SOFT MONEY SOURCES)

• Crowdfunding

• Pay for it yourself

• Short film competitions from branded content schemes – Jameson Short Film, MoFilm and Bombay Sapphire (which exist at time of print)

• Bank of Mum and Dad – never underestimate the power of love. Also, friends and family tend to offer better interest rates than credit cards and banking institutions

SHORT-FILM PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

The prep, production and post-production of a short film are similar to that of a feature, just shorter.

Production of a short film involves many different things and the first thing to do is create a summary schedule of key activities from pre-production, production and post-production – outlining each phase and estimated dates for delivering your project.

ROCLIFFE NOTES on…

SHORT-FILM PRODUCTION

• Decide how you are going to fund it. There are three options – a new talent initiative, crowdfunding or self-funding.

• Set a shoot date or time to shoot – this can be determined by cast, location or DoP availability.

• Prep time is your best friend.

• Minimise locations and logistics.

• Decide what you are going to shoot it on.

• Scout locations.

• Get your production insurance.

• Meet with key crew – production design, costume, make-up, etc.

SAMPLE SHORT-FILM PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

Short film, shot on digital with four cast members on location. The budget is £9,000. Shoot is one day exterior and three days of interior.

It has been agreed:

• Prep – 5 weeks

• Shoot – 4 days

• Edit – 10 days

• Post-production – 4 weeks

PRODUCTION SCHEDULE – SHORT-FILM SAMPLE

Activity

Tasks

PRE-PRODUCTION

Week – 5

(Shoot week minus 5)

Casting the leads

Location scouting

Post-production deals

Contact agents for HoDs

Insurance

Week – 4

Meeting with HoDs

Director of Cinematography

Production Designer

Costume Designer

Sound Recordist

Visit locations

Contact catering companies

Week – 3

Discuss with HoDs crew and equipment requirements

Get quotes

Contact suppliers and crew

Advertise for crew

Week – 2

Location tech recce with DoP, Art, Sound

Book equipment

Week – 1

Check with each department for their needs

Create contracts, call sheets and schedules

PRODUCTION

Day 1

Exterior

Day 2

Interior

Day 3

Interior

Day 4

Interior

POST-PRODUCTION

Edit Day 1

Ingest media and sort into scenes and takes

Edit Day 2

Assembly Edit



Edit Day 3

Editing and first assembly sent to producers and execs for feedback

Edit Day 4

EDIT – send first assembly to producers and execs for feedback

Edit Days 5–7

EDIT – get notes and cut film

Get feedback on cut

Show cuts to other filmmakers

Play around with their feedback

Edit Day 8

Implement changes

Post Day

Visual effects/Special effects, Music cues

Edit Days 9–10

Drop in VFX/SFX/Music to film – may need minor frame changes

Lock film and do playouts – editor create the EDL (edit decision list)

NOTE: If you can afford more time in the edit then go for it

1–2 Days

Foley, AD, Pre-mix

1–2 Days

Conform and grade

Track lay

ROCLIFFE NOTES on…

SHORT-FILM SHOTS

• Consider scheduling your shoot over a weekend when you stand a better chance of getting more experienced crew and cast.

• It’s hard to remember everything and it’s your first time, so prepare a storyboard, shot list and keep a check list.

• Check the weather forecast for exterior scenes and try to schedule them first if possible.

• Storyboard action or visual scenes.

• Director and DoP prepare a shot list and circulate to Camera Department and 1st AD. Even if you structure the scene as it would play in the edit, always go for a single shot and master of each scene (capturing the scene in one shot).

• Break down how long you are going to spend on each scene by shot and time spent on each.

Basic shot list includes:

• Single shot of the entire scene

• Single on each of the characters speaking

• Shot by shot in the order of the edit for an action/visual sequence – usually storyboarded

• Coverage or reaction shots on characters

Short film, shot on digital with four cast members on location. The budget is £9,000. Shoot is one day exterior and three days of interior.

See Sample Short-Film Budget – £9,000 in the Appendix

If you have little or no money and can just about cover some insurance and basic needs and decided:

• Prep – 1 week

• Shoot – 1 day

• Edit – 4 days

• Post-production – 2 days

See Sample Short-Film Budget – £850 in the Appendix

3

DEVELOPING AND PACKAGING A MOVIE

A MOVIE

Filmmaking is a non-exact science and you need to prepare. I’ve compared it to crawling uphill on your knees. When you get to the top, regardless of what the views are like – cloudy or clear – take pride in what you've achieved in getting there. There are many rewards to be had – creative, collaborative and sometimes financial.

BENNETT MCGHEE: Be prepared to wait and be patient, but also to push at the right time. In my early days all I needed was a mobile phone and a laptop and a source of power so London was my office. When things grew a desk became necessary but I’ve resisted as long as possible and saved a lot of money. Be prepared to get emotional at the right time and hold your nerve at all other times. Be prepared to put in the hours, weeks, months, years. It will almost certainly not happen overnight. I’m not sure there’s one best route into producing but certainly working for producers you admire and who are willing to nurture you, as I was fortunate enough to do, was an incredibly important part of my route to producing. There’s a tipping point where the pressure starts to mount. After years in development waiting on people to read and say yes, then the finance and cast are in place and it becomes an ever-increasing wave of business, legal, logistics, politics and crisis management that you’re constantly trying to ride to avoid a wipe-out.

 People who are about to embark on making a micro- or low-budget feature think the journey is about success and failure and have one or two scenarios in their heads.

HELEN SIMMONS: If you’re determined to be a filmmaker and know it’s your calling, the only thing to do is get on and do it. And that means staying strong and ignoring the many naysayers you’ll meet along the way. There will be many doubters, many who don’t understand, many who think they know best and even some who are simply jealous that perhaps they didn’t take the risk you’ve decided to take and now it’s too late. You will probably be told you’re doing the wrong thing, or that perhaps you should take that runner job for another year, or work for someone else for another five, and did you know you’re never going to make any money and should probably be an accountant/lawyer/teacher/[insert stable job here]? A lot of what makes someone successful in a business like this is grit and perseverance. Don’t take no for an answer. Don’t settle – for a mediocre script or film or career. And don’t give up on yourself. It’s a long road and there will most definitely be times when you want to quit. But then you have a cry or a moan and you dust yourself off and keep going. If anything, I think that’s the number-one quality common to almost every filmmaker I’ve ever met. They just keep going.

Bennett and Helen sum up so well the different routes. A film may do well on the festival circuit and not make its money back and yet be well-received critically. It may even skip some of these routes along the way and go straight on to a platform as we did with Irreplaceable You. The film was released as a Netflix Original in 2018.

What you want to happen is for the film to be seen by the biggest audience possible and for it to make its money back or do its backers proud. Make something that shows you are worth investing in. Netflix has enabled us to make the investors’ money back and get seen by the widest audience. My experience of them was great and very transparent. For us it was the best scenario we could have hoped for.

RAY PANTHAKI: In amidst all the anxiety that comes with making a film, remind yourself to enjoy it.

ROCLIFFE NOTES on…

WHAT A FILM IS

• A film is a series of moving images and sound/music, which tell a story.

• A film is a product, a commodity that can be sold to make money for its investors.

• A feature needs to be a minimum of 71 minutes long.

• A film is made for an audience – so know who your audience is.

• A film conforms to a genre – comedy, horror, thriller and drama.

• A film has a world, a location, characters, emotion and a problem/dilemma or central conflict to overcome.