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Hi all,
Well, I don't usually start new threads, and I don't normally talk about what I've been up to, except in a roundabout way. But since it's been so quiet for the last day, I could. It would give me a reason not to go to bed, which -- er -- is where I should really be now.
I'm back at university and I've been highly occupied these last couple of days trying to get my graduation film off the ground. I have a rough draft of the script (10-12 minutes), a good idea of what I would like to achieve, a deadline (shoot it before Christmas) and no budget so far. The story is not a gay one; it might qualify as family drama (but *film* drama, not soap-style television drama, I might add). To elaborate, it's a visual and atmospheric film about the relationship between a child and his mother, set (among other places) on an airfield.
I am writing and directing, and will probably also light, but I'll have to find experienced people to make up the rest of the crew (10-12 in total). I will need to cast four actors: three women and a 12 or 13 year-old boy. I will need to pay (at the very least) expenses for everyone. I would also like to shoot on 16mm film, which is beautiful, but also expensive: it would increase the total budget required to about £2500.
I don't see any harm in asking the following questions, but if you think they are intrusive or irrelevant, please ignore them.
There are very few short film funds available in the UK: some are available through the UK Film Council, and some are specific to particular areas or film types or ethnic groups. I will be contacting those available to me, but this is a long, drawn-out procedure. Regretably my university won't sponsor me: it's broke, apparently (like nearly all British universities) and it is also already sponsoring me to a certain extent by making available a digital video camera and some limited grip and lighting equipment.
In the meantime, does anyone know whether it's likely that established companies (non-film companies) would be interested in sponsoring short films in return for onscreen credit? Indeed, does anyone have a link with a company that might be interested in donating some money towards the production?
If anyone located in the UK thinks he might be interested in helping in another way -- fundraising, helping as a production assistant or location manager, especially if he has experience in any relevant line of work -- please could he let me know?
Thanks for reading. I can, obviously, go into a lot more detail by email, and I'll let those people I've mentioned this to in the past know by email over the next couple of days.
Best wishes,
David
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13751
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Sponsorship is hard, because companies tend only to want to sponsor when they get product placement, or when the storyline agrees with their own ethos/direction. As a businessman i woudl only sponsor a film from an unknown director (etc) if I knew it was going to get shown to my potential audience. Where do you expect this to get shown?
I imagine you can get hold of actors like a 12/13 year old boy from one of your old schools, pretty much free, and may well pick up your other actors from random parents there
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Well --
It's true that sponsorship does tend to entail a certain amount of product placement. But there are some companies that invest in that sort of thing without requiring it, largely because there is no reasonable pretext for including their product in the storyline.
The film has an aviation-related theme, so I could consider contacting the manufacturers of equipment that might appear on screen. (Indeed, for every brand that appears one needs either to have permission or to obscure it.) Even if they did not provide any money they might be willing to lend some props.
Finding actors is not difficult; it is only the boy that I am likely to have trouble with. I have emailed the head of drama at my old school, but not heard back yet. Otherwise, there are a lot of actors who are willing to work on student and low budget productions on an expenses-only basis when they are otherwise out of work as a method of self-promotion. The same goes to a certain extent wih film crews, but in that case the motivation is gaining experience and/or helping other people in the industry out.
The potential audience is the film festival circuit. Whether it goes beyond that (and hence makes money in some regard) is entirely dependent on its success there.
David
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You would be supprised at the companies that will pay for exposure in a film now. M&M was offered a placement spot in a major movie and turned it down. Reeses pieces accepted and became a house hold name over nigth. In case someone cant think of the movie it was ET (ET phone home). Reeses sales jumped 60% after the movie came out. every kid who saw the movie wanted them. So you never really know what might happen. A lot of companies will take a closeer look than you might think.
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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A short film I worked on asked if they could use Krispy Kreme doughnuts in one scene. Without even batting an eyelid, Krispy Kreme sent over half a dozen boxes of assorted doughnuts for use in the film. They didn't pay, but they did provide plenty of their product. They were all eaten by the cast and crew for breakfast that morning. I suspect that is what usually happens to edible product placement products...
I think one empty box made it into the film.
The M&Ms story is here: http://www.snopes.com/business/market/mandms.asp
It does not have a lot of impact in this country, because we don't have Reese's Pieces -- in fact, until you mentioned it I thought they were M&Ms!
David
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