Chris Jones Blogtag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-12512622009-11-12T11:44:51+00:00Film maker and AuthorTypePadHave you made a 'film' or a 'movie'?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0128757b7283970c2009-11-12T11:44:51+00:002009-11-12T11:44:51+00:00I have received a pile of emails from film makers after I revealed all the stats from the ‘Gone Fishing’ film festival run over the last year. Many were expressing frustration that it appears film makers are often unwelcome in...Chris Jones
I have received a pile of emails from film makers after I revealed all the stats from the ‘Gone Fishing’ film festival run over the last year. Many were expressing frustration that it appears film makers are often unwelcome in their own countries (bizarrely, some US producers could not get into American festivals but did have success in Europe). It seems festival programmers have a rarefied taste and home grown talent is often simple ‘off the menu’ (most of the time at least). I am also sure that many of said festival organisers would take offence to this statement, but I am looking at cold hard data, being backed up by anecdotal evidence.
Film maker Connor Clements put it succinctly when he said ‘I think Americans are more interested in narrative driven films, and are more passionate about films than anywhere else’. This pretty much mirrors my experience in the US with ‘Gone Fishing’. It’s a sentiment that is echoed in one of my favourite Alan Parker cartoons too (pictured here).
I guess the lesson for us all is to target festivals where you think you have a good chance of getting in, based on the genre, themes and tastes of past selections and winners. As Alan Parker simply puts here... have you made a FILM or a MOVIE. It's an important distinction.
Of course this raises the ugly head of the festival research workload – it’s one thing committing to researching 300 film festivals, then entering a selection of the ones you feel are a best fit for your film – it’s another thing doing it! It’s not hard, but it does take a lot of time, organisation and tracking.
Withoutabox has helped by creating the paperless submission service (for a fee of course) and recently launched their Secure Online Screeners service – with it you upload your film to a secure server and the festival programmers wo which you submit can then watch all the films online. Very green and cost effective, and will save lots of trips to the post office, but I do question the wisdom of a selection process based on viewings on a computer, especially with regard to movies designed to be screened in a theatre - and when it comes to sound, most people will inevitably watch on a laptop with internal speakers so your film may sound terrible. I guess it’s the ‘YouTube’ generation way of doing things and it is undeniably the right thing to do from a green perspective.
In a couple of weeks we will be playing in Bilbao, Northern Spain, and I will be watching to see just how European audiences respond to ‘Gone Fishing’.
Working at a school for wizards...tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a66e3c4d970b2009-11-10T14:06:28+00:002009-11-10T14:10:33+00:00Having an open and frank conversation with young people is always a challenge. And that’s what I did today, at the Barbara Speake Stage School – with a group of about 50 or so aspiring performers, aged between 11 and...Chris Jones
Having an open and frank conversation with young people is always a challenge. And that’s what I did today, at the Barbara Speake Stage School – with a group of about 50 or so aspiring performers, aged between 11 and 15… A long and deep chat… about wizardry!
That’s what I believe we story tellers do – we are wizards who cast spells on our audiences, and when we get good at our wizardry, we can hold audiences in that deliciously magical state for the duration of our work (Jack Bauer in '24' manages a whole day!)
Of course actors are on the front line of such sorcery, and having the privilege to speak to these guys at such a formative age was both exhilarating and nerve wracking. I had just one hour which I filled with anecdotes and hard won lessons I have learned on my own journey - about taking courage to commit to an extraordinary adventure, about learning to pick yourself up after repeatedly being knocked down and often kicked in the teeth while down, about helping pick up others when they are knocked down and thereby building a band of brothers and sisters… But most of all, we spoke about the magic that is created when your work powerfully connects with an audience and both transports and transforms the viewers in such a way that they live the vicarious lives of the characters in that work.
It went down a storm I am happy to report!
I also screened ‘Gone Fishing’ to them and got a few ‘ahhs’ and giggles in places I did not quite expect. It’s always a gift to screen your film to a young audience as their reaction is both honest and unrestrained.
At the end, I was mobbed by a sea of red jumpers, all shaking my hand confidently and asking to join my Facebook page! One particularly plucky chap asked if I could introduce him to Megan Fox! Ah, what it is to have ones dreams and aspirations unrestrained.
A great day and for me a terrific mid-week-pick-me-up as it helped re-connect myself with WHY I put myself through this job, day after day.
Gone Fishing, the festival data is complete!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a6b04605970c2009-11-06T11:01:53+00:002009-11-06T12:04:17+00:00Well it’s nearly complete. The problem is that I keep getting invites to more festivals, and so, like the making and selling of a film itself, it just keeps going on and on. I am not complaining as it is...Chris Jones
Well it’s nearly complete. The problem is that I keep getting invites to more festivals, and so, like the making and selling of a film itself, it just keeps going on and on. I am not complaining as it is a fabulous distraction to be invited to wonderful festivals around the world, but it’s not going to get the next movie made!
OK, so I wrote a few months ago on the blog, about the ongoing festival campaign and the spreadsheet we put together – but the data at that time was incomplete. As the main push for Gone Fishing has now ended, I thought I should tally up that data and share it – so here it is.
All in all, we entered 139 festivals… Of those festivals we were rejected from 66. That gives us a success rate of just under half at 47.5%.
And of those 73 festivals we got accepted into, we won an award at 28 (sometimes we won multiple awards, giving us wins closer to forty), resulting in a ‘win award’ rate of around 38% (that’s of the festivals we actually got into remember – overall, if you consider every festival we entered, we had a win / success rate of just over 20%).
This figure is slightly skewed as not all festivals were competitive, but most were. Without doing a lot of number crunching and head scratching I can’t give you an exact figure, but I would geusstimate that about 10% of all the festivals entered were non competitive.
Now the really interesting stats come from WHERE we were accepted. The map shows we were hugely popular in the USA, but not so popular in Europe. In fact in the UK, we have only played officially in two festivals, being rejected from the others we entered – this trend began with Edinburgh 2008 who declined our world premiere (also note that one fest, the United Film Fest, is a touring festival out of the USA so I don’t count that one). I also know there are a couple of UK festivals that are not in the sheet because I dealt with them before we started logging everything in detail in a spreadsheet, often by handing someone at a festival a DVD and a form – for instance the Leeds Film festival is not in the sheet and I did apply there and heard nothing back.
In the first instance I wanted the world premiere to take place in the UK, but was met with some indifference from UK festivals and so ended up premiering in Rhode Island (which I am glad we did – if you have not seen the nail biting video blog of this, check it out below)
Of all the figures, only Europe and USA really have enough data to display any kind meaningful trend…
In Europe (including the UK), of the festivals we entered (40), we got into 32.% of them (13) and won one award.
In North America (inc Canada) of the festivals we entered (87), we got into 63.5.% of them (55) and won 30% (26) festivals
Quite a distinction. I can say with some certainty that American audiences warmed to Gone Fishing, were Europe was far less enthusiastic. Anecdotally, that was also my experience at the coal face while attending festivals.
We spent around £3,000 on festival submissions, which I funded myself, and continue to fund from sales of the DVD. And as most short film festivals don’t cover expenses, I had to pay for air travel and accommodation when there – so again, I guesstimate a further £3,000 on expenses (though I did manage to run some workshops at some festivals to claw some costs back, and also lived rent free in LA with Gen and Zee when there).
But was it worth it? I will have a long think about this and report back on the blog in the next few days. Also, I am filming an extra module for the Gone Fishing online workshop to go into greater detail about festival strategies and help members create their own stretegies for their films (remember, if you sign up now, you will get all updates when they are published).
OK, for those of you who didn’t watch before, here again is the video blog from Rhode Island, crammed with tips on attending festivals.
Make your life easy and avoid the Christmas rush! tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a6acda7c970c2009-11-05T19:05:55+00:002009-11-05T19:05:55+00:00It’s getting to that time of year isn’t it – the terror of Xmas shopping for friends and relatives when you have no clue what they could want! For me it’s even worse in reverse, when my close family and...Chris Jones
It’s getting to that time of year isn’t it – the terror of Xmas shopping for friends and relatives when you have no clue what they could want! For me it’s even worse in reverse, when my close family and friends keep asking ‘what do you want for Xmas…?’ and I just don’t know - I don’t even start thinking about Xmas until sometime around 9.45 on December 24th!
So, I just wanted to flag up, if you want a lovely gift for someone special (and make the choosing bit that much easier for yourself), do consider ‘Gone Fishing’ on DVD – it’s wonderful family film (that you can watch instead of the Queens speech on Xmas day), and there are tons or really great extras too. And if you buy three copies, I will throw a fourth in for free – all signed too for that extra special ‘conversation piece at the Xmas dinner table…’ I sent out a pile of copies last Xmas, and here is some feedback I got….
The DVD turned up on Christmas Eve so I wrapped it and put it under the tree. We watched it on Christmas Day and were absolutely blown away by the film. I just wanted to say what a great story you have here. The film is (as we say Down Under) a bottler, the production is first class and the acting hits the mark; I sincerely hope you get that Oscar. I hope you are having a great Christmas and your New Year is successful. Mike and Fiona Hardy, Brisbane, Australia
I just sat on the closed M11, at the junction with the M25 for the second night in a row. This time however, I had the DVD to watch as it arrived today.Anyone who saw me would have thought I was taking the delay rather too seriously, because I was in floods! The DTS sound is staggering in a car, and the film even more moving on a small screen. You have produced a work of art. I truly believe that if it doesn't win it's Oscar, then it's a fix! Absolutely magnificent, and I look forward now to watching it on my 6 speaker Harman Kardon system at home. I think I'll be destroying the walls! David Talbot, in a traffic Jam, M11, London.
I've just seen the full film for the first time and I'm sitting here choking back tears. It IS a great film, everything just seemed so right about it, the story, the light, the sound, everything. My fingers are even more firmly crossed for the Oscar. Thank you for making this lovely little film. Mike Facherty, Film Maker
I watched the movie by myself and was in bits at the end. Amazing. I then sat my partner down and the same happened to her. Going kite flying shortly after we were still all teary. So, so beautiful. Well done. Gareth Jones
I've watched Gone Fishing four times now and never tire of it. It's such a lovely, heartfelt little film. Absolutely charming... Carol Ann Walters, Journalist / Publicist
Whenever I get that spine-tingling feeling at the back of my neck I know I've been in for a treat. Gone Fishing moves beyond beautiful imagery to give us a warm, touching story with a challenging perspective on bereavement. Mike Mindel, www.wordtracker.com
You can buy Gone Fishing on DVD or BluRay here. All sales help fund the ongoing festival push and development of the next (under wraps) short film we have brewing…
Request from Down Under for Oscars Insider Tips...tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a6a5f564970c2009-11-03T21:59:31+00:002009-11-05T09:19:53+00:00Yesterday, I got an email from an Australian film maker who is now in the running for the Oscars, just as I was this year with Gone Fishing. As I have had a numbe5r of querries this week regarging the...Chris Jones
Yesterday, I got an email from an Australian film maker who is now in the running for the Oscars, just as I was this year with Gone Fishing. As I have had a numbe5r of querries this week regarging the Oscars, I thought I would share his thougts and my response. Here’s his email…
My name is Ben Phelps, a Writer/Director from Sydney, Australia… I recently took part in your online workshop for Gone Fishing. It was inspirational and exciting to hear about your adventures during the Oscar shortlisting. I've recently gone back to re-watch the Oscar video because...we had some great news last week. Our short film, Nice Shootin’ Cowboy, won the Narrative Short Jury Award at Austin Film Festival, USA. Just like Gone Fishing, we’re now eligible for an Oscar nomination with another 80 films from around the world. Given that we have to wait until the next deadline on 1 Oct 2010, it will be an anxious wait! If you have any advice or further insights (from your own experience or from your informative contact, ‘Deep Throat’, at the Academy) please let us know! Ben
And my response…
Hi Ben – as you have done the online workshop, I think you will know most of what I know, regarding the process of getting on the long list, then going to the short list, and hopefully to final nominations. I would recommend you consider setting up a commercial screening in LA through Laemmle theatres (I wrote about this on the blog last year). The main reason is that if your film appears on TV or on DVD between now and the Oscars 2011, it might disqualify you from the awards – the win at Austin, as my understanding has it, does NOT protect you from this possibility, but screening commercially for three days in LA will (note – please check Academy rules as they may change from year to year). I know of one film maker whose film was short-listed and the sales agent screened his film on late night TV without his knowing. Someone grassed them up and his Oscar ambitions vaporised. You do not want to have to drown those sorrows!
Also, I would use your time between now and the ‘long list screenings’ (which will be around November 2010) to write a killer script, then head out to LA around the time of these screenings, and start seeing agents and managers and tell them ‘hey my film is long listed for an Oscar… we find out about the shortlist and then the nominations in the next few weeks…’ That alone should get you some traction in meetings. You would be amazed at how few film makers actually use this amazing ‘heat’. This gives you an edge.
Of course you need the killer script too – but then you do have a year from now to get that baby cookin’.
Remember in Hollywood, it’s not how ‘good’ you are, it’s how ‘hot’ you are, and how ‘talented’ you are perceived to be. Work on getting a powerful advocate between now and then so that they can introduce you to Hollywood as being both talented and hot. It may be an agent, a manager, a lawyer, a director, a connected festival judge, a writer, an exec… As long as they are perceived as being powerful and connected, their advocacy will work wonders. Good luck and see you at the Oscars! ;-)
And I just got this response...
Thank you for such a detailed reply. I honestly didn't expect an answer so I really appreciate it. From one passionate filmmaker to another, it means a lot. I'll keep you posted as our Oscar journey unfolds. We have two feature scripts ready to go so we'll do our best to take advantage of the 'heat' generated by the win at Austin. FYI, see this link. Ted Hope is incredibly inspiring and a true film futurist:
Fingers crossed for Ben and his team then. If you want to see more of his work, you can check out his site here.
If yu want to see all my posts on the Oscars, click here (remember they are in reverse order as they are form the blog).
Rushes Chat Tracks for Gone Fishing Go Live on Workshop Websitetag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a649dbe8970b2009-11-02T10:22:44+00:002009-11-02T10:23:23+00:00A couple of weeks ago, editor and Eddie Hamilton and myself sat down and spent a whole Saturday recording a chat track over the rushes for Gone Fishing - that’s nearly three hours of unedited 35mm footage, including main unit...Chris Jones
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<BR>
A couple of weeks ago, editor and Eddie Hamilton and myself sat down and spent a whole Saturday <a href="http://livingspirit.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/six-hours-of-new-features-added-to-the-online-making-the-world-class-short-film-workshop-sign-up-dis.html">recording a chat track</a> over the rushes for Gone Fishing - that’s nearly three hours of unedited 35mm footage, including main unit with sync sound, second unit, pickups days and of course the high speed Phantom slow motion. I have finally edited it all together and it’s now live as an extra module within the <a href="http://www.gonefishingseminar.com/">online Gone Fishing Workshop</a> (anyone who previously joined also gets access to this as a member). Watching the rushes really did bring back all the emotions of the shoot, and the lessons learned. Eddie kept pointing out the time code on clapperboard as it really did show just how long each shot took to complete. In the rushes, one moment we are in the morning, the next it is late afternoon and we are fighting for daylight! It’s a slow process getting every shot right. <br><br>I was also surprised at how few shots we dropped - maybe four of five? Even though we shot nearly three hours of footage in all, we were extremely economical (a result of the extensive planning process with storyboards - one of the real revelations on the workshop is watching the anamatic of the storyboards and comparing to draft 3 of the script and also the final edit of the film).<br><br>Above is a short clip to give you a feel for what it is. Already several other members have downloaded the rushes themselves, without chat tracks, and begun editing their own version of ‘Gone Fishing’ – I wonder what they will produce? Will be fascinating to see. <br><br>I am also planning the final seminar to conclude the whole Gone Fishing experience and will be announcing that very soon. <br><br>The workshop is still discounted to £69.99, but prices will be going up for the Christmas rush, so grab it how by signing up <a href="http://www.gonefishingseminar.com/">here</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://livingspirit.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341e322053ef0120a649e488970b-pi" style="float: right;"><img alt="Edmonton Film Festival Award" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a649e488970b " src="http://livingspirit.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341e322053ef0120a649e488970b-800wi" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px;" title="Edmonton Film Festival Award" border="0" /></a>We now have a <a href="http://vimeo.com/channels/howtomakeafilm">Vimeo Channel</a> setup too, so you can quickly check out all our best videos – click on the logo on this page for Vimeo or <a href="http://vimeo.com/channels/howtomakeafilm">here</a> to jump to the channel.<br><br>On another note, I just received by FedEx the crystal award from the Edmonton Film Festival – it’s already become one of my favourite awards as it’s quite beautiful. Lovely! You can read a complete list of all of our <a href="http://www.gonefishingpress.com/awards.htm">awards here</a>. </p>
<p>Onwards and upwards!</p><p style="text-align: left;">Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author</p>
<p><a href="http://www.livingspirit.com/">www.livingspirit.com</a><br><a href="mailto:mail@livingspirit.com">mail@livingspirit.com</a></p></div>
Free Podcast about breaking in to Hollywood with Toy Story 2 writer Doug Chamberlintag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a63cb9f9970b2009-10-30T11:24:07+00:002009-10-30T12:48:17+00:00So you want to break into Hollywood? During the Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival I was lucky enough to hear Doug Chamberlin speak on this subject – and Dough should know as he has written loads for all the major studios and...Chris Jones
So you want to break into Hollywood? During the Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival I was lucky enough to hear Doug Chamberlin speak on this subject – and Dough should know as he has written loads for all the major studios and TV networks, including ‘Toy Story 2’
I cornered him in the Green Room at the festival and asked him if he would share some of his insights in a podcast, and he was gracious enough to oblige.
You can listen to this half hour podcast using the player here…
As a footnote, I also received a bunch of lovely emails from people who were present at the festival and who responded very positively to my keynote opening speech where I referred to writers as ‘Wizards…’ Here’s a few comments…
‘I just want to start by giving you feedback on your SWF opening speech. As a Welsh writing wizard apprentice - I can report that at the end of your opening I turned to the person next to me (who I later learnt was another speaker) and said - that your address was the best opening to a conference that I had ever heard. And I go to a lot of conferences (only some to do with writing I admit)…’ Writing wizard apprentice from Abergavenny Wales
‘Great to meet you at the SWF. You're an inspiration - one of the highlights of my week and I look forward to hearing more of your adventures at next year's festival!’ Nick
Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival Day 2 and Simon Beaufoy's Hot Tips for collaborating on a screenplaytag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a67fd5a5970c2009-10-28T14:12:52+00:002009-10-28T14:12:52+00:00Day two of the Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival began with my old buddy, Peter Bloore, interviewing Simon Beaufoy on stage about his experiences as a screenwriter, specifically in the arena of script development and working with others, a place where a...Chris Jones
Day two of the Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival began with my old buddy, Peter Bloore, interviewing Simon Beaufoy on stage about his experiences as a screenwriter, specifically in the arena of script development and working with others, a place where a film can often derail (or the writer can be asked to leave the project).
He spoke at length about his earlier films, some of which were re-written by others to the point where he became very angry (at the time). But with perspective, he has realized that screenplays are more malleable and collaborative than he first thought. Here are some of his observations with regard to collaboration, in no particular order…
1. Most people he has worked with are very bright, even if at first glance, their ideas do not appear to be good. He also knows that everyone has the same end in mind – to make the best movie possible. It’s easy to demonise and become enraged when others interfere and threaten to ‘spoil’ your work, but it is part of the process, and needs to be embraced. They are after all paying for it.
2. Momentum is key. It’s important to avoid becoming entrenched or to hit the brakes. If you don’t agree with a point, admit it is ‘challenging’ and ‘will need some careful thought’, and move on. Do not disregard anything out of hand, or the project could falter and you may be asked to leave.
3. Ask for script notes ahead of any meeting and insist that they are typed up and all on one single page. As soon as anyone has to write down their notes, the process focuses the mind and the notes become clearer (and maybe even self edited before they go to the writer). Keeping them to one page forces people to get to the point. The notes may also be badly phrased, but it’s your job as a writer to move past emotive and infuriating phrases and ‘hear’ what is really being said.
4. You do not need to incorporate all notes given to you. As a rough guide, maybe 60% will do (of course this may vary wildly).
5. It’s important that everyone in the room feels that they have in some ways won their point – of course this can’t be all points, but some of them. Peter Bloore added the old negotiators maxim that ‘everyone should feel they have won 60% of their points’.
6. Having said all of this, there is a point at which you might need to walk away. It’s hard to be specific, but there is a thing, an essence, perhaps even a ‘soul’ of the script that must be protected by the writer.
All good stuff and much of it echoes many of my own experiences ‘in the room’. What resonated most for me was this idea of collaboration in order to maintain forward momentum. I have had experiences where I have objected and the project died, or I embraced ideas and we went all the way.
It’s all important career stuff and certainly not in many screenwriting books.
The rest of the day I bobbed in and out of other workshops, found myself on stage as part of a panel of film makers discussing the notion of just finding some resources and making a film with what you have. It was an entertaining session, but by now I could feel that most of the writers in the auditorium were reaching information overload and thinking more about getting to the bar than funding their own movies!
The day was rounded of with an interview with Sky TV for their ‘Movie Geek’ show which will be aired on November 7th on Sky One I believe. I hope I make it to the cut as there were a whole host of big name scribes pontificating and prevaricating on the art of the screenwriter, where I was just chucking in cheeky tips and tricks! We will see on November 7th I guess!
I am back in London now, and exhausted.
The Festival is still running for two more days, and already I am wishing I could have stayed those extra two days.
Day 1 of the Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival '09tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a67ab705970c2009-10-27T08:52:38+00:002009-10-27T08:52:38+00:00I am sitting with a venti soya latte in hand, in the most astonishingly grandeous building at Cheltenham Ladies College, waiting for the 9.30am seminar with Simon Beaufoy. I am at the Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival and frankly, nice and relaxed...Chris Jones
I am sitting with a venti soya latte in hand, in the most astonishingly grandeous building at Cheltenham Ladies College, waiting for the 9.30am seminar with Simon Beaufoy. I am at the Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival and frankly, nice and relaxed and enjoying it all now. This is in stark contrast to yesterday when I gave the Keynote opening speech to the entire delegation of four or five hundred screenwriters from across the UK, all assembled in the Princess Hall – even grander than then very grand building I am sat in right now!
The festival organisers ask me to deliver this opening speech because they wanted something that was empowering and entertaining, and certainly not the doom and gloom of recession and the dreaded ‘it’s a tough business’ line we hear so often - there was plenty of that to follow in later sessions with battle weary screenwriters, sales agents and directors (and of course, plenty of counter balancing upbeat stories, tips and tricks too).
What was tough for me to gauge was where to pitch the opening speech as I was told that the audience could contain everyone from complete beginners to Richard Curtis! No pressure then.
And so I launched into my ‘Hero’s Journey’ speech for film makers, paralleling the mythical story structure with the journey of ‘the creative’ – and it seemed to go down very well too, with people coming up to me all day saying how much they felt inspired. Fantastic!
The rest of the day was a blur as I was whisked from session to session, running seminars and doing one-on-ones with writers. Always super well organised and sooooo much fun.
Stand out moments for me were presentations by Doug Chamberlin, writer of ‘Toy Story 2’, presenting about breaking into Hollywood – he spoke with experience, insight and surprising candour. I hope to get Doug to speak on tape too, and upload a podcast for everyone to hear (fingers crossed). Also speaking was Armando Iannucci, comic TV genius and director of ‘In The Loop’. He talked about how he wrote with a writers group for ‘In The Loop’, ended up with a 240 page first draft, improvised on set, shot for months (at he rate of 25 pages a day!), all with ‘in set’ available lighting, then ended up with a four and half hour assembly which was then whittled down to just under two hours. He also had a great analogy for script redrafting… ‘it’s like a good chicken stock, you add stuff then reduce it, then add more and reduce some more, and keep doing that until what you have is incredibly tasty…’
I also bumped into old screenwriting pal, and original NPA creator Peter Bloore, whose wife, Jane, was the publisher who took on the very first edition of The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook in 1994, when no-one else was interested. That was a memory lane moment for sure.
The day wrapped up with what is now the customary drinks at the Queens Head Hotel, where again I bumped into many old friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen in 20 years. Astonishing!
So far I am very impressed by this festival – the speakers are terrific, and there are loads of them too. The Cheltenham Ladies College, as a venue, is breathtaking and yet very intimate and personal. I am delighted that the festival does not take place in London as I know that would taint what to me feels like a hugely inclusive, philosophically agnostic and relaxed event. I can’t recommend it highly enough and I hope very much I can come again next year.
Right! On with today. I am only in one session this afternoon, so I can relax somewhat right now.
Six hours of new features added to the online 'Making The World Class Short Film' Workshop - sign up discount still available!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a674ad1d970c2009-10-25T11:40:00+00:002009-10-25T11:40:00+00:00It’s a been bit of a frantic weekend – I am prepping for the Chetenham Screenwriters Festival which kicks off on Monday, where I am the opening speaker! I have a couple of other sessions on Monday and Tuesday too,...Chris Jones
It’s a been bit of a frantic weekend – I am prepping for the Chetenham Screenwriters Festival which kicks off on Monday, where I am the opening speaker! I have a couple of other sessions on Monday and Tuesday too, so I hope to see you there.
Yesterday, I spent the afternoon and evening with editor Eddie Hamilton as we recorded a chat track for the ALL the rushes from ‘Gone Fishing’ (that’s 3 hours!)
When I created the online workshop, one of the commitments I made was to make the rushes available for other film makers to edit their own version of ‘Gone Fishing’. So in the next few days, that will all go live – if you are already a member, as part of our commitment to you, all these additional features will be offered free, as part of the package.
We recorded this chat track to help explain the choices we made during the shoot, the problems we faced, and the choices Eddie made in post production. There are three hours of 35mm rushes and there will be two versions available – first is a Quicktime of the rushes with production sound (which you can import into your own edit system). Second is the version with with Eddie and myself waxing lyrical!
We both enjoyed this recording session and it was amazing just how much came flooding back. I can’t tell you how many nuggets of tips and information Eddie was gracious enough to share with us all.
This additional six hours of support material will go live in the next week or so as part of the ongoing expansion to the ‘Making The World Class Short Film’ workshop – a few people have asked why we did not make this workshop available on DVD, and it’s this kind up evolutionary update that is the main reason! We want to keep adding more quality content and that just is not possible with a DVD set. Plus we can keep the costs down by delivering over the web, a saving we can pass onto the film makers. And finally, the feedback we have had from users suggests that even though they though they thought that they might prefer DVD, they do in fact prefer web delivery as it’s available immediately, updateable, and available anywhere you have a computer and internet connection.
We are still running the discount, from £99 (inc VAT) to just £69.99 (inc VAT – approx $115) for readers of the blog. You can sign up here and get moving on your own Oscar nominated short film right now!
Quick Guide Film Insurance in 2009 for The Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbooktag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a66f7c94970c2009-10-23T18:42:27+01:002009-10-23T18:42:27+01:00Yesterday, for the new Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook, I interviewed Paul Cable of Media and Entertainment Insurance Services Limited. Paul is a great guy and has helped many emerging film makers through the difficulties of finding the right insurance package...Chris Jones
Yesterday, for the new Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook, I interviewed Paul Cable of Media and Entertainment Insurance Services Limited. Paul is a great guy and has helped many emerging film makers through the difficulties of finding the right insurance package for their production.
After chatting to Paul, it was clear that there are a number of issues facing film makers working on an ambitious project with specific regard to insurance. There are three main problematic areas.
First is kit hire – here’s why.
It’s not uncommon for a big hire company to help out film makers by supplying half a million pounds worth of camera equipment for free, we certainly got that kind of help from Arri Media Services on ‘Gone Fishing’. But… it needs to be insured, and given the way films are made (you know, hanging out of windows with the camera, working 20 hours a day, using inexperienced crew), and then considering the expense of the equipment, insurance is going to cost a sizeable chunk of the budget. Add you can add to that the problem that the hire companies are also going to need ‘loss of hire’ in that insurance policy too (so if you broke a camera and it could not be hired for three months while it was getting fixed they could claim for loss of hire).
There appears to be no simple way around this and it’s one of those pretty much unmoveable expenses. For ‘Gone Fishing’ our insurance package ended up costing £1,000, but we managed to cover a few other corporate jobs under that same policy, and the clients for those films ended up paying for it (don’t tell anyone!)
So I guess you need to consider insurance as a line in your budget that you are just going to have to bite the bullet on.
The second insurance problem would be ‘Public Liability’ and ‘Employers Liability’, again needed for any shoot really – though Paul accepts that many film makers go without it and just hope that they do not run into problems. These two policies protect you from damage to property and injury to both your film making team and the public – and some councils and other organisations won’t even let you on site without all these ducks in a row. One cheeky way around this is to enter a co-production with a bigger company and sit underneath their insurance policy, and I know of one very ambitious film that did this successfully recently.
The third problem is the old ‘Errors and Omissions’ policy which is essential for features and documentaries (if you ever expect to sell to a major broadcaster or to the USA) – it’s always a shock, especially as it costs around ten grand! The E&O and how to get around it was a major topic in the ‘Delivering Your Baby’ workshop that I ran earlier this year and it really helped to highlight the problems we all face if we are not successful like ‘Paranormal Activity’ (when the studios just take over and remove all the problems).
But, we didn’t need E&O for ‘Gone Fishing’ - our insurance policy just covered equipment, loss of rental and Public and Employers liability, and it cost (if memory serves) around £1,000 (and there is no VAT on insurance). But… I have heard rumours that iTunes is now, or may be, requiring E&O for shorts that it releases. I will do some digging and try and confirm this either way.
Paul also commented that contrary to expectation, HD films do not make many insurance claims for ‘loss of data’. Of course he added these were the films that could afford that kind of insurance cover and that they had excellent onset data backup procedures in place. The problem I see for low budget film makers is that they cannot afford that type of insurance and more than likely, they will suffer data loss as they won’t have adequate backup procedures in place. Now I think about it, most low budget tapeless productions I have been witness to have actually lost some data at some point due to user error, compounded by the lack of any backup system. Doh! I guess the lesson here is, don’t buy the insurance, buy several terabytes of storage and backup every night (and make sure you know what you are doing!).
The whole interview will be in the upcoming Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook. Paul also wrote an article for Netribution which you can read here.
Gone Fishing plays in Leicester Sq., support for European Premiere of Jaws documentarytag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a666e213970c2009-10-21T22:39:10+01:002009-10-22T00:08:46+01:00I JUST THIS MOMENT FOUND OUT! On Saturday December 5th, 9pm, at the Prince Charles Theatre in Leicester Sq., ‘Gone Fishing’ is playing (on 35mm) as the support to a feature film as part of the United Film Festival. We...Chris Jones
I JUST THIS MOMENT FOUND OUT! On Saturday December 5th, 9pm, at the Prince Charles Theatre in Leicester Sq., ‘Gone Fishing’ is playing (on 35mm) as the support to a feature film as part of the United Film Festival. We have played many times as support for features, but this is the first time I am actually more excited to see the feature on the big screen as it is my own film! It’s called ‘The Shark Is Still Working’, an epic doc about ‘Jaws’ and the legacy it has left us (trailer above – their website here).
Tickets went on sale just now and already 27 have been snapped up within minutes of going live - I have another ten headed my way, and the theatre seats 302… So if you want to come to this terrific event, I suggest you head over to their site now and buy as fast as you can!
If you do get tickets, say hello as I will be there to introduce the film… as well as munch my popcorn through what promises to be a very nostalgic documentary about a time and place that all film maker my age can vividly remember... The day they saw ‘Jaws’ in the cinema… For me it was the summer of '75, and I remember queuing around the corner and down the road in the blazing sunshine – and this was back in my home town of Wigan in the north west of England, at the single screen Ritzy cinema. I had pressured my mum to take my brother and myself as all the kids had to see the movie ‘where that guys head falls out of the bottom of the boat…’ – the only problem was that I was about seven years old and not really prepared for the full assault on the senses that was to follow for the next two hours or so. I have many vivid memories of that screening, with some of the cinematic images kind of tattooed into my psyche forever. Of course, I have watched ‘Jaws’ many times since and have come to realise that it is pretty much a perfect genre film. Damn Spielberg was on form!
And if you have seen ‘Gone Fishing’, you will know that there is more than a passing nod to ‘Jaws’ (you can watch the trailer in HD here)
If you have any ‘Jaws’ memories, do share them with me, it would be great to hear them.
OK, so here are the details again - Saturday December 5th, 9pm, at the Prince Charles Theatre in Leicester Sq. You can get tickets for this screening at the festival website here, and also check out the other films screening at the festival too!
Getting Great Deals, the mindset for a film maker...tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a5f53337970b2009-10-19T15:05:57+01:002009-10-22T10:57:21+01:00Monday morning and I have hit the tarmac running on the new Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook, which we are racing to complete for delivery at the end of the month (and I suspect we will be a week or so...Chris Jones
Monday morning and I have hit the tarmac running on the new Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook, which we are racing to complete for delivery at the end of the month (and I suspect we will be a week or so late!) I am hammering through interviews and writing up box outs and tips after long chats with industry experts.
I just did a great interview with producer Ivan Clements, who produced ‘Gone Fishing’ as well as a number of features – that’s me with him in the pic, on the set of Gone Fishing – yes it was a producer / director conversation about budget or schedule no doubt!
The interview was about how to get deals and the state of mind required to hit the phone and ask for the profoundly unreasonable. Here is a little extract from some of the stuff he said…
Q - How do you get great deals?
Ivan - I think I should preface this with the fact that you need to be passionately driven by the project you are involved in. If you are not sold on the project, then how can you sell anyone else? Pick up the phone and start talking to people. It’s amazing how much people want to help in this business. And everyone is very forgiving of naiveté. It seems to me that almost everyone has been through mountains of crap to get where they are. Unlike school, where inflicting the same pain on newbies as was once metered on them is held in high regard, peers in the film business seem to actually want to help. How mad is that?
Q - How do you deal with the fear of picking up the phone and cold calling?
Ivan - Making the first call is always the hardest. It’s a bit like approaching someone you fancy. You’re full of excitement but you fear rejection. Just take the plunge. If you get rejected first time, remember, there are plenty of others to try. Have you seen the size of the ‘Knowledge’ in the UK. Or the ‘Hollywood Creative Directory’ in LA? Both are big directories, really big. Another great way to look at it is not that it’s cold calling, but rather rapport practice (thanks to Gary Craig for that).
Q - Why would anyone give you something for free?
Ivan - I never view it as getting something free. I prefer to view it as relationship development. What you’re saying to whomever you are trying to get to collaborate with you is this, ‘roll with me on this and you’ll get my future business and referrals’. And you better be good on your word and mean it. If a lab gives you an unbelievable deal, make sure you go back to that lab with paid work. This will give you credibility and the word will spread. Go bad on your word though, and people won’t let you use their toilet let alone notice that your alive.
Q - Why do you think others don’t get such great deals?
Ivan - I’m not sure really, I can only tell you what I do to achieve results. Be funny. Most of the time this business is merciless if you’re not on the creative side. Make someone’s day with a giggle and you’ll get miles ahead. Lift spirits, cajole, be cheeky, ask for the moon always, always be VERY thankful for what ever you get. Make them feel like merciful gods. People like to feel that they have done something amazing for someone else. Don’t you?
Q - How do you know what to ask for? If it costs 100 grand, how much should you try and get it for?
Ivan - Something I learnt early on is never to pay rate card. If you’ve actually got money to spend, you should be able to get at least 40% off that quoted rate. That was minimum for me. 50-60% is achievable. It’s not unusual. Here’s a deal I negotiated with a well known film stock company which we’ll call Major Film.
I needed 100,000 feet of 35mm stock. Rate at the time was 24p per foot which came to £24K + tax. At the time, this was way beyond anything I could afford. And I can remember this deal clear as day. I invited the chief sales exec for a drink in a bar on Wardour Street, central London. I began by talking about HIM and his life (we later on became good friends). I definitely wanted to go with this company as they were much more friendly and accessible to guerrilla film makers like myself. After a few drinks we drifted into the deal. I said look Joe (real name withheld) I’m only doing this deal with Major Film because of you. But I’m absolutely flat broke.
‘So Joe’, I continued ‘How about this I’ve got £8K I can give you today if you can defer the balance till we hit profits and the VAT until I get that back next quarter?’ It was the ballsiest ask I’d made so far, but also the easiest in a way as I had no choice. There was no more money. Joe laughed, ‘you’ve eaten the ass out of my trousers.’ We shook on it and I bought another round.
Q - How do you get money out of investors?
Ivan - Once you’ve found investors, you actually have to convince them that it’s a sound investment. Film investment has had pretty bad press in the past. Fortunately it’s had better press more recently in the UK. This is due to generous government tax incentives that the savvy producer can take advantage of. These are in the form of Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the film tax credit. As long as a film is British qualifying, it can get 20% rebate on the spend. There are several companies out there that will cashflow this for you for a fee. Typically the fee is 3-5% of the tax credit. This means you get the money up front, less the fee, and then the tax credit is paid directly to the financier once the claim is made. EIS is very attractive as it reduces the risk for the investor. For every £1 then invest, the government gives a rebate of 20p. So their risk is reduced. Under the scheme, if they pay Capital Gains Tax, they can defer this for 3 years and write it off if the film fails.
Q - What are the key deals to get in place?
Ivan - This is tricky and very chicken and egg. You could find yourself with a name actor that actually means the film will make money, but who won’t commit until money is in the bank. And you may have finance that won’t attach until they see a signed contract with the named actor. This is a typical and tough position to be in and will be challenge for your creative negotiating skills. If you can’t get 100% financed privately, try and get a pre-sale that’s worth a percentage. Use ‘soft’ money (tax credit, forward VAT cashflowing, EIS). This can end up representing 40-60% of your budget and make you look much more credible to investors and key actors.
The whole interview will be in the upcoming ‘Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook’
If you have any questions you would like Ivan to answer, drop me a mail here and we will see what we can arrange.
Urban Ghost Story, the making of... And the complete soundtrack by Rupert Gregson-Williamstag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a643f4b2970c2009-10-16T15:21:44+01:002009-10-16T15:21:44+01:00As the dust settles after the screening of ‘Urban Ghost Story’ on the BBC this week, I thought I would do a final post to share some stuff that I have had requests for. Above is the ‘making of’ documentary...Chris Jones
As the dust settles after the screening of ‘Urban Ghost Story’ on the BBC this week, I thought I would do a final post to share some stuff that I have had requests for.
Above is the ‘making of’ documentary from the DVD. Made around 2002 before Genevieve headed for Hollywood…
The full 30 pages of so from the latest ‘Guerilla Film Makers Handbook’, about how we made ‘Urban Ghost Story’, can be downloaded here (it’s a PDF). Remember, the GFMH also tells the stories of how we made our first picture, action thriller ‘The Runner’ and also our serial killer thriller ‘White Angel’. You can buy the book at Amazon, or direct from us here.
Finally, I had a lot of requests about the soundtrack which was written by Rupert Gregson-Williams, brother of Harry Gregson-Williams (who wrote the score for ‘White Angel’). The score for UGS was never officially released, and so I have posted it here – you can listen in two ways.
First off, there is a Zip file of the score as MP3’s, ready to import into iTunes - you can download here.
Second is a direct play, with the player below.
Finally, if you have been tempted but not yet bought the double disk DVD of ‘White Angel’ and ‘Urban Ghost Story’, you can do so here for £13.00 inc VAT and postage.
JUST UPDATED - Urban Ghost Story wins the ratings war! AMAZING!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a63c2fe3970c2009-10-14T19:00:14+01:002009-10-15T12:45:23+01:00Amazing news – the screening of ‘Urban Ghost Story’ last night won, YES WON, the rating for that time slot – of the hundreds of channels available in the UK, ‘Urban Ghost Story’ captured 11.5% of all viewers, with just...Chris Jones
Amazing news – the screening of ‘Urban Ghost Story’ last night won, YES WON, the rating for that time slot – of the hundreds of channels available in the UK, ‘Urban Ghost Story’ captured 11.5% of all viewers, with just under half a million people tuning in to watch the movie - we out performed all other channels, including BBC2, ITV, Ch4, Five and all Sky and cable channels!
Of course we did follow ‘Film 2009’ which must have helped - and apparently we had a great name checking trail before ‘Film 2009’, though I didn’t hear it myself.
Nearly half a million people! Blimey! Amazing!
UPDATE -
Gone Fishing AP Leilani Holmes asked…
So how does this translate in terms of this particular film, Chris? Is it likely that further options for TV distribution could come out of it.. say in the US or other parts of the world? I'm just wondering how it all works really. In terms of the elasticity of an indie film's shelf life.
I asked our distributor, David Wilkinson to comment, and he added…
The BBC screening helps me in licensing to other broadcasters in the future. Prior to this latest outing it has screened in the UK on The Studio Channel and Sci-fi plus the BBC do have a further four showings. It was already one of the more successful films in our catalogue but this cements its standing. The screening has resulted in increased DVD sales partly because it is packaged with the first film by the same team WHITE ANGEL. The BBC is regarded as one of the world’s leading broadcasters so it should help with overseas sales…
Thanks guys… and remember you can get the double disk DVD here
Urban Ghost Story, on the BBC, and the stunts and how we we did them...tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a636fc0b970c2009-10-14T09:26:29+01:002009-10-14T09:27:54+01:00Wow! So ‘Urban Ghost Story’ played on BBC1 last night – I got loads of emails and texts during the screening, a kind of live commentary from friends. Awesome! It’s been a long time since I have watched it and...Chris Jones
Wow! So ‘Urban Ghost Story’ played on BBC1 last night – I got loads of emails and texts during the screening, a kind of live commentary from friends. Awesome!
It’s been a long time since I have watched it and I was surprised by all sorts of details that had slipped my mind. And I must admit, I was very nervous and excited the moment the BBC logo came up and the film was introduced – I am so used to seeing that opening title sequence and hearing the music, but the BBC intro was of course a completely new experience. Very cool.
I know David Wilkinson of Guerilla Films, who cut the deal with the BBC, will get some viewing figures for us in due course. And the film is available on BBC iPlayer for a week – people in the UK can view it here.
OK... so, the video above is about how we achieved the breathtaking sequence at the climax of ‘Urban Ghost Story’, the car crash and the fall from the towerblock. Both were shot in a weekend that was separated from the main shoot, and was stunt co-ordinated by our late great friend, Terry Forrestal. This short video was supposed to make it to the DVD release, but had to be cut as we ran out of space…
So if we had to cut great stuff like this video from the DVD, what on earth IS on the DVD?
Well there is of course the movie in FHA 16:9, with the full Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack (which when played on a good sound system is awesome and very, very creepy). There are also two chat tracks over the feature, one with me and editor Eddie Hamilton. The other is with Genevieve and DP Jon Walker. There is a 20 minute or so behind the scenes featurette where we roll up our sleeves and explain just why and how we made the movie. There is also a feature on the deleted scenes, with explanations as to why we chose to cut those scenes – this is very useful to help illustrate the organic growth of the story, all the way through post production (if you are interested in comparing the film to the shooting script, you can download it here – this in itself is a powerful film education about how a story evolves from script, through shooting and finally through post production)
There’s a slide show too, as well as the full music score – we loved the score that composer Rupert Gregson-Williams wrote for ‘Urban Ghost Story’, but it never got a release on CD, and so, as we had the rights, we could actually put it on the DVD too! Finally, there is a cracking and terrifying documentary about the real case on which ‘Urban Ghost Story’ was very loosely based.
If you want your own DVD, you can get it here, as a special Guerilla Film Makers double DVD set with our second feature film ‘White Angel’, starring Peter Firth as a mild mannered serial killer. Again, a very chilling movie that gets under the skin. Here is the link to buy the DVD set.
Gone Fishing wins SCFF in Tennessee, USA!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a63710be970c2009-10-13T14:55:59+01:002009-10-13T14:55:59+01:00A quick update before the TV premiere of Urban Ghost Story tonight, BBC1 just after midnight… We just got word that last weekend, ‘Gone Fishing’ won the Secret City Film Festival 2009 in Tennessee USA. Fantastic! That makes, er… thirty...Chris Jones
A quick update before the TV premiere of Urban Ghost Story tonight, BBC1 just after midnight… We just got word that last weekend, ‘Gone Fishing’ won the Secret City Film Festival 2009 in Tennessee USA. Fantastic! That makes, er… thirty something wins now! (there is a complete list on our press website here)
Read a whole chapter from 'The Guerilla Film Makers Hanbook' on the making of Urban Ghost Story, premiering on BBC1 tomorrow nighttag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a5dc39e2970b2009-10-12T14:13:25+01:002009-10-12T14:16:54+01:00As promised over the weekend, in advance of the UK Network TV premiere of ‘Urban Ghost Story’ tomorrow night (Tuesday) on BBC 1, here is the complete chapter from the Guerilla Film Makers Handbook about how we made the film....Chris Jones
As promised over the weekend, in advance of the UK Network TV premiere of ‘Urban Ghost Story’ tomorrow night (Tuesday) on BBC 1, here is the complete chapter from the Guerilla Film Makers Handbook about how we made the film. It’s a PDF and 1.6mb in size, so will take a moment to download.
After the premiere tomorrow night, I plan to put up a video that never made it to the DVD - as the disk was maxed out with loads of film makers extras. I don’t want to say what it is right now, as those who have not seen the film will know what happens at the end – but for those of you who have seen the film, it’s a little doc about how we filmed the end sequence.
I was just scanning through the press pack too – you can read the whole press pack here if you are interested – and was stunned at just how good our reviews were. I had forgotten how many we got and how amazing they were… here are a few…
"Ken Loach meets "The Exorcist"… Jones and Jolliffe show they can multiplex with the best" Variety
"A shrewdly judged chiller that boasts a brilliant, moving performance from newcomer Foster as the troubled Lizzie" The Daily Mail
"genuinely haunting work" The Independent
"...utterly electrifying... Heather Ann Foster illuminates Urban Ghost Story with compelling intensity." Uncut
"Urban Ghost Story is one of the most credible studies of spectral obsession ever committed to celluloid. the film establishes a disturbing mise en scene that keeps one rooted" Film Review
Crickey! No wonder the BBC bought it, now I want to watch it all over again!
And have a special offer on the double DVD (whith our second feature, White Angel, here.
British Network Premiere of 'Urban Ghost Story' on BBC1, Tuesday just after midnight...tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a62de848970c2009-10-10T20:42:31+01:002009-10-12T13:46:57+01:00Last week I got a call form the BBC to tell me that my third feature film, Urban Ghost Story, would be playing on Tuesday the 13th of October at 12.05 at night (which is obviously Wednesday morning really!) And...Chris Jones
Last week I got a call form the BBC to tell me that my third feature film, Urban Ghost Story, would be playing on Tuesday the 13th of October at 12.05 at night (which is obviously Wednesday morning really!)
And since it has been announced in the various TV guides, I have been getting loads of emails from people who have since bought the DVD or read the chapter in The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook about how we made the film.
And the reviews in this weeks press are fantastic too, with the Radio Times giving it ‘film of the day’ and saying…
‘This movie demonstrates how a budget can often be the mother of invention. Heather Ann Foster plays a 12 year old girl in a Glasgow tenement who starts to detect supernatural rumblings while recovering from an ecstasy linked near-death experience. Jason Connery plays against type as a reporter seeking to exploit the story… Andrew Collins’
And the Daily Mail today saying…
‘Brought back from the brink of death, teenager Lizzie Fisher fears she brought something sinister back with her in this atypical British chiller. Low-budget, and rightly so – it’s from the people behind The Guerilla Film Maker’s Handbook – it is a curios but mostly effective mix of traditional horror and social realism’
It’s absolutely fantastic to screen on the BBC, and better still, BBC1 – and the deal was brokered by David Wilkinson of Guerilla Films, also interviewed in The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook (but not connected with the book, we just happen to have the same names!) David is one of the rarest of people in the UK film business – friendly and extremely helpful to emerging film makers, brutally honest (which is often hard for us all to hear) and in my experience (and most importantly), operates with very high integrity. Anyone who has taken my two day masterclass knows that I only recommend a handful of sales agents and distributors, and David is at the top of that very short list – and here is proof that David really does deliver! BBC1!
OK, so we have lots of reviews from when the film was released in the cinema here. In fact hen I just checked the link I was amazed just how many GREAT reviews we had, and from big players too.
Over the next few days, I am going to post some Urban Ghost Story related goodies on the blog – some of the features from the DVD and also PDF’s from the Guerilla Film Makers Handbook, so check back in.
But if you just can’t wait, you can buy a signed double disk DVD from us that also includes our second feature film, serial killer thriller ‘White Angel’. You can get the DVD here.
So a reminder – Tuesday the 13th, five past midnight, make a cup of cocoa and grab a blanket… Urban Ghost Story, UK Network premiere on BBC1!
New Digital Film Makers Pocketbook nears completiontag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341e322053ef0120a5ce7ee9970b2009-10-09T08:31:48+01:002009-10-09T08:36:54+01:00We are getting very close to completing the all new Digital Film Makers Pocketbook – a guerilla film makers handbook for the digital age. And isn’t it tiny! In fact isn’t this 'mock up' tiny, this isn’t the final book....Chris Jones
We are getting very close to completing the all new Digital Film Makers Pocketbook – a guerilla film makers handbook for the digital age. And isn’t it tiny!
In fact isn’t this 'mock up' tiny, this isn’t the final book.
And actually, this isn’t the final cover either (it's with a designer now), but it is the final size!
So you get the idea.
All this week, while I have been running around with Judy, working on our as yet unannounced feature film project for a Hollywood studio, ace production manager Helen Taylor has been permanently wired into a Skype account and ringing around the film business, attracting companies to sponsor sections of the book – there are ten sections, and so the opportunity for ten sponsors.
We aren’t really selling it as advertising, more just a logo, a few lines about the company and contact details – pretty much what we did with The Guerilla Film Makers Movie Blueprint.
And so far, even though we are in a credit crunch induced recession, we are doing pretty well – or rather, Helen is doing very well. I think it’s partly to do with the brand, the fact we have been writing for 15 years, have sold over 100,000 copies and this is our seventh book! And of course, Helen’s charm on the end of the phone certainly helps too. Not to mention her dogged persistence!
So this new book is smaller and shinier, but it’s the familiar house style mix of inspirational case studies as well as tips and expert advice. The plan now is to launch the book at the Cannes Film Festival 2010, with a big swanky party, much like the one we had for the last British book when we threw a bash on a boat in the marina (pic right). It was a very cool night!
So if you know anyone who might want sponsor a section in the book, send them to me, or show them this PDF here...