ASK & DISCUSS

If you didn't catch Mike Figgis's article on The Guardian this weekend - 'Why British film is all kitsch 'n' sink' it's a really good read, if a tad melancholic. http://bit.ly/10a…

There's good interview with Mike Figgis which you can hear on our show here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01bgw8y - also includes Joshua Oppenheimer talking about how he came …

Not consumer press like ClashMusic etc - but which trade/industry press?

Have trade/industry features made a difference for you, eg being featured in Creative Review got you a lo…

Hi - Black Book - do you mean here? http://www.blackbook.com/cid_home.php

Steven Spielberg thinks the huge budgets of Hollywood films will result in an implosion of Hollywood. It couldn't happen soon enough for me. Here's the article: http://www.hollywo…

Paddy, that's not entirely accurate. For example, box office gross is the amount of ticket sales. Period. It was nothing what-so-ever to do with taxes, petrol, wages, etc. Industr…

just wondering if ther are any companies or firm who offer additional traing on being employed currently working freelance - looking into way of being offer better paid work for s…

Ps don't forget people are more impressed by attitude and experience than any formal qualification. Find a facility that offers what you want to do more of and ask if you can int…

Ed Vaizey has released recoupment stats for the UKFC's various loan investments. As with most statistics concerning the UKFC these can be read in various ways, all of which seem t…

Amazing blog Ben. To see the numbers and other people's analysis and Ben's awesome instincts - check his blog -- http://bit.ly/11W3IMF

What is the ruling on burrowing a dialogue from a golden oldie over 60 years ago old.
Is it plagiarism??

If yes then what about doing my own spin on it, is that ok??

I'm writing…

Probably best- US law does have a 'fair use' exception but as of now the law in the UK doesn't. It has been slated for change but hasn't been passed yet. In the end, the copyright…

As someone who reads Shooting People regularly, especially the Film Bulletin, it is quite fascinating how many people are trying to get no-to-low budget features films made. From …

Hmm, your diagnosis of the ills of the music industry is flawed Tom. It's a mistake to conflate the impacts of digital technology.

Yes it is easier than ever for someone in thei…

As an indie filmmaker I wish I could just create and not have to always find the money. On the bright side of life we just got IFP fiscally sponsored. Downside still having troubl…

Hello Daniel,
1st. Just email info@HoldonLog.com your email address and request to be removed. It's that simple. The form has been updated over 5 times now and if you are on the l…

it's just an idea right now but...

I'm just about to move to Crystal Palace in SE London, and I'm going to have a big garden, so I'm considering building a photographic/greenscre…

Hi Christian, I've launched a directory of film and TV studios, The Studio Map. The web site is www.thestudiomap.com I'm happy to chat about possible pros and cons; feel free to …

Don't get me wrong I understand that funds are often tight, and I value collaboration and profit sharing, but more and more you see people advertising on Shooters for unpaid comme…

"Any unpaid work is illegal".

I'm sorry but this is complete bunk.

The National Minimum Wage does not apply to charities or voluntary groups - they are specifically exempted u…

So as you have hopefully heard my brother and I are currently using Kickstarter to fund a final crucial scene in our debut feature film Nina Forever. If you want to pledge to us y…

I gave weeks ago Ben, was happy to when I saw a link on twitter and loved it. (And I haven't a pot to pee in most weeks) So I think David's right, and I doubt most were ignoring y…

Being a mixed race actor, I've had to learn the hard way that the typecasting machine can be pretty brutal.

I've had auditions where the casting director (despite having seen my…

Hi Xenia,

This is exactly the same thing I've been feeling and a lot of others in the same mixed asian/ white boat. I feel neither white enough to play typical English roles, yet…

Finding money is always the hard=est thin to do for a filmmaker, where do you start? is there any information other there that acts as a conduit for filmmakers allowing them to d…

Finding money truly is the hardest part of making a film. I just posted something similar to the effect as well. I find crowdfunding is becoming more and more played out. I nev…

This is research for a short film that I am writing. Any help would be great, and I will answer any questions that spawn off of this. :)

Just to clarify, I am not starting a rel…

The question of whether or not a religion needs to be recognised by the state Vasco is only valid within the structure of our socio-political construct, which includes things lik…

Networking is a dirty word, but I think it's essential. Here's what I wrote about it for Shooting People: https://shootingpeople.org/blog/2013/05/networking-doesnt-have-to-be-pain…

Last week, Arts Council England’s Jobs and News bulletin posted details of an animation competition being run by the Cabinet Office.

It’s tagged ‘unpaid, volunteer work’, with a …

Technically, this is correct.

If you are commissioning someone to make a film for you, they are not an employee or a worker and therefore not due the National Minimum Wage.

I ca…

Hi,
I am exploring ways to find people who would be interested in collaborating on short film projects in the West Midlands Birmingham area. I am looking for people who have some …

Hi Dal,

I am London based but also have a base in Hinckley, between Leicester and Coventry and would be interested to hear about your plans. I write and direct and have extensive…

I want to create a new musical interpretation of a commercial song to use in my short film. The original was a male solo piece, where the new version will be a female duet, so I a…

As Tom (above) says you need permission from the songwriter/publisher unless the song is very old. The details of copyright vary from country to country. Have a look at the UK co…

https://t.co/HJ4TLRQ9Sr New short film from FUBAR Director. For this project i used Modo/Z brush for modelling and then Modo exclusively for animating, Texturing and rendering. Le…

Absolutely stunning work guys. Nice.

Wozy
@wozyW

Would be interested to hear from more members -- including people who rarely post here or even haven't posted here before:

If you are experiencing a productive year please tell u…

I came back to the industry this year after a self imposed ‘holiday’ of about five years. Before this break, I had written two feature scripts and about 30+ short scripts.

My fil…

I’m writing a screenplay, I’m doing a spoof in the style of a Open University programme about undergraduate student films, and how many of the cover similar themes

The type of th…

So, to sum up all of the above, student films are full of sh*t... Go make it anyway, it's a learning experience. Just don't expect anyone to watch it.

As documentary filmmakers, it’s so often the case that charities and other organisations are interested in the issues that our films raise. Whether you’re making a campaigning fil…

Just a few further thoughts from me regarding working with charities - and in particular working on projects for charities.
I've been fortunate to have worked with a number of ch…

Hi All,

Looking into running a short film course in the midlands (Coventry / Warks area) this summer. Has anyone attended or know of one that is already running, midlands wide? M…

This is a short, mock TV ad I directed for part of my degree.

Looking for feedback, positive and negative!

Called Canon Assassin and only 30 seconds long.

https://www.facebook.…

Hey Daniel,

Gianpiero here, actor. Took a look at your mock ad, interesting creative choice. I really like how you positioned the bodies for the "kill shots" and the transitions.…

Last September my brother and I finished the first draft of a script for a film called “Nina Forever”. We started shooting that film on the 25th March. For a while I tried to give…