ASK & DISCUSS

Is it just me or other writers and writer/directors struggle to write TV bibles? I wrote 7 eps (all of the eps) 400 + pages but I am not able to distill the synopses (I did OK wit…

I think bibles are important. I have just been offered possible funding of several million for a tv series and asked for a bible. Thank you for the link for templates Alice. Also …

I'm aiming to take a small cast and crew from the UK (all paid in the UK) to France to shoot a micro-budget feature. We'll be shooting on a private estate.

Is there any obligati…

HI OLYER, yes in france you need use some french cast or crew, But I think only when you co prod with french prod.. this is yr own money, so you can go by the french Mairie and as…

Hi,

I'm friends and I shot an amateur / fake advert for a big headphone brand last year and realised rencently that it was screened in a continuous loop (along with a couple of …

Hi guys, thank you very much for the help and the highly detailed answer! - John, thanks for the history lesson too, very interesting stuff!

I think I'm simply going to try to ge…

Greets.

I run a small free film club in London - where I teach newcomers how to make movies + collaborate with artistic people on various projects. Everyone involved sign waivers…

As long as the author is OK with it, I'm pretty confident you'll be just fine.

I have been asked to provide an LP10 with one of my invoices. I understand this is a form which allows self employed people to opt-out of the legal maximum daily working hours. Bu…

Paddy is of course absolutely right in that a Lorimer letter is an easy solution whereby everyone can just get on with their jobs. As I suggested, it's the better part of valour. …

Hi, all!

I'm looking to get pre-production going for a documentary I'm passionate about making. To make sure i don't miss anything out, has anyone here worked on a documentary bo…

Hi Jordan,

I haven't read other people's advice, however from my own experience (my documentary feature film Trial by Fire - The Terry Dunnage Story) is in post production ...sho…

Hi all. I'm looking to pitch an idea for a non-fiction film production book to UK publishers but I'm looking for some advice on how to do this, particularly from anyone with direc…

Hi Dan. It sounds as if 'piracy' has cost you a few bob. It seems frustratingly unlikely to such as myself that the 'authorites' = police etc - cannot identify the pirates and t…

Hello everybody!
I have an ownership question: If a production company was given a assignment, for example shoot a music video, and was being paid for it etc., does the productio…

as a composer as well as film journalist, i'd like to confirm that the music, unless you have a contract giving you licence, is definitely the copyright of either the original com…

Hello everyone,

Hope you're well.

I want and am hoping to make some INCREDIBLE short films (the kind that people won't forget) this year and in the near future, so that's why my…

Hi, I am considering signing to a union for insurance & advice/training. Has anyone signed up to or others? Any tips welcome. Thanks Nathalie

Thanks Mark & Paddy. I wish had joined before when was in at MTV & made redundant but now as a freelancer think more important esp re H&S & liability etc but I do …

Hi everyone

I have recently had my short film made into high quality DVDs. They are all intended to be given to everyone who helped make my film from the actors, to the crew and…

When we made our short film Waters End we produced a Special Version on DVD with some "Extras" making it an attractive buy. This proved a winner as we sold over 3000 copies either…

I read an article about shooting guerrilla style that said the subway scenes in ‘Black swan’ were all shot without permits as were scenes from ‘The French Connection’.
Anyone know…

@Mark Wiggins
Rehearsals shot with 5d. Typo

Dear All,

I'd like to know what is the general rule(if there is a strict one) for the tiels(credits) ant the end of a film( a short).

The Film Title is not in the beginning and …

Yes Allan, I basically organize all(or almost all) and pay for catering and expendables...the crew helped me for free..I wrote and direct the film, and also be the head of art dep…

I've had a query about licensing a short 1min promo piece I produced a while back. The company in question want me to add their logo and a branded end frame to use on their corpor…

Yep, if you sell them a perpetual, non-transferable, non-exclusive license to use the film in xyz places/circumstances (eg online at upto 480p, whatever you agree) for £xx then …

How/Where to get insurance for a small rental company with Film Cameras, Jib, Tracks, Super speed Cine lenses, Lighting, sound Kits etc. and offer insurance to clients to hire Fil…

Thank you John.

I am finishing the principal photography of my first short film. almost a zero budget one but with a dedicated small crew of professionals. I am the producer"De facto" and the wri…

Wozy I am totally with you. This time things went in this way...The next one, I Will certainly go within paper and law, hopefully with a micro/low budget but with a budget, so tha…

Networking/Drinks for Agents, Producers, Writers, Directors, Actors and more to connect with new people and source work/opportunities, pitch ideas and/or just have a great evening…

Hello Shooters,
Just wanted to get some opinions on the practice of hiring directors for showcases/ short films by drama schools, if any of you had that experience.
I applied fo…

If it's of any help, Chryssanthi, I used to do seminars at USC on directing, and the minimum was $600 for 3 hours. Of course, I have 30 years of experience fixing films, which ain…

Hi there,

I have been in touch with the BBFC but they are slow to respond.
Is there a legal requirement to include a warning about flash photography at the start of a film?
My fe…

Thanks John and Paddy,
I have heard back from the BBFC, there are no legal requirements to include a warning but it is considered best practice to do so. There is not specific wo…

Hi! Quite simply as it says in the question. I am filming a documentary and I am wondering if there are any laws against the filming of facades of public buildings. Thank you for …

Thank you John, very clear and thorough!

Hello

I am in the process of creating an investor proposal. I was wondering if anyone had a template for a low budget feature that could be used as a guide ? I would also like …

Hi Shobina,

I have done a number of these documents over the past few years both for SEIS and EIS or just SEIS alone. I often work in conjunction with accountant Philip Gambrill …

I wondered whether there might be any chance in getting the rights to songs made by a few smallish indie bands for a short I had made. I have no budget so would have to somehow co…

If the same band came up to you and asked if you could do a music video for free and they'll credit you at the end how would you feel. Muso's know the struggle a bit like filmmake…

Hi, I urgently need to insure equipment and footage as lost some important footage. Can anyone advise or recommend any also have you had to claim and did they pay out? Thanks Nath…

Thanks Mark. Not filming productions.. Omg just had awful experience with La Playa meant to help Women in film! Film insurance need to call back 2x. May not be the way forward.

Hi everyone!

We are working on a documentary and we came across a source that could provide us with some very interesting footage. The fact is that we are not 100% sure we would …

John, thank you for the points you raised. The situation in quite peculiar in itself, and that is why I think the best thing would be to check with someone who can be made aware o…

Has anyone used a property found on AirBnB as a location from a shoot or approached the owners about it? If so, what was their response and the experience like?

I've been on several shoots in AirBnB places. One thing that every crew that I work with is always conscientious about is taking care of the place and cleaning up afterward.
That…