ASK & DISCUSS

We all have difficulty navigating the murky water of music use in film. Here is a hard one.

I want my cast to sing some well known songs. One actor will sing the main melody and …

For those generally interested in this topic (original composition/copyright infringement/licensing), there's an article published by PRS here - 'Inspiration or Infringement' (22 …

Hi Guys, I am a cameraman with about 7 years experience working in News and Documentary, so have a fair amount of experience shooting and editing. I am looking to try and shoot my…

Hi Paddy, I'll say this. Most of my friends who were pro filmmakers pitching ideas for many years, ended up being lecturers at Uni, teaching media. If they only had a chance to ju…

I was reading this article: Why You Shouldn’t Use a Script Coverage Service at http://www.scriptmag.com/features/primetime-why-you-shouldnt-use-a-script-coverage-service

It got m…

Let's not conflate SCRIPT COVERAGE with SCRIPT CONSULTING or deep analysis, as a few posts seem to be doing. They are two very different things.

Coverage is a bare bones analysi…

Hi everyone,

I used to be a BBC producer and a freelance scriptreader for a bunch of places, and in the last couple of months I've been building http://writemash.com, a platform…

Hi Victoria,

Thanks for the questions! All of them excellently put. :)

The script development sector could be called competitive but I think "healthy" is a much more apt term - …

Hey guys,

I am making a short post-apocalyptic film, one of the scenes in the film is an emergency broadcast on the television. The slate on the TV contains the Home Office logo …

Both great points... thanks guys, I think I'll be able to mock something "similar" so I can avoid any issues in the future :)

A recent addition to the Shore Scripts prize list for the winning feature script in our competition (yes, sorry, but I gotta to promote the comp too. www.shorescripts.com !!!!) is…

Great discussion folks, especially Wozy. Agree with lots of points. Learning how to take criticism is important, but learning to critique your own work is equally important (and a…

Just been in touch with my Regional film office about the idea of shooting some stuff on location around the city. They were extremely helpful but require Public Liability Insuran…

For bigger budgets than £15k (ie self-limiting in terms of scale), the risk goes up, so the premium is going to be tailored to your needs.

I've just been doing a 5-figure insuran…

Hi all. I'm planning to write a historical drama based on real events, using the real names of the people involved, but I will need to be creative around structure, dialogue and c…

Hi Lewis,

Ultimately it comes down to the power of the dramatic situation whose story you want to tell. Generally speaking, if the idea is inherently dramatic then strict adheren…

I felt I had to chip in.
I see so many posts on this site by filmmakers stating that they are paying for the project themselves; therefore they can't afford to pay the screenwrit…

I absolutely agree, Christopher. I'm in the same boat when it comes to editing. It's such a long process on a feature, that compensation is completely necessary. Though I've done …

Hi all
We have a camera and sound equipment we're hoping to hire out in our shooting downtime, and was hoping someone could make some recommendations about good and affordable ins…

Try this company: http://www.essexinsurancebrokers.com/film-insurance

Does anyone know where I can get a clean Chain Of Title that will not cost me an arm and a leg?

You have mail ;-)

Hi everyone.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice for approaching people when you're on a low budget. I'm shooting my second short later in the year, I'm getting great feedb…

@Chris Bogle. What a joy to hear. Too many folk want the latest and greatest equipment and think that will create a great movie. In my opinion so not true. It's what is shot that …

Hi all
We had a really successful pilot live streaming of Cardboard Citizens' current forum theatre show 'Benefit', thanks to Pilot Theatre, including a truly interactive forum wh…

Hi,

I'm making a short which involves a number of shots in a town centre, where there will be some well known shops / hotels in the background. There may also be buses passing, w…

Blur everything in frame except your subject just to be on the safe side.

Something for a documentary/corporate video shoot, indicating the copyright on the footage and rate. Thanks in advance

I bought this ebook of forms from your website, but haven't had delivery of it. Can you see that it gets to me today?

Hi guys,

I've got the final cut of my 1st lo/no budget feature which I am about to start trying to sell online (and possibly theatrical). And I'm just afraid what paperwork they …

I have a similar issue myself. I have found a number of pro formas on the web but I'm not entirely sure that they will be a substitute for proper legal advice. The legal advice re…

Hi, I'm making a short which involves a number of ( outside ) street scenes in a town centre. Question - do I need permission from the shop owners, whose logos might appear in th…

Hello fellow filmmakers - quick question to anyone who's ever been through the Sheffield Meetmarket process. My film has been selected to take part in the Meetmarket in a few week…

Hi Lucas!

Thank you indeed for taking the time out to answer my questions. It's my first time going to the Meetmarket so there's lots of questions I have!

All of the info sounds…

I've seen a few posts asking for people to work for free on producions but stating that they are not insured. If you are expecting people to give up their time for free then at th…

I would suggest a simple check list for any producer who is new or uncertain of what is or isn't needed, even for a short film...

Wozy
@wozyW

Can anyone tell me if a location agreement is required after a film has been shot? As I understand it, although filming could be stopped if you don't have one, the film can't be b…

If you have to ask, it likely means that you didn't have a location manager, which also implies that you were shooting very low budget, and it further implies that you're not goin…

Hello Shooters,

I've been approached by an arts magazine who are interested in commissioning me to direct and film a series of short films on artists and their lives.

The magazi…

Thanks a lot Paddy, that was really helpful!

Hi Everybody. I hope there's not U.K. block for this youtube video. Two Hollywood lawyers talk about what the law actually is in the U.S. regarding a whole host of things that com…

Just in case it helps anyone, 'deliverables' are all the things you have to deliver to a distributor/sales agent - the film is only one of those elements. Arguably, it's the most…

I understand the basics i.e. using stock footage in an advertisement, or in a film that brings in money, either to the filmmaker/producers or to the tv network it's broadcasted on…

I'm sorry I'm so late in replying - thanks for your comments! They've been very helpful.

Greetings Film Makers. (Apologies, long read ahead.)

I am heading a Film "club" at my local area Council operated Arts Centre. It is a hands-on "class" of sorts - where I teach p…

A million thanks for all the answers and insightful advice, my friends.

If anyone ever needs a helping hand with any shoots/edits/etc.. give me a shout.

Regards.
Ray.

Today I saw two posts on the Filmmaking list.

First, expenses only Gaffer on a Music Video for Warner Music, citing budget is too small. We all do expenses only/low pay music …

Nice to see the advert for a gaffer has been reposted as a paid job. Although as a proper promo for a company like Warner Music, they should be paying £300 for a gaffer for the d…