ASK & DISCUSS

Seen yesterday "What you'll get from this expenses only role:
Unfortunately this roles are expenses only as we are independent filmmakers and the budget is extremely tight. This i…

I hate the fact that no-budget filmmakers have hijacked the term Independent Filmmaker! What they actual mean is a filmmaker with little to no money.

In my mind, if you can't pay…

Hi Shooters

This is a question about a film that died - and whether I can bring it back to life.

18 months ago, I got a call from a guy I'll call Max in Indonesia, whose father …

Follow the money. Max's rich friend is clearly running at a loss right now, and you are his only hope of getting something back, so if you offer him a deal along the lines of "I'l…

Hi guys

I'm looking to set up a Film Production Company to enable me to partially fund my feature film using the Enterprise Investment Scheme. I am starting from scratch and whil…

A film project can be constructed as a business enterprise entity in a number of differing ways. EIS types of investment models exist within a paradigm created by the UK governmen…

I want to work with actors at a read through and have been advised to get them to sign a non-disclosure agreement, to protect my script. I understand NDAs are usually used when ac…

Exactly - without a reasonable threat, well, it's a bit of paper.

Film maker needs a letter of exclusivity for an individual granting exclusivity to director for doc film Will be used to get funding

+1 for what Marlom says. Either get a lawyer to write lawyerese or bypass them and use plain English. I like plain English as frankly both parties understand it without wasting …

To be clear - we have the equipment and want to hire it out to you lovely people, *but* we want to find a recommendation on a company to provide the relevant insurance cover for u…

Make the hirer provide insurance? That's how it generally works, you ask for a copy of their policy certificate and it's up to them to sort out if they break your kit.

To be clear - we have the equipment and want to hire it out to you lovely people, *but* we want to find a recommendation on a company to provide the relevant insurance cover for u…

Hi dear fellow shooters,
Has any of you have a release form for filming interviewees and member of the public for my documentary, in Greek? I am still researching, but i might lik…

Thanks for your Response, might try the online idea. I can read and correspond in Greek quite well, but writing a form like this is a bigger task for me and I am flying to Geeece …

I recently shot and edited a music video for a signed band. The video is now in the process of being incorporated onto a popular music television channel. I would like to ask if a…

Radio doesn't pay either. Apparently unless you hit the right sampling day. They have a system I which you may have songs played repeatedly over a year or two and never see a dime…

Hello Shooters,

Can someone please explain how it works when filming member of the public (i.e. on a street) for documentary and the issue of release forms / permissions?

I've r…

Thanks so much for all of the detailed feedback! I can't tell you how much this has helped.

Dear Shooters,

Can anyone recommend an accountant familiar with the issues facing writers? So far I have done all my accounting myself - dealing with odd bits of screenwriting in…

Thanks again to everyone who has responded, and especially to Alistair, as I still prefer someone local.
Further proof of the value of Shooting People.

Stephen

I performed two surveys on almost 1,300 TV and film employers to find out what's the best advice for new entrants into our industries.

The results are rather long and can be fou…

Great post, and I agree with most of the responses to the survey. Tenacity also goes a long way - if I'm crewing a feature I'm going to be looking to get department heads in firs…

As many of you shooters know, I blog weekly about film data and statistics. Normally my audience is almost exclusively industry but this week I seem to have hit a nerve and it's …

Hello folks,
I just wanted to wade in to say thank you Stephen for your excellent research. It's great that your stats had so much coverage in the media recently.
I started a si…

What are the rules for adapting short stories written and published by both living and dead authors?

Can i adapt the story into a short film with just credit and acknowledgement?…

Thank you everyone for the advice.

I wouldn't be selling the short film, don't think there is a market. But if I was pleased with the final out come, I would enter it into festiv…

I've been pursuing a career in the film industry since leaving University and whilst aware it would be tough, was surprised by just how tough it's been.
I've definitely been lucky…

Hi Lee. I've been making documentaries at a serious level for about 20 years and quite honestly it feels like I'm starting from square one again and again and again. That's despit…

Hi all
I’ve just had two very different experiences of film festival rejections to submissions - one good, one bad - that I thought worth sharing. The first is the bad one, and ma…

Hi Michael
I had the exact same experience and believe we were dealing with the same people - please send me a private message. Thanks.

Does anyone have experience of adapting a stage play for screen in terms of what the appropriate contract/terms might be used, and how copyright works on the adapted script? The …

As a writer, I'd strongly suggest sitting down with potential writers who have read (or, better still, SEEN) the play and not letting any of them start work until everyone is agre…

I’ve just finished writing my new feature film script - and I did it all on the tube.

I've read numerous writing coaches recommending you find just half an hour a day to sit dow…

I'm thinking of making a web based sitcom, and based on the guidance document on the ATVOD website at http://www.atvod.co.uk/uploads/files/Guidance_on_who_needs_to_notify_Ed_4.0_F…

You need to be aware only regulations of YouTube, DailyMotion or whomever you use as a platform and what they deem acceptable.

The UK Web Series Creators Group on LinkedIN might …

Advertisement for crew in any bulletins on main forum requires specific figure as lump sum or hourly to be inserted as payment . This is the main reason which the editor gives fo…

Hey all,

I am working on a new documentary about sex education and censorship in the UK.

Am wondering how I would go about pitching this to a TV channel? I don't want to email a…

Thank you all so much for your continued answers! All really helpful!

Hi all,

does anyone have experience regarding structuring completion funds and other film investments into the profit share? My new film is 3-quarters financed, shot and in post,…

Hey all,

I'm currently making a documentary 'Raised On Porn' (www.raisedonporn.com)

The film explores sex education and pornography in the UK, and we are needing access to a sch…

Agree with the above - you had some good answers last week and we can't tell if you did anything with them! You'll need to be under someone's wing for this, whether an individual …

I ran across an interesting TED talk today about female characters in film. You can watch it here:

http://www.ted.com/talks/colin_stokes_how_movies_teach_manhood.html

Colin Stok…

I recently subjected my films to the Bechdel Test. Here are the results: http://neiloseman.com/?p=5133 Despite making a conscious attempt to alternate the gender of my lead charac…

Hi all

Upon strong interest within the territory, I'm looking to protect my screenplays and treatments in China (on top of the usual "western" protection). In order to get that f…

Good to hear!