ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

10 years, 3 months ago - Dan Selakovich

I don't have any suggestions on people, but something John pointed out the other day about American west coast membership got me thinking.

I discovered in the last few weeks, videos on youtube by an organization called "Film Courage." They interview people high and low in the industry (mostly those that have found success in alternatives outside of Hollywood). You can watch the entire interview, or just snippets that are broken up from within the larger interview. Things like "Did getting into Sundance help your career?" and you can watch a 3 minute answer to that question.

Perhaps interviewing these seasoned people and posting the interviews on youtube would be of some benefit. No only in information, but upping your membership outside of the U.K.

10 years, 1 month ago - Craig Lowy

Hi Myrna. I've been making a film with the choreographer Elizabeth Streb. Her form of Extreme Action is quite different from tango, but the challenges are the same. Capturing the excitement of a live performance on film. \The first challenge is for the choreographer to understand that a film is not the same as a performance. Between camerawork and editing, between filming close up details and compressing time, the performance will be transformed into something - very different. And it will be your film with your point of view. \The face and hands are what we find most expressive about people. But in dance it's the entire body that conveys meaning. And of course, with tango it's two bodies and how they relate to each other in space. In short you'll need to shoot sinuous wide shots and emotional close ups [those faces and hands]. That's why rehearsals and multiple performances are so helpful for filming. \What does tango mean and how does it feel? For this you'll need to film interviews with choreographer and dancers. \Finally, make sure you can get rights to the music to avoid future headaches. \To view short excerpts from my dance film, you can go to www.oxd.tv \I wish you the best of luck! -Craig

10 years, 2 months ago - Lee 'Wozy' Warren

Something around VFX would be useful. Not much talk on SP about it and from a post or two I've opened myself and received no answers, realise that maybe there is
knowledge gap around this aspect of filmmaking, especially as these days so many films utilise fx - overtly or not so!

Wozy

10 years, 1 month ago - cath le couteur

Hi Myrna. Interesting. Can you tell us a bit more? Do you mean Dance/Artist Films, or narrative, music video?
Chrs
Cath

10 years, 3 months ago - Adriano Cirulli

Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Tsai Ming-Liang would be at the top of my list, although I'd rather like to see them as Film of the Month panelists than in a generic Q&A on filmmaking.

Also, Nikolaus Geyrhalter and Michelangelo Frammartino.

I second Becky Matthews above regarding mentoring schemes.

10 years, 3 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

"We're always looking out for something new!" is the cry from commissioners, but what they seem to buy is the same old same old, maybe with a lick of paint. It'd be great to hear candidly from some commissioning editors or even format developers about what it is they actually do want to pay for?

There's a wealth of genuinely new ideas around, but despite the rhetoric they seem to terrify commissioners. Tell us what you need, show us how you need it presented, give us realistic scope for who you'll deal with (ie if you'll only actually commission from one of the big indies, let's all save time by not having direct approaches), etc. Help us to help you - TV is changing, the landscape is changing, help us to help you make tomorrow's programmes!

10 years, 1 month ago - Kelie Petterssen

Hi Myrna, that's great, you would be better posting this as a separate question is ask here: https://shootingpeople.org/ask - this will then get filtered in the the daily bulletins, which go out to all of our members. You will get more of a response because more people will see it.

Best,

Kelie

10 years, 3 months ago - Becky Matthews

Joanna Hogg, Alice Lowe, Amma Asante - female writers and directors for those of us who want to create great films in the face of negative statistics! Also very interested in mentoring schemes (but I realise that's something else). Thanks!

10 years, 3 months ago - Timothy Chick

A suggestion for a Q & A with a director - Wim Wenders. For me his 'Paris, Texas' remains one of my top 10 films. I understand he shot it with a minimal crew. He used great locations and actors. The use of dialogue along with silence in the later scene when the character Travis meets up with his wife and she comes to realise who it is on the other side of the glass scene, is remarkably moving.

Any chance of arranging an event with him in conversation before a live audience and podcast?

Tim
Producer & Lawyer.

10 years, 3 months ago - Dan Selakovich

HA! I aims to please!

10 years, 3 months ago - Vasco de Sousa

I remember when Mark Litwak was on the board years ago. (He's an expert on film contracts.) He was awesome, I have his books. There are other specialists in other areas.

For animation: Claire Waxler and Phil Davies, from Peppa Pig. Also, some of the behind the scenes people at Aardman are always fun.

I think we have a lot of debate on what a producer does, it would be great to get some indie film producers on here, as well as perhaps a TV producer or two.

I'd especially like hearing from those who worked with projects from the start, those who worked with first time directors or writers.

Funding: In addition to Andrew Morgan's suggestion of the BFI, Europe's Media programme also has development funding. I've filled out some of the forms, but any more info would be helpful.

Also, any investment fund people would be awesome.

Then, below the line people, some industry agents.

And, not at all least, some of the people from the related creative industries. A lot of people cross over into industrials/corporate films and advertising (or get their start there.) Some tips on professionalism from people who make their living in these disciplines would help to motivate the kid with the camcorder to make better movies.

In fact, if I could talk to Ridley Scott, I'd ask more about his advertising days and his early time at the BBC.

I'm reading Joe Camp's book about his early days, and it's fascinating.

Also illuminating would be someone who works in the production department at Working title, or human resources at BBC, or anyone else who pays people.

10 years, 3 months ago - John Lubran

Advice from all the usual suspects of the great and the good will always be gratefully received. As it happens I was at a pre-production meeting yesterday whose members included a multi award winning doyen BBC producer director and an 'alternative media platforms' impending mogul.

I've observed here before that there continues to be an inertia of gargantuanism (as represented by the current established platforms from the big broadcasters and movie studios) but their slice of the market and audience is a diminishing percentage whilst Internet based distribution representing quite different entities are growing fast; I understand that it's now twice as big in terms of turnover and audience than all the established platforms put together.

It must be a statistical reality that the greater part of aspirant film makers on these lists will never have any meaningful relationship with these entrenched old establishments of the the great and good. It must follow that for most members, here learning more about how they might forge viable careers elsewhere is more useful than following the business, production and distribution models suited only to a diminishing few; especially when the emerging opportunities with those three elements are so full of potency and high energy.

So lets be grateful for any learned advice we can get whilst not forgetting that many of the great and learned from just around the next corner are new age moguls from an entirely different planet. It would be just as great to hear more about and from them too.

10 years, 2 months ago - Myrna Jelman

Hi, I'm directing a Tango short Film shooting in July and would love tips and advice from other directors who have worked with a choreographer.

10 years, 3 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Anyone who's produced a film has war stories, and they're a great way to glean nuggets of experience you can benefit from - so producers and line producers specifically war stories and anecdotes for me please.

10 years, 3 months ago - Kelie Petterssen

Hi All,

I really appreciate all of your thoughts! There are some really good ideas that have all been taken on board. We have started interviewing filmmakers on their careers - we are trying to produce more of these as it is extremely useful and valuable for filmmakers to learn from each other.

Mentoring schemes is a conversation that has been had, and keeps coming up and we're trying to work out the logistics of it - but it's definitely something we want to consider.

Thank you all so much for your help!

Kelie

10 years, 2 months ago - Andrew Morgan

I must've missed your posts - ask away Wozy - it's pretty much my area of expertise :)

10 years, 3 months ago - John Lubran

An excellent piece of information and suggestion Dan. Almost seminal in my estimation!

10 years, 3 months ago - Kelie Petterssen

Thanks Andrew - this information would be really useful!

10 years, 1 month ago - Justine Morris

Would be great to see some 'creating music on your mac' tutorials for beginners. No specific music software (DAW) in mind, other than focussed on the beginner. (Probably should say for PCs too)!
Thanks.

Also echo what Paddy says on commissioners - how do we get new stories in front of them? (Copy: Tell us what you need, show us how you need it presented, give us realistic scope for who you'll deal with).

10 years, 3 months ago - Andrew Morgan

I'll also suggest what I mentioned in my email Kelie: get people from the various film funds (particularly the BFI) to give a little more insight into their selection process so that filmmakers can maximise their chances when submitting a project. The BFI give zero feedback when a project is rejected (and you can only submit once) - knowing more about the criteria they use to shortlist projects will save time and frustration on the filmmaker's part and potentially lead to better submissions.