ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

7 years, 1 month ago - John Lubran

Hi Florentina,

That's a great and worthy project you're developing and your passion and skill will no doubt provide the outcome with power and effect.

There's often an issue though when recruiting collaborators to ones passion project, in that it's very much your project. You've already shot much of it with your own technical and creative format and you've even defined the editing tools. If you want collaborators with similar degrees of ability, passion and commitment it seems probable that you'll need to either employ them on viable terms or give them a substantive proprietorial investment in both creative and financial interests, if any exist in fact or realistic prospect. Alternatively one may find kindred spirits who have other means of independent wealth, probably easier to find in Surrey than most other counties.

You are not alone in this. There's been frequent and similar requests by film makers to recruit others into their projects. It's a tricky notion. Typically with these sort of things the principal initiator will only be able to gather collaborators who for one reason or another are unable to further their own creative aspirations or who are beginners needing to begin.

Presumably there are no resources in hand since the preferred collaborator is also asked to have some ability to raise money? Raising money is often a greater skill than actually making films! It's somewhat ironic that most institutional and public sector funding programmes don't offer realistic sums that even provide for minimum wages as well as production costs for anything likely to be commensurate with viable distribution, let alone broadcast standards. It must follow that these grants must assume some degree of independent wealth or other funding from the applicants.

It seems to me that what you're seeking is commensurate with crowd funding, in that your looking for human and material resources in order to complete your project. Apart from the manifestly moral and ethical virtues of the project are their any prospects of being able to pay ones bills? You've clarified what is expected from applicants; what does the project offer in return?. Collaboration and employment are two quite different things.

7 years, 1 month ago - florentia buckingham

Hi John,

I'm touched by the fact you took the time to write such a thoughtful well written response to a stranger, with many excellent points of wisdom that I agree with 100%. Thank you. A bit of a catch 22 in terms of enticing the team with a decent pay promise, before I find funding, and getting funding before I have a team.

What I AM prepared to clarify though, is that I'm happy to give, in your words, "substansive proprietorial investment in the creative and financial interests" as my personal incentives for doing this project are neither for money nor exclusive creative ownership and fame,, but rather to create a quality film that can positively impact as many youngsters as possible through a wide distribution.

If someone's interested, and prepared to meet, we would try and put 'substance' around the creative and financial arrangements, but I envisage it to be a 2 or 3 way creative process, and yes I guess I'd have the veto but I'm always interested in ideas and changes, and we'd only collaborate if we believe each other to have similar tastes and standards. I'd be more than happy to discuss how any financial gains might be shared, and give them whatever credits their role assumed, eg. producer. And my friend who's name is on the trailer, is more than happy to take a back seat and help when needed and not be down as a co-creator.

Hope that clarifies a little more to anyone interested. Ultimately I'm extremely flexible as long the end result is a quality film that we can all be proud of, and gets out there to where it can have an impact.

7 years, 1 month ago - Helen Jack

Hi Florentina,

If you’re looking for people to collaborate with, the most effective way of reaching other members is to list your project in the Production part of the site. You can do this by clicking on the navigation ‘Production’ > ‘Get People’ (https://shootingpeople.org/production/people).

Once you’ve completed your post, the project will be available to view on the site in the Production directory and will be published in the bulletins.

Good luck with it.
Helen

7 years, 1 month ago - florentia buckingham

Many thx Helen, will do!!

7 years, 1 month ago - Philip Carr

Hi Florentia,
Love to know more about the project. I am based in Fulham, London and edit my stuff in Whitstable, Kent. Ex bbc photographer with lots of experience, see my profile.
Thanks
Philip Carr
Info@bessboroughproductions.co.uk

7 years, 1 month ago - Keith McGuinness

Hi Florentia,
This sounds like a very worthwhile project, but is it a documentary in the strictest sense?

7 years, 1 month ago - Philip Carr

Viewed your demo piece and in my view would benefit from some background footage, sustaining interest through talking heads alone is difficult. Happy to meet up and discuss further.

7 years, 1 month ago - florentia buckingham

Hi Philip and Keith..

thx both for your interest and apologies for slight delay in response...

In answer to questions, it's a doc to the extent of it being non-fiction and in between the talking heads I'm looking to add abstract or certainly not too literal footage that will break the monotony of talking heads, to allow emotion to be evoked, and give it some breathing space with clever, sensitive use of sound and music..

I was inspired by the beauty and simplicity of Yann Arthus Bertrand's Human https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Retnj3TsA which blew me away.

Phillip thx for checking out the trailer, it's very rough, and yes I plan to break the interviews a lot and I'm using my friend TV producer as an advisor.. I can usually tell by whether his knee twitches :)) Also I've been getting input on the the rough edit by 3-4 youngsters since, after all, they are the audience, with their impatient attention span. I had a quick look at your website and your Sam PTSD film and while it's all great and the subject is similar, I don't see that much of an overlap with what my project needs right now... I'm looking for someone that has a real forte in shooting artie abstract footage & ideas or in financing projects or editing in a very artie unusual way. So thanks for the offer to meet but unless you're able to help on the financing side, I would be wasting your time.

Keith I hope I've answered your question and do email me off the forum florentia@florentia.co.uk if you have any interest and experience in helping on the financing side, assuming that you have some work example I can look at or a past financing success you might be able to recreate..

Thanks again guys, nice to confirm there's interest in the subject .. I will take Helen's advice and post to the Production side of the forum.

All the best
Florentia