ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXBBC Films / Film4 / BFI
1 year, 7 months ago - Jess Owen
I read that the BFI Network Short Film Fund is opening in March...
But has anyone on Shooting People worked on a BBC Films short before? Has anyone got funding from the BBC for a short film? I really don't understand how the application process works. It doesn't look like the BBC has an online funding application or funding window like the BFI. Is that right? And is that the same for Film4? I feel like I'm missing something?!
I'm trying to get a sense of how short films get made in the UK because I'm new to all this. Any thoughts at all would be really helpful :)
Thanks
J
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1 year, 7 months ago - NICHOLAS PROSSER
Short films are often made by students or graduates as a demonstration of their talent to enter the industry. These projects often are funded by universities and colleges. My experience in short film was in stark contrast to this. After a long career as a director (and producer in broadcast television drama series and serials, I decided in my "evening years" to write screenplays for short drama films. Over quite a long period of time, I had slowly saved funds for my company (formed just to serve the interests of my freelance work and indepndent projects. ). After exploring some funding possibiities, as a 60+ year old, I came to the conclusion that I was unlikely to invite financial support. I therefore ended up paying for the budget from my own funding, though this is against the principal of "never use your own money." This short film production paid proper artist and crew rates, in accordance with union rates and the budget wasn't cheap. There may be funding souces available which I didn't discover and I'd be very interested to hear of other experiences of short film funding. Good luck with your project and feel free to contact me on e-mail : - nicholas.prosser@gmail.com
1 year, 6 months ago - Ben Saffer
I believe the BBC shorts fund is open to production companies, rather than individual filmmakers - so you’d want to find a producer or production partner and then approach the fund with them
1 year, 6 months ago - SP Team
Hi Jess,
The funding directory lists opportunities from the likes of the BBC. You can see it here: https://shootingpeople.org/funds/
Good luck with your projects!
Team SP