ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

10 years, 5 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Pretty much the only way to get the project taken seriously externally will be to have some real money attached somewhere. Production Managers/Line Producers will often do favours, expenses, mates rates etc - but are unlikely to pay their own money into a project, and a project will require money. If you look for a PM offering expenses and a modest budget to work with you stand a better chance than getting a total freebie. The problem is the lower the budget, the more the stress and work for a PM pulling in favours.

Cast - there are lots of great upcoming actors who'll love to work on any project for experience and showreel. It's the trades you'll have problems finding for cheap/free. Creatives get some upside from any production, they get some of the glamour, fame, showreel etc. Trades get costs, do the day job, don't get showreel, don't get glamour, don't get creative release - so take a fee instead.

As John says, perhaps the way to approach this is to throw yourself behind helping out your friend (who's trying to realise your vision) as much as possible?

10 years, 5 months ago - John Lubran

Jonathan, It's impossible to make any informed analysis as to whether the aspirations you have for your short script are so much more probable than the other 10,000 short scripts, also eager to be picked up by someone willing to actually make the significant effort and investment of transforming your written words into a film.

I'm not sure that I'm impressed that you, being still a student, are above helping out on set. Are you really that busy and in demand writing scripts that you'd not deem it worthwhile to make the effort to see your words manifested!? How many of your scripts are currently presented on a watchable medium?

I have films in varying stages of conceptualisation that have been held on paper for years. As has every other 'real life' producer . If you have a friend willing to make your film, and importantly, also has any reasonable chance of being able to to so, I'd suggest you support him with every fiber of your being, and with as much good grace as you can muster. Making shorts is a labour of love, a hopeful stepping stone for all concerned and rarely for any other beneficial reason of any sort.

10 years, 5 months ago - Jim Page

I wouldnt take any script on without having an option agreement.

10 years, 5 months ago - graeme holmes

I hope you will now be "transparent" with "the director" and show him all this Shooting People correspondence. I would not want to work with someone who goes behind my back like this. I find it slightly despicable.

10 years, 5 months ago - Lee 'Wozy' Warren

My view would be to ask the director friend to option the script from you - even if its just for a nominal fee. This then gives him the right to do what he wants with it, within the realms of what the options states, and gives him a set time to get it into production or financed. Because one of the things you haven't mentioned is how long you already gave him. If its two weeks, then its not long enough, if its two years he's taking the piss. Set a reasonable time table. A short could be 2-6 months for him to get the funds together and a cast. If he hasn't been able to do it in that time frame, take it back and do something else with it. But in the meantime, forget about it and keep writing the next project... Don't sit waiting, and waiting, and waiting... be productive. He might be nervous that you're looking over his shoulder every five minuets (if you are that is...). Let him get on with it within a structured agreement of what happens when etc...

My 2c worth.

10 years, 5 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

By 'producer' do you mean he's looking for someone to pay for production? That's quite an ask. No point contacting cast unless you know you've got the money!

11 minutes for a single location should be doable in a weekend, but that's still someone's home for a weekend, and that's either a LOT of hunting and begging or money. Camera hire for a weekend, lights, electricity, crew etc - it's all money. If he's looking for someone to pay for filming it may take a long time, so why not post it here as well.

The reality of scripts is that tens of thousands a year go unmade - if your script is exceptional there's a chance someone may take an interest, but the odds are stacked against you. Think about it, what's in it for the producers if they invest in your script? There's no market for shorts (almost all are self-financed), so there's no real financial incentive for someone to lay £5k on the line. On that basis, it may be worth being little patient, and letting your friend still keep trying to produce it whilst you also let it go to the wider market. If on the offchance you find a potential backer, introduce them to your friend as a possible collaboration?

10 years, 5 months ago - Paul W Franklin

Working with friends can often put a strain on that relationship. I think there are several questions you need to ask yourself:

Is this person any good as a director? Do they have any experience? Do you have a similar vision?
Is this your first attempt at having a script made? 11mins is pretty long. Do you have a 2-3min script you could both work on that will be quicker and cheaper?
Have you had feedback on the script (from non-friends who won't be worried about upsetting you)? Writers your age tend to include a lot of excess dialogue (I've been there; we all thought we were the new Tarantino).

I know you're dead keen to get it made, but answer all these questions honestly, discuss it with your friend, get some people to do a read-through, and then see where you're at.

10 years, 5 months ago - Jonathan Sieff

Thanks for your response, Paddy, by 'producer', I think he's looking more in the realms of a production manager. When he first mentioned to me that he knew some actors, I said to him straight away to get a friend to produce it. As the project is low to no budget, because like me, he is a student in university. I imagine that he's looking for friends who will take on these roles.

I'm still coming to quips with how to use this site, so I am not too sure how to approach advertising it. I know short films don't make any money, so I'm sure any money I am offered for the script were I to advertise here would go back into the producer's pocket so they can add more money to the project once it is in production.

In relation to the actors, he has shown me pictures of friends of his who he has said are actors. However, as you are probably aware, that doesn't mean anything. I said to him, if he won't contact his potential "Producer", I will gladly do it myself. He did contact him, but has yet to hear back. And I yet to hear anything back from him.

He suggested he gets everyone he wants to be part of the film together, however I don't know what he's doing about that either.

10 years, 5 months ago - Simon Marlow

Why can't you help him find a producer and cast? At studio level a writer IS part of the production team, they don't just hand a script in then wait for money.

Plus you won't ever be a decent writer without some experience of in-the-trenches film making - which it is frequently hard work, thankless and dull. Even if you "make it"!

But, also, YES - put it up here! He has to abide by the above realities too

Good luck!

10 years, 5 months ago - Jonathan Sieff

I got a message from him today, he said he's got a location sorted and he's sent the script out to potential actors. It's certainly a massive step up from where he was previously.

Lee, just to let you know I gave hime the script at the beginning of January and hope it's in production by Easter. That's about 3 months to get preproduction ready.
I'm glad he's doing something. However, he still doesn't have a producer. Yes I've been looking over his shoulder constantly, that's because it's a huge deal to me.

I am also working on a number of other scripts, however since this one is closest to getting made, I am very conscious of the possibility.

10 years, 5 months ago - Azeem Khan

My experience of being a student filmmaker - it's a team effort, collaboration is the key to success, we all mucked in together (on a good day!!)
Why not go about trying to find a producer yourself, if the director is having difficulty finding one? first get the director's consent to go about advertising though...it looks insulting to go behind his back...
Good luck with your film. I've made a number of short films and realize the difficulties. On a student production especially, it is best to approach it professionally, i.e. with delineation of production roles, whilst at the same time "mucking in" and doing the team effort bit to the best of one's ability. Trust is vital. I hope it works for both of you.

10 years, 5 months ago - Bob Eckhard

Hi Jonathan
I had a similar problem with a short I wrote and tried to get made in which the filmmaker (who showed most interest and convinced me to go with him) later on threw a lot back on me: finding cast, director, producer etc. Most galling was I chose him over another capable filmmaker (who adored loved the piece and even asked if she could edit it!) that i'd gone with another because with 2 months I realised the film was going nowhere with the first.

Since then I have produced a different short with actor and filmmaker friends though I wore many hats as writer, director and producer that day. As it is, the original short is still to get made but I learnt an important lesson that if you want something made you will probably have to initiate and take on a considerable part of that workload yourself - that is, until your famous and others do it for you ;-) As writers we know this- no one but us can write the script. It may need editing but the bulk of the work rests with us.

Bob

ps if it stalls again, rethink your strategy as some are doers and some are not!

10 years, 5 months ago - Bill Hartin

Jonathan - The situation with your fellow student friend sounds a bit dicey in terms of getting anything done in a timely manner but who knows...? What I can suggest is this: Send your script to me for review and consideration for production by FIFO (Fade In/Fade Out) A Filmmaking Consortium located in the Lehigh Valley, PA, and I will let you know within a week whether we want to produce it. You can send it to fifolv@gmail.com and check us out at fifolv.org. We produced one four shorts last year and are in pre-production for three more as we speak.

I won't waste your time or blow smoke where the sun don't shine - either we deem it appropriate for our limited budget or we don't. No cost to you and no follow plea for post-pro $. In fact, we look for one-location shorts at or under 15 pages (our last one was four pages).

Good luck.

Bill Hartin
FIFO CEO/Founder

10 years, 4 months ago - Joseph Steele

Giving him an ultimatum is a good way to handle it. I recommend working with new people though. I previously made a short film with a friend and although it was a good way for me to learn, I had to go my own way for my next film because being friends interfered with creative control.
I have benefited hugely from recruiting from the SP community.

10 years, 5 months ago - Nikolai Galitzine

I feel sorry for the director. Let him do his job. Yours is finished, unless you are putting money into it, or working on it.

10 years, 5 months ago - Marlom Tander

Jonathan - if you're always looking over his shoulder, bite the bullet and become the producer.

He who wants something to be done, does it :-)

I've got projects out with people where I am totally hands off - if they make it work, great, if not, fine also. Other projects I am driving myself.

But management rule 101 is that hanging over someones shoulder is bad management - if you're doing it because someone isn't doing their job, you need to sack them. If they are doing their job, you'll break the relationship. Trust them or dump them - or in this case, Trust them or Produce Yourself and let them direct or whatever.

10 years, 5 months ago - Adam Ethan Crow

Fella, get him to put up or shut up. I had an issues with a producer recently with regard to a feature film script I wrote - I even passed on a sizeable fee to sell it. It's like a relationship, there has to be trust and if they say they love you, it's just words. Do they show they love you? I love shit analogies.

Crow out!!