ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

3 years, 5 months ago - David Yorke

Completely with you, it's very frustrating as I have produced most of my own shorts and finding a producer with experience is difficult, they also mention not to just team up with anyone, so I either team up with a person I've worked with once, who doesn't have much experience or find someone new and they may not even accept me because of that. The scheme seems aimed at me and on the surface is perfect, but the deeper you look into it, it just seems like they want a team that has done a lot more and who's in a better position. The amount of people that will go for this scheme will be insane.

3 years, 5 months ago - Huw Wahl

Maybe they already have people in mind they have written the spec for?

The producer thing is always a stumbling block for me too. I self produce. I never really fit into film funding specs anyway. It's all very conservative i think!

3 years, 5 months ago - John Lubran

I can imagine that Netflix don't want to be overwhelmed with a thousand or more applications from film makers whose eager enthusiasm doesn't match their actual capacities. Whilst it may well be unfair to label some people as having unappealing 'Walter Mitty' notions, from Netflix's point of view weeding out all but the most likely to succeed is essential. Even so plenty will be able to meet the challenging requirements.

The gap between having great ideas and having great ideas backed up with demonstrable ability to actually produce a viable product is pretty wide. It's a business, not a charity.

3 years, 5 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Everyone wants a "proven producer" but ironically the scheme excludes anyone who has produced a viable feature before!

I am happy to talk to anyone who is making a submission as a "production advisor" or whatever, so you'll still be the producer, take the producer credit, do the producer work, but I'll help guide you through a little and get you started. Based in Bath, so ideally pop in for a coffee. I believe the people I've done this for previously have found it beneficial (or are very polite!)

3 years, 5 months ago - Terry Dray

I'm a filmmaker in Scotland (just outside Edinburg) and would like to put my shillings worth into this discussion. I too produce my own short films and find it difficult to find a producer up here in Scotland with experience that is willing to work with writers and directors that have screen credits (so to speak). I did look through what Netflix is asking for and it seems that they may already have teams already in place, I agree with Huw Wahl on that point.

My take on it is a bit cynical, in Scotland we seem to always have to go through Creative Scotland for any sort of funding for shorts or features. CS seem to have the same kind of criteria of wanting to nurture new and up and coming talent in Scotland but they also want you to have a couple of years experience in the film or TV landscape with screen credits.

I do get this, if you're looking at a few thousand pound budgets then you want to know it'll not get wasted. So, we, grass rooters, continue to self-fund and produce and promote our own work in the hope that someday we will get noticed.

I don't know if this Netflix breakout scheme is for the likes of me at the grass roots level. I've got a few years and many more self-funded projects before I get noticed, I think.

This is not being melodramatic or bitter about the system, I'm just being realistic, and getting on with things. Good luck to all of the participants.

3 years, 4 months ago - Brendan Cleaves

Luckily for me, I managed to tick all the boxes for this (not holding my breath) but it's very frustrating for people who just have proved script, by that I mean, it's been through the comps, blacklist etc and gain some accolades, and can't find an outlet. IMO, the script should be king, not necessarily the team, just because you can see a project through to its end and work well together means nothing if the material is weak.

They are just trying to limit the applications and make sure they do less hand-holding and matchmaking. Unfortunately, this does mean that many scripts that warrant more attention don't stand a chance.

If you are a team already, then you should be at a stage where you are pushing forward to develop, raise funding for or even shoot the project.

One thing that is both refreshing and, on the flip side makes no sense about this opportunity and its guidelines, is they are looking for 'Genre' projects. Amazing, the UK is finally catching up with the game and looking to make a film that people actually want to watch. But in the Breakthrough guidelines, they do reference the list of festivals that one of the filmmakers shorts should have screened at. This list contains none of the big 'genre' festivals in the world. Wonder if this was ever flagged to them. Or is this just another attempt to limit the applications?

3 years, 3 months ago - Teresa Moorhead

Yeah I'm in the same position, I've made 7 shorts, one that won awards. However I couldn't find a producer to work with. It just seems bizarre. BBC Film and Film Four also insist on the producer submitting pitches though. It must be an industry standard requirement but it's proving a barrier to getting projects off the ground. :(

3 years, 3 months ago - Vasco de Sousa

I think it makes sense to balance the administrative sensibilities of the producer with the dreaming creativity of the director. When you have to do both, you might end up limiting yourself too much, or overspending.

But yeah, I understand the basic annoyingness of being ineligible. For a long time, it seemed to me like every fund had a "no Vasco's" clause whether it was age, place of birth, or whatever.

That said, there are certain things that can be remedied.

I mean, this isn't a catch 22, people. Just ask someone you trust if they want to produce your next short, and then you'll be eligible for these things in the future.