ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

5 years, 1 month ago - Anthony Hett

Is this something you will be pitching to write and direct yourself or are writing the brief and looking for writers and directors?

The brief will need information about the theme, an indication of expected length, budget and a timescale.

In terms of cost there is a lot to consider from cost of equipment, location, cast and crew etc. But it is very difficult to cost something affectively without a script - as you need to know how many actors you will be paying, how many locations you will need etc.

I think you need to know how much the charity can afford so that filmmakers know what constraints they are working within.

If you are looking to commission filmmakers, I have made a trilogy of drama shorts that have screened at numerous film festivals and picked up a few awards: www.anthonyhett.com

5 years, 1 month ago - Ian Allardyce

Hello, I'm a producer/director of various short and feature length films. Please do get in touch at ian@ianallardyce.com (my showreel is at the same web address). Perhaps we could find a way to work together. All the best, Ian.

5 years, 1 month ago - Vasco de Sousa

Anthony Hett's answer is a good start, consider length, budget and timescale (when you need the films by).
But, perhaps you don't know how long the films should be yet, or what the budget is. When you start out looking to buy a new product or service, you want to know what to expect.

If you're shooting documentaries, real people and their surroundings not only have an impact, but interviews can end up cheaper than using actors. But, it might end up taking longer in editing time, so prep for documentaries by researching and rehearsing your questions. In any case, professional crews and preparation mean less editing time.

The main thing to start with is what you're looking for in a finished product: your who, what, when, where, why, and how. For example "We need three ten-minute documentaries (what) to warn teenagers (who) of the dangers of compulsive gambling (why) to be shown on our website and via youtube (how you will distribute the videos) to youth across the UK (where)."

Or, maybe you want 30 second TV ads to raise finance.

I bid for a lot of projects through sites like "sell2wales", and many didn't have complete briefs and needed to be repeatedly updated. It's great that you're asking filmmakers ahead of time.

Look at Sell2Wales and similar procurement websites to find wordy briefs. These will give you an idea of pricing, and sometimes you can find old bids and see how they turned out on that budget.

5 years, 1 month ago - William Webb

Just to throw our hat in the ring- we've produced lots of documentary and some narrative content for charities, so do get in touch if you want to get some quotes for this! www.mountainwaypictures.com

5 years, 1 month ago - Troy Aidoo

Thanks for all the answers, really insightful. I know if I had a set budget it would be a lot easier, but this is really really helpful so I appreciate it

5 years, 1 month ago - Harry Sharp

Hi Troy,

I recently shot a little piece about gambling which is at the moment not brand specific but can be easily moulded to what you need and to say the right thing. If you would like to see it and discuss whether or not it's something you and your charity could use then please contact me on 07554188201 or at hggsharp@gmail.com.

Hope you are well and have a great weekend, thank you for reading!

Best,
Harry