Short Film Production Blog

Ben Blaine's Blog at Shooting People

2009-03-12T04:52:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit late to the party as I've just discovered it but looks like it has lots of useful links to actually show examples of short films. Always good for inspiration.

My subscription to Shooting People has lapsed and I've not renewed it for some time. Would love to hear from current members how useful they feel it is.

Inspiration and fuel for film makers

2009-02-19T02:35:00.000-08:00

Glasgow Film Festival is on until the 22nd. If you are in the area do go and catch some films. Film festivals are great because they ought to show a large number of films shorts and features which don't normally get screened. If you write you should read a lot and if you are a film maker or have ambitions to be one then you should see lots of different films.

Saw Milk this week myself- fantastic.

the two week turnaround tour

2009-02-14T14:48:00.000-08:00

Filmblazer a community film making project will visit 14 cities in the next 17 months in the US and will write, shoot, edit and screen a short film in each city in two weeks.

More info here

Shorts for St Valentines day

2009-02-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

article over at the Guardian

Rushes Soho Shorts Festival - call for entries

2009-02-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

The entry form for this year's Rushes Soho Shorts Festival can now be downloaded at http://www.sohoshorts.com/.

The festival provides many programmes and events for free, intending to encourage, inspire and promote talented filmmakers to the public and the huge number of production companies and creative organisations in and around London and the UK.It is also free to enter your film to the festival, sumbit it on DVD along with an entry form to: Rushes Soho Shorts, 66 Old Compton Street, London, W1D 4UH, UK.

Films can be submitted up until Thursday 23 April with the shortlisted films being announced early June and the full programme available from 1 July. The festival will open on Wednesday 22 July and will culminate, as is tradition, with the Rushes Awards hosted by Terry Christian on Thursday 30 July 2009.

Further information can be found at http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=7Ec_m&m=1cuCXlhybY4y01&b=leSFAqqe.jV2EqaaZddi3g.

Satyajit Ray Foundation's Short Film Competition

2009-02-13T07:54:00.000-08:00

call for entries
This competition is open to all filmmakers either resident or studying in the UK. The closing date, after which no entries can be considered, is Sunday 1 March 2009.

Films should express and inform aspects of the experiences of South Asians (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) either within their own countries or the Diaspora. Films must also have been completed within two years of the award deadline, and not have been previously submitted.There is one cash prize for Best Film of £1,000.For more information and to download a submission form, please visit www.satyajitray.org.uk

Super 8

2009-02-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

The short film format par excellence - just found this fab site Super8.org which looks like a feast of treasures.

Using new media to fund and distribute films

2009-02-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

interesting article over at Netribution

smallest short film festival ever?

2009-02-09T08:17:00.000-08:00

but biggest audience ? more info at Netribution.

Edinburgh International Film Festival submissons now open

2009-02-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

just a wee reminder - go here

shadowplay

2009-02-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

David Cairns of the incredibly erudite film blog Shadowplay is blogging once a week about Hitchcock's entire oevre. If you feel your film history knowledge is lacking you need to spend time over there.

Underground shorts film maker - Jeff Keen

2009-02-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

"Keen started making films in the late 1950s, when he was 37. His muse and wife-to-be, Jackie Foulds, was attending college in Brighton as an art student, and Keen, then working as a gardener for Brighton council's parks department, was running a film society. He recalls his decision to become a film-maker with characteristic nonchalance. "Looking back, I didn't really think about a trajectory. I just asked to borrow a camera. I always worked with borrowed cameras. Once I started filming, I just had to carry on. I couldn't stop. It was natural."

More from the Guardian

Arvon Foundation Courses

2009-02-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

I have to recommend these highly - I've been on two (one tutored and one untutored) both helped me onto the next level with my writing.They are pricy but have incredibly generous bursaries for students and low income people.

more info here

Book as soon as possible as they fill fast.

South African Links

2009-01-15T03:30:00.000-08:00

The Writing Studio and ScreenAfrica they both look like good starting points.

Clubbed the film

2009-01-12T14:48:00.000-08:00

I know this is blog is about short films but I had to post about the feature film my friend is distributing and getting its premier in Birmingham tomorrow.

Official site here.

Andrew MacDonald Masterclass Edinburgh

2009-01-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

From Rough Cuts (sign up at Scottish Screen if you haven't already).

Date: Friday 16 January 2009
Time: 2-5pm
Venue: Studio 2, Screen Academy Scotland Production Centre, School of Arts and Creative Industries, Napier University, 2A Merchiston Avenue, Edinburgh, EH10 4NU

Andrew Macdonald is a producer, perhaps best known for his collaborations with screenwriter John Hodge and director Danny Boyle, including Shallow Grave (1994), Trainspotting (1996) and A Life Less Ordinary (1997).
Together with Duncan Kenworthy, he is also the founder of DNA Films, the production company responsible for The Parole Officer (2001), 28 Days Later (2002) and Sunshine (2007). He is the brother of director Kevin Macdonald and the grandson of filmmaker Emeric Pressburger.

For a full list of his work, please visit www.imdb.com/name/nm0531602.
For more information and to book your place, please e-mail info@screenacademyscotland.ac.uk.

Friday On My Mind

2008-12-07T02:05:00.001-08:00

then... I discover that the Australian Film Television and Radio School run free yes FREE events every Friday with a speaker and networking.

Sydney - making a film - next steps

2008-12-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

Then I would find a script. Now I could perhaps write one but having only lived in the city for a short while it would be too easy to fall into a kind of 'touristy type film' made by an outsider. One which is more firmly rooted in place will always be a better sell. I'd go online and try and find scripts, contact all the screenwriters courses advertised on line and see if I could circulate my details to the writers and specify the length of script needed. Then sit down and do a lot of reading. My criteria being

1. is this a good compelling story
2. is it a good story but not well told? Can the writer do rewrites?
3. is this feasible and realisable? You might need to find a Sydney based film producer or get someone to mentor you and would be prepared to answer questions. For example I know that films set on public transport in the UK are prohibitively expensive but that might not be the case in Australia.

What if ?

2008-11-27T18:52:00.000-08:00

What if I did decide to move to Sydney and restart my filmmaking career?

I could hermit like sit around and make exquistely crafted documentaries on my own or I could go out and create my own community of filmmakers.

Shooting People don't seem to have a list in Australia so I'd join the Australian Short Films Forum.

I'd do a course - either to update my skills or to get a new one. Doing a course is the best way to find collaborators.

I'd find out where short films were being shown and go along. I'd find out about film festivals ditto (many film festivals have ancillary events about filmmaking which are worth going to). I'd try and get to as many networky type events as possible and if there weren't any start my won using the power of Meet Up / Gumtree or even notices left in places.

Any other suggestions?

down under film makers

2008-11-26T02:15:00.000-08:00

Bloggy silence due to extended trip away from shores of UK. Been doing family stuff in Sydney but picked up leaflets about 2 different lots of filmcourses and seen posters for film festivals all over - so the film culture here seems pretty lively. One terrible 'artist video' at the Contempoary Art Gallery though - please would someone legislate to keep cameras away from 'artists'. The public needs protection !

Sydney Film School

International Film School Sydney

Flickerfest

Scottish Digital Shorts launched 2009

2008-10-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

Missed the one in Glasgow but still in time for the rest of the country.

From Scottish Screen's website "Scottish Digital Shorts 2009 is the country's key development initiative for new and emerging screenwriters and directors. Watch a selection of great digital short films selected by The Magic Lantern including Milk (directed by Peter Mackie Burns) Trawler and Trout (directed by Johnny Barrington) and Mono (directed by Richard Smith). Hear the commissioners speak about the project's aims. And meet the producers who will manage the talent pool and next year's productions."

Its always helpful to go out and meet any production execs attached to a film scheme. If you have any desire to apply to this scheme next year go and mingle.

Edinburgh
Date: 16 October 2008Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Stills Gallery, 23 Cockburn Street
Contact: 0131 622 6200Website: http://www.stills.org/
Dumfries
Date: 20 October 2008 Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Rifft Valley, 24 Castle Street, c/o Robert Burns Centre
Contact: 01387 264808
Website: http://www.rbcft.co.uk/
Inverness
Date: 3 NovemberT
ime: 6.30pm
Venue: Eden Court, Bishops Road
Contact: 01463 234 234Website: http://www.eden-court.co.uk/
Dundee
Date: 13 November 2008Time: 6pm
Venue: Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA), 154 Nethergate
Contact: 01382 909 900Website: http://www.dca.org.uk/

Scottish Digital Shorts 2009 will also visit the Western Isles over this period with a call for Gaelic language shorts.

All events are free, but you will need a ticket so please contact venues to book your place.

Bridging the Gap

2008-09-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

The deadline for the scheme is the 3rd of October. They will also be doing a series of masterclasses for documentary makers - check out their website for updates on those and details on how to apply.

BBC Blast Live Film Festival

2008-09-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Film festival for 13-19 year olds. Deadline 17th October. Also go there to find out about the blast film bursary for 16-19 year olds.

Skillset Film Trainee Network

2008-09-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

Via this you can get placements in film companies.

Requirements to get a placement are from the website

"To become a trainee you must, as a minimum, have either:
successfullly completed a Skillset supported New Entrant Training programme within the last 12 months;

be a student from one of the Skillset Screen Academies (approved by industry as centres of excellence) – students are eligible to apply if they have completed a minimum of 50% of their course, or alumni who have completed their course within the last 12 months

If neither of the above applies, your application must be supported by at least two industry professionals' testimonials

This scheme is available to those who have less than 12 months professional experience in the film industry."

Check out the website for more info and applications - deadline 29th Feb 2009

Mirrorball TV

2008-09-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

"mirrorballtv brings together creatives from across the music video, animation and design spectrum to share ideas and promote ground-breaking new work." to see the stuff from cutting edge promomakers like Mike Mills and Spike Jones go and sign up at the website.

Andrew Berends back on US soil

2008-09-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

More info at the blog Help Andy

Detention of Documentary Filmmaker in Nigeria

2008-09-09T13:05:00.001-07:00

Info from D-Word the documentary forum

Dear D-Word Members and Friends,We are now in the fifth day of Andrew Berends’ detainment in Port Harcourt, NigerDelta, Nigeria. Andrew’s friends, family and colleagues are outraged about hissituation and find it incomprehensible that more has not been done to secure hisrelease.The U.S. State Department has been aware of Andrew’s detainment since day one. Yethe still has not been visited by a State Department official. We believe it isbeyond acceptable protocol for an American citizen to be held illegally without anagent of the American government visiting him to ascertain his safety and theconditions of his custody and to make it crystal clear that the U.S. government isadvocating in no uncertain terms for his release. It does not appear that the State Department has done enough to be in constantcommunication with the Nigerian Government to apply pressure or even get accurateinformation about Andrew's status and well-being. If what they are doing is morethan minimal, that has not been made clear to us, Andrew’s advocates. Nor has itbeen getting any apparent results. Too many days have passed with no shift inAndrew’s circumstances and no coordinated or decisive action on the part of theState Department to shift things. Andrew entered the country legally as a filmmaker and journalist. He was filming ina public place in a country that claims to be a democracy when he was arrested. Hewas not filming oil facilities or the military, which are the only two subjects theNigerian government has deemed to be sensitive. We have been told that on the day hewas detained, Andrew even asked and was granted permission by a military officialprior to filming. Andrew reported to us that during the first 36 hours of his detainment, he wasinterrogated nonstop with no sleep. He was denied food and given barely any water.He does not have the benefit of legal representation inside the SSS facility and hasbeen forced repeatedly to make coerced statements.This is the fourth incident of American journalists being held in Nigeria within thepast two years. It is now a pattern. It is evident that there has been no legitimatereason for the treatment these American citizens have endured. Rather, theseincidents are intended to suppress journalism. They are a blatant attempt by theNigerian government to cover up the evidence of years of human rights andenvironmental abuses and discourage others from coming to expose the poverty,injustice and corruption rampant in the region. We call on the U.S. government tospeak out against this.We urge our Congressional representatives to let the State Department know that thelegislative branch they serve and answer to will not stand by and let more hours ofinaction pass. In a country like Nigeria and a region like the Niger Delta, thingscan change in an instant. It is dangerous to assume that Andrew is OK and give in tothe platitude that “these things take time.” This situation must be elevated tothe highest level of urgency. We must press strongly and continuously for Andrew’simmediate release and safe escort out of the country.Because journalists working in foreign countries often depend on local assistantsand translators to do their work, make themselves understood, and keep safe, we areparticularly distressed that Samuel George, the Nigerian national who works as atranslator with Andrew Berends, was also detained by the Nigerian Military. We havehad no word of his condition since his arrest, and we are deeply concerned thatSamuel may be experiencing harsh treatment at the hands of the Nigerian government.It is imperative that Samuel George also be released immediately, and that there beno further intimidation and harassment of media workers by the Nigerian government.

For the latest updates about the situation and to strategize about how to help,go to the Free Andy Berends topic on The D-Word:http://www.d-word.com/topics/show/147?read=new ** There is also a Help Andy Blog: http://helpandy.wordpress.com/

The Adders

2008-09-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

a new award and film festival for filmmakers under the age of 19. Email by the 27th Sept for an application form - theadders@adderfilms.co.uk - via Netribution

2008-08-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

10 Commandos of Screenwriting by David Cairns

Werner Herzog on filmmaking

2008-07-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

"Herzog gave me a quick run-down of his tips on how to be a successful film-maker: “Work as a bouncer in a sex club, work as a taxi driver, work as a butcher – earn the money and make your own film. Today, with these little digital cameras, there is no excuse any more.” Herzog stole his first camera and ended up using it to make 11 films. “It fulfilled its real destiny,” he says. "
From here

quick dash in

2008-06-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

Great post on cutting too long scripts here.

Sorry about hiatus - working here.

Festival is packed with events for fiilmmakers short and long and David Cairns over at Shadowplay is giving the thumbs up to the quality of shorts this year. If you aren't already at the festival and you are a short filmmaker - you should be.

Because filmfestivals

1. allow you to spend time with your tribe

2. network smetwork

3. see films you couldn't see anywhere else

4. reinsipire you if you are flagging

5. find out what is going on in the industry

6. err parrrtay !

Rushes Soho Shorts

2008-04-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

Deadline 25th April more info here (be patient slow website to load)

Film Live Rushes Festival Stirling

2008-04-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

Deadline 22nd April - more info here.

48 hour filmmaking in Edinburgh

2008-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

The 48 Hour Film Project comes to Edinburgh on the weekend of May 16. Filmmakers from all over Scotland will compete to see who can make the best short film in only 48 hours. The winning film will go up against films from around the world for the title "Best 48 Hour Film of 2008".

Teams will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. More info here.

Note a screening of the best 48 hour films made around the world will be screened at the Brass Monkey Drummod St 6.30pm on the 23rd April - FREE !

bad news :(

2008-04-06T01:45:00.000-07:00

Had a small soiree last night or rather a large soiree in my very small flat. Had to ask some guests to bring chairs, a small party of guests were marooned on the sofa. It was to welcome to South African filmmakers to Scotland. Everyone of course tore out their hair metaphroically and said 'Why Why?'

We seem to have a terrible streak of miserable Scottish films being produced in the last few years. I really miss the Bill Forsyth of the 80's. And this morning saddened to read in the Guardian that Robin Hardy's sequel to The Wicker Man looks unlikely.

Call for submissions

2008-04-06T01:25:00.000-07:00

Film live is holding a film festival in the MacRobert Stirling. More info here.

Yiddish Film Season

2008-03-24T03:33:00.000-07:00

Yes... nothing to do with short film but something I helped organise - 3 more films to be shown in the following three sundays. More info here.

EIFF gets £1.8million from UK Film Council

2008-03-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

"The council's cash injection will be allocated over the next three years and is designed to bolster the Scottish festival's ambitions to become a leading event of discovery, showcasing new films and talent.It marks the single biggest investment by the U.K. Film Council in a film festival to date and is the first from its newly established 4.5 million pound ($9.1 million) festival fund."

More from Variety

The good news is all this extra money is to invest in new talent. Hopefully with the move to June EIFF will become even more significant in the industry in the UK.

Independent short film comp

2008-02-28T13:38:00.000-08:00

Check it out - great prizes

FREE masterclass with Nick Broomfield

2008-02-26T14:10:00.000-08:00

Date: 7 March 2008T
ime: 2.30-5.30pm
Location: Edinburgh College of Art Main Lecture Theatre, 74 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9DF
Cost: Free, but RSVP to scottishdocumentaryinstitute@eca.ac.uk

Scottish Documentary Institute is delighted to welcome acclaimed director Nick Broomfield who will give an intense three-hour masterclass about his work and show his film Battle for Haditha at Edinburgh Filmhouse followed by Q&A. Famous for his idiosyncratic approach to observational cinema, Nick will be discussing and showing clips from a range of his films from his latest fiction feature Battle for Haditha to his documentary Fetishes.

While making Driving me Crazy in 1988, Nick decided to put himself and the producer in the film to try to make sense of the event. This experiment led to a greater sense of freedom from the confines of observational cinema and led to a more investigative and experimental type of filmmaking. For example: The Leader, his Driver and his Driver's Wife, Aileen Wuornos, Kurt and Courtney, Biggie and Tupac.
Battle for Haditha Screening
Director: Nick Broomfield
Location: Filmhouse Cinema, 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH3 9BZ
Date: 7 March 2008
Time: 6pm (93 mins)
Tickets: £6/£4.50
Documentarian Nick Broomfield's third fictional feature is a forensic cinema verité-style account of a real-life massacre in Iraq, when US marines gunned down 24 Iraqi civilians in cold blood. Nick Broomfield's re-enactment of the massacre explores the events from multiple perspectives. Shot in the naturalistic style seen in his last film about the Chinese cockle pickers Ghosts, the film brings the audience close to life on the ground in this troubled country.Following the screening Nick will take part in a Q&A.

From Scottish Screen

Derek & Margaret

2008-02-26T13:53:00.001-08:00

The Guardian has a short film up at their blog about Derek Jarman one of my favourite film-makers. I'm off to London soon to catch the exhibition at the Serpentine. Derek was a filmmaker mostly unfunded who used his limitations to create anyway and the anyway was often amazing, luminous, beautiful, awesome and life changing.

He used new editing techniques from his work doing pop promos for Mariane Faithfull and the Pet Shop Boys - he used the cheapness of Super8 in new and innovative ways in feature films.

The work of Scottish filmmaker Margaret Tait was also constrained by lack of funding and also is extraordinary.

I'm putting them out there as I think its too easy to say 'I can't make films because I don't have money' sometimes the money gets in the way. I hope that their work can inspire people to go along new paths.

Sadly no sound card in computer so unable to watch the Derek J film but one day I'll get that fixed.

Filmlive Rushes @ macrobert, Stirling

2008-02-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

Monday 18th February - 6.30-8.30pm

SHORT FILMS - NETWORKING - FREE FOOD & DRINK

FIRST LOOK: A Special programme dedicated to first time filmmakers. From comedy to sci-fi, documentary to horror, 7 new films from some of Scotland's most promising new filmmakers. Catch a glimpse of the future in this special programme from Filmlive! and MIMAC-Rushes.

Part 1 - Short Stories: From the weird to the even-weirder (6.30-7.35pm)Stuart Condy: Loast (5 mins) and One More Minute (7 mins)Mike Callaghan: Father’s Day (9 mins) and Nowhere (9 mins)Seth Hardwick: VoodooPhone (20 mins)Followed by Q & A with Stuart Condy, Mike Callaghan and Seth Hardwick7.35-7.45pm

INTERVALPart 2 - True Stories: In search of the unique (7.45pm-8.30pm)Yasmin Fedda: Extract from Milking the Desert (25 mins)Breadmakers (9 mins) BAFTA Award winner Followed by Q & A with Yasmin Fedda

Part 3 - Networking (8.30-9.30pm+)Ample opportunity for networking with fellow Filmmakers in the macrobert's great wee bar area.

Previous events have seen connections made and projects developed. Who know who you'll meet?Remember to bring business cards (or scraps of paper) :)

The event will be hosted by Mitch Miller, Director, Rushes & Ben McNeill, Director, Film LiveTickets cost only £3.50 (£2.50 Concessions) and include complimentary popcorn on arrival and a free drink after the screening.RSVP on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=21199334576

Its great to get an opportuntity to see short films so if you are in the area do check it out. Unfortuantly a bit far for me to venture on a Monday night.

interested in being a TV researcher?

2008-02-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

C4 Talent has just done a profile on my friend Stuart Brown about being a freelance researcher in TV.

Top ten format mistakes

2008-01-30T08:36:00.000-08:00

from the 'Format Nazi' - take note ESPECIALLY giving camera directions - one which particularly enrages producers and directors of my acquaintance.

vote for fave short film at BAFTA

2008-01-29T08:16:00.000-08:00

heres the info

2008-01-29T06:13:00.000-08:00

Interesting blog by an independent film maker in Austin US.

Guardian How to Guide to Filmmaking

2008-01-26T02:33:00.000-08:00

Turns out that yesteday's post was just a taster to one of their online guides -go here to get it. Not read all of it as on my way out but looks worth a browse.

Edinbugh International Film Festival submissions open

2008-01-25T11:37:00.000-08:00

Just a wee reminder as they have come forward with their change of date. Info here.

2008-01-25T11:26:00.000-08:00

Jobbing Guardian hack makes a short film. Sadly no link to see the results!

NPA Courses

2008-01-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

Netribution has just poured praise on New Producers Alliance Courses. I'm terribly pleased as one of their tutors Becky Knapp is a friend of mine.

2008-01-14T14:14:00.000-08:00

Creativity is like a water table under the earth. It's not limited to writing or to painting; it's everywhere. It's a life force: You tap it with energy and effort, and it wells up through you. No matter what you do, the first step to tapping creativity is showing up. If you're a writer, you tell yourself that you're going to write for 10 minutes, and then physically move your hand across the page for that amount of time. Maybe you'll produce only one good line, but that's a lot more than you would accomplish by just sitting there. When you're pursuing a particular objective, you have a mind like a pistol. But the harder you chase something, the faster you go -- and the less you're able to let life meet life. If you're having difficulty coming up with new ideas, then slow down. For me, slowing down has been a tremendous source of creativity. It has allowed me to open up -- to know that there's life under the earth and that I have to let it come through me in a new way. Creativity exists in the present moment. You can't find it anywhere else.

Natalie Goldberg

Her book Writing Down The Bones has had a huge effect on me as a writer. If coming up with new projects this year is hard perhaps her words will help.

2007-12-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

Its the advent calendar for film makers!

2007-12-13T05:09:00.000-08:00

2 film competitions here at filmaka one deadline 17th Dec one the 28th Dec

Francis Ford Coppola

2007-12-13T05:01:00.000-08:00

"You have to be willing to brave failure, which is when you lose all your money, or you are embarrassed because everyone is laughing at you. Most of my more interesting films were badly received at first. When Apocalypse Now came out, people said it was the worst movie ever made."

...

Now Coppola bubbles with the enthusiasm of a 25 - year old. He talks of embracing new technology and filming in 3-D. And he's intrigued to see how the internet will affect cinema.

" I think films and all art should be free," he says, controversially. "Everybody should be able to download movies and music and they shouldn't have to pay for it. The artists should all have another job that they use to make their living, that's what I would do."

(I picked up a copy of the Times sat colour mag on the train up from London and read this really interesting interview with Coppola in it. I must say that as soon as you give up ideas of 'making a living' while making films more things do become possible)

2007-12-13T04:58:00.001-08:00

Underground Cinemas

a question...

2007-12-10T06:50:00.000-08:00

Just been in London working on a corporate short. I've never worked on a short in London. Tell me oh people who live in this city... how do you cope with the tranport system? On Wed left the house just after 7am for a 9.30 crew call. By my reconing and the Londoner I was staying with we'd left an extra 45 mins to get to the location. When did I arrive... 10. 40... fire at Farringdon.. Another hour I could have made it the 500 miles home.. all I'd done is cross London... s l o w l y

Completion Fund for UK Shorts

2007-12-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

apply to Maya Vision deadline 14th Dec. They have two rounds per year. More info here.

Think Sync Short Film Competition

2007-11-29T03:28:00.000-08:00

More info here - deadline is a bit ahead so plenty of time to think about the entry.

new distribution models for feature docs

2007-11-29T03:05:00.001-08:00

really intersting article at netribution about brave new films. However seems to be for the commited political doc rather than the creative doc but great to see the barriers to distribution and funding being over turned.

So You Want to be a Producer?

2007-11-29T02:36:00.000-08:00

I actually picked this book up at my local library its written by Lawrence Turman who produced The Graduate and is now director of the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern Califrornia. Its a great wee read - obviously all about feature film productions. And when I return it to the Edinburgh Public Library system you can borrow it for free.

EDN Pitching talk Leena Pasanen

2007-11-25T04:56:00.000-08:00

This was the talk I posted about just before catching the bus to go to it. Leena Pasanen gave a great overview of the documentary market in Europe for feature docs. Most importantly highlighting the cultural differences between countries, how to pitch to commissioning editors and showed us trailers/taster DVD's as used in pitches. Soon realised that really there is nothing much out there for short docs. And I think the session slightly skirted around what a long shot pitching co-productions are. However very interesting food for though - European Documentary Network website is worth having a look at as well (she is the head of it).

Scottish Screen open lunch report back

2007-11-25T04:50:00.000-08:00

I've been out and about hence lack of posts. First of all went to this event at the Sheraton last Thursday.To my surprise only about 20 people there despite the offer of free lunch ... what is going on here. I wonder if the Glasgow meeting was busier. All in all it looks like the proposed amalgamation with the Arts Council won't be happening until 2009.

2007-11-16T04:08:00.000-08:00

In haste off to pitching masterclass at Art College Lauriston Place 2.30-5.30pm today. More info from www.scottishscreen.com

A-Z of clearing rights

2007-11-13T14:18:00.000-08:00

Free Seminar sponsored by Own It who give intellectual property advice to creative people. In London tomorrow - speakers include film producer Rebecca Knapp.

short film writing and submission deadlines

2007-11-13T12:33:00.000-08:00

Light and Shade have a great guide

Funding sources

2007-11-13T04:54:00.000-08:00

Netribution has compiled a great list of links by country for funding sources.

Rendition

2007-11-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

This is a bit off topic being a feature film but I saw it last week at the lovely Cameo in Edinburgh with some friends. It already seems to be slipping from the cinemas. Do go and see it if you can before it leaves the circuit. I thought it was a very finely nunanced film which managed to make its Arabic characters human. Its a fine script and well directed by Gavin Hood.

Also Prestwick Airport seems to be implicated in rendition flights so we have a moral duty to be interested in this topic in Scotland.

Scottish Screen Opening Meetings across Scotland

2007-11-05T05:09:00.000-08:00

Scottish Screen are holding a series of open meetings throughout the country in November reporting back on all aspects of our work over the past year and looking forward to the next 12 months and beyond. There will be plenty of opportunity to find out more about Scottish Screen and the proposed new body, Creative Scotland, which will take on responsibility for the development of the arts and creative and screen industries over the next two years.There’ll be time for networking over lunch at the end of each meeting.

Download Invitation

Aberdeen -Tuesday 20 NovemberVenue: Aberdeen University - Linklater RoomTime: 12 noonPresentation and lunchRSVP: rsvpaberdeen@scottishscreen.com

Glasgow - Wednesday 21 NovemberVenue: CCA, Sauchiehall StreetTime: 12 noonPresentation and lunchRSVP: rsvpglasgow@scottishscreen.com

Edinburgh - Thursday 22 NovemberVenue: Sheraton HotelTime: 12 noonPresentation and lunchRSVP: rsvpedinburgh@scottishscreen.comI

nverness - Monday 26 NovemberVenue: Columba HotelTime: 11.30amPresentation and lunchRSVP: rsvpinverness@scottishscreen.com

Dundee - Thursday 29 NovemberVenue: DCATime: 11.45amPresentation and lunchRSVP: rsvpdundee@scottishscreen.com

~~~

The amalgamation of Scottish Screen into this new agency could potentially make a considerable difference to the way film is treated in Scotland. So it seems like a good idea to find out more.

Snakebite wins prizes

2007-11-05T04:59:00.000-08:00

good to hear of a Scottish short doing well.

Films that make you happy

2007-11-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

I came across this interesting list and comments. I think that Amelie is one of the most blantantly manipulative cold hearted films which is one of the recommendations in the comments. However black hearted Delicatessen is hilarious. And one of the few other French films I like Life is a long quiet river has a savagery about social class at its core. As for shorts which really stick in the mind an animation called Dog Brain I saw at the Annecy Film Festival a million years ago. And shorts by Derek Jarman (sublime Super 8) and Margaret Tait (oh I do have a terrible weakness for the avant garde) Home by Morag Mackinnon and one also by her which I can't remember the title about a group of Jews on a train.

FilmFlam

2007-10-31T07:16:00.000-07:00

go and enjoy Leanne Smith's combative blog on Scottish film matters.

Theo Van Gogh

2007-10-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

I was shocked by his killing a few years ago. It was more shocking as through friend - not just 6 degrees of separation but just two. This friend's ex husband collaborated with him on scripts. I know that his murder had a huge impact on Holland.

There is an interesting feature at the Guardian talking about how his films are now being remade by Hollywood - noteably Interview with Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller. And how this seems so totally unfair as Van Gogh was desperate to break into Hollywood.

However the interesting part of the article is the description of his low budget filmmaking technique.

'It was out of pure necessity - in other words, lack of money - that Van Gogh developed the method of running three handheld cameras simultaneously. Official bodies were reluctant to fund his often-controversial projects, and the Van Gogh family fortune - their collection of paintings by his great-great-uncle, Vincent - had been given to the state, much to Theo's fury. With his three-camera set-up, in which one focused on each actor and another provided a master shot, Van Gogh could shoot single takes that lasted as long as 20 minutes. These became a vital vehicle for the fast-paced verbal battles that are central to almost all of his films.
"The technique was more a political statement against those who didn't want to fund him," says Emile Fallaux. "But then it became his doctrine."

Now, of course, it goes down well in money-conscious film-making circles. Buscemi's version of Interview was made for a mere $2m (£970,000).
Sienna Miller, for one, was won over by the relatively seamless, filming-in-sequence method, which made the whole project feel more like a stage production, not least because the actors had to know all their lines from the start. "We're shooting 20 pages of dialogue a day," she said during filming. "And we know the whole thing like a play - we're just running it and running it."'

More here

Short Cuts

2007-10-29T03:16:00.001-07:00

short film scheme open to drama, doc, animation, mixed media? Scottish based filmmakers only (no students)

more info here - deadline 7th Nov

Pocket Shorts Scotland

2007-10-22T03:15:00.000-07:00

Now entering its third year, Pocket Shorts Scotland - the mobile content funding and development scheme supported by Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Screen and NESTA - is delighted to invite applications for funding and support for the next round of projects.Open to individuals, start-up companies and new talent embedded within SME's, Pocket Shorts Scotland offers up to £3000 funding and tailored advice for those wishing to develop animation, video, games or applications for mobile phones. As a mark of the project's success, Pocket Shorts Scotland will be increasing the number of projects commissioned to ten in 2007/8, up from eight in previous years.

Applications for funding and support can be online at http://www.pocketshorts.com/ from 12noon on Wednesday 10October with an entry deadline of Friday 30 November 2007.In order to help guide applicants, Pocket Shorts Scotland will be hosting a series of free workshops, featuring case studies of previous supported projects and demonstrations of how to export video content from a computer desktop to a phone.
Workshop dates/venues as follows:
Thursday 25 October: DCA, DUNDEE (6.30pm)
Friday 26 October: CCA, GLASGOW (6.30pm)
Saturday 27 October: SCREENING ROOM at SCOTSMAN HOTEL, EDINBURGH (11.30am)

If you have any enquiries, please contact Jason Hall,
Project Coordinator:T: 07782 658 707E: scotland@pocketshorts.com

Supporting our independent cinemas

2007-10-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

great blog article over at the Guardian on indpendent cinema favourites. Mine is definately the Cameo in Edinburgh. I always get the feeling that everybody in it loves film.

Bridging the Gap - short digital doc scheme

2007-10-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

is the only documentary talent initiative for cinema in the UK offering training linked to production. The 2007 call for proposals is under the theme of HOME and is OPEN TO ALL UK-BASED FILMMAKERS.
Whether personal, political, religious, historical or contemporary – we want inspiring, challenging stories reflecting UK diversity, told in an imaginative way for the big screen. Send us your idea and become part of the freshest new documentary talent showcase.

12 proposals will be selected for a development period and the filmmakers will attend a series of training workshops and documentary masterclasses based in Edinburgh.7 ten-minute digital documentaries on the theme of HOME will be commissioned at a pitching session with a budget of £16,000 (includes in-kind production support) intended for distribution in cinemas and international festivals.Application deadline is extended to Monday 15 October 2007.Guidelines and application forms available from http://www.scottishdocinstitute.com.

Edinburgh International Film Festival

2007-10-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

submissions are open for 2008. Due to the change of dates from August to June the submissions process starts and closes much earlier.

Short Film Screening Edinburgh

2007-09-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

"Stuck" at Edinburgh Filmhouse, Cinema 1, Saturday October 6th, 1pm.

It was made as part of Pilton Video's Scottish Screen funded Digital Access programme and features non-professional actors from North Edinburgh. It was completed in August and has been selected for the BBC Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival.

If you'd like to come along, please contact Eleanor on 343 1151 http://uk.f266.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=eleanor@piltonvideo.org to reserve your free tickets. The programme will last 60-ish-minutes, including 4 Pilton Video shorts (docs & dramas) + "Stuck".

An announcement on behalf of Graham Drysdale the director of Stuck

Made by Women in Scotland

2007-09-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

I'm reprinting a notice about a selection of excellent films made by or produced by Scottish women at the Dundee Contempoary Arts Centre on the 20th of September.

If you've not seen these films its well worth making the effort. I had to see the Ruby Grierson short by visiting the Imperial War Museum Film Archive in London so its a great treat to have it screened in public

Scottish Women in Film at Dundee Contemporary Arts. 6.30 Thursday 20 September
An evening to celebrate remarkable women in film and their achievements. Thef ilms will be accompanied by short talks, and guest speakers include JanetMcBain, head of the Scottish Screen archive, Margaret Bennett, formerly of theSchools of Scottish Studies, Edinburgh University, and Rose Pipes, co-ordinatingeditor of The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women. The work of some of the women film makers featured in the Dictionary are beingscreened as part of this women's double-bill event. There will be a break for refreshments before the screening of The Seventh Veil.
6.30THE RUGGED ISLAND
Documentary film-maker Jenny Gilbertson has created an evocative representationof the life of fishing folk and crofters in Shetland through a dramatisationusing the real crofters as actors. Gilbertson lived amongst the Islanders forthe making of the film and this gives it an intimacy that is characteristic ofher work. Accompanied by a short talk from Janet McBain.Dir: Jenny Gilbertson. 1933. 42mins.

THE WESTERN ISLES
The story of life on Harris during the Second World War, photographed by thelegendary Jack Cardiff. The family's daily work continues after they hear ofthe sinking of the Atlantic Queen by a German submarine, with the knowledgethat one of their family was a crew member. Accompanied by a short talk byMargaret Bennett.Dir: Terence Egan Bishop. 1942. 14mins.

THEY ALSO SERVE
Directed by Ruby Grierson sister of documentarist John Grierson), this is atribute to the British housewife. Set in the format of a day in the life of a"typical" household the film shows how the housewife /mother contributed muchto the war effort. Introduced by Joe Hall, DCA.Dir: Ruby Grierson. 1940. 8mins

8.30The Seventh Veil
1945 90mins PGDir: Compton Bennet Stylish psychological melodrama that was a box-office smash and earnedhusband-and-wife writing team Muriel and Sydney Box an Academy Award for BestOriginal Screenplay. Starring James Mason and Herbert Lom. Francesca is aconcert pianist suffering from amnesia and depression; she enters a mentalhospital and hopes that under the care of a psychiatrist she can be inducedinto stripping away the seven veils concealing her traumatic private life.

European money for membership of NPA

2007-09-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hop here to see if you are eligible.

Call for film entries

2007-09-01T02:34:00.000-07:00

Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival 5th Sept

2007-08-31T02:46:00.000-07:00

Where I've been all these months Hallam Foe EIFF opening party 2007 - well for about an hour!

The hard art of producing

2007-08-31T02:38:00.000-07:00

Great to see an article here at the Guardian on the role of producers in the UK film industry. Also to see David Pope of the New Producers Alliance being quoted. If you are a short film producer looking to move up to feature films joining the NPA is a must.

2007-07-15T14:08:00.001-07:00

Damn! missed this World Wide Shorts Festival Canada

2007-07-08T04:33:00.000-07:00

SCOTTISH SCREEN NEW ENTRANTS TRAINING PROGRAMME - RECRUITMENT 2007
Scottish Screen and NETS are now in recruitment for a new upgraded training programme for those wishing to train in television and film at entry level.

The deadline for applications is 12noon on Friday 27 July 2007.
The NETS programme provides industry approved training in production, technical, craft and design areas. We recruit from across the UK, with well-established industry links and 100% success rate; we are the longest running on the job training programme in the UK.

We have two tiers to our new upgraded training programme:
* NETS One - this programme offers, full time, apprenticeship training for one year with eight places available. Each trainee will specialise in one of the following areas: production, art department, sound boom/operator, post production/IT, camera. During this time trainees will develop their skills, contacts and understanding to pursue a freelance career as assistants in the creative industries. In addition, trainees will gain skills in new technology relevant to developments in film and television.

* NETS Advance - this programme offers full time fast-track training for three months for more experienced, junior assistants and recently entered trainees, who need a final boost of additional skills to become work ready. Four places are available in the following areas: production, camera and costume. Advance trainees will gain these extra essential skills they need to be employable and compete in the industry for assistant work. They will take a fuller role than the NETS One trainees in identifying placements themselves and the key skills they need to acquire.

We are currently recruiting for NETS One and NETS Advance.
To apply, please download the application pack from the Scottish Screen website http://www.scottishscreen.com/.

You can also call us on our recruitment line for an application pack or for support and advice on key tips for application success. Lines are open from 9.00am on Friday 6 July 2007.

Recruitment line:0141 302 1780Open:10.30am to 4.30pm
The New Entrants Training Programme is funded by: Scottish Screen, The Skillset Film Skills Fund which is supported by the National Lottery through the UK Film Council and the film industry through the Skills Investment Fund and the Skillset TV Freelance Fund.

2007-07-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

Just refound Peter Brodrick - who I've heard speak before at EIFF. Site well worth having a read on the subject of indpendent distribution of feature films.

Trying to get to grips with with the digital age and teen audiences

2007-07-01T08:24:00.001-07:00

fascinating article from Netribution.

Covers really US Teenage behaviour with facebook/myspace and the opportuntites for filmmakers to interact. I think the point about going to the cinema being prohibitively expensive realatively is a good one.

Very Short Movies call

2007-06-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

for the Very Short Movies Festival in Hollywood

Also the AFI (American Fim Institute) has a call for entries.

Trainees wanted for shorts - Edinburgh

2007-06-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

CHANNEL 4 SHORTS: PRODUCTION TRAINEE VACANCIES
Edinburgh-based Teebster Productions is seeking four production trainees to work on our forthcoming 3 Minute Wonders series for Channel 4, the NSPCC and Raw Cuts.
This is a wonderful opportunity to gain an insight into the commissioning, development and production of a short documentary for Channel 4’s 3 Minute Wonders strand, culminating in the production of a short film for this series and a broadcast credit. The films will be transmitted as part of Raw Cuts – an innovative, nationwide scheme to find and develop stories on the theme of identity from 13-18 year olds.

Successful applicants will be teamed with emerging directors and the young contributors during a four-day workshop at Channel 4’s London HQ, (full travel and accommodation expenses will be covered), running from 30 July–3 August 2007. During the course of the week, you will help develop the teenagers’ stories into a one minute ‘microdoc’ for Channel 4’s FourDocs website, with the best stories then being turned into three minute films for broadcast. Last year’s Raw Cuts films were a huge success and have since received nominations for the Jim Poole Award 2007 and the UNICEF UK Film Award at Showcomotion, Sheffield. Last year’s film can be viewed for a limited time on YouTube at www.youtube.com/c4rawcuts.

Teebster is looking for people with some experience in documentary or short film production. Experience of working with young people would also be an advantage and we especially welcome applications from those who already have disclosure screening. For more information and details of how to apply, please visit www.teebster.com.Closing date for entries is Thursday 5 July 2007.

Use Everything

2007-06-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

In a previous post I wrote about how everyday life can provide inspiration for film making. Recently I had to go to swanky hotel for work purposes and one of the staff there told me a story which I thought would make a fantastic short. Last weekend I was in Cambridge with a friend. We decided to go punting on the Cam. She disappeared off to find out the price - reappeared ages later with a disposible camera from Sainsburys and informed me the our afternoon was going to be a fun day out and recce for a potential co-production!

Film school

2007-06-11T14:19:00.001-07:00

Is it worth going?

I did an email interview with Sibylle Meder a German film maker now based in Greece on this.

What prompted you to go for the NYFA course?

I wanted practical, hands-on experience. I was full of film history and aesthetics because I had just graduated from uni with an MA in Film and Theatre Studies. What I lacked was film-making experience. And NYFA seemed to offer exactly that, in a very compact and straightforward way

How did you pay for it?

I made my parents poor, sold my car and most of my flat's content.

Did you have any previous experience of film making/writing?

I had shot several video shorts, most of them at uni. Owing to an open-minded professor, we had a media lab with miniDV camera and Avid editing slot at the institute, no one really knows why at a research institution. Probably some money had to be spent and it sounded smart to own such a thing. At the time I was a student assistant and with a group of others allowed to work through the whole AvidXpress tutorial which we in turn were teaching to fellow students.

It was all trial and error, a good thing if you have the courage, time and energy to explore, frustrating when access got limited and dependent on whether the project (and previous experience of the collaborators) was in favour with the staff. It wasn't so much learning film making at that stage, rather a mini-version of studio politics without the technical backup.

Which of the NYFA courses did you take?

It was the six-weeks course over Xmas which equalled the eight-weeks course in content only you did one film project less since the weekend over Xmas was missing (and it was slightly cheaper than the eight-weeks course).

What did the course consist of?

The NYFA course included: directing skills, screenwriting, lighting and camera, working with actors, producing including the nifty money nuts and bolts and legal stuff, some film history and a lot of filming and equipment exercises plus the development of every person's own scripts. Lessons were Mon to Fri 9 am to sometimes 8 pm. Weekends were reserved for the shoots of every one's film projects.

If this sounds like a lot of work, it was. We all had the flu at some stage and were only too happy for the Xmas break to give us a breather. But since then I have found the experience pretty similar to every other film shoot I was on. It's a bloody exhausting art form. But if working in a good team and things go well the shared euphoria seems to carry you through most of it.

And the atmosphere at NYFA was usually pretty relaxed and fun.

What did you get out of it?

Apart from the show-off bonus of 'I went to film school' you mean? ;-)
The space and possibility to shoot my own short films, the basic technical knowledge to do so on 16mm film, with FinalCutPro video editing. The low-down on how things work in the 'real world' because all the tutors were working in their field and were over-zealous to share their experience. Most of all it marked for me the step from 'I want to be a director but don't know how' to 'I am a director and this is what I am working at'. Apart from the actual content of the course, tutors always mentioned a lot of references: internet resources, loads of literature, film suggestions, film-networks.

Once I was approached by my production tutor who had seen my storyboards and gave me more info and contacts in case I wanted to specialize in that field. The camera tutor referred me to some of her colleagues and we met up after the course at the Berlin Film Festival where she was attending the 'talentcampus'.

In general, if you asked for help, people were only too keen to point you in the right direction depending on their own experience, resources and contacts. Today I still refer to a lot of that knowledge in my film-making.
I've also stayed in contact with some of my actors and fellow course-mates who came from all over the world, from Brazil to Greece, Russia and India. Even if we haven't worked together again, due to geographic distance, it helps knowing people who work in the same field, and if it's only to 'compare notes'. (One of my classmates has just had a feature screened in Cannes. Oh, I have to email him and ask whether he's rich now!)

Another thing I got out of it was that I learned something rather surprising about myself: I was a popular camera operator and DoP with my fellow students. I had always (not least due to experiences at uni) considered myself a bit of a dill once handling cameras was involved. Now, I was suddenly in demand for my shake-less handheld. Looking back it seems odd that I thought I had no talent for camera, since I had already been taking photos for more than a decade and had clear ideas about my visual style. But it needed that extra confidence booster.

What didn't you get out of it?

The one thing I sometimes envy student of 'regular' film schools for is their exposure: At NYFA there is no such thing as a graduation class that gets presented to the studio bosses and handed over into the arms of the industry, something most established national film schools aim at. It probably wouldn' t make sense, since NYFA have such a diverse course program and people do courses for all sorts of reasons. There is simply an open screening of your work at the end of the course and you are free to invite whoever you wish.

Tutors try to get you in touch with the industry as good as they can. But that's the catch: at NYFA you might learn directing from someone who's working mainly as a 1AD and shot 'only' one feature as director. Don't get me wrong: that doesn't mean that this person cannot be highly inspiring and supportive. He might be even more so, because there's no huge ego getting in the way.

But if you are looking for that 'entry ticket to the industry', it takes a bit more than just the NYFA course. (That said, it probably takes more than just any film school to make that 'break'.)

Also, being not based in the UK, a lot of the UK references were of no use to me once back in Berlin. The London NYFA branch did have tutors (and students) from all over the world, my camera teacher was German for example, but living and working in the UK, but of course they cannot compile a knowledge base of all the relevant networking options in your own country. You have to go on from there.

Some people complained about not having the latest equipment available. Something I was not too concerned about. With the pace of change in the industry, I don't think any school could ever keep up.

Another thing you have to aware of is that you are studying with a very diverse bunch of people - and might not want everyone in your team. Most of the times I was lucky. It's not a matter of talent in this case, more of attitude. I think in that respect, everyone gets out of it according to their own efforts: I was highly motivated to learn a lot in a short period of time, didn't have any money to squander, so I crammed in whatever possible.

How have you gone beyond the course after graduating?

I went back to Germany and immediately shot my next short film. This time on miniDV, with friends and friends of friends and professional actors (some of them still in education). It was a nightmare experience, because I applied the standards from NYFA and was a bit at a loss when I noticed that not everyone was in the same boat. In that respect I still had a lot to learn.

A couple of months later I moved to Sydney and got in touch with a community based media support scheme called MetroScreen. They part-funded all my four follow-up shorts: I got the equipment from them and had to provide the rest. Again, a lot of new things to be learned, but a pretty productive experience. Two of the films I worked on that year have been either nominated in a festival or even won a 'commended' mention. Though if you watch a lot of Woody Allen it probably hasn't slipped your attention what he thinks about those mentions ! ;-)

The final film I made at NYFA was shown at several international festivals as well and looking back I still like it a lot. I have also worked in the camera department if an Australian Film Television and Radio School grad film, worked as a DoP for other directors and developed my own scripts. In 2006 I directed a theatre play in Sydney Short & Sweet.

At the moment I working at the realization of a project shot entirely with amateur actors on a small Greek island, challenging infrastructure!

Would you recommend it?

If like me you find yourself short of collaborators and access to equipment, absolutely. Of course you could argue that for the money of the course you could hire equipment and shoot a film. Well, with a script you like, actors you can work with well, everything in place and the post-production (and don't forget the distribution!) sorted out, go ahead.

I lacked the confidence and the knowledge to do so. In some cases I simply wouldn't have known where to start asking. And for my money, I did not only get the course, I got four short films, two of which I have entered into film festivals. So for me, it worked both ways.

Anything else to add?

Maybe because it is an American organisation, maybe because that is the style in most film industries these days: a lot of what I learned at NYFA refers to the Hollywood system of film-making. I'm not even talking about aesthetics here, but about structure, hierarchy, even job titles. Film-making literature tends to be written mainly by Hollywood- or affiliated directors, editors, cinematographers, etc. So it took some confusing situations, team members with a totally different background and some research of my own to conclude that there are many different ways of film-making. Rules are there to be broken. But before you break rules you must know them.
Those two sentences sound so easy. But to fully understand them I think you have to live them.

I learned from a certain set of rules, or standards at NYFA. Now, I've just re-read a Fellini biography and wonder: wouldn't it be nice to try and throw away the meticulous preparation I learned and just go improv with my actors, in front of the camera?

In general, of course there is no way someone can teach you film-making. You learn it yourself from all sorts of experiences. And you probably go on learning for the rest of your working life. To their credit: NYFA tries to get across exactly that, and provide the environment.

Sibylle's website is: http://www.sibyllemeder.net
Photos: http://www.jpgmag.com/people/Sibylle

Sibylle Meder

2007-06-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

Sibylle is a writer/director orginally from Germany but now based in Greece. I'm going to post an interview soon about her experiences doing a course at the New York Film Academy.

fund your film

2007-06-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

Free pdf on film finance and the internet. Via netribution

The Way We Played

2007-06-07T06:17:00.000-07:00

Just a wee reminder that this short produced by Susan Nickalls will be shown at the Leith Short Film Festival on Sunday at 10.30pm - free entry. At the Granary on the Shore (formerly the Lighthouse).

I'm going to do an interview with Susan next week for the blog.

psst....

2007-06-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

Apparently the Ya Tube comp hasn't got many entries. So scroll down for the info and get creating! Prize is a digital camera.

First Light in Inverness

2007-06-04T03:15:00.000-07:00

Date: Thursday 7 June 2007
Time: 11.00am-1.00pm
Venue: Presidential Suite, Ramada Jarvis Hotel, Church Street, Inverness
Cost: Free
As part of goNorth, First Light Movies and Channel 4's 4Talent Scotland bring you the definitive guide to making it big in the screen and broadcast industries. It's the who, what and why of programme making. First Light Movies is the leading UK funder for young people's films. If you are filmmaker and/or an organisation working with young people using film, this session will provide details about their funding streams and how you can get involved. 4Talent (formerly IDEASFACTORY) will give you advice on what experience and training is available and how you can get the support and space you need to make that crucial next step for a career in the industry.

Garry Torrance

2007-06-01T12:52:00.001-07:00

A friend directed me towards this director of photography's site and I saw that Francois Perez is doing music for one of his projects. I know that Francois is rushed off his feet doing masses of scoring work for films, adverts, ringtones etc but I'm hunting him down to interview him here soon.

2007-05-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

'I have a friend who’s an Italian filmmaker of great artistic sensibility. After years of struggling to get his films made, he sent an anguished letter to his hero, the brilliant (and perhaps half-insane) German filmmaker Werner Herzog. My friend complained about how difficult it is these days to be an independent filmmaker, how hard it is to find government arts grants, how the audiences have all been ruined by Hollywood and how the world has lost its taste…etc, etc. Herzog wrote back a personal letter to my friend that essentially ran along these lines: “Quit your complaining. It’s not the world’s fault that you wanted to be an artist. It’s not the world’s job to enjoy the films you make, and it’s certainly not the world’s obligation to pay for your dreams. Nobody wants to hear it. Steal a camera if you have to, but stop whining and get back to work.” I repeat those words back to myself whenever I start to feel resentful, entitled, competitive or unappreciated with regard to my writing: “It’s not the world’s fault that you want to be an artist…now get back to work.” Always, at the end of the day, the important thing is only and always that: Get back to work. This is a path for the courageous and the faithful. You must find another reason to work, other than the desire for success or recognition. It must come from another place. '

Elizabeth Gilbert

Follow the making of an animated pop promo

2007-05-31T11:28:00.000-07:00

at The Deadly Deaths.

The Script Factory

2007-05-31T03:49:00.000-07:00

They are just launching their 9 month Practical Screenwriting Programme.

Which looks interesting but most of the programme will be taught in London.