At a recent conference (
www.ocrmediaconference2014.weebly.com scroll down to Michelle Eastwood - film producer) we heard from a really interesting new producer who told us the story of her film from start to finish. Watch the presentation and read the questions I asked her with her responses.
- How much does it cost do enter a film into festivals? How long before
registering and knowing whether you're in it? Would someone expect to spend
their first year after film production going around the festivals? Who pays for
this?
It depends on if it's a short or
a feature. If a feature the sales agent would take care of it. If a short the
producer takes care of it and should budget for festival entry. You can look at
Withoutabox as that is the main site used by festivals to accept entries. Prices
range from nothing to maybe $80. I don't know what a first year film is but I
would say any decent film should be entered into festivals for exposure as soon
as it is finished.
- Who are all the companies who's logos are shown at the end of the trailer,
this is what confuses me and the students for example Big Talk made In Fear but
Film4 say it's their film etc Is it everyone that's helped finance and
distribute the film? It means the film belongs to a lot of people?
Yes, the distributor, sometimes sales
agent, the production companies and the financiers can all have logos at the end
of a film. In a way the film belongs to a lot of people but as in my
presentation they all have very specific functions and roles and all take money
from revenues in a different way.
- When you talk about taking risks do you mean doing something very different
non genre/high concept? What is a film pitch that a small producer can guarantee
interest in for example?
I don't
remember what context I said this in but yes, low risk pitches/projects are
those with a clear genre, a high concept, a known director and known cast
attached. The less of those elements you have the more high risk the project
tends to be for financiers. Sometimes financiers are happy to take risks. Film
4, for example. It's part of their remit.
- It's hard to find out how much smaller films cost to make and I've been told
most production companies don't want to reveal this and that Ill Manors was
definitely not made for £100K which is what is written, is it true the published
information is not always true?
Yes,
it isn't always true. Ill Manors was about £450k. There isn't really a place you
find out this info. Only from talking to the people who made the films.
- At what stage do you know if your production will go straight to dvd or be
screened?
You can negotiate this in
advance to a degree. E.g. As part of my distribution deal we had a guaranteed
theatrical release. However, it is more and more difficult to get distributors
to guarantee a certain number of screens because theatrical releases are
expensive.
- Do you think audiences being able to access films online (legally as with
Curzon) as well as in the cinema is a positive thing for independent filmmakers
and will be the norm?
Yes I think so.
It's already the norm for films that have been released theatrically and more
and more now films are available online at the same time as being in the cinema.
It's how people are choosing to view.
- What is in your view the hardest aspect for someone in the UK trying to make
and exhibit a film at the moment?
This
is quite a big question! Unless a film is a clear commercial prospect it's very
difficult to raise money at the moment and even more difficult to get it on a
screen, which is why people are turning to Indiegogo etc. to fine their films.
People are making films for less and less money which means it is very difficult
to make a living from producing films at the moment, you have to make other
things as well like commercials, promos, branded content and tv if you are
lucky.
- What is the best way they can make their money back? Sales abroad you said?
What's the breakdown between box office sales, dvd and lovefilm
roughly?
Yes, foreign sales topped up
by. Share in box office is the way films make their money back. I don't have
those figures off the top of my head I'm afraid. There are percentages
distributors work (theatrical, DVD etc) to but I'm not sure exactly what they
are. With foreign sales you tend to get an overall figure from a foreign
distributor and then they exhibit it on different platforms.