Tip #91: Organise a premiere

By Dan Parkes (Director/editor)

It can be both a very happy and very stressful time for a filmmaker - that moment when the curtain is finally lifted on the film you have been slaving over for months and it is finally seen by an audience for the first time.

The date for the Ambleton Delight premiere was timed to launch a film festival, and hence was a date that was not going to move. It was advertised, free tickets for cast and crew arranged, champagne ordered and tickets put on sale for the public. While the film itself had been cut and effects completed, the sound mix (which was being done separately) began having delays and resulted in final touches being made literally the day before the premiere. But considering it was actually nine months from first draft to premiere, this should not be completely surprising!

Producer Itsuka Yamasaki, actor Sadao Ueda
and director Dan Parkes at the after-party.

The premiere itself was very successful, with 200 in attendance including both cast and crew, special guests and those who bought tickets. Most importantly it was a time to say thank you to all those who helped make it happen. Here are some tips we found on organising a premiere:

1. Don't leave it to the last minute. Although your concentration will likely be on completing the film you need to start thinking about the premiere from a very early stage.
2. Location. Obviously a real cinema is the best place, but it might be expensive if you are hiring it. If you can organise it to be shown in a festival then that could solve the problem. Otherwise there are many other non-cinema options you can consider. In the past we have premiered films in a library, a hotel and in a school.
3. Cast and crew. This is where it can get tricky. Make sure you have an accurate guest list that includes all cast and crew and also those who may have helped in some other way. It might be a good idea to start making this list early in the production so you don't accidentally forget someone in the last minute rush. Also, don't forget to allow each person to bring a guest.
4. The guest list. Don't just invite those who were involved in the making of the film. Also invite those from the industry and community along to make it an extra special event and to allow for networking opportunities.
5. Seating. If in a cinema you might want to allocate a special area (such as the back rows) for cast and crew. If not in a cinema you might want to make sure the seats will be comfortable enough for the duration of the film.
6. Food and drink. It is good if a glass of champagne or wine can be provided to celebrate the event. If you are unable to afford this or get it sponsored then at the very least give people a bag of popcorn!
7. Test the facilities. Don't ever premiere an event without having first tested the film on the projector and screen to make sure it will look and sound good enough.
8. Advertise. Send out invitations well in advance and if advertising tickets start looking at ways of getting your premiere known: noticeboards, flyers, posters, e-mails, newsletters etc.
9. Dress code. From experience most people like to dress up -but make sure everyone knows what is expected. If there is a very formal dress code then this may put some off -especially if they arrive without realising it is the case!
   
10. After party. many will want to network or party after the event -if this is not possible at the screening location you might want to think of what facilities are nearby that could be used for this.
11. Official photographer. It is still part of the production process -so make sure to have an official photographer to record the event.
    
12. Festivals. You might also want to think about how the premiere may impact on your festival and sales opportunities. If you have a sales agent or even distributor it is best to discuss this first with them. Also if a film is screened in one country that may make it ineligible for some festivals.
    

Main actors Jos Lawton and Kristina Anne Howell
at the after-party.

Tip #56: Surviving night shoots

By Dan Parkes (Director)

Even for those who consider themselves 'night owls', filming at night is never easy and poses numerous challenges. But before we look at surviving night shoots, let's establish two key reasons for doing so, which are:


1. Filming an exterior night scene at night
2. Filming interiors at night due to cast/location availability

The first, also described as 'night-for-night' is likely the most obvious reason. The rain scene in Ambleton Delight was filmed this way. It is good to note that our eyes see night in a very different way from how a camera does as our eyes naturally adjust to the low light levels while most cameras struggle to compensate. The two key mistakes filmmakers can make is to either force the camera to see more light (using a wide open aperture or a gain increase) or by overlighting the scene with too many lights. Both will make the camera see more, but the result will not look authentic, either being overlit or too grainy.

Tips:

• Only illuminate key objects or areas - for example using practicals from logical sources (i.e. real lights within the scene, such as streetlamps)
• Use reflectors and white cards to reflect light
• Use natural elements such as snow if filming during winter, or rain (or by wetting the ground) to create natural reflection and illumination
• Use natural light -shoot during dusk or twilight -although remember this lasts for less than an hour!
• If possible do some test filming beforehand at the hours and location you intend to film

Overall night filming survival tips:

• Preparation/planning -treat it as a normal day with a 'lunch' scheduled
  
• Have a well thought out schedule that wastes no time...dead time at night is demoralising and can cause people to go to sleep
• Make sure actors are scheduled only where necessary (it is good to schedule scenes with the most actors first so that some can go home earlier and only those who are required stay for the whole night)
• Food and drink are important -liquids such as water and coffee can help keep you awake
• Consecutive night shoots can for many be easier than one-off shoots, as you can get your body into a pattern
• Prepare the day before by getting more sleep (like travelling overseas try to adjust to the time zone before you arrive)
• 4am - 5am is the most difficult hour both mentally and physically -schedule easier scenes to be filmed at this time or have this as the 'lunch' break.

Tip #40: Don't forget to send call sheets

By Dan Parkes (Director)

We have already mentioned the absolute necessity of preparation and organisation in regards to preparing shot lists and floor plans. But on the actual day of filming one of the most important documents you can have is a call sheet.

A call sheet is essentially a document issued to cast and crew with information they will need for that specific day of filming. Most importantly it lists the 'call times' -that is the times that they are expected to arrive or be on set. It is normally issued at least several days before filming so that everyone can be well prepared for all eventualities.

Please see an example of one of our call sheets here (some details have been removed for privacy reasons):

Click to download our
Ambleton Delight Call Sheet

A call sheet can have many different designs and purposes and there are several places where you can download templates on-line. However, we found it more effective to design our own specific sheet for the day of filming and for our own cast and crew. This way we could keep it simple and easy to use. Notice the following important elements we included:

1. Clear and easy to read layout, including a film logo
2. Call times. In this case it shows general call times for both cast and crew. However it is often good to prepare specific individual call sheets especially if the cast are only required for certain times of the shoot.
3. Specific contact information including names, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses where possible.
4. Weather information (if any exterior shots)
5. Specific location information with clear directions on how to get there
6. Parking information
7. Health and safety and set behaviour, with emergency procedures and behavioural expectations

Tip #37: Always prepare a shot list and floor plans

By Dan Parkes (Director)

Preparation and organisation are essential for any shoot, and one of the most important documents is a thorough shot list. This can be a simple list of shots as they relate to the script, but the more information you can add to this the better. For example list, the framing (wide/medium/close-up) the preferred type of lens (50mm), any camera action (tracking, handheld) and any on-set effects. This can help the crew prepare in advance what is required and quickly speed the process along. You can also include storyboard frames for reference.

Even more vital, from the producer’s perspective, is the need for it to be tied into an actual shooting schedule –listing the estimated time for each set-up, with even an allocated time for each shot, along with make-up, meal breaks and setting up/breaking down times. This means you can be completely organised and ensure you stay on schedule and achieve all you need to get the shots. A comprehensive shot list and shooting schedule also inspires confidence in your cast and crew. But only as long as your stick to it!

For our production we designed our own simple shot list so that it could be read at a glance. Here is a page from our shot list/shooting schedule in the restaurant (click to enlarge):
Notice the use of the abbreviations W, M and C to indicate Wide, Medium and Close-ups. Below is is an example from our shot list/shooting schedule in the kitchen(click to enlarge):
Another element that should not be overlooked is the benefit of having floor plans. A simple map of a location can be helpful on the day of the shoot to use as a reference when describing actor or camera and light placements. Floor maps can also include indications as to where the camera will move, where different characters will be, and lighting and sent to principle members of crew prior to the shoot so that advance preparations can be made.

Here is the floor plan from our restaurant shoot in The Rainbow Inn (click to enlarge):

Tip #32: Crew who work together well

By Dan Parkes (Director)

In high budget mainstream films there are many famous collaborations between directors and DOPs, such as Steven Spielberg & Janusz Kaminski, Jonathan Demme & Tak Fujimoto, Alfred Hitchcock & Robert Burks, Peter Jackson & Andrew Lesnie to name a few… (for an extensive list visit here)

There are obvious advantages with this: a similar artistic vision and camaraderie, followed by communication shorthand (“we can set this next shot up the same way we did that similar scene in our last film”). The same is equally if not more relevant on low budget productions. It is crucial to surround yourself with people you have worked with before and you can trust to make things happen. However this is not always possible. In this case, there are some simple things to look out for when recruiting crew.

Find those who are:

1. Good at what they do, with proof (on-line showreel, a CV, general knowledge, referee)
2. A positive, team player (personality, references, worked with some already in your crew)
3. Willing to multi-task and work until the job is done
4. Has more passion for film production than money (particularly passionate about your project, not just doing it for the money)
5. Is local to the production (save on transport expenses)
6. Has own transport and/or equipment

Points 3 and 4 are very important; you do not want an “old-school” member of crew who will not pitch in and help when you are running short of time and need help holding a boom. Neither do you need someone who is going to complain about it not paying as well as other productions (they should already realise that!).

Also, don’t over-crew your film. Have only those who are absolutely necessary as a smaller crew who works together well can achieve more than a large, non-communicative, disorganised crew.

If you have crew you have worked with before and who have been selected carefully, then you will not only achieve your film objectives, but have lots of fun while doing so!

VIDEO: BLOG: Bonus Episode!

To celebrate the picking up of our Best Film award at the British Independent Film Festival tomorrow (Saturday April 24th) we are releasing a bonus video blog... complete with bloopers, outtakes, interesting experiences and .... monkey impressions? Cast and crew reveal all in the final episode of How to Make a Next-to-Nothing Budget Feature Film. Our lawyers are standing by....