Tip #86: Social networking -does it work?

By Dan Parkes (Director/editor)

Social networking, a new inexpensive means of promoting your film, has seemingly become an important part of any marketing strategy.

Kevin Smith famously used MySpace in 2006 to promote his Clerks II by putting the names of the film’s first 10,000 MySpace friends in the credits. Since Smith had 50,000 friends at the time this wasn't going to be a problem. They had the names in two hours. Clerks II apparently made a profit and now Kevin Smith has nearly two million Twitter followers.

But does it work? It is a well known fact that a film can sink or swim based purely on rumour and gossip alone. So on-line marketing via social networks is certainly one way of making a presence -and most importantly for budget filmmakers -one that can theoretically be done for free. And it must also be noted that a film is more likely to garner the attention of buyers and distributors if it has a strong on-line following.

In addition to an official website (for more information on that check our previous blog), here are the four main avenues to think about trying:

1. Facebook Page
It's a necessary evil. And very easy to set up, the important thing is to keep it regularly updated and to look not too much like it is advertising the film all the time. Post other interesting things as well.

2. Twitter
Another necessary evil! But again very easy to set up. You could have regular tweets with real time information on the production progress, promote special contests, sneak previews and have links to your other sources of on-line presence such as Facebook. But there is a danger...negative, abusive or downright stupid "tweets" could embarrass and endanger your cast and crew not to mention the film itself.

3. Blogger
Not so necessary, but an opportunity to go into more detail than Facebook or Twitter will allow. This can also be more practical -such as this blog -with anecdotes and behind-the-scenes information or a production diary. Updates to the blog can then be posted on Facebook and Twitter.

4. YouTube
Again, not completely necessary, but once you start releasing any video material this is a good place to host it for free. You could put up a production diary, making of and trailers, which you then embed into your blog and official website.

5. Newsletters/E-mails
Collecting e-mail addresses of those interested in the film and keeping them updated is also a good idea. We use the brilliant (and free) on-line e-mail marketing tool MailChimp which helps you create and maintain subscription lists, design newsletters and e-mails, send the e-mails and provides comprehensive reports on how many of your newsletters are being opened and what links are clicked.

At the end of the day though, an excellent marketing campaign for a bad film.... still makes it a bad film. So make sure you make a good film first.

If you have any good social networking and marketing ideas please post them below.

Tip #85: Build an official website

By Dan Parkes (Director/editor)

Setting up your own official film website, such as we did (www.ambletondelight.co.uk) does not need to be a difficult and expensive option these days. Not only does it mean you have your own place on the web that you can advertise on your film trailers and posters, but it also gives you much better sounding e-mail addresses!

It is essentially a simple 5 step system:

1. Register a domain name
Obviously this will be the name of your film or a variation of it, followed by .com or .co.uk etc. Keep it short and simple -if your film title is already taken you can try just adding the word "movie" or "film". Most domain names can be bought for a year or more, and many companies can offer both the domain name and the hosting as a combined package. Note: Register the domain name as early as possible to avoid being scammed and be careful of any subsequent offers to continue or buy the domain name -they may also be a scam.

2. Choose a hosting package
Now that you have a domain name (i.e. a website address) you now have to organise the hosting -which is the allocation of space on a web server to put your website, and also how much bandwidth is allowed (every time someone visits the site it means data is downloaded from the server - there may be a limit imposed on how much a month is allowed to be downloaded).

3. Design a site
You can actually download free website templates, or buy more professional versions that only need the text and images changed. This is a much faster and professional way of getting a website on-line. We use the free html design software Nvu (http://www.nvu.com/) but there are many out there worth checking. Make sure it is WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) as that is much easier for beginner web designers!

You can also add some great little tools such as Wibiya which includes links to your twitter, facebook feeds and can also create a custom contact page, and a button that translates the entire page into several different languages!

4. Upload
If you are constantly uploading and updating your website you might want to also look at Ftp software which will make this a lot easier. You can use your own computer's operating system to do this or use separate software which can be easier. We use Wise-ftp, but there are many other free alternative ftp programs out there worth trying.

Above: the homepage to our official website
is designed to reflect village life.

5. Check
It is a good idea once you have your website set up to test it on different browsers and different computers including smart phones to see how it looks and if there are any critical compatibility issues. Also check that your new e-mail addresses are up and running and if you have put a redirection to another address in place that it is working correctly.

Tip #81: Design a film logo

By Dan Parkes
(Director/editor)

Creating a film logo is an important aspect of the branding and marketing of any film. Once the name of the film has been established beyond a working title then selecting a suitable font and look is important, as this may dictate such things as the look of the opening titles and closing credits, the film poster, website and DVD wrap and menu artwork.

It does not have to be as complex as you may think. Some film title artwork is very basic -simply the choice of a suitable font. Others can also include subtle imagery, such as the puppet hand in The Godfather title. Or you can use badges or crests or use 3D art work to create depth. And don't forget the importance of colour - the colour could end up becoming a means of branding the entire film. Just make sure your design does not lead viewers to think the film is of a certain genre that it isn't.


In the case of Ambleton Delight, since the word 'Ambleton' is ficticious we decided to create it in the look of a village sign, indicating that it is in fact the name of the village.


For inspiration, notice how these recent film logos indicate the nature/genre of the film and become an important part of the branding:


Here are two excellent websites to get further inspiration and information:

http://annyas.com/screenshots/
http://www.thedesignbuzz.net/27-movie-logos/

Watch the entire feature film on-line!

We are pleased to announce that the award-winning UK indie film Ambleton Delight can now be watched on-line via VOD (Video-On-Demand). It costs only USD 1.99 for 3 days access, with payment via PayPal or Amazon. Click the link below to find out more:

Tip #42: Simple and effective lighting kit

By Dan Parkes (Director)

It sometimes seems the art of 'painting with light' requires membership of a secret circle in which few ever devulge their secrets. Or so I thought after working with several different Directors of Photography who seemed disinclined to describe in simple or practical terms how they light a scene. But I later discovered that it looks far more complex than it is. The actual lighting techniques are usually quite logical; what is often more complex is the different equipment and their various applications -and all important safety considerations!

Because we could not afford to have a DoP on set for the whole of production we only employed one for key shoot dates, and for other sections of the shoot, the assistant director, Kieron James, and myself lit everything ourselves. We were very surprised with how effective our lighting ended up becoming, and so in this and the next blog are some very basic tips we learned along the way.

Since we were using a 35mm adapter which looses at least a stop of light (a 'stop' measures the amount of light that can go through a lens -effectively the more glass the less light gets through), we knew from the outset that we needed a lot of light. So our basic lighting package that we hired from a local company consisted of one powerful light, an Arri 2K (2000w), and then a selection of smaller fresnels, 800w, 650w and 300w. We needed the 2K to light large areas, maybe the background, or to bounce off a ceiling to provide ambient light. And then the smaller lights were used to create mood and atmosphere.

The lights all came along with their relevant stands and leads of course, but make sure you also have gels, diffuse paper and croc clips. We also added a separate stand and reflector which could also double as a flag.

Here is a check list of equipment you may or not need, depending on the type of shoot, courtesy of Promotion Hire who provided our lighting equipment:

HMI light (powerful, high quality lights good
for exterior work, but require ballast)

Kinos or LED softlights (expensive but
good for creating soft bank of light)

2K light (a cheaper option for a
more powerful light)

1K light (also known as a "blonde")

800w light (also known as a "red head")

650w light

300w light

Dedo (smaller and more portable lights
-good for interviews but only 100-150w)

Softbox/Chimera (another more
expensive way of softening the light)

Reflector/Bounce

Gels (to correct lights depending
on whether you are filming inside or
outside or to create colour effects)

ND (Neutral density -good for blocking
sunlight coming in through windows)

Diffuse (to soften the lights
to avoid hard shadows)
Clips (to clip gels, diffuse etc to the lights)

Dimmer (to adjust a more powerful light
to a lower wattage -allows more control)

Flag (to block unwanted light
or create shadow)

Super clamp (for attaching
lights to wall fittings etc)

Gaffer tape

Sandbag (for top heavy lights to
ensure they don't tip over)

Stands
Leads

Extension cord

Tip # 11: A short or a feature?

By Dan Parkes (Director)

It seems in the world of filmmaking that films must sit within two basic catagories: the short film (no longer than 15 minutes) and the feature film (no shorter than 70 minutes). Anything in-between is a no-man’s land of potential viewer disappointment and no funding.

So what’s the difference? Well the rule is that a short film is normally a ‘moment in time,’ based around a single event or chain of interconnected events over a short period of time. However, a feature film will likely have a much longer narrative timeline and adhere to the classic three act structure with a much wider story arc: the first act being the set up (introduction), the second act the obstacle (development) and the third act the resolution (conclusion).

The original draft of Ambleton Delight (then titled Millfield Pie) was 30 pages in length and was in three acts. There was no way the story could be reduced down to a 15 minute piece –so we had the exciting task of developing it into a feature. Using the rule of a minute-to-a-page the rewrite thus required another 30-40 pages at least.

This was where I came in. As the director, it is always a great opportunity to flesh out an idea –to explore character’s motivations and play with visual possibilities. The original script was solidly based in the restaurant with emphasis primarily on the character of manager/chef John Miller. I wanted to explore more of his background and motivation. So I created what eventually became eight flashback scenes, completely from John’s POV, detailing his friendship with young lads Wayne and Andy who draw him into a world of drugs and violence. I then connected these flashbacks with John’s life in the village. I also developed in much greater detail the mayor and the council scenes, expanding on the small town politics (giving Brian Capron some long complicated speeches that he later cursed me for!). The end result: the next draft was 65 pages long, and once we got a third writer on board (Ben Rohde) it finally became 80 pages –a good length for a feature.

So if you are developing an idea or a script you need to decide whether it is a short or a feature –which will work best for your idea? Is it a moment in time, or a three act journey?

For an interesting example of a short that became a feature check out ‘Alive in Joburg’ a six minute short that director Neill Blomkamp later developed into the blockbuster District 9:
(http://www.spyfilms.com/#neill_blomkamp/alive_in_joburg)

Tip #7: Film Financing …Show me the money!

By Sinéad Ferguson (Producer)

So you have decided to take the plunge and make your film. Great! The next question that immediately comes to mind is where do we get the money? Unsurprising, obtaining financing is often the most difficult part of making a film.

A great deal of realism is required. You have to be pragmatic about how much money you actually need and how much money you are likely to get. While there are grants and schemes available, you may find that your film does not meet the required criteria, and if it does that applying is a lengthy and arduous process and unfortunately usually has disappointing results except for the very lucky few. Competition is fierce. Ultimately you will find that most independent films will be financed and co –produced from a variety of different sources: public, private to the more recent trend of ‘crowdsourced’ funding.

My advice in pursuing funding is to leave no stone unturned, try every avenue you can think of and then some more. Be certain that you are fully prepared to convince whatever investors you approach of the merits of your project. You need to do your homework and have ammunition in the shape of your film prospectus. This is a written presentation and should include a film synopsis, your background information and achievements, crew and cast bios, letters of interest, the budget, profit projections and so on. Make it as comprehensive as possible. We also included names of bands and music we hoped to have in the film, photos of our locations, and actors we had cast, we had concept art of what we thought the film poster would look like and so on. Remember often at this stage the film is just an idea in your head; the trick is to make it as tangible and real as possible to others. Make certain it is not only informative but also visually interesting.

In the end we raised our finance privately (more in a coming blog). There are of course pros and cons as there are with any funding sources. But this means we made our Indie film in true Indie style. Dan, Itsuka and I made all decisions, no one else interfered, called the shots or had control over our vision, our story or our creative methods . We had complete autonomy.

Here are some useful links:

• http://www.britfilms.com/resources/fundinginformation/
• http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/funding
• https://www.emapconferences.co.uk/filmsummit/index.jsp
• http://www.netribution.co.uk/

Recommended Reading:

• Interesting article on crowdsourced funding http://bit.ly/mZvs8
• How to Fund Your Film, the Film Finance Handbook http://www.fundyourfilm.info/index.php

Tip#6: Form a productive production team

By Sinéad Ferguson (Producer)

The Ambleton Delight production team consists of just three of us, Itsuka (writer/producer) Dan (director/producer) and myself (production designer/producer). Having previously worked together on several projects we had already established and developed a great working relationship, with a certain shorthand and knowledge of our mutual strengths, with a good mix of practical, technical, artistic and creative sensibilities.

Our weekly production meetings were integral to the success of the film. This is where we drank copious amounts of coffee and talked late into the night planning our strategies and hammering out ideas, making every single important decision regarding all aspects of the film.

Overwhelming as the work of planning a feature seemed in those early days we found the secret was to break everything down into weekly and monthly goals, with strict deadlines, by drawing up a “must–do list”. We then divided the work load between us, with each task to be completed before our next meeting. To the best of my recollection I don’t think we ever missed even one of those self imposed deadlines.

We would meet a minimum of once a week but once we got the ball rolling we found these meetings definitely increased as did our workload. After each day’s shoot we would have a post mortem where we would discuss any problems that occurred or conversely strategies that were successful. By immediately identifying issues we instantly implemented changes to the following shoot, ensuring the same problems didn’t reoccur.

So here are some important points to consider when forming your production team:

• If possible work with people you have worked well with before.
• If you are forming a team for the first time, do your research thoroughly. Trust your instincts. If you foresee personality clashes, forget it . Especially as you will be spending a tremendous amount of time with each other and often under stressful conditions. Success or failure can simply be down to having the right or wrong people on board.
• Commitment is essential. The last thing you need is someone who will bail once their initial enthusiasm has worn off and the hard work had begun.
• Play to each other’s strengths and abilities and assign tasks accordingly.
• Avoid having passengers, they’re a liability.
• It’s imperative that overall you share a unified collective vision, but that doesn’t rule out healthy debate and alternative points of view as long as a final decision is made.
• Hold your meetings somewhere you won’t be constantly interrupted, encourage open and frank discussion and have plenty of coffee on hand.
• Make every production meeting you have count. Have an agenda for each one, as it’s very easy to go off topic.
• Have everyone write a must-do list during the meeting, with weekly and monthly targets.
• Lastly remember to enjoy the experience! Take time to enjoy every little success you have along the way.

Tip #2 : The First Draft - Juggling Creativity and Reality

By Itsuka Yamasaki (Writer/Producer)

When it comes to writing the first draft of Ambleton Delight there is so much to tell but I will try to keep this article from the POV of writing for a low budget film. I’m going to make it into a list, as I tend to ramble a bit.

1. Don't start writing until you have worked out a solid structure

This is crucial for writing films of any length. Without a blueprint for a screenplay you will either get stuck or waste time. With Ambleton Delight we used 50+ index cards each containing scenes/sequences (this process will be explained more in a later post).

2. Carefully select the locations
Choose appropriate but realistic locations. Certain locations (say, Tahiti beach) might be ideal but are not realistic for the budget. Do they all need to be different? If five scenes take place in the same location then we can film all those scenes at once, which will no doubt keep the producer happy.

3. Avoid unnecessary characters.
Each character should have a purpose and need to be there to drive the story. Another character means more expenses (i.e fee, catering, costume, make-up, transportation…). If your main character has three friends, does it really have to be three? Can it be two? Or even one?

4. Don’t mix up hard work and cost.
This is my problem. I tend to compromise my creativity because I’m often freaked out by thinking how expensive it could be to film a certain scene (I know, I’m such a tightwad!). For example, I was against setting one scene in the rain. I thought it would be ideal but very expensive to film. But the director suggested a way to film it without a rain machine (this will be explained in a later post). It was hard work filming it but hardly cost anything. So don’t compromise your creativity easily because certain elements might be achievable with hard work.

For more information on writing screenplays (not necessarily low-budget) check out these references:

Some books to read…
• Screenplay by Syd Field – a “must read”
• The Writer's Journey by Chris Vogler –an interesting read even if you are not a writer.

Some websites to visit
• Wordplay by Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott. The best screenwriting website I know, written by the writers behind many Hollywood blockbusters including the Mask of Zorro and Pirates of the Caribbean.
• BBC Writersroom – It contains good instructions how to format screenplays for the BBC.
• Making of screenwriters tips

Please feel free to share your thoughts and resources!

Tip #1: Use what you’ve got, not what you’ve not.

By Dan Parkes (Director)

Alfred Hitchcock once said: ‘To make a great film you need three things - the script, the script and the script.’ There is no denying that a good story is a vital ingredient –something that will justify the lost friends, new enemies, general poverty and multiple near death experiences!

But what may not be so obvious is that in the world of next-to-nothing film making, it’s at this stage that you can make or break your film. And we’re not talking about finding a lucrative market or commercial viability (although this is important, at this stage we will look at filmmaking as what it rightfully is: artistic expression). As the script develops, you need to weigh every scene, every character, every prop and almost every word as costing you money you don’t have.

This starts with the genre. Generally speaking the most expensive films are fantasy, science fiction, disaster and costume dramas. With all the sets, costumes and special effects, it’s not hard to guess why. Low-budget films tend to be human dramas, comedies and the most prolific of all –horror. It’s not only the costs involved, but the feasibility. Horror is cheap and very easy to film, especially with the modern handycam technique popularised by Blair Witch. And an actor who has played a zombie has yet to clinch an Academy Award.

Within the genre you also need to consider the type of locations and the number of characters. Props and costumes should ideally be contemporary. The cheapest film would entirely revolve two or three characters in a present day living room (such as Hitchcock’s Rear Window, or Twelve Angry Men) –which is where a good story comes in. It’s going to have to be good if that’s all you have! And by all means stay away from anything involving water, if budget blow-outs Waterworld and Titanic are anything to go by.

The key is to use what you’ve got, not what you’ve not. Rather than dream up some epic sequence involving hundreds of fantasy warriors battling on some distant planet, stories that revolve around what you have easy access to but maybe take for granted will be a lot cheaper and will ring true on film. Not only will you find it easier to write, as you will know what you are writing about, but your uncle’s prized Cadillac or your friend’s shop will introduce tremendous production values –and you haven’t even spent a penny!

In our case, the concept behind Ambleton Delight is full of money saving devices –from locations to camera techniques. Stay tuned to find out more …

Do you want to do this the easy way… or the hard way?

By the Production Team

12 days principle photography, a budget of £6,000 and nine months from first draft to premiere. The result - a 110 minute feature film entitled Ambleton Delight, starring a respected British actor. However, as is so often the case, sometimes the making can be an equally interesting story!

This blog will reveal how it was done, with tips, contacts, photographs, production notes, links to free software, interviews, guest blogs and video clips. Everything we would like to have known before we started, but had to learn the hard way, so you don’t. And that leads us to the first and most vital piece of information that easily rolls off the tongue but the reality is undeniable: It is hard. By this we mean REALLY HARD!

When we began the production some people thought it was a joke; they doubted if we could really complete it without the necessary connections and money (the so called ‘easy way’). We couldn’t help but feel slightly patronised as those ‘in the industry’ (whatever that means!) shared knowing glances and shook their heads sympathetically at our naiveté. Our intended budget of £5,000 didn’t even register on their scales –it is labeled ‘no budget’ (by comparison £100,000 is considered ‘micro-budget’). Filmmaking is an extremely expensive business - £5,000 is what many productions would spend on a day’s catering. (Note: in this blog we will use the more accurate description of ‘next-to-nothing budget’). So this was not going to be easy.

But with a lot of hard work and passion we did pull it off without the requisite industry connections and financing. So no matter who you are –from a high budget producer looking at ways of saving money, to a struggling filmmaker without any- we are sure there are going to be some gems in here that will prove valuable to your production. Some of you might have family members or friends involved in making films, prioritising their dreams over a stable full time job. Hopefully we can give you a glimpse of what they are going though and what it takes to get a feature off the ground.

But don’t think we are claiming to know it all -actually far from it. Film making is a strange and capricious business. And no two experiences are ever going to be the same. A paint by numbers approach is never going to work. So while there are plenty of guidelines and rules we found that intentionally or otherwise we blatantly disregarded most of them. So maybe this blog may not just enlighten and inspire you, but also be a guide for how not to do it!

Finally, we also see this as a collaborative blog –maybe you have some tips and information you can add. The blog will be presented in the chronological order of production and based around key phases. Feel free to add comments, reflections, suggestions.

‘Nothing difficult is easy,’ as they say. So we’ll show you how we did it... the hard way!

Ambleton Delight Production Team

Production team on location (left to right): Dan Parkes (Director/Producer), Sinéad Ferguson (Producer/Production Designer), Itsuka Yamasaki (Writer/Producer)