I've submitted a completion funding proposal to the London Artist's Film and Video Awards (LAFVA)
ProjectFunding < Sanctuary < TWiki
Potential sponsor of the week, Soundbeam, are going to lend me an ultrasound MIDI interface that was developed to allow dancers to trigger sound and visuals and is now being packaged along with my old fave Arkaos VJ as an "invisible keyboard" educational tool. I am likely to be accused of sexing up the demo. Bring on the RIG!
A couple of last-minute completion fund applications are being worked on at the moment in order to fund the remain post production activities. I wouldn't have known about the re-structured London Artists' Film and Video Awards if I hadn't been talking to the Arts Council today. Application for that is due on Friday *gulp*
Any more leads to ProjectFunding?
I finally got to see Fast Film, probably the most ambitious and artistic mash-up movie to-date.
Made by Virgil Widrich Film- und Multimediaproduktion the film is available for purchase as an online download for £1.99 (VAT inc.) from World Cinema Online, another NESTA funded UK venture.
What is missing from the experience, and what MOD Films is set up to do, is extend the experience of watching something like Fast Film beyond the cinema experience.
Here's a case study based on this evening's entertainment
Reads about film
Buys the film online as a regular movie and downloads it
Watches the film
Looks up the film at modfilms.net
Browses the information on the film's asset library
Browses the information on the film's available MODs
Downloads the most popular MOD and individual assets of the film (limited access)
a) Subscribes to re-mixable film in order to download individual film assets and film MODs
b) Buys the re-mixable film edition so that MODs can be loaded directly into the film
c) Creates a film MOD and uploads this to modfilms.net
Will the BBC get cold feet over iMP (the 7 day free TV download service) now that the anti-DRM crowd have shown how to keep TV files forever?
Hopefully not, but for the execs who don't understand that there is no technical way to lock the box this may come as a rude shock, especially as the iMP service is still in beta.
Sam Raimi made a 30-minute test video for Evil Dead called Within The Woods
Latest user interface visual effects brief compiled from the blog and other sources.
Old versions:
The National Library of Australia contacted us this week to seek permission to archive the MOD Films website in its PANDORA Archive. Better get around to launching this thing!
-----Original Message-----
From: Digital Archiving Section [mailto:webarchive@nla.gov.au]
Sent: 07 November 2005 02:24
To: reception@modfilms.com
Cc: lucyvoloi@hotmail.com
Subject: National Library of Australia seeking permission to archive MOD Films website
Michela Ledwige
MOD Films
7 November 2005
Dear Ms Ledwige
Request for permission to archive the
MOD Films website
at
http://modfilms.com
The National Library of Australia aims to build a comprehensive
collection of Australian publications to ensure that Australians have
access to their documentary heritage now and in the future. The Library
has traditionally collected items in print, but it is also committed to
preserving electronic publications of lasting cultural value.
PANDORA, Australia's Web Archive, was set up by the Library in 1996 to
enable the archiving and provision of long-term access to online
Australian publications. Since then we have been identifying online
publications and archiving those that we consider have national
significance. Additional information about PANDORA can be found on the
Library's server at: http://pandora.nla.gov.au/index.html
We would like to include the MOD Films website in the PANDORA Archive
and I would be grateful if you would let me know whether you are willing
to permit us to do so, that is, grant us a licence under the Copyright
Act 1968, to copy the publication into the Archive and to provide public
online access to it via the Internet. This means that you would grant
the Library permission to retain the publication in the Archive and to
provide public access to it in perpetuity.
If you are willing to grant us such a licence, please complete the short
form at the end of this message and return it to me.
There are some benefits to you as a publisher in having the publication
archived by the Library. If you grant us a copyright licence, the
Library will take the necessary preservation action to keep the
publication accessible as hardware and software changes over time. The
Library will catalogue the publication and add the record to the
National Bibliographic Database (a database of catalogue records shared
by over 1,100 Australian libraries), as well as to our own online
catalogue. This will increase awareness of the publication among
researchers using libraries.
If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me, Edgar
Crook, by telephone on 02 6262 1618 or by email ecrook@nla.gov.au.
Should you find me difficult to contact for any reason, Paul Koerbin
would also be happy to assist you. His phone number is 02 6262 1411 and
his email address is pkoerbin@nla.gov.au.
Yours sincerely
Edgar Crook
Librarian
Digital Archiving Section
National Library of Australia
Canberra ACT 2600
PH. +61 2 6262 1618
Fax +61 2 6273 4322
Email ecrook@nla.gov.au
*******************************************************************
I/We grant the National Library of Australia a licence under the
Copyright Act 1968 to copy the publications of the MOD Films website
into the PANDORA Archive. I understand that this licence permits the
Library to retain and provide public online access to it in perpetuity
and that the Library may make reproductions or communications of my
publication as are reasonably necessary to preserve it and make it
available to the public.
NAME:
ORGANISATION:
PHONE:
EMAIL:
*******************************************************************
Thanks to Julien Masson for his hard work doing animation for CD. Received a bunch of animation tests over the last couple of months and the masters in the post this week. Without this kind of volunteer support this project wouldn't have got this far.
http://modfilms.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=41
Thanks to Richard Gillespie and NATS Post Production, we've got some stills captured off the HD tape ready for press duties.
http://modfilms.thaumagen.com/pics/a1/stills.tar.gz (21Mb)
Hollywood’s Biggest Lies
By Elliot Grove, 2005
The film industry is pretty simple to break into, if at first you understand some basic concepts.
However, there is basic bullshit that surrounds the industry that keeps first-timers away from writing, directing, producing or starring in a movie.
Lie # 1: FILMMAKING IS AN ART
If filmmaking was an art, you would go get some film stock, rent a camera and make your 'art' and then line up on Piccadilly on a Sunday morning with the other buskers and try to sell your art to passersby - or give it away for free for others to enjoy. But we both know that this doesn’t work like that.
To make a movie you need to write cheques--and lots of them. When your movie is finished, you will want to negotiate the best possible deal and the greatest amount of revenue. Now, filmmaking could be discussed as writing cheques, negotiating and revenue potential. To me it sounds like a business.
And everything in the British film industry is about business. The sooner you realise this, the sooner you are likely to succeed. You will learn much more about this concept at the Lo-To-No Budget filmmaking course on November 26/27. Details are at http://www.raindancefilmfestival.org/courses/produce/lotono/
Or call Raindance on 0207 287 3833
Lie #2: THE FILM INDUSTRY IS ABOUT FILMMAKING
The film industry spends more money marketing a film than making it. You have probably heard about the way a distributor will 'open' a film, 'release' a film or 'market' a film. So if it costs so much to market, open or release a film, then surely the film industry is more concerned about this, than with the actual making of a movie. Technically, in the film industry, the marketing budget is called the P& A budget (prints and advertising). And the two elements of a movie that the industry markets are: Who is in the film, and What is the budget.
When you make your first independent feature film you should know what it costs to strike a print and what ads (print, radio, TV, etc) cost. You must know this, at the least, to market your film to distributors at a film festival. But please, always remember that the film industry is a marketing machine that creates perceived values every weekend. Allow me to make this very clear by talking numbers.
Numbers work. You’ve made a film. A film has no value. No one pays for a film.
Everyone pays for a movie. When does a film become a movie? The answer is, “when it’s in a movie theatre”. When it’s in a movie theatre you, the consumer-viewer, see newspaper ads. When you see a newspaper ad you think it’s a movie. It’s in a movie theatre. Question: “Are movie theatres free?” Answer, “No!” Thus, movies cost money to see. Films you can see for free.
Ergo, when your film (free) is picked up by a distributor and they put in their “P&A” money, it now has a value of $10. This is the normal cost of buying a ticket at a movie theatre. Next, there are 280 Million people in America and if only 1 out 100 people see the movie this translates into 2.8 million ticket sales times $10 for a GROSS of $28,000,000.
Now here’s the point. Distributors and Filmmakers don’t see that $28,000,000. That’s what theatre owners (shopping center owners) collect. Box Office Gross! Did you see the words…Box Office? But the moviegoer has now been taught that your free film is now worth $10. Of the other 99 out of 100 potential ticket buyers what do they do? Probably, at least half of them, when they see the newspaper ads, say “I’ll rent it”. Is it free to rent at Blockbuster. No, it cost $4.
Get it! That’s it! That’s how Hollywood works. Hollywood takes a film that has no value, puts in the newspaper ads and gives it a $10 value knowing that, at the most 1 out of 100 will see it at the theatre. However, the other 99 people thinking it’s worth $10 will now rent it at the video store because it only costs $4. The Film Industry is a film marketing industry, not a filmmaking industry. You will learn much more about this concept on Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking November 26/27,
Details are at http://www.raindancefilmfestival.org/courses/produce/lotono/
Or call Raindance on 0207 287 3833
LIE #3: WHAT THE BUDGET IS
Is there any industry that tells you the cost of manufacturing the product you want to buy? Why is it that in the film industry we always seem to know what the budget is? Do you think the film industry really tells you the truth? And if anyone asks you what the budget of YOUR` film is tell them to mind their own business!
There are only 4 budgets in the movie industry (1) the Blockbuster Budget, (2) the Hyphen Budget, (3) the Million Dollar Budget and (4) the Micro Budget.
The Blockbuster Budget is a budget so big that it is marketed as the most expensive film in the history of cinema. The first was Gone With The Wind, the next one, the first million-dollar film was Cleopatra. Films like the Titanic, Waterworld etc are marketed as hugely expensive so we, the punters, will go to see what 100+ million looks like on the screen.
The Hyphen budget is marketed as between 40 and 45 million, as if the anal accounting department cant remember what happened to five million dollars! Can you believe that? It is the budget of a standard Hollywood film, and the actual production costs on a thirty - seventy million-dollar film are at most a few million, with the balance spent on stars and promoting the film.
The Million Dollar Budget is your typical entry-level independent film and the budgets are expressed as: 1.4 mil (sex, lies and videotape) or 800 thou (Lock Stock) 1.1 mil (Shallow Grave) 1.1 mil (Blood Simple) These films don’t usually have stars, and are story driven.
The Micro budget is broken down into three sub categories:
Under a mil = low budget
Under 500 thou = Micro Budget
Under a hundred thousand dollars/euros/pounds = No budget Films like Pi, Blair Witch, Clerks and the brilliant The Following by Raindance alumni Christopher Nolan fall into this category.
The budget of your feature film is going to be one of those 4 budgets. For more information and details on how to make a $1,000,000 Feature Film by spending $200,000 then check out the Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking course offered by Raindance. But stop thinking that you know what the true budget of a film is. The film industry lies!
LIE #4: THE FILM INDUSTRY MAKES FILMMAKER DEALS
The problem with all filmmakers that what to make a film is that they are perennially attempting to make-a-deal to get the money to make-a-film. This will never happen. You are putting the horse before the cart. You must first make-a-film to make-a-deal. I know this is confusing so allow me to use some numbers to understand the concept, which is “First Make-A-Film to Make-A-Deal”.
If you desire $20,000,000 to make a feature film you must go to one of the 7 major distributors (Warner, Paramount, Sony, Disney, etc). And, all they ask you to do to get their $20,000,000 is to first Make-A-Film with a $2,000,000 budget…that makes money. Because Hollywood (Lie #2) is a film marketing industry and the distributors want to be able to market “From the Producer Of, from the Writer of, From the Star of” on the poster and ads.
Thus, if you want $20,000,000, make a $2,000,000 Feature Film…that makes money. Now, how do you get $2,000,000 to get the $20,000,000? It’s simple. First Make-A-Film! Make a $200,000 feature film that makes money. Are you getting the point? And how do you get $200,000? You first make a $20,000 Feature Film!
First, Make-A-Film! And, if that film makes money…then you’ll make a deal!
For detailed information on how to make your first feature film knowing that you only have access to 20,000 to 200,000 dollars euros pounds attend the Lo-To-No Budget filmmaking class at Raindance.
Details are at http://www.raindancefilmfestival.org/courses/produce/lotono/
Or call Raindance on 0207 287 3833
Elliot Grove
Raindance
81 Berwick Street, London W1V 3PF
phone: 0: +44 (0)20 7287 3833, fax: +44 (0)20 7439 2243
e-mail elliot@raindance.co.uk www.raindance.co.uk
Mesmerized by the moving image from a young age, but unable to watch TV or films until his early teens due to the constraints of his Amish background, Canadian-born Elliot Grove followed up formal art school training with a series of jobs behind the scenes in the film industry.
Working as a scenic artist on 68 feature films and over 700 commercials in his native Toronto, he developed a distaste for the wasted resources on set and union red tape that prevented filmmaker wannabe’s like himself from getting their own features off the ground.
Elliot moved to London in the late 1980’s and thirteen years ago, when the British Film Industry was drowning in self-pity, launched the Raindance Film Festival, a festival devoted to independent filmmaking and its emerging talent.
Initially, Raindance catered mainly to American Independents who understood that the combination of a positive mental attitude and a pioneering spirit provides the essential foundation upon which to produce and distribute films successfully. Happily, that attitude has now filtered through to the UK; independent filmmaking, once a small organism, has become a global phenomenon. Elliot is proud of the fact that last year's Raindance line-up included 84 independent features and 200 shorts from 40 countries.
Upholding the ethos of Raindance, Elliot wrote, produced and directed 1997's feature, Table 5, for just over £200. He also lectures on screenwriting and filmmaking throughout the UK and Europe, and in 1992 set up the training division of Raindance which now offers nearly 2 dozen evening and weekend masterclasses on writing, directing, producing and marketing a feature film. These courses are designed for those with no formal training who want to break into the film industry, or for professionals who want to refresh their skills. Making films is expensive, so Elliot and Raindance work on the assumption that course participants do not have Hollywood-scale amounts of money to throw around.
Elliot founded The British Independent Film Awards in 1998 and in 2001 Focal Press published his book: Raindance Writers Lab: How to Write and Sell the Hot Script. His second book, Raindance Producer’s Lab Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking was published by Focal Press in July 2004. Both are available from http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0240516990/wwwraindacouk-21/026-2576030-8814011?creative=6394&camp=1406&link_code=as1
His production company operates under the Raindance banner and is currently developing a slate of ten features, the first of which completed principle photography in Sept 2005.
Elliot firmly believes that success in the moviemaking business is a simple matter of demystifying the process of breaking into the film industry and allowing individual talent to prosper.
Howard Hughes bio-pic "The Aviator", Hollywood lies, and film trailer MODs all went into the mix this week as the quest to distill the re-mixable film experience continues. Just Doing It vs The Business continues...
Scorcese's film depicts Hughes' obsessive compulsive behavior pursuing a multitude of dreams. The Spruce Goose, the world's largest plane, eventually makes it off the ground but nothing could to lift Hughes out of his downward spiral into madness. Another casualty of Being First syndrome? Or the proud instigator of adventure while it lasted? Either way, good to be reminded that even the world's richest man had money problems finishing his inventions.
Elliot Grove spells out film biz wisdom, and flogs film courses, via his Hollywood lies column for an LA trade magazine.
And PS260 alternative film trailers for The Shining, Cabin Fever, West Side Story, and Titanic illustrate the point that re-mixable films are out there already.
We never commissioned the final round of storyboards but this is the set that was used for the shoot.
or
Looks like Sanctuary will be covered in the January issue of Wired. I was interviewed on the weekend after several months of "When's the release?" emails. Just got the email from the photos editor. This kind of publicity doesn't come about every day so would be good if we make the most of it. Hence the urgency to package up what's been done.
Any thoughts on images? Obviously this is good timing and feeds into efforts to package the work to-date funded by West Focus.
http://modfilms.com/twiki/bin/view/Sanctuary/WebHome?topic=ProjectProducts