MICRO BUDGET, MASSIVE SUCCESS – Professionally Handling Constraints Of Microbudget Filmmaking To Achieve Maximum Success

DATE: Monday 28th June 2010

TIME: 09:30-17:00

LOCATION: Light House, Wolverhampton, WV1 1HT

INFO: A few break through films are resurrecting the microbudget spectrum of the market. With filmmakers facing tougher times and the inability to compete with studio films at the box office, how does a small film find its way to an audience via sales agents and distributors.

The Producers’ Forum in association with The Light House Media Centre & Women in Film and TV presents a panel event with highly regarded indie filmmakers Elaine Wickham and Jan Dunn. With their company Maeve Films, they are now veterans of 3 theatrically released, award-winning feature films which they refer to as their Microbudget Trilogy. They created this term in the hope that they can finally draw a line under their self enforced restraints having proved themselves in a volatile and closed-door industry. They will discuss how best to make films that could put you on the national, if not international, map and allow at least a dip of a toe into the water of the British Film Industry. They will conclude the discussion with a case by case study of each of their films.

SCHEDULE:
09:30 Arrival and coffee
09:45 THE CALLING screening
11:35 Break
11:50 Q&A with Jan Dunn and Elaine Wickham
13:00 Lunch Break
13:45 Afternoon Case Studies and workshop
16:15 Break
16:30 HD Presentation by The Light House
17:00 Close

COST:
Full member: both sessions £0
Associate member/WFTV Member/Light House: morning session £0
Associate member/WFTV Member/Light House: both sessions £25
Non-member: morning session only £50
Non-member: afternoon session only £50
Non-member: both sessions £80
(Prices exclude VAT)

REGISTRATION:
Spaces on this event are limited. To reserve a place please email Rebecca on info@producersforum.org.uk or call 0121 265 7145

LOCATION: The Electric Cinema, 47 Station Street, Birmingham, B5 4DY

Increasingly independent filmmakers are finding the best way to get their film made is under microbudget principles. The more entrepreneurial a producer can be in financing their film, the more likely it is they will get it made.

Numerous microbudget feature initiatives have been established during the last five years such as Microwave, Warp X, Slingshot Studios, Digital Departures and IFeatures. There are also many producers making microbudget films outside of these schemes. But what are the challenges? How do you make your film safely, legally and with high enough production values to ensure the films are successfully distributed?

Join us for a day all about microbudget filmmaking and find out some of the top tips from filmmakers who have been there and done it!

The day’s schedule is as follows:

Schedule:

09:30 – 10:00          Registration

10:00 – 11:30          Screening of Ruby Blue

11:30 – 11:45          Coffee break

11:45 – 13:15          Q&A with Elaine Wickham, Producer and Jan Dunn, Director. Chaired by Deborah Aston

13:15 – 14:00          Lunch (provided for people on all day course)

14:00 – 16:00          Microbudget Panel with Anita Lewton, Lincia Daniel & Simon Wood. Chaired by Natasha Carlish

Prices and payment:

Full member: both sessions £0
Associate member: morning session only £0
Associate member: both sessions £25+VAT
Non-member: morning session only £50+VAT
Non-member: afternoon session only £50+VAT
Non-member: both sessions £80+VAT

Payment to be made before admission is permitted.

You can’t afford to miss this day! We look forward to seeing you there.

To register or for more information please contact Rebecca: info@producersforum.org.uk or visit our website

Tuesday 23^rd and Wednesday 24^th March 2010
The Bond, Birmingham

THE ENGINE ROOM PITCH is an intensive 2 day proposal development and pitching workshop to help you prepare your factual project for UK and international funding.

The workshop is a high-level project development opportunity and includes an introduction to MeetMarket and all Marketplace activities at Doc/Fest and to wider opportunities in international documentary funding and markets. Delivered by international marketplace specialist Christina Burnett, of Wide Eye Pictures, this is also a unique chance to pitch your project and get feedback from two UK commissioners as well as Charlie Philips, Doc/Fest Marketplace Producer. Commissioners from BBC, Channel 4, Britdoc and CBA-DFID Broadcast Media Scheme have taken part in previous workshops.

THE ENGINE ROOM PITCH is suitable for all levels of experience, from senior producers and directors to new entrants.  You can attend either as a pitcher with project, or as an observer.

Applicants must be West Midlands-based filmmakers. The cost of the workshop is £30 for all attendees.

To express interest, email Doc/Fest Marketplace Producer Charlie Phillips via charlie@sidf.co.uk with a one-page proposal for a factual/documentary project (single, series or cross-platform doc) and brief information about yourself.  Projects can be at any stage of development, for any platform, as long as it is a factual project.

See http://sheffdocfest.com/view/pitchworkshops for full information.

Saturday 7^th November 2009 (10am-5pm)

Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Suite

£50 (£40 concessions)

From the traditionally structured TV and film stories that attempt to appeal to wide audiences (which ITV controller Peter Fincham termed ‘3G’ – three generations watching together), to the 3D structures of games and online drama, this day-long course looks at new opportunities offered to writers by the rise of digital technologies.  Suitable for writers, film-makers and drama practitioners interested in looking at new ways of telling stories across screens of all sizes. Participants:

Graham Joyce is the author of fourteen novels and has won numerous awards for his writing, including five British Fantasy Awards and the 2003 World Fantasy Award. He has also written screenplays of his novels and has recently been hired by the creators of Doom 4 to help develop the storyline potential of the computer game.

Neil Mossey worked solely in television and radio before writing on Season 2 of the daily interactive web drama KateModern (storylining over 26 weeks, and scripting 74 webisodes). The series ended in July 2008 clocking up 66 million video views, the largest UK online production to date. As a comedy producer at the BBC he was responsible for developing new formats and drama in the Comedy Entertainment department with writers and performers. His freelance writer, script editor, and producer credits include My Parents Are Aliens (ITV1), Freefonix (BBC One), Blackout (Channel 4), SuperNormal (ITV1), The Worst Witch (ITV1), Hedz (BBC One), and The Morning After Show (Channel 4).

Claire Ingham is a producer and film and television script developer. She works on projects at all stages of development – currently ranging from the adaptation treatment of Eoin Colfer’s bestselling novel The Wishlist to the final draft of Helen Cross’ original feature Stratford Road. Claire has previously worked for a number of film and television companies in development roles. She was Head of Drama Development at Impossible Pictures for four years where she headed a small team, commissioning and developing a range of TV and film projects for all the major broadcasters, including Jed Mercurio’s contemporary retelling of Frankenstein and Michael Chaplin’s family film Pickles.

For booking and further information, please visit www.scriptonline.net/screen.html

Or email catherine.edwards@scriptonline.net

The event is presented by Script, the regional development agency for dramatic writers in the West Midlands, offering advice, training and mentoring via industry-led partnerships.