Film what we're making...

THE MISSION

I suppose I should start this 'blog' with something of a mission statement, if it can be phrased in such a way.

I'll start at the top, with the dull but necessary basics. I'm a filmmaker. I make and work on things in a variety of capacities, but I am producing my own work at the moment. This particular blog is focusing on one project inparticular that has both huge potential but equally huge production problems: a short film called 'The Tyrant'.

Now, the potential arises from the following facts:

* The story and script for the film is great. It's a psychological horror of sorts, set entirely within the confines of a castle. The characters are strong, narrative engaging and themes and ideas layered.

* The planned visual look of the film will be great. Filmed entirely on HD, with CG backgrounds, the film is black and white and uses visually interesting lighting and artistic style to create a location that can truly be regarded as unique.

* The production value of this film would be impressive. Professional Above the Line crew and a strong cast of potentially well known actors. It would be filmed with the latest HD camera technology, and further enhanced by a CG team capable of creating a dynamic and engaging world.

I'm not blowing my own trumpet here. This isn't just my idea, I of course collaborated with the writer/director on this project. But, what I am saying is that this film has the potential to be a great piece of work and an enjoyable movie.

So, I've highlighted the good parts. You're probably wondering: What's the problem?

THE PROBLEM

The problem is simple in one respect, but far more complex if looked at from different angles.

The problem is money.

All decently made films cost money. Whether it's feature film which special effects, casts of thousands and hundreds of locations, or a short film with a good crew and decent production design. Everything costs. Crew cost, Cast cost, Equipment costs, Resources costs. If you need to rent a portaloo for the location - that costs. Sometimes these costs are in the millions, or hundreds of millions. Sometimes they're in the thousands. They're rarely cheap, and if they are cheap, then usually it shows in some way or another.

Now, with Feature Films, there is money to be made. You can show a Feature in theatres, on airplanes, on a DVD or VHS. All these avenues are exploitable to bring money back in. A $30 million feature film may make $50 million at the Box Office, $45 million on DVD and another $70 million on ancillary rights (book adaptations, action figures, tie-ins, other media etc.). The point is, Feature Films have a multitude of options for making money back. Sometimes they don't always succeed in making that money back, but they very often do. And some do spectacularly.

Short Films, however, are a dying breed. Back in the good ol' days of Cinema, you might have had a few shorts on before a feature. These days? Well, these days shorts have been relegated to the playground of amateurs and novices looking to make their way into the industry. They're good for film festivals or private screenings, but as films in themselves, they're usually only seen as extended showreels.

The problem is there isn't an economy for them. Audiences don't want to travel all the way to the cinema to watch a 20 minute long film. On TV, you might as well have returning TV series instead of one-off short movies. They don't get DVD releases (or certainly not widescale releases) and tie-ins and ancillary rights associated with short films are virtually nil.

Therefore, short films are these days seen as, quite literally, a means to an end. Audiences don't really want to watch them because of the hassle associated with getting them, and the limited advertising to know about them (how many short films have you seen advertised?). If I want to buy a DVD, it might as well be an hour and a half feature than a 20 minute short. If I want to go to the cinema, I want my money and time to be well spent on having an evening's worth of entertainment. I don't want to go to the cinema at 6pm and be out by 7:40pm.

So, the problem in a nutshell is that, these days, short films just don't get made. If they do get made, they're usually made for peanuts. The concept of getting a good cast and high production value for a short is, these days, pretty damn rare. Why bother? Which is frustrating, because short films are a damn good idea. They're not just failed features. Sometimes you don't want to sit down for 2 hours. Sometimes you want to sit back, just before bed or work, and catch a quick 10 or 20 minute short that entertains and engages.

THE POTENTIAL SOLUTION?

The solution, I feel, is here. It's the internet. With broadband and technology as it is, watching films on the net is now easy and commonplace. So, doesn't the internet offer the perfect venue to catch a couple of shorts? In my opinion it's the perfect place.

WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THIS ABOUT?

I might as well get to the bottom of this and explain why I'm saying what I'm saying. I'm trying to produce a short film. Not just a short film shot with a video camera on a quiet day outside. Not a short film starring my best mate and his mother's auntie's son's wife's sister. A short film with real crew, real cast and professional equipment. That takes money and, frankly, it's money I don't have. And, the chances of me securing that money from a studio is slim. It's not the idea or the crew that's making it hard - it's the format. A studio doesn't want to know because the return on investment is near impossible to get.

But, I've had an interesting if massively optimistic brainwave. There's god knows how many millions of people on this net and if I could get a fraction of them to donate $1 to this film - it could get made. We're looking at a budget of about $310,000. It's a lot of money, of course it is, but spread across millions of people it's nothing. It's short change.

Frankly, I'm making an appeal. You guys donate, and we give you back an interesting, well produced 20 minute film for free (or rather, the cost of the donation, I guess). In addition to the film, you also get a credit (although the precise system would have to be worked out, I guess), probably your name on IMDB (this is something of a bribe, but hey, it's still cool, right?) and perhaps a warm fuzzy feeling inside when you realise you Exec. Produced a good film?

Of course, you also get updates on the production of the film. You get to know how and why your money is spent on the production. You get to see behind the scenes. You get to see the cast and crew in action, and learn more about the project. You get to ask questions and get answers and generally be kept up to date with how things are going.

I understand that this is probably a crazy and ambitious idea, but it could work, so it's worth trying. It doesn't require much on your part, overall. A couple of minutes donating and a little bit of time to spread the word would be all we ask.

In the next few hours and days I'll be posting more of my thoughts as I gather them, as well as more information about the project. I just wanted to put all these ideas down and get some initial feedback on how people felt about this idea.