Training

Other courses at this level

Advanced Screenwriting

Filmmaking Exposed - Producing demystified

Do you have a burning ambition to make a film but do not know where to start? This course explodes the myth that film producing is a dark art and shows that anyone with passion and drive can produce a film. Led by multi-award winning film producer Bruce Windwood, the course strips away the mystique of filmmaking and explains in a very practical nuts and bolts kind of way, how to make and then market your film. Each session will be brimming with invaluable insider tips and industry secrets, allowing attendees a unique insight into the real, rather than perceived, world of filmmaking.

The format of the course will be highly interactive and forum based, rather than being one, long, continuous lecture. The course will cover as much ground as possible, so that students gain a broad understanding of the whole film-making process - from story and script development right through to marketing and distribution. For all four sessions, there will be on-going opportunities for Q and A, allowing attendees to deal with specific queries and concerns as and when they arise.

This course is all about the nitty-gritty of getting a film actually made and (hopefully) sold. It is not for the academic, but for those who want to get their hands dirty getting a film, not just off the ground, but out to the viewing public on the broadest platform possible.

Bruce Windwood is an independent film producer, scriptwriter and director based in Oxfordshire. His first feature film, a low budget comedy called 12 In A Box, has won three prestigious international awards and been sold to a number of territories around the world. The film, which was shot locally, has been described as … one of the best British comedies I’ve ever seen (Al Ruddy, twice-Oscar winning producer of The Godfather & Million Dollar Baby) and … contains enough plot twists and turns to keep you laughing and on the edge of your seat until the films final moments (The Hollywood Reporter).

For all info on 12 In A Box go to www.twelveinabox.com

Dates: 20th & 21st November 10am - 4pm.

Cost
£95 - Subsidised rate for EU citizens

£85.50(includes10 per cent early booking discount if booked by 31st October 2010 - EU citizens)

£137 Full price for non-EU citizens. (Non-Eu citizens with indefinite leave to remain can pay subsidised rate - proof required.)

£123 (includes 10 per cent early booking discount if booked by 31st October 2010 - non -EU citizens)
(Those on state benefits & non-EU international students see FAQ)

12 in a box shoot

The course will cover the following areas

•    Development
•    Pre-Production
•    Production
•    Post Production
•    Selling the film

Development

•    Commercial v Arthouse - Is it art and from the heart - commercial - or are you hoping for a mix of the two?
•    Short or feature?
•    Commercial film-making and choice of genre. What is best?
•    Producer as pragmatist - Chasing the big bucks (how long will you wait?) v shooting ultra-low budget (get it made but fight to get it out there)
•    Developing story
•    Developing screenplay -optioning existing work (chain of title)
•    Preparing and stretching the budget - Use of deferment, points, expenses, in-kind, blagging, favours.
•    Raising the money - Private equity, Film Council, Tax breaks etc.
•    Attaching cast - Name actor v unknown (and understanding distribution-marketing repercussions of your choices)
•    Attaching director - Can you effectively direct-produce?

Pre-production

•    Attaching crew - Crew breakdown, (who & what do they do & who you can and cannot do without).
•    Producer- The Man With Many Hats
•    Cutting deals.
•    Legal - Contracts
•    Insurance
•    Catering - An army marches on its stomach
•    Transport and Accommodation
•    Format and Kit
•    Scheduling - A good 1st is worth his or her weight in gold
•    Location and sets.
•    Accounts and cashflow
•    Casting and Dealing with agents.
•    Press - website Blogs, pix, early hype-buzz

Production

•    Producer as mother - UN soldier - arch-manipulator.
•    Tips on survival.
•    Tips on sticking to schedule.
•    The mechanics of a film set.
•    Publicity - importance of stills - EPK
•    Working with crew - How far can you push your troops?
•    Health and Safety
•    Prioritising and fire-fighting - focusing on, quiet literally, the big picture.
•    Coverage and clean sound.

Post Production - Deliverables

•    The Edit - Re-making the film.
•    Hidden costs.
•    Music - Composed, library, pop, classical
•    Format mastering - Blow-up? Transfer? When needed at what stage?
•    Sound - Dolby, M & E, Folly, ADR etc
•    E and O
•    Continuity Script - Time-coded Dialogue list (foreign sales)

Selling the film

•    When to approach distributors - Pre-sales.
•    Trailer
•    Short films - Calling card - festivals.
•    Distributor screenings
•    Distributors - How they operate, what they look for.
•    Sales Agents - Who can you trust?
•    Website
•    Film Markets - Importance
•    Festivals - Indie route to market
•    Breakdown of saleable rights (theatrical, DVD, VOD, TV etc)
•    Four-walling - self-distribution
•    Exhibitors
•    Publicists
•    International market place
•    Negotiating deals (MG, what you can expect)
•    Distributor contracts (Deliverables)
•    Moving on - using film as springboard to next feature.

To book online or by post, see booking form.