You can now access my website from phetherington.com – which is much much easier than patriciahetherington.wordpress.com!
You can also email me at info(at)phetherington.com
Boozin’ & Schmoozin’ and Action On The Side
I’ve just come back from my first experience of Boozin’ & Schmoozin’, a monthly networking event that Raindance arranges. I’ve met some lovely filmmakers and am looking forward to working with them.
Boozin’ & Schmoozin’ includes allowing filmmakers to stand on a stool and announce to a captive crowd what projects they’re working on: composers and actors announcing their availability to work; writers looking for producers; directors/producers looking for crew; or just people introducing themselves.
I got up and announced my recent exciting news! Action On The Side, the collaborative film project that I was involved with in July, will be running again in October. Sign up on the website to be involved.
James, the organizer, has invited me to help organize Action On The Side. So I will be there in October, and hope to see you there too!
Inspiration from an online conversation
Filmmaking is tough. Whilst technology has made it easier and cheaper to make films and upload them for viewing, raising funds and creating a sustainable business model are conversely more difficult. Why do we do it?
Because we love it.
Below are some excerpts from a conversation on Shooting People that inspires me. Filmmakers talking about film and all the ins and outs of it. I love it, and am going to come back to read it again later.
There is something in the vanity of the artist that while trying to achieve the incredible, we leave ourselves open to hubris and misconception.
passion can at times cause you to over-reach yourself.
– Patrick Astwood
Microbudget filmmaking: Ambition or Selfdeception?
Conversation on Shooting People
I discovered this conversation months ago, and am loving reading through all of the comments.
It’s a very simple equation: a film needs to be made for less than its market value; ideally sufficiently less for the producers to be able to keep on living and make another film on that small margin.
– Daniel Cormack
(Although I don’t agree with his subsequent anti-union/anti-collective agreement comments and comments on Producers)
(But then he comments on horse-trading deals and the effect on independent films finding cinema distribution)
film people would do well to take long hard look at the music industry. The same tropes- ease of both creation, dissemination, and consumption have reduced the financial value of the ‘product’ to the point where although ‘everyone’ can now ‘make a record’ the chances of making a living at it are harder than ever…The same thing is now hitting the film industry.
also be aware that when you do have to ask people to share the dream, you don’t also ask them to do the impossible. As a composer I’m now wary of working with the dreamers, they’re always the ones who assume that writing a ten minute score, to picture, for no money, in a day, is something I’ll really want to do, and I should thank them for the honour of contributing to their masterwork and working all night on it
.
– Tom Green
Commenting on microbudgets affecting the financial value of peoples’ work, and comparing it to the music industry.
If you know anyone who is actually doing it then keep them close, their failures are worth a hundred hesitations.
– Ben Blaine
TRAGEDIA to screen at Making Tracks / Whirlygig Cinema
TRAGEDIA has been selected
to take part in
Making Tracks
from Whirlygig Cinema
Screening Saturday 27 July 2013
A unique short-film event fusing cutting-edge film talent with brand new live scores written and performed by The Cabinet of Living Cinema.
Rich Mix
35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA
Doors 7.30pm / Films 8pm
Buy tickets at http://whirlygigcinema.com/makingtracks/
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Action On The Side
Today, I spent the day in a cinema in Westminster, overlooking Parliament, surrounded with a bunch of filmmakers who want to make a film.
Action On The Side, from James Doherty, is taking place over the weekends in July. In the end we’ll have produced a film. Our group is planning to shoot next weekend. We’ve got a really good script outline, and I’m confident we’re going to have a great film.
Now Wash Your Hands
We have entered ‘Now Wash Your Hands‘ into the Virgin Media Shorts Competition. Check it out!
Vote for the film and share it with your friends.
Script Breakdowns
I am currently supervising an Independent Study on being a Short Film Production Assistant. This is all in preparation for a course that I am teaching in Winter.
In reference to the topic of Script Breakdowns, here are a few relevant links for research.
- Courtney. “Script Breakdown“. How To Film School. 11 March 2012.
- PolarisDib. “30 Minute Film School: Script Breakdown, Shotlists, Storyboarding, and Scheduling“. Mubi.com. 2012.
- “How To Break Down A Script“. PixelValley Studio. 01 June 2008.
- “Script Breakdown“. Line Producing.com. No date.
- Going For Picture. “Breaking Down The Script and Scheduling Pt. 1: The Breakdown Sheet“. tumblr.com. No date.
- Osment, Deborah. “How To Break Down A Screenplay“. Film Slate Magazine.com. No date.
And then the following videos.
- Microbudgetfilms. “Script Breakdown“. Youtube.com. 02 March 2010.
- TheSubstream. “The Film Lab: Pre-Production Paperwork“. Youtube.com. 21 October 2009.
- REELOnlineFilmSchool. “Making A Movie Blog 16: SCRIPT BREAKDOWN“. Youtube.com. 26 September 2012.
- yschutzer. “Script Breakdown, Scheduling and Budgeting“. Youtube.com. 21 November 2008.
Short Sighted 2013
On Monday 17 June, I was at Short Sighted 2013, an all-day event at BAFTA on short film distribution. The day involved various sessions on subjects such as:
– Submitting to Film Festivals
– online film distribution models
– post production and tech specs
– cinema and film festival programming
– viral film
– the anatomy of a sale
– traditional distribution vs. online distribution
Key speakers included reps from the London Short Film Festival, The London Film Festival, Encounters Film Festival, The British Council, SXSW, Vimeo, Short Of The Week, Distrify, VODO.
And of course, there was plenty of networking to be done. (Love it!)
One of the main points that I took away is that I, as a short film makers, need to be watching more short films. Also, as an independent filmmaker, need to be watching more independents. As filmmakers, we need to be supporting the industry, and we need to be researching and seeing what else it out there. I’m watching a lot more shorts on vimeo and short of the week, and I recommend you all do too.
CAMS Connect
I have just returned from the CAMS Connect Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. CAMS is the records management system that we use at my work.
This is the post that explains all of the #CAMSConnect tweets you may have seen coming up.
Shiftwork Showreel 2013
Check out the Shiftwork Showreel. I was the 1st AD for ‘Don’t Do It’ and ‘Don’t Wash Your Hands’ – both of which are about to be submitted to film festivals.
We’re currently working on our next two productions: ‘Dead Letter’, which I am directing, and ‘The Estate Agent’, directed by Nils Lindemann, which I am Producing. More details to come.
If you like the showreel, please share it. TIA.
Busy Times 