Guerilla Film Makers PLUS PDF

The Guerilla Filmmakers Handbook
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PLUS!
The
Guerilla Film Makers
Handbook PLUS!
This bonus PDF accompanies the 3rd edition of the UK Guerilla Film Makers Handbook.
Please do not copy or distribute it. It is the copyright of Chris Jones and Genevieve Jolliffe
This booklet can be printed onto A5 paper, or even made into a booklet, if your printer supports
booklet printing. It contains a mix of box outs and interviews that did not fit into the 3rd edition,
new material and interviews from the 2nd edition that are relevenat now, but perhaps somewhat
superceded.
We hope you enjoy it!
copyright 2006 Chris Jones and Genevieve Jolliffe
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The Guerilla
Film Makers
Handbook
3rd Edition
PLUS!
Chris Jones and

Genevieve Jolliffe
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PLUS!
FAKERS
FULL INTERVIEW
Q - Why do you want to be a producer as

opposed to a director?
Claire Bee
Producer Claire - It’s not what I’m good at. I’m
creative in a sense of getting the story right
for a cinematic piece, but not as well as other people.
So, I’m not going to sit there and be a director when I’m better at being a producer.
Q - What is the job of a producer?
Claire - In a nutshell, as best as possible, taking something from a very, very small idea, all the
way through to a theatrical release, television and DVD.
Q - Is the job the same whether you are working with a low budget or high budget?
Claire - I guess so. It depends on what you are actually doing. If you are making a movie for a
theatrical release then yes, you are taking a script, or an idea someone has given you, and you
are putting it into production. You are raising the money and you are getting it sold and seen.
Q - How did you start?
Claire - I started at school. I wanted to get into films, but no one in my family had any back-
ground in the film industry. So I really didn’t know how to get started. I spoke to teachers, studied
an advanced GNVQ in Media studies and went to university where I did a professional broad-
casting degree. I believed television was something that was quite strong in this country, but a
Media degree wasn’t something that was really going to help me because it was just too broad. A
degree is supposed to be a specialist subject, so I figured the technical side of television was the
route to go. That’s where I met my business partner Todd Kleparski, and we discovered we had a
similar thing that we wanted to do - make movies. We wanted to shoot on film, but being in a
broadcasting university, it was definitely frowned upon obviously because you are making
television product. So we decided to start doing short films at university with a couple of other
guys, Mark and Ollie. Mark wrote scripts and he directed. Ollie and Todd both wanted to do
cinematography. I wanted to produce, so we did it and used parts of our student loans to do so.
Then people from the National Film School and the International Film School started hearing
about me working on small budgets and decided I was good at it. They asked me to come and
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help them produce and my budgets got bigger. The biggest short I did was £10k at the London
Film School.
Q - What kind of education did you get from making the shorts?
Claire - I don’t know how to quantify it but it was invaluable. There are so many lessons to be
learnt, in all the areas of film making - one of them is set etiquette. Knowing whom you are
dealing with and how to treat your crew because they make the final product. If you don’t know
how to treat them, you are not going to get that product. You get to learn about all the different lab
and post techniques, and how things are put together and the responsibility and decisions that
are yours.
Q - You seem to work with more traditional sized crews despite your reduced budgets.
Claire - Yeah, I have. My aspirations are to make very high quality feature films, and I don’t know
if that really does mean a big budget. It does help, but in order to get to that point, you have to
work in those practices and learn how it goes together. The feature film we’ve just done, Fakers,
was with a full-size crew and a very small budget. By doing that, you learn how to manage the
budget. You have lots of mistakes, but it gets easier when you do the next one. It’s harder to get
it together, because you’ve got to prove that you can get the money again, but the actual working
practices of it should be easier because you’ve made those mistakes before.
Q - How old were you when Fakers came together?
Claire - Fakers happened a year after university. I was working for Kodak, selling film stock in
Soho, trying to get a foot in the door with anybody as a PA. Richard Janes, the director of Fakers
turned up in the shop and he’s like ‘I’ve got a quarter of a million pounds, and I’ve got this script,
do you want to produce it?’ And after a year of being confined, not being able to be creative or
make anything, I was like ‘Yes, I’ll do anything! Get me out of here!’ So, I took on this script and
this quarter of a million pounds, and decided that we had to raise more money. We were trying to
raise at least £850k to be able to shoot it and get it finished. Todd came
on at that point and between us and Tom Chambers, who was signed up
for a main role, we got to £555k. So we decided to go and shoot, and
we did this all through EIS investment as well.
Q - EIS, is it still available?
Claire - Enterprise Investment Scheme, yeah. It’s not film specific; it’s
a government fund. Basically, it’s something the government set up for
high-risk small businesses. The key word is ‘high risk’, because most
people can’t get an investment if they are high-risk business as it’s not
attractive to investors. So the government does this so that investors
get a little bit back in a tax break.
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PLUS!
Q - Do they buy shares?
Claire - Yes. But they can not sell their shares in the first 3 years and the company cannot
release any dividends / profits in the first 3 years. If the company has made a profit, they can buy
those shares back at a different price. But, you can’t give those guarantees in your business
model or else you are not classed as high risk because you are giving a guaranteed exit route.
It’s all regulated by the SCEC (Small Company Enterprise Centre), so you have to get your
prospectus approved. The SCEC are brilliant. If you’ve got any problems, you just go to them.
You don’t need a big, expensive accountant to do it. You can do it yourself; you just have to work
with the SCEC.
Q - Did your industry preconceptions change after working on Fakers?
Claire - I’m a very realistic person. I’m a bit too realistic actually, and it can prevent me from
making decisions sometimes. What I believed then was that you could make money from films.
Not masses. But you’d probably get something back at least. It’s a business, you’re selling a
product, and if you make a good product, I believed someone would buy it. Now, I realise it’s not
that simple. It really depends on who is involved. The exhibitors have their deals. They have to
honour the bigger movies, which have spent so much more money. Just because your film is
good, it doesn’t mean it is going to get a theatrical release or that it will make money. All the
critics from all the magazines saying it’s marvellous doesn’t matter. And for the record they didn’t
say that about my film! Though our target audience was Nuts magazine readers, and they gave it
5/5.
Q - Did you think the screenplay was ready when you shot it?
Claire - Paul Gerstenberger wrote the first draft in three weeks so clearly the script wasn’t ready
at that point. The script was strong, but it wasn’t tight enough. We continued developing the script
but still went into pre-production and we did re-writes right the way through the shoot. Even when
they were shooting the finale scene, it was a totally different scene from what was there
originally. It just wasn’t scary enough. Paul and I were talking to Richard ‘It’s not scary, it’s not
scary!’ he said ‘Trust me, I know what I’m doing.’ ‘OK, but can we write something just in case?’
Paul rewrote something, spoke to Richard again, and the next morning I turn up on set, watching
the monitor, and there’s Art Malik doing this scene that him and Richard pulled together. It was
petrifying; it was the scariest moment because I wasn’t sure I had done the right thing. Did I push
to get that scene scarier?
Q - What was the budget, and where did it come from?
Claire - The money was all privately invested, it was all people who knew people, who wanted to
invest though an EIS scheme and who understood the risk, believed in the script, and believed in
the director. They knew people, and they’d chat over bridge, and decided they like the film. We
were very lucky. We shot on £550k, but the final audited costs come out just over one million
pounds including post. We didn’t have a full production team. So there was only myself, Todd, the
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accountant and our assistant on board. It would have

helped having a proper line producer - somebody who Websites to
help you find
is very experienced to manage the budget. We were
all paid less than the runners, which was great
bargaining with people’s wages. That’s how it got crew
shot, but the budget would have worked better if we
had spent more money on areas like location www.shootingpeople.co.uk
department, and pre-production, and having a www.craigslist.com
stronger production team. www.film-tv.co.uk
www.mandy.com
www.productionbase.co.uk
Q - You found somebody with some wealth, and
www.shoots.com
that created an interest within that group? www.ukscreen.com
www.filmlondon.org.uk
Claire - One investor had some money to invest in the www.artism.com
arts. He decided that our film was a good idea and www.media-match.com
told his wealthy friends about it. They decided that
they wanted to invest in it as well and it spiralled from
there.
Q - How did you approach casting?
Claire - We only had eight weeks for pre-production, which included casting. Before we actually
went into pre-production Richard was very clear that he wanted Art Malik, so we actually
approached his agent at PFD to get him on board. Luckily enough, Art Malik is the kind of actor
who is open to everything and just wants to shoot scripts that he likes. He got the script, liked it,
and therefore came on board. After that it was a case of who Richard liked for the key characters.
Tom Chambers, who played Tony, was someone Richard had worked with before on a short film
and hadn’t had the big role. Richard felt he was perfect for the role of Tony, so he was cast early
on. Then we worked with our casting directors, Elaine Fallon and Tania Polentarutti, who
suggested up and coming actors that would be interested in low budget film making. And that’s
when we got suggested Matthew Rhys and Kate Ashfield. I’d seen Matthew before, and I loved
him. Richard hadn’t seen his work before, so they met, he liked him, and he was cast. The fun
roles were the cameos - the art gallery dealers. They were trickier because they were well-
seasoned actors, so they were hard to pin down. We didn’t get Rula Lenska till the very last
minute, but I’m so glad we did.
Q - In hindsight, would you have tried to cast named actors in the lead roles for sales
reasons?
Claire - Unfortunately, what sells a film these days is, ‘Oooh who’s in that film? Ooooh it’s Tom
Cruise!’ ‘I like him, let’s go see him!’ So in hindsight, yeah, it would have been easier to sell the
film if we had an A-list cast in the principal roles, or at least one person in a principle role. In
reality you are not going to get that unless your script is something out there, something that is
truly amazing, and it’s the kind of actor who is open to that sort of thing. Johnny Depp is one for
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PLUS!
Things to do if shooting overseas

1. Investigate the country’s and it’s individual 14. Inform your own insurers of your
region’s relevant tax incentives/tax relief. filming activities that take place out of the
country making sure that you have proper
2. Talk to the relevant film commissions who coverage.
can supply you with photos, brochures, contacts
(i.e. hotels, extra casting agencies, equipment 15. Being in a foreign country, you will need to
etc.) and any necessary resource guides. get local insurance. Make sure you’re fully
covered. To find local insurance companies,
3. Research other productions that have filmed check first with your insurance broker who may
in that country so to be aware of any problems. have relationships with companies in that
country. Bear in mind that in certain countries,
4. Contact the country’s immigration if you’re not fully covered you can face
departments to find out the policies for bringing different procedures e.g. in Spain, you must
in your cast and crew into the country. have the correct driving insurance or you could
find yourself staying in jail until it’s resolved.
5. Hire or find production managers or co-
ordinators who’ve shot there before. 16. Find out what the local laws are in the
country of your production and the procedures
6. Hire a local production or unit manager - that if you’re pulled over for either speeding or
speaks English. drunk driving.
7. Check whether the cast and crew will need 17. Find out what the emergency medical
any immunizations or vaccines before they visit procedures are (i.e. such as calling the
the country. country’s equivalent of 999) and find out where
the local emergency medical facilities are.
8. Make sure everyone has a current passport
and that it will not expire during the production 18. Find local doctors / dentists that speaks
(check also that it will also not expire within 6 English.
months even if your shoot is for one month).
19. Secure the services of the necessary
9. Find out about the local country’s unions and paramedics/doctors and fireman for your shoot.
work with them to ensure their support.
20. Calculate the local currency conversion
10. Meet with local authorities to find out if and find out where the best bureaus of
permits are required. exchange are for your cast and crew.
11. Find a good freight company that specialises 21. Find out if the country is PAL or NTSC – for
in the entertainment industry to handle all your either your own playback equipment or to
shipping including necessary carnets etc. recommend your cast/crew to bring their own
necessary converters with them.
12. Find out if the country
of production accepts 22. Check if you have to form a separate
carnets or if like company in that country in order to operate.
Taiwan it accepts a
different type of 23. Set up bank accounts with the local bank in
carnet. order to pay your local crew.
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example. He takes risks. So if you’ve got something that could appeal to that kind of person, then
yeah you are going to get them. And you are going to get them within your budget, if they are
prepared to make an investment themselves.
Q - How long did you shoot for?
Claire - We shot for 10 weeks, and we broke over the Christmas and New Year period, then shot
the last week in Spain.
Q At this level of budget I’m assuming you have a large staff. Did you have any problems
getting permission to shoot?
Claire - Oh yes! When you have every single gallery owner on set for the day, you can’t just
show up with Rula Lenska and Edward Hibbert on a chair, and sit there like it’ll be fine. Yeah we
had to have a full unit base, a full feature unit and you can’t just turn up on London bridge and
‘quick get a shot!’ because it is just not going to turn out right for what we are trying to do. This
was pre-Ken Livingston as well, so getting permission in London was a
nightmare. Parking was a nightmare. Luckily the one thing we did do
right is get a really good location team and a fabulous unit manager,
Linley Bettles. She was amazing. She kept that unit together and when
there were problems like lawn mowers and builders making noise, she
managed to get them to stop work. That’s where those crew
members were invaluable. When you are shooting in London, you
have to have the right location team and security team to work with
the environment. You can’t just say ‘I’m a film, I’m here, everyone’s
gotta get out of my way!’
Q - Was it shot on 35mm?
Claire - No! That was a budget thing. We intended to shoot on

35mm, but not being able to secure the rest of that money, and the
budget being so tight, we thought ‘What can we do?’ We did tests
with the camera and decided that actually shooting 16mm
anamorphic and posting via a digital intermediate route was a pretty
good choice to go with quality-wise. We saved 70% of lighting and
camera budget by dropping to 16mm, so we could put that money
into locations. Our location manager was still scouting during
shooting, which meant they couldn’t be tech reckies. So we didn’t
know what lighting packages were actually needed, so we rented
far greater than we needed to cover our arses. Therefore the
sparks and driving were affected by it, and that’s where we went
over in our budget.
Q - Did you do any re-shoots after the main shoot?
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PLUS!
Claire - We didn’t do a proper re-shoot. The one problem we did have was with the main gallery.
There had been such a high quality in all the other art galleries that it had to be quite special. The
location that was secured a week before we were going to shoot it, but no one had managed to
recce it, save for only the Location Manager, and we trusted him to get it right. The day before we
managed to finish a little bit early, so the heads of department said ‘Right, OK, let’s go down
there’. Richard had to call me and say ‘Claire, it was awful, we just can’t shoot here it is terrible.’
So, 10’clock the night before the shoot with Rula Lenska, who is booked, I had the question,
what are we going to do? So I said ‘Right we are not shooting, we are pulling it.’ It would have
been insulting to the crew who are all on a really low wage and are investing their time to then go
and shoot one of the main locations in a place that is not right. So we called Rula at home, woke
her up, and told her we were really sorry, but you are not coming in tomorrow. We are putting it
on the other side of Spain. So in effect, there was like a week’s re-shoot tacked onto the end, and
we had to get everyone to try and do deals if possible.
Q - How long was post-production?
Claire - Post-production was a whole other journey in itself. To lock in took about 8 weeks in
total. By this point we had an investor that was prepared to give half a million, which was to do
post and all the deliverables. As the contracts were being drawn up, he vanished. It was horrific
because we’d still been running up hefty bills for weeks. So we had to
shut down the production office and stop editing, though we luckily had
a locked picture. Then my Mum got really ill - she was dying and so I
had to be with her. Richard and Todd were full throttle trying to work out
how to secure some money to get the film completed. In June all three
of us went to Cannes to see if we could do anything at all. Mean-
while back in London, we were trying to sort out who was going to
do all the final elements of post - sound, digital, transfer, title
sequence, grade, all that kind of stuff. Our favourites were
LipSync, and Videosonics, for sound. They were calling Richard
saying, yeah, great we’ll do it, and we were said ‘Sorry, you can’t
do it, we haven’t got the money’ and they were said, ‘well let’s see
how you go, we are still very much interested, we are going to
juggle the space for you.’ While we were in Cannes, we met the
Future Film Group, who told us about their super Sale and Lease
back with Equity investment, so we could procure 20% of the
budget, which was just enough to get post-production done. So
that’s what we did. They said they’d start work knowing that we
didn’t have the money secured because with sale and leaseback
there’s lots of paper work to do. Some of the original investors
chipped in as well.
Q - In terms of your edit, do you think there was a better

movie in it than what actually got completed because you
were rushed through post-production?
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Claire - No. We were very wise about all of that because we knew how strong a tool editing is.
We did one cut, had a screening where we invited people who we knew hadn’t been involved in
the film at all. We also invited along very well established editors and producers. Afterwards
they told us to do this, do that, change this, that will do better there. So we felt confident with
what we had.
Q - How did you approach sales and distribution?
Claire - I was trying to raise extra investment and thought distribution might be a way to do it.
None of us had ever done distribution before. We got through the editing stages, but as for
selling something it’s a totally different ball game. We weren’t sure if big distributors like Pathe
or UIP could get involved and help fund us. So, we started contacting them. Some people
contacted us, like Miramax because the minute you appear in Screen International without a
sales agent they think, ‘Oooh, movie we can buy’, so they start getting in touch. Then they start
wanting to see stuff. So we sent out the off-line edit and nothing happened. In a way, we felt like
it did damage because they’d seen the film before it was fully complete and not yet at its best.
Q - So in your rush to try and make a deal, you in fact significantly weakened your
position, by showing them an incomplete product/project?
Claire - That’s how we feel. It’s different if you’ve got bigger stars and all that kind of thing. But
when you are an unknown director, unknown producer, and up and coming British talent, it
takes a truly splendid script to make you sit up.
Q - So you had to make the film to know that you should have distribution to make the
film?
Claire - Exactly. If you are going to make your first film, make it. Get on with it, and make it.
Make sure your script is right, that’s the important bit as I’m sure you’re aware of! It’s tricky if
you don’t know what you are doing business-wise, because sales agents and distributors can
lock you into agreements that you wouldn’t know how to argue your way out of. However the
important thing to remember is that they are doing business with you because you have
something they want and there is your bargaining power. Our problem was we got to a point
where the film was finished and now we needed to start selling it. We got a bit scared maybe, or
just a bit anxious, thinking we have got to sell this NOW! So we invited as many sales agents as
we could think of to a screening. Portman really wanted to do it, but they were only interested in
doing television. Then Content come along, a brand new sparkly company, who are part of
Content Films in New York. So you think ‘Oooh, big company, great! They are really interested
in us, and they wanted to represent us, so we made an agreement and they have been our
sales agents since last November. Now they are the biggest Sales Agent in the country.
Q - So a year down the line, how much money have you got from them?
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PLUS!
PACT / EQUITY LOW BUDGET SCHEME

This agreement for films budgeted under £3 million allows you to only pay the actor’s daily
/ weekly rate plus 50% or 70% (depending on your budget) instead of the normal 280% for
worldwide rights to your actors’ performances. For low budget film makers with any kind of money,
this can make real sense as it takes a whole set of problems off your table, namely contract and
heavy negotiations with agents. We did it on Urban Ghost Story and it worked a dream.
Points to consider... 4. There is no limit to where you can show your

1. All films budgeted above £250,000 need to film or in what media.
be certified by an accountant from the
Production Guild. Under £250,000 need only a 5. There’s a hold back period of one year from
summary budget. first theatrical release before film can be shown
on UK television.
2. Once certified, send accountant’s letter, top
sheet of budget, letter identifying financiers, 6. If no theatrical release, then hold back period
start date, length of shoot, location of shoot of 15 months from the date of delivery of the
and a letter from your production company film to its principal financier is applied.
stating you want to register for the low budget
film agreement to the Producers Rights 7. It takes three to four days to register a
Agency (PRA) arm of Pact. production.
3. Include the number of 8. You don’t have to be a member of Pact or

cast roles that would Equity to use this agreement, but you still must
apply to the agreement pay the levy.
and their cost as there
is a 5% minimum of the
overall budget to qualify.
Claire - Zero! Sales agents are tough. They have to spend money because they have to go to all
the international markets. You can audit their accounts, all that kind of stuff, but there’s nothing
that can stop you the film maker from feeling like absolute shit when you look at their accounts
and think ‘Oh my God, it’s costing that much money to sell the film!’
Q - How much have you earned them?
Claire - I think the film has made about $260k worth of sales from the smaller territories like
Scandinavia, Russia, Portugal, and Greece. Japan is the surprise one. They’ve taken theatrical
as well. Their theatrical release comes out next spring, But the big territories like France,
Germany and America won’t bite because it’s a UK film and if it’s not going to get a sale in it’s
own territory, then why should they take it? So the UK theatrical release became the golden
apple. This is the thing we must achieve and it just wasn’t happening. Then comes along Guerilla
Films with David Wilkinson, who is truly amazing. He works his arse off for you. He pulls out all
the stops. He comes up with the wackiest ideas, for getting the film known, and he concentrates
purely on independent UK films. London is really tough because you have got your niche
audiences, which is just too much to compete with. The problem with Fakers is that it is a
commercial film, but it doesn’t have the usual commercial bells and whistles like a big star. So it
12
doesn’t fit in the art-house market at all because that audience wants something that is totally
different, something thought provoking, not purely entertaining. So David sees the film at
Cannes, then approaches us and says ‘I’m interested. I want to take the film for UK rights and do
a theatrical release.’ He doesn’t have money, so we have to raise more money for a theatrical,
which we realised anyway, as we didn’t have a P&A budget. He didn’t want to go through a sales
agent, so we had to get Content to release the UK rights back to the producers for us to do the
deal, which took a little bit of time. But they did it in the end. They realised that that was going to
help all the other territories, so that’s what we did and we raised a further £35k for the theatrical
release.
FILMMAKERS CODE OF CONDUCT

Every film company should follow a code of conduct when filming on location. Many
counties/boroughs may have their own film maker’s guidelines which they expect you to adhere
to. These guidelines relate to road markings, lights, equipment, generators, cranes, night filming,
parking, stunts/special effects, health and safety etc.. Check out your local film commission and if
filming in London, the Borough Film Services on the Film London website at www.filmlondon.org.uk.
In addition to the standard codes, it’s a good idea to make sure that your production company has
it’s own policy on how to act when on location.
1. Make sure that all signs that are erected or 7. The cast and crew shall not bring guests or
removed for filming purposes are removed or pets to the location, unless expressly
replaced upon completion of the use of that authorised by the company.
location.
8. Cast and crew will refrain from the use of
2. Rubbish bins should be made available by lewd or improper language.
the production and cleared at the end of each
day’s filming. 9. Observe designated smoking areas and
always extinguish cigarettes in butt cans.
3. All signs posted to direct the company to the
location must be removed. 10. At the conclusion of the filming process, it
is the desire and the intention of this company
4. All sets and props will be removed upon to leave the location as it was found prior to the
completion of their use. start of the production.
5. Production, cast and crew vehicles will 11. The production company must make good
observe the designated parking areas. any damages or mess caused by it’s activities
immediately after filming and notify all parties
6. All trash must be disposed of properly on concerned.
completion of filming. All
catering, craft service, 12. Remember you are guests and should
construction strike always treat the property and the public with
and personal trash courtesy and respect.
must be removed
from the location.
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PLUS!
Q - So how did you feel the theatrical release went?
Claire - We did a very minimal print run because we only had £35k in the P&A budget, but had to
find a way of getting it into one of the major chains, like UGC. So we involved Smart Car, who
appears in the film heavily, by running a competition to give away a Smart Car and weekends
with Smart cars, which helped out with some of the costs. So we had this package where David
from Guerrilla Films then went to UGC and said Smart Car is giving away a Smart Car in
conjunction with the film, we want to get it to as many sites as possible. UGC came on board and
they’ve been amazing at pushing the film. We released on 8 sites for the first week, and then
shifted to another 8 sites for the next week and so on. It stayed at Shaftsbury Avenue for two
weeks. I think it’s done about sixty or seventy sites.
Q - One of the aspects that rarely get talked about is if you think, honestly, the film is good
or bad? Is it different enough?
Claire - I really love Fakers. I love the story, I love the performances, and I love the way it looks.
What we achieved for the budget is amazing. It has it flaws story-wise and we needed more
development time. So, I think it’s OK.
Q - If I said here’s a million pounds, what would you make with that million?
Claire - I would have made a horror movie or a romantic comedy - something that was much
more defined in its genre. Fakers was intended to be a commercial film that you could go and
enjoy. That is why it won’t sell so well because to be a commercial film you need a star name
attached to it.
Q - What do you think was your biggest mistake?
Claire - Not becoming a lawyer! Which I’m now doing. Not pushing for more story time probably
is the biggest thing.
Q - What advice would you offer a producer?
Claire - It is really weird doing this interview, because your book is something we used through-
out the process, when we were making decisions, it helped like you wouldn’t believe! If you are
starting from scratch, I definitely would have some sort of job to fall back on to be able to pay the
bills, you must, must, must get experience. I’m not saying years and years and years, but at least
get on set for a couple of features. Try and see how a production office works. Really research
your production accountant and the line producer. Those people control your budget and if they
are not right, there goes a lot of money you’ve just worked hard to make. Make sure you know
what you are saying to investors. Don’t say to them, ‘you will have your money back in a year.’
Make sure they get independent advice or otherwise, a few years down the line, those investors
are going to be in a position where they want their money and you can’t get it to them. Don’t
make it difficult for yourself. Don’t lie. Yes you need to bend things sometimes to get it to the next
14
position, but if you tell great big porkies, you are going to give yourself hassle for the rest of your
life. It’s a really small industry; so don’t play people off each other - especially facility houses,
post-production houses and crew. If you can’t secure that person for that much money, then you
can’t secure them. Don’t be bullied into those positions either. There are plenty of people, and
you will get the right talented crew person if you want them.
Shooting In Wales
There are no parking meters (some restrictions, though). You don’t need permits to shoot –
only permission from location owners. And there are plenty of sheep if you need them. But if that
wasn’t enough to go film in Wales, your project may qualify for support from the government.
Sgrîn Cymru Wales’ Production Department is responsible for administering and allocation Lottery
funding and other public funding for film production and development in Wales. The department
also provides a comprehensive programme of advisory and networking services to production
companies, individual producers, directors and writers which includes advise on funding sources
and potential financiers. Priority goes to projects from Welsh companies (including UK and
international co-productions) and projects, which have Welsh writers and directors.
In addition to this, the department manages training, various short film production and writer
development initiatives such as the Moonstone Lab, The Script Breakfast Scheme, The Script
Doctor service and it also distributes information on the Media Programme Development grants
through their Welsh Media Antenna.
Feature Film Schemes:

Script Development Funding: Up to 20,000 or 75% of the development costs can be funded if
partnership funding is already in place (this being no more than 12.5% of the overall budget).
Feature Film Funding: Up to 250,000 or 50% of production costs can be funded, once again, only
if partnership funding is already in place - although, a conditional offer can be given as long as you
can prove interest from the financiers.
Applications to the above schemes can be made at any time, and Sgrin advise that applicants
discuss their application with them prior and fill in an Advanced Notification Form as an intial
application for features. Once this is approved, a formal application is made. Funding is in the form
of an investment that is to be recouped through revenues from income from the film, in relation to
the proportion of the investment.
Details of all the schemes can be found at: www.sgrin.co.uk or

contact them at -
Wales Screen Commission/Sgrîn Cymru Wales
10 Mount Stuart Square
Cardiff, CF10 5EE, Wales
Tel: 44 (0) 2920 333300
Fax: 44 (0) 2920 333320
Web: www.walesscreencommission.co.uk
E-mail: sgrin@sgrin.co.uk, rhodri@sgrin.co.uk.
15
PLUS!
SHOOTING IN SCOTLAND
Scottish Screen: Script development funding
Second Floor, 249 West George Street, Scottish Screen will contribute between 2k-
Glasgow, G2 4QE 25k and up to 90% of the development costs.
Tel: 0141 302 1700 Scottish Screen must be paid a 50% premium
Fax: 0141 302 1711 on their investment. Applications for under 25k
Web: www.scottishscreen.com can be made at any time as they’re assessed
on a rolling basis.
1. Develop world class production business in
Scotland Project Development Fund
2. Attract major productions to Scotland. Supports advanced development of Scottish
3. Champion a culture of investment in screen feature films, docs, animation – intended for
industries theatrical release. Scottish screen will
4. Nurture and develop talent and audiences. contribute btw 5k-75k and btwn 10-50% of
5. Preserve and present Scottish screen project’s costs. Exceptions my be made for
production. contributions of up to 75% of projects costs.
6. Encourage and support international Scottish screen must be paid a 50% premium
outlook on their investment. Four deadlines per year,
7. Drive screen policy from school to statute. May, August, Dec, Feb. Applications for awards
of below 25k can be made at any time as
Can invest up to 500k into feature films they’re assessed on a rolling basis.
Invest in about 6 films per year, 40 projects a
year in development representing about 10% Distribution and Exploitation Support
of applications received. Most projects they supports Print and advertising costs of Scottish
support come from Scottish production feature films intended for theatrical release in
companies with projects usually shooting in Scotland, UK and worldwide. Four deadlines
Scotland. per year, May, August, Dec, Feb. Applications
for under 25k can be made at any time as
Lottery Funding they’re assessed on a rolling basis. Eligiblity –
Five deadlines per year. Scottish Screen will distributors seeking to release a film or
fund up to 25% of a production’s costs with a proudcers with a distributor attached.
ceiling of 500k. Scottish screen will contribute up to 50% of
distribution and exhibition costs. Partnership
Twenty First Films funding in kind is acceptable as long as it’s
Supports low budget Scottish feature films matched by partnership funding in cash to the
with budget of no more than 600k intended for same value.
theatrical exhibition. Five deadlines per year
Scottish Screen will fund up to 75% of a Company Development Programme
production’s costs with a ceiling of 300k. Supports companies in developing a slate of
Partnership funding in kind is projects for feature film and docs intended for
acceptable as long as it is theatrical release, tv drama and factual projects
matched by partnership aimed for broadcast, animation and new media,
funding in cash to the interactive joint ventures.
same value. Also Deadline: annual. Applicants should be based
provides training and in Scotland, but some of the slate projects may
development. be developed outside of Scotland and with non-
Scottish partners. Need to show a feature or tv
16
production track record and a slate of projects screenwriting talent by supporting

with financiers attached. script and project development for
feature films, feature docs, commericals
Scottish screen will contribute up to 75k or 50% and other forms of Production
of the slate development costs. Exceptions Eligibility: Local independent production
may be made for contributions of up to 75% of companies intending to work with new writing
the project’s costs. Partnership funding in kind talent.
is acceptable aslong as it’s matched by Awards: 3 levels of development grants at 1k,
partnership funding in cash to the same value. 3k and 5k. Applicants must raise at least 50%
match funding.
Short Film Production Funding
Scottish shorts, docs, animation intended for Product Commercialisation
theatrical release. Four deadlines per year, To aid the growth of production companies by
May, august, Dec, Feb. Awards over 25k – pinpointing buyers that might be interested in
awards below 25k can be made at any time as investing in development projects, formats,
they’re assessed on a rolling basis. Scottish franchises and completed programmes.
screen will fund up to 50% of a production’s Eligibility: Production companies based in
costs. Partnership funding in kind is acceptable Glasgow with a strong business plan.
as long as it’s matched by partnership funding Award – professional advice and guidance. In
in cash to the same value. some cases, grants are awarded when
appropriate.
Guidelines: Individuals are NOT allowed to
apply for these awards. GUIDELINES: Productions must have budgets
of over 200k or a commissioning value of over
Production Schemes: Scottish screen works 50k. No application form and GFO do not
with partners to deliver production schemes for receive unsolicited material. Projects are
short filmmakers: referred to GFO by Scottish Enterprise
Glasgow. Production companies may email or
GLASGOW FILM OFFICE telephone the GFO to discuss the project.
Glasgow Film Office, City Chambers, Glasgow, GFO must receive a screen credit indicating
G2 1DU development support if a project from New
Tel: 014 1287 0424 Writer or New Director/producer schemes goes
Fax: 014 1287 0311 into production. In case of New Writer
Web: www.glasgowfilm.org.uk programme, grant must be repaid once
production begins. GFO do not hold any rights
Help budgets in excess of 200k and committed in the projects they support.
to spending at least 100k in Glasgow intended
for theatrical distribution. Most of the projects SHORTS
they become involved in will have been New Director/Producer Inegration: To
referred to them by business development encourage young filmmaking teams to produce
agencies, such as Scottish Enterprise Glasgow. short films with established production
Any new companies moving to the area are partners. Films to be shot digitally and under
advised to contact Scottish Enterprise Glasgow 25 mins. Grants up to 7.5k for an average
to make their presence known. budget of 30k, with an average award of 5k.
Applicants must raise at least 50% match
Awards funding.
New Writer Integration: This is to encourage
production companies to work with new
17
PLUS!
DRIVEN
Q - Where did the money come from for
Driven?
Simon Cox
Simon - I made a five minute pilot and took it
round to film and distribution companies. I wrote
Dir ec t or lots of letters saying can I come and show you
my pilot and my scripts? After knocking on what
seemed like a thousand doors I got the money from a small distribution
company who basically invested their money in me, not just the movie and idea - it was my energy and
enthusiasm that seemed to close the deal. Originally I asked for £40k and they said you will never do it
for that and gave me £130k. We shot Kodak S16mm and because of the deal I did with the distributor,
it was only ever going to be completed as a TV movie so I didn’t have to consider blowing up to 35mm,
I just stayed on S16mm all the way to final telecine.
Q - As your budget was only £130k how did you pay your crew?
Simon - The deal was that everybody got something. The average wage was £150 - £250 a week,
unless they were an actor and their agent had specified that they had to be paid more.
Q - Did you have any problems with cast or crew?
Simon - The cast were on the whole wonderful, although I did have a slight problem with one of them, I
think that it was a personality thing. Low budget films are very demanding and there were a lot of late
nights - everyone got very tired, so tempers were short. It’s pretty much a miracle if you survive a low
budget movie! The majority of the crew were very good, they were there because they wanted to be
there. However, there were serious problems with a few people. I took on a guy to help produce - he
was a nice guy, very friendly - but when we got into production he suddenly became a “producer” and
we began to clash. Part of the problem was that he helped me crew up and he brought a lot of his own
friends in. Halfway through the shoot those people teamed up with him and it became a bit of a ‘them
and us’ situation - not very constructive. Being that this was my first film, I was intent on making it the
best that I could and I found that some people were not behind me and were there for the ego trip.
Looking back on it, we were tired and under pressure, so I can kind of understand why it happened.
Q - Did this producer have any comments on the screenplay?
Simon - Yes, I was convinced by this new producer to rewrite the script. I was 12 drafts down the line
and I had lost focus so he suggested another writer who would have a better overall view and help
18
focus the screenplay, to do a final polish so to speak. I was unhappy about this but I agreed as I had
heaps to do like casting, locations, shot lists... But he didn’t do a polish, he went away and did a
complete rewrite! At the time I thought it was a good re-write, but it had become a much bigger film -
suddenly I was on the roller coaster of production with a screenplay I didn’t know well. New characters,
new locations, big effects... the world ending at the end! But it was too late and we just had to make it -
come hell or high water, I got focused and became determined to make the very best of everything,
script, cast, budget, sets, locations.Once we were going though, the new script just seemed to cause
endless problems. There were lots of phrases like lightning streaks across the fire ridden sky which
looked beautiful on the page but when you come to the practicalities it was form over content with the
script sounding to me much better than the story it was telling.
Q - How many weeks did you cut for?
Simon - We cut for 8 weeks altogether. That was three weeks during the shoot, and five weeks after. It
wasn’t enough time, but again, I was under financial pressure to deliver and the film ended up being
seriously compromised from a dramatic point of view. The deal I made with the financier was that I
would get the last third of the money when I delivered the film. That meant that I was in the red for the
final part of its making and I wouldn’t get out until I delivered the completed movie. So I couldn’t pay for
the editing kit or the labs and the editor. Andi and I worked like bastards through the night trying to get
this thing done and we ended up with a cut that was kind of OK. We were both too close to it and there
was no objectivity, so we had to go with it. Ultimately, I found myself with a film that I was really
unhappy with. It just seemed big, baggy and boring.
It was a year later that I actually got myself into a position to re-cut having had some time to reflect on
it. I did a major re-cut, dropping twelve minutes and then went out and shot some more scenes. Just
tiny bits and pieces, but it really added to the drama and the momentum in the script. I spent a lot more
time re-mixing the sound and building up the soundtrack, because originally we did not have the time
or money that it deserved. The new version feels a thousand times better to me, its pace is more even,
the shocks are better, lots more digital effects and all the boring stuff is gone.
My advice to a new film maker is give yourself time. Take what you think is your final cut and show it to
people that you don’t know and they will be brutally honest with you. Get their opinions and
then take a little time to reflect because it really will make a difference.
Q - The original cut had a lot of music - why?
Simon - Yes, it had wall to wall music. We were under such pressure to
deliver that when we mixed the film, I hadn’t even heard the music. We
just sat there in the dub and said, yes that sounds great, let’s use it. In
essence, the music was helping the film, but by the end, we’d over used
it and it became too much. Again, no time to reflect on where we should
punctuate the drama with music and where we didn’t need it. Musicians
will write you more than you need, it will sound great, but you need to
learn where you don’t need it and just say no thanks.
19
PLUS!
Q - And how much money did you get out of it?
Simon - Altogether I made about £3.5k out of Driven. And that was the fee that I took while I was
making it. I had the idea in 1995 and I finished it in January 1999. Out of sales I’ve seen nothing and
don’t expect to see a penny. Driven really has been a labour of love, the next film will bring the cash,
hopefully.
Q - What do you think was the biggest mistake that you made?
Simon - If I could roll back the clock, letting someone else re-write the script was the biggest mistake.
Driven became a film that I didn’t know and I didn’t feel comfortable with. You live and learn. You do the
best that you can under the circumstances. In retrospect, many of my problems came about because I
was making a low budget film, which means you need more time, but with money coming from a
company who works in the professional world of TV. So often, we just couldn’t say, hold on, let’s wait
and figure it out, because I had to deliver the film. If the money came from private investors, we would
have made better decisions under less pressure, but then we couldn’t guarantee that it would have
done so well in the market place.
Q - What advice would you give to a new film maker?
Simon - Follow your heart. Making Driven was the hardest thing I have ever done but it was also the
greatest thing I have ever done. It is a bit like walking on Mars. When you have made a feature film, no
one can touch you. You can approach all the big companies like Working Title and actually be seen as
a film director, rather than as a wannabe. You have to take the shit and the knocks - every time a door
shuts in your face you are one door closer to the one that is going to open. Stick with it and follow your
vision. If you know in your heart that something is right then do it. And never take no for an answer.
Don’t spend your time complaining how hard it is to make your film or how bad things are. Be positive
and energetic, be nice and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.
INTERVIEW CONTINUES DEC 2005
Q - How much have you made from Driven?
Simon - I bought back the rights and have been selling it myself on DVD, remastered and re-titled
‘Written In Blood’. And so far have made a few thousand.
Q - What have you done since Driven was completed?
Simon - I decided to take time out to sort out my life. I got married and had kids, got a mortgage and
so on. I also reflected on what I wanted to do next. First I wanted to make a movie I would be proud of,
one that would have people queuing round the block. I also wanted to be part of a business that was
sustainable beyond a single film.
Q - What are you doing now?
20
Simon - I have always loved film, but HD has now won me over. Not the prosumer cameras and
formats, but the pro equipment. I set up Stormrider Films with a business in mind. I needed investment
and I needed a sustainable business. So I pit together a business plan for a company where I would
buy all the equipment so we could make a film completely in house, and at the same time, run that
company as a facility for rent. I have spent a couple of years writing and refining business plans,
meeting with business angels and bank managers, and frankly, have become more of a business man
than producer. Still, I needed to learn the language these people speak, and I soon learned that they
were not going to invest in a single high risk venture such as a film, but they would invest in a business
with secondary incomes. It all really kicked off when I met a financial strategist who helped me reshape
my business strategy, my business plan, and then made the right introductions.
Since then I have set up a full facility with a Panasonic HD Varicam, with the full post production
workflow covered in house. As I speak, I am painting a wall with special green screen paint for visual
effects sequences.
Q - What is your film called?
Simon - The Kaleidoscope Man, a sci-fi actioner.
Q - Where are you based?
Simon - I chose to move out of London so I could enjoy a

quality of life with my family. To get out of that rat race. I
have found that I am less distracted and certainly more
productive. Having made on film as well, within the
media community here in the Midlands, I am a much
bigger fish in a smaller pond than I would be in London.
For me that makes everything that much easier.
Q - Having filled out many forms for money, what

advice would you offer on that score?
Simon - Don’t just look at the obvious organisations

like the UK Film Council. There are lots of other places
to look, but you need to learn their language, and they
need to feel like they are making a sound investment.
Think it through completely, write a business plan, ask
yourself where you will be in five years and take your
film and yourself very seriously.
www.stormriderfilms.co.uk
21
PLUS!
KEY ART
Q - What is your job?
Martin - I design key artwork and posters for

films. I start by reading the script, watching the
terworth
rough cut, or the completed film, then I have a
Martin BuPtart nership

meeting with the client and hash out what kind of
artwork would work best for the film. This can be
Creative done through group presentations or on a one
on one basis.
Q - How can you make a really killer poster if you don’t have a lot of money?
Martin - You need a logo that is going to stand alone. A stylised title that catches the eye, such
as ‘The Blair Witch Project’. In advertising you may not be able to afford a large space, so you
want to get the title right. It is a common mistake not to think about this. What is the title? What is
it about? Who is in it? You need to think about all those things, but especially the title.
Q - What elements do you need from the filmmaker to put together the key artwork?
Martin - Photography is always nice. It doesn’t always happen. Sometimes it happens after the
film is shot. I would advise any film maker to put aside two half days, or one whole day when the
cast is all together at one time and do some nice portraiture. Maybe there is a moment in the film
that says pretty much what the film is about and you should get shots of that. But definitely cover
your cast and any scenes or sets that you think could be iconic for the poster. It is really
impossible to get all these people back together, a year later, when you are doing the marketing
campaign, especially if they are on a TV series or working on other projects.
Q - Are the images usually shot on high quality digital cameras these days?
Martin - Not always but usually. Often you don’t get a lot of close ups so you are stuck having to
blow things up and not getting the best resolution and it can pixelate. If the images were shot on
film you have the grain, which tends to be a little kinder when it is blown up.
Q - What software do you use?
Martin - Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Quark, too.
Q - How important is having a website for your film?
22
Martin - I think a website is very important right now. If you are in pre-production you should
have a holding page in order to make people aware that something is happening. Then you can
go back to it as things grow. It is very common now. Look at King Kong. www.kongisking.net
presented its production diary from the moment it started, and for the geeks that is a really nice
thing for them to keep track of what is happening - even if it is only stills. Word of mouth gets
going and you start to build a presence.
Q - How many drafts of the artwork do you usually go through before you settle on the
final version?
Martin - It’s difficult to say in general, but one thing is for sure - the bigger the film, the bigger the
committee, the more phases you go through. This goes back to how you brief your designer. If
you know what you want, if you can pitch it as a type of film, such as a romantic comedy, horror
or Alien meets Ghost, and you can guide us in the initial presentation when we first meet, then
there will be one or two strands and certain visuals that we can pursue and know will work. Then
you hope to make in-roads into where they like the logo, the colors and everyone is happy. And if
you brief them well, you can stay within budget.
Q - What is the spec and format that a film maker needs to deliver the various elements in?
Martin - You need a good DPI for the resolution. Say 300 DPI. As large as you can get is best.
Keep everything separate so that someone who comes along with a different format can
manipulate them. If you have a flyer that is portrait, keep the elements separate because you
might need to print it landscape at some point. Also in Photoshop, don’t flatten your images when
you send them. Keep them as layers so that, for instance, we can change English text to
Japanese text without having to redo the whole poster. We can just change the text layer.
Q - What are the common mistakes that you see?
Martin - People’s heads being the wrong size for their bodies on the key art. Some people do
body double shoots where they take someone’s head and put it on someone else’s body.
Blandness is another problem. You don’t want it to look like everything else. You do want it to
look like a movie poster, but I think we are in this quagmire of everything looking like an
American comedy. And if you do something that is a little left of field, that stands out a bit, then
you have a better chance of it attracting people’s attention.
Q - What advice would you give a new film maker

about making a poster?
Martin - Don’t make it too personal. Try to stick to the

project that you actually want to sell. Try and create
something that will represent the film you’ve made. On a
general note, treat people with respect and you will get a
better product.
23
PLUS!
Traditional Photochemical Post for Film
It’s been around for a century, it worked for Spielberg, Hitchcock and even Tarrantino... and as I
write this (early 2006) Ken Loach has reportedly post produced his film in this way.. Yes there is
another way other than digital! Shoot film and stay on film all the way through to making your
Universal HD Master.
Why? Well it’s cheaper, especially for short films or features where there are no special effects.
Yes there are limits to what can be done photochemically, but you will end up with a 35mm print.
Check it out. See if it fits your way of thinking.
Note. Most of this text has been drawn from the Guerilla Film Makers Handbook and as such,
some interviewees are no longer in business. Nonetheless, there expertise is as relevant today
as ever. Note also that Soho Images are the only UK lab to now offer the full lab service for
Super 16mm to 35mm blow up.
Post Production Notes

See next four flow charts.
Post production is the area where most new film makers make the biggest and most expensive
mistakes. Here are a series of flow charts that provide a solid, tried and tested route, plus a brief
explanation.
On set, the camera team shoot Super 16mm negative at 25fps. The sound recordist records on
DAT at 44.1 khz (though you can also just as easily use 48 khz as long as you ensure everyone
knows and understand how that will impact on your post production workflow). Both the
unexposed rushes and the DAT tapes are then sent to the labs, along with camera report sheets
and sound report sheets.
Overnight, the negative is developed and transferred on a telecine machine onto BetaSP with
timecode. The sound is then synced to the picture and laid off onto BetaSP (or DVCam is more
likely now) as a guide, and clone DAT tapes with timecode that matches the picture are run off.
These clone DAT tapes now become the master sound elements.
The following morning the rushes are sent to the cutting room. The editor files all the notes and
report sheets, then stores the clone DAT tapes in a box on a top shelf. The editor will come back
to these clone DAT tapes later.
The editor then digitises the footage from the Beta (or DVCam) tapes, taking care not to digitise
unwanted sound or two tracks of audio when the sound was recorded in mono. This will save
time later, and storage space now.
24
Super 16mm Camera DAT Audio

Negative shot on set recorded on set
(25fps) (44.1khz)
Neg and DAT sent to

lab each night
POS
POSTT PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION Lab processes
STAGE 1
negative and telecine
onto Beta SP
Lab syncs up sound and puts

onto Beta SP, then makes clone
DAT of sound - Clone DAT
becomes master sound
Negative held at lab for

use later
Beta SP and clone
DAT delivered to
cutting room Clone DAT stored
away safely for use
later
Beta SP rushes
digitised into Avid
Editor assembles the

movie
Cutaways shot to
bridge problems in the
assembly
Editor fine cuts the

movie including new
shots and scenes
Audience screening to
make sure drama is
working
Cutaways shot to
bridge problems in the
fine cut
Negative held at lab for Clone DAT stored away

Editor locks picture
use later safely for use later
Go to Stage 2
Go to Stage 2 Go to Stage 2
25
PLUS!
Negative held at lab for Clone DAT stored away

use later Editor locks picture safely for use later
Editor sends EDL to

neg cutter who checks
EDL for frame overlaps
and duplicate footage
Editor adjusts picture

slightly if overlap or
dupe errors detected.
POS
POSTT PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION
STAGE 2
Editor Re-Locks Picture
Editor breaks time line down

into 35mm reels under 2000
foot (approx 18mins)
Editor generates EDL

for each reel and sends Editor goes through edit and
to neg cutter cleans dialogue tracks and
checkerboards sound
Neg cutter rechecks

EDL and all is fine Editor generates EDL for Editor generates Audio
titles and opticals and sends EDL for sound editing
to Neg cutter with explicit
written instruction with frame
counts and edge numbers
for opticals house
Neg cutter gets master
neg from lab.
Neg cutter breaks out

optical elements &
sends to opticals house
Neg cutter cuts the with instruction
negative and conforms
the rolls for the film
Opticals house generate Editor sends Audio EDL and

Cut Negative is sent
titles and opticals clone DAT tapes to Audio
back to lab
on 35mm House for track laying
Go to Stage 3
Go to stage 3 Go to stage 3
26
C u t N ega tive is se n t O p tica ls h o u se ge ne ra te E d ito r se n ds A u dio E D L a n d

b a ck to la b title s a n d o p tica ls o n clon e D A T ta p es to A u d io
3 5m m H o u se fo r tra ck la yin g
Ed ito r la ys off co p ies o f

p icture from Avid to B e ta
L a b G rad e r m e e ts with a n d VH S
d ire cto r a nd D oP a n d
d iscu ss th e 'lo o k' o f th e
p ictu re
D ialo gu e tra cks

a u to -co n fo rm e d fro m
clo ne D AT 's
L a b m a ke first Su p e r
16 m m An swe r P rin t a nd
scre e n s fo r film m a ke rs
V H S to com p o se r wh o F o le y a rtists p e rfo rm s

write s m u sic to p ictu re clo th e s ru stles a n d
F irst A n swe r Prin t is fo otste p s an d is cu t in
re je cte d a nd su bse qu e n t
ve rsio ns a re m ad e u n til
eve ryo n e is h ap p y with
th e p ictu re 'G ra de ' S o u nd Effe cts a n d
atm o sp he re tra cks
la id in
L a b m a ke s Su p e r 1 6 m m
In terp o sitive
P ro d u ction m usic, clea re d
m u sic a n d com p o se d
m u sic la id in
L a b m a ke s 35 m m Blo w
U p In te rn e ga tive
A ll a u d io tra cks la id o ff
o n to form a t co m pa tible D ub b in g ch a rts p re p a re d
with du b b in g th e a tre - (if ne e d e d )
pro b a b ly D A 88 or O M F I
L a b sen d s 35 m m
n e ga tive to N e g C u tte r
F in a l M ix a n d M & E M ix a t
d u b bin g th e a tre .
S urro u nd pro ce ssing in
N e g C u tte r inserts a ll titles D o lb y o r D T S S te re o (if
a nd op tica l e ffe cts a nd re qu ire d)
re tu rn s 3 5 m m N e g to lab
L a b m a ke s 3 5m m m u te A nswer
P rin t to che ck for p ro b lem s a n d F in a l M ix a n d M & E M ix
o p ticals gra d in g laid off o nto D A 88 / M O
D isk o r co m p u te r file s.
R e gra d ed 35 m m P rin t m a d e
u p - P ictu re a gre e d a n d is
D A8 8 / M O D isk se nt to
n o w com p le te d o n 3 5 m m
L a b wh e re O p tical
S ou n d tra ck is p ro du ced
3 5 m m fu lly gra d e d
p ictu re a n d stere o
so u n d track m a rrie d
POS
POSTT PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION
STAGE 3
F ilm m a ke rs vie w fin al
p rin t a t in h ou se th e a tre
a t la b
27
PLUS!
Labs make up low Sound house process final

contrast 35mm print mix and M&E mix and
(or Interpositive is used) compress / limit the sound
Telecine and grade, with

DVNR to 25P HDCamSR
Universal Master Sound house lay off
processed mixes to DAT,
DA88 or Audio files
Compressed final mix laid onto

tracks 1 to 6 on Universal Master
HDCamSR and M&E mix laid onto
tracks 7 & 8
Independent Quality Control

POS
POSTT PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION check run on Iniversal Master
STAGE 4
Tape (optional)
Copies and clones of

masters run off One HDCamSR master
left with lab
One HDCamSR master
left with Sales Agent
One HDCamSR left with

film maker
Sales agent make all
needed tapes and disks Digital Print made from
from Universal Master. Universal Master If UK
Digital Theatric
Producer organises video trailer, Producer makes DVD

clips tape and EPK from Beta SP Screener tapes for the
/ Digibeta Masters industry to self promote
Once the footage is digitised, the editor can now start creatively cutting the movie. Each day
more rushes will appear and each day these scenes will be cut, until all scenes are cut together.
The scenes will then be joined up and the film makers will watch the first assembly.
The first assembly is always awful. Don’t get depressed. Fix it. Re-edit, re-cut, re-shuffle... Extra
shots or cutaways will probably be needed and the producer will arrange for a weekend shoot to
cover these. After inserting these new shots and a lengthy re-edit, show the film to an audience.
Try to find a small screening room or theatre with video projection and screen the film. Ask the
audience of non film makers (who don’t know you) what they thought and establish if there are
any plot issues that just don’t work. If there are, re-cut and re-shoot if needed.
Once everyone is happy, the editor can lock picture and cut the movie up into 35mm length reels
(max 2000’ including leaders). Look for ends of scenes in which to make these breaks, or during
28
slower sequences without music. These breaks represent where your reel changes will occur
and the film can get very damaged at these places - you don’t want a four second chunk of your
movie to disappear in the middle of a crucial scene just because a projectionist at some far flung
festival didn’t care about your print. The editor will generate a CMX 3600 EDL (or preferred EDL
for the neg cutters) and send it to the neg cutter. The neg cutter will then check for duplicate
footage and cuts where overlap frames have not been left. If there are any problems, the editor
will have to re-cut to fix them. Once all negative issues have been resolved, these new EDLs,
along with a VHS of the picture, will be sent to the neg cutter.
The neg cutter will then get the master film negative from the lab and conform it to the EDL
cutting list and VHS tape you supplied. This will be an A and B roll Super 16mm negative cut.
Once the neg has been cut, it is sent back to the laboratory.
As soon as possible, a VHS with burnt in time code (and audio time code on Ch2 of the VHS
audio) will be sent to the composer who will write music to picture (or a Quicktime of the reels).
At the same time as the negative cutting and if the editor has time, the editor can clean up the
dialogue tracks and checker-board them for tracklaying. Once this is complete, the editor will run
off a BetaSP (or DVCam, but check what they accept) of each reel, with burnt in timecode on the
picture. The editor will also generate an audio EDL for all the sound. This Beta, the EDL’s and the
clone DAT tapes will be sent to the company who is doing the audio track lay, the Sound House.
The sound was recorded at 44.1khz (or 48 khz) and it’s important that everyone - sound house,
musician etc. - works at the chosen sample rate so that the entire audio post production process
remains 100% digital throughout (or as close to).
The sound house will re-conform the dialogue tracks from the EDL and clone DAT tapes. They
will then continue to improve the sound, add or replace dialogue if needed (ADR). Once done,
they will add sound effects, atmosphere tracks, spend a day with a foley artist spotting the film,
and generally brighten the acoustic quality. Once the music is available that will also be track laid
in. (alternatively, you as long as you digitised the sound correctly, yo umay be able to export an
OMF file from Avid or FCP of the sound, and deliver that to the Sound House).
Once all the sound is in place, the sound house will prepare Dubbing Charts, or contact the
dubbing theatre to see if they have software that can read their EDL’s. The Sound House will
then lay off all the sound onto a format of media compatible with the dubbing
theatre, probably OMFI media files.
Note - it is possible that the sound House of your choice will also
produce the final sound mix, thereby negating the need to move to a
separate Dubbing Theatre.
Note - with all digital media not on tapes, such as EDL’s and OMFI files, it is a
good idea to perform tests to make sure everyone can read and write each other’s formats, disks
and software. Don’t believe people when they say it works, TEST IT!
29
PLUS!
At the same time as the audio track lay, the lab will begin work on the print.
The lab will make a Super 16mm first answer print. In this print, the Grader will have made all the
shots work in terms of density and colour balance. The DoP and director will watch this print and
discuss the changes they need. Generally, there will be several attempts until these elements are
entirely locked down - DO NOT move onto the next stage unless you are 100% happy with the
picture grade, even if the lab attempt to coerce you.
Once you have locked the picture grade, the lab will produce a Super16mm Interpositive. Then
they will produce a 35mm Internegative. These two stages will probably take a month, regardless
of what the lab promise.
Once the Internegative is complete, it will be sent to the negative cutters, along with the Optical
effects and the Titles from the opticals house. These new elements will be cut into the 35mm
Master negative. The 35mm Negative will then be returned to the Lab where it will be printed -
this is the 35mm Check Print, or Mute Answer Print. Again, the film makers will watch this print
and discuss any changes. Generally, these will be minor as all the grading hard work has been
done, although there may be grading issues with the titles and optical elements.
At the same time, the Dubbing Theatre will probably be mixing your final sound. It takes a long
time to mix and it is expensive. It is important to make all your decisions before you go in and
know exactly what you expect from the dubbing mixer.
Note - at this stage, and indeed all stages, it is worth stating that the project was shot and is
being post produced at 25fps, and that the sound was shot and is being post produced at
44.1khz (or 48khz).
You will premix two elements separately, dialogue premix, then the atmospheres and effects
premix. You will then do the final mix, adding foley and music to the pre mixed dialogue tracks
and atmos and effects tracks. This will be the final mix. If you have chosen to mix in Dolby or
DTS Stereo, this is the stage where you will process the sound accordingly.
After you have done the final mix, you will do a second mix, the M&E mix. The mixer will remix
the film, but pull out the dialogue tracks.
These two mixes will be put on a clearly labelled tape, probably a an MO Disk or DA88. This
DA88 tape will be taken to the lab where they will shoot an optical version of the sound
onto 35mm film. This sound will then be combined with the 35mm negative and
your first print will be produced (check this with the lab and Dolby).
This print will then be screened with full sound and picture. Hopefully all
goes well and it’s time to go down to the pub... but not for long.
30
Once the theatrical version of the film has been produced, you will need to make video masters.
First you will need to process the sound. Cinema sound is too dynamic for TV so it needs to be
compressed. Take the master sound mix, both full sound and M&E, back to the sound house and
they will pass it through a compressor limiter. This will ‘squeeze’ the dynamic range, making the
quiet bits louder and the loud bits quieter. These compressed mixes will then be laid onto DA88
or DAT (with timecode) or more likely, exported as a series of WAV files or AIFF or even OMFI
files, and they will become the Video Master Sound Mixes.
The lab will produce a low contrast 35mm print which you will take to the Video Mastering facility.
Do not use a cheap company, go to the best and pay the rate or you will be back doing multiple
telecines.
Take the 35mm Low Contrast Print and Video Master Sound to the Video Mastering company.
They will lock up the 35mm picture with the sound and telecine (at 25P). The picture will then be
graded for HD and recorded onto a workstation, after which grading and cleaning up of the image
will take place. At the same time, the full sound mix needs to be copied onto tracks 1 to 6 of the
HDCamSR, and the M&E mix onto tracks 7 and 8.
From that single 25P Universal Master, you can make any other masters you like (including a
Universal Master for the USA at 23.97P)
After completing your master, it should be cloned for the Sales Agents, Distributors, relevant
creatives such as DoP / Director / Editor etc. As the producer, NEVER let the master out of your
hands.
Note - it is essential that all video masters contain the full mix and the M&E mix on the audio
tracks. It is essential that the video masters are technically ‘legal’ - that is the video element does
not exceed 1v or drop below 0.3v and that the audio never exceeds PPM 6.
Note - film making creates a lot of ‘junk’. Find a box where you can store things like DA88 sound
mixes, EDL’s, Beta tapes etc., and store it away, probably forever... but you never know.
Remember, the lab will also be holding onto anywhere between 50 and 100 cut up original
camera rolls, 30 DAT tapes, umpteen various interpos / interneg elements. After the first year you
will have to pay for this storage, or find a relative with a spacious, air conditioned loft!
IMPORTANT - There are 1001 ways to post produce a film. This is a generic
route that works, although at every stage, there are other ways of post
producing with a view to extreme economy. Companies have different kit
and different ways of working. The best way to approach post produc-
tion is with as much planning as possible, make your contacts, do your
deals, then meet and talk through every detail - don’t leave anything to
chance or what you feel was implied will bite you where it hurts and when
you least expect it.
31
PLUS!
32
Main shoot sends exposed

negative to the labs
Overview Of The
Traditional Laboratory
Process
Labs produce rush print which is
viewed by production team.
Rush print goes to editor

and is cut
Cutting copy is viewed, and

grading is agreed with lab
Negative is cut by negative

cutting company
Cutting copy or slash dupe is
used for sound editing and final
sound mix
First answer print is made and

Optical sound of final sound
viewed to check grading
mix is shot and processed
etc.(may run with sound)
Interpositive is made from cut

negative (optional if only one
or two prints are required)
Internegative is made from
interpositive (optional if only
one or two prints are required)
Dupe check print with
combined optical sound
Low contrast print made for

telecine (may telecine
internegative or cut negative)
Bulk print copies made
33
PLUS!
The Laboratory
Brian Dale
of Technicolor
Q - What is the job of the laboratory?
Brian - To take the exposed raw camera stock,

process it, probably make telecine rushes, or
maybe print it, then deal with the post production
of that material in terms of producing the necessary facilities up to and including bulk release
prints. Television transmission tapes may be made by the lab or an associated company, but more
usually by a specialist facilities house.
Q - How important is it for the production team to meet the laboratory contact person?
Brian - The contact technician becomes the 'technical eyes' of the production and it’s vital the
producer and director meet him, to understand who they are and what they will be doing. Also, the
cameraman and editor should meet the lab contact - he is a named individual who will be
completely responsible for looking after the production, right the way through to the answer print
and maybe beyond. If you’ve got a problem, a good contact man will be able, subtly of course, to
suggest the changes that may be necessary to improve the look of the picture. After meeting the
cameraman and discussing the ‘look’ he is trying to achieve and after the first one or two days
rushes, the contact man will be able to advise what changes, if any, should be made - indeed it’s
his job to report on technical problems like hairs in the gate or a boom in shot for example.
Q - What is the lab report sheet?
Brian - The report sheet is a list of scenes and takes which contains key numbers as well as the
printing lights (a laboratory measure of the exposure of the red, green and blue emulsion layers).
It’s a listing of all the material that’s shot, roll by roll, scene by scene, key number at the start of the
scene, key number at the end of the scene, or in the case of telecine rushes, a timecode
reference, colour grading and any comments from the contact man.
Q - What is the camera report sheet?
Brian - The camera report sheet comes from the production and is usually produced by the
camera assistant on the job. It lists the material in use, by stock type, batch, roll, everything down
to the strip number. If there is a problem and with the best will in the world, stock manufacturers, all
have their problems from time to time, they need to be able to trace back. It’s an advice document
for us to tell whether there is any special effect, whether there’s been any problems or if there’s
been a jam in camera, so that we can deal with it accordingly. It will also give us information on
scenes and takes, preferred takes, those takes that are to be printed and those takes that aren’t.
34
Q - How should they supply the exposed negative to you?
Brian - Tape the can lids down, have the rolls of film gaffer taped together, with the camera report
sheets (or better still, box everything up), and drop it off at film reception at the lab. Some labs offer a
collection service from designated sites.
Q - What happens about sound?
Brian - Sound is an entirely separate channel as far as we’re concerned. The only time that we
would see sound at this stage of the operation is if all the materials from the shoot were coming in to
us and we’d simply been asked to pass the sound on to an audio facility where the sound tapes are
transferred. In the case of film rushes, it is normal for the assistant editor to sync up the sound with
the rushes and to project the picture - mute picture with the separate mag soundtrack. In the case of
video rushes transfer, if sync sound is required, then the master audio tapes will need to be
delivered along with the negative to the telecine facility, be it in the lab or another company.
Q - What are the differences in the way 16mm & 35mm is handled?
Brian - Fundamentally there's no difference in that both are received the same way, but separated
into Super 16mm or 35mm channels. They are processed in the same way, different machines, but
the design of the machines is identical. Generally, 16mm is graded roll by roll, so you come up with a
grading light for a complete camera roll which is an average of all the scenes on that roll. With
35mm, selected takes will be circled on the camera report sheet which will be extracted from the
negative roll and printed or transferred so you end up with 2 rolls of 35mm negative - one of which is
selected takes and the other B Roll, (unused takes) which is stored away, to be called up if alternate
takes are needed, but in general it will probably never see the light of day again. With regard to
16mm and Super 16mm - most labs have a mixture of Super 16 and Standard 16 equipment, and
the Standard 16 equipment doesn’t have the relieved edges that are necessary for Super 16 film. To
ensure that your Super 16 film doesn’t get tangled up in a Standard 16 winder or something like that,
then it is vital to identify it as Super 16 on the can and on the camera report sheet.
Q - Can rushes be viewed at the labs?
Brian - Yes, rushes can be viewed at the labs. We

would need prior advice to make sure we have
enough theatre or viewing space available and that
your contact man was here in the lab - subject to that,
it’s no problem at all.
Q - If a film is cut using traditional techniques,

what happens after the fine cut is completed by
the editor?
35
PLUS!
Brian - Obviously, the first stage would have been to process the negative as it comes from the
production and supply a rush print which the editor cuts. Once the film is cut, we would then hold a
cutting copy screening with the grader - the guy who’s ultimately going to balance the colour and
density of the image - plus the cameraman, director, producer and usually the editor, all of whom can
have creative input. Comments will be made by all present and the grader will take notes from rather
generic terms like we need more density, we need this colour - whatever the changes are that are
requested from the existing cutting copy. The grader will convert this subjective guidance into an
objective assessment of client requirements. The negative will then be neg-cut, either in house or
usually with a neg-cutting company. The big consideration here is that it is in the production’s interest
to talk to the laboratory about what they believe the schedule to be. The laboratory will be perfectly
honest about it, they won’t try and grab themselves more time than they actually need, but this
particular stage is very important. It’s where the original negative meets a pair of scissors and if there
is too much pressure in terms of schedules, needing to see answer prints and check prints… let's
say it's probably not desirable to put pressure on at this stage.
We would then print it, taking into account the comments that were made at the cutting copy show.
We would look at it internally - the grader would assess it, to see if he had the result on screen which
he anticipated getting - the result of the colour changes, modifications he’d made. He would probably
put it back in for a reprint, once or maybe twice, in order to make sure he was confident with what he
had and then he would be in a position to show that to the production. We would then screen that
first answer print for the production. If there are any problems, we’ll do a reprint, fixing the grading
that the production isn’t happy with - the production doesn’t pay for this extra printing. The problem
for us here is when you have four people all saying different things - I want more blue - No, more red
- I want lighter - I want darker - you end up getting into a loop that you can never get out of.
Everyone should be present or just one nominated decision maker for the production and the
decision should be binding - it’s important to avoid both Chinese parliament, repeat screenings or
discussions, simply because one key person couldn’t make it. That can cost time and is frustrating.
Q - Leaders can be a problem, i.e. they can be BBC or Academy - can you supply the leaders
that you prefer to be used?
Brian - Yes, we would normally supply leaders on negatives and duplicates. The Academy count
down leader is standard for independent productions. We could also supply the BBC leader, but it's
important to nail down exactly which type of leader is going to be used throughout the production.
For the matching sound leaders, simply use the Academy leader which can be bought on Wardour
Street or wherever.
Q - If the master sound mix has been done, is it possible for that mag to be sunk up and the
film screened with sound?
Brian - Absolutely. It can be run with separate magnetic sound (sep mag). However preferably, if the
optical sound transfers have taken place, we would produce a married print for the first screening.
Remember though, on first answer prints, neither Super 35mm or Super 16mm can have a married
36
optical sound track, but you can run with separate magnetic sound.
Q - What is the optical sound?
Brian - The master sound can come to us in a variety of formats, optical disk, DAT and occasionally
nowadays 16mm or 35mm mag. That master will be transferred onto film, with a special lab camera,
as an optical representation of the sound. That optical sound can then be printed alongside the
picture for a married print. When that print is screened, the projector can read the optical sound and
the audience hears it. Digital formats are now well established such as DTS, Dolby Digital, SRD or
SDDS, but the old style analogue optical sound always runs alongside it, just in case there’s a
problem with projection.
Q - How does blowing Super 16mm up to 35mm work?
Brian - Firstly, an Interpositive would be made from the Super 16mm A&B roll cut negative, at the
same grading lights as the answer print that has been approved - so all the grading would then be
locked in. Then we make a 35mm blow up Internegative from that Super 16mm Interpositive, and
from that, 35mm prints. That means we have a 35mm printing master from which we can make as
many prints as you want, perfectly graded, without touching the original negative. Alternatively, if
you’re not looking for many prints, maybe only one, you can make a direct blow-up from the Super
16mm negative. However, producing prints from an original cut negative is a process with which you
must take a great deal of care as you don’t have any protection should damage occur. Again you’re
talking about the material where all your hopes and aspirations are lodged. Also, because special
care must be taken when printing from an original negative, the costs are much greater. It should
always be practice to budget for an Interpositive to be made, at the earliest possible stage, for
protection of the original negative - this is regardless of the subsequent handling and printing the
original negative may or may not receive.
Q - What happens to the master neg once its been printed?
Brian - It will be vaulted. Most labs will store material, or you can take it out and vault it somewhere
of your own choice. However, in the lab, it’s secure and the conditions of storage (temperature &
humidity) are maintained. It’s not a good idea to keep it in your garage or under your bed.
Q - After the first answer print, are subsequent prints cheaper?
Brian - Yes they are. Any print from the original neg is going to be expensive by comparison with a
print from a dupe (internegative). Most labs have a sliding scale of discount, depending on how
many prints you are ordering on that dupe.
Q - What is the procedure should the master neg be damaged by the lab?
Brian - If the damage is on the Internegative, we would go back to the Interpositive and make a new
37
PLUS!
Internegative for which the producer wouldn’t be charged. If it’s the master negative, then things
become a little more problematic. I can only speak for this laboratory, but our procedure is to be
totally honest with the production company, apologise and accept the ear bashing you’re quite rightly
going to get. All labs have commercial protection in their terms and conditions which effectively
protects them from expensive claims due to accidental damage. A good lab wouldn’t hide behind that
and would be prepared to talk to you about what can be done to alleviate the problem. The neg
should always be covered by other insurance anyway. That insurance would be provided by the
producer and not the lab though. It's therefore vital for the producer to insure the negative, right up to
the time that you get your Interpositive made.
Q - What is Super 35mm and how does it work?
Brian - Very wide images, commonly referred to as Cinemascope, are usually produced using a
special anamorphic lens that squeezes the image when shooting and unsqueezes the image when
projected. One problem with this is that the extra glass means you need more light to expose the
negative properly and the lens hire itself adds expense. Super 35mm is an alternative to anamorphic
photography. The image ratio is 2.35-1 and it’s shot on normal 35mm film. You simply shoot the
35mm negative as normal, but with the viewfinder marked up for Super 35mm (so the camera
operator knows where the edge of frame will be). As with Super 16mm, more of the film area is
exposed (where the soundtrack traditionally lives). The camera operator must keep in mind that the
image will eventually be widescreen (2.35-1)
and so the top and bottom of the image won’t be
used - there will be markings in the camera
ewhere, Lon don eyepiece so everyone knows what the frame
Road, Anytown, Som
Acme Films, 123 Any is. You then produce your rush print, grade it,
To - The Ch ose n Lab s neg cut it, all in the same way as normal
Somewhere
P
35mm. At the Internegative stage, on an
London W11 5N
21/4/2003 optical printer, you put the anamorphic
squeeze in. Then when you make the final
Dear Sirs, projection print, it has the anamorphic
einafter called “The
hav e gra nte d to AN Y DISTRIBUTOR, her eo, and television in squeeze and when it goes to theatre, they
We vid
of Film Distribution,
Distributor” the rightsfollowing Film:- unsqueeze it on projection and put it back to
TERRITORY on the
YOUR MOVIE wide screen format.
allow the Distributor
is your authority to
This communicationing materials in your possession, for the: Q - So in the middle there is an optical
access to the follow uring the Film and Trailer requirements
purpose of manufact process which is going to be slow and
example)
gative & SOUND for expensive?
LIST MATERIALS (Ne
ure
tion with the manufact
that all costs in connec
It is to be understood are at the sole cost of the Distributor.
of their requireme nts Brian - Yes, but the extra lab costs may
by
against the materials Three well be outweighed by the savings of not
ose any lien upon or r.
Also you will not imp or obligations incurred by the Distributo copies
reason of any charge enclosed for signature and return two having to shoot with an anamorphic lens
copies of this letter are
to this office. and don't forget, you use a greater
negative area in shooting. It's simply a
Counter signed
Signed Countersigned Distributor
Acme Film Laboratories
38
matter of paying your money and making a choice.
Q - Like the dubbing theatre the labs are expected to perform miracles in terms of grading -
you’re not able to turn blazing sunshine into the dead of night are you?
Brian - We’d have a pretty good go, but no you’re right. There are limitations. However, effects like
day for night are achievable, though less necessary with modern, high speed film stocks.
Q - What is the laboratory access letter?
Brian - It's a letter that specifies who has access to the negative. It could be for different people in
different companies, or it could limit the number of prints. It's simply a means of controlling who has
access to the material, usually the negative, internegative and optical sound. Typically, sales agents
and distributors will need a lab access letter.
Q - Can you achieve artistic effects in the lab, like make Super 16mm colour neg B&W?
Brian - Yes. If you want to end up with a B&W movie, then there’s a strong argument for shooting in
B&W in the first place. However, if it’s a decision that has been made after shooting, the lab can
produce a new B&W negative through various intermediate stages although, it tends to look softer
on screen than B&W original negative. Then there are the softening and mood effects which can be
created by controlled negative exposure. I once talked to a producer about a particular cameraman
who was very artistic, where artistic is 1 stop underexposed, very artistic is 2 stops underexposed,
and very, very artistic is three stops underexposed. Seriously, it depends on the look you want.
People do deliberately underexpose by a stop or so in order to get a harsh, grainy, appearance and
overexpose for the opposite reasons although modern film stocks don't always react the way you
expect, so you should always do tests. The earlier you talk to the labs the better. You should be
shooting tests and viewing them with a grader.
Q - Is the Super 16mm frame the same aspect ratio as the 35mm?
Brian - It depends. If you’re going to shoot Super 16mm on 1.66-1, you haven’t got a concern. If it’s
to be blown up to 35mm for theatrical release, you should be aware that cinemas usually project at
1.85-1, so you would need to accommodate extra headroom at top and room at the bottom of the
picture. The viewfinder in the camera should be set up this way by the camera hire company.
Q - What are the most common mistakes made by the production team?
Brian - Communication is obviously an essential factor. Not completing the information on the
camera report sheets, making sure messages and comments are received, particularly with regard
to cutting negative or moving negative about (which is always confirmed in writing). Also, always
shoot tests with the camera and stock you have chosen before shooting a film.
39
PLUS!
Negative Cutting
Mike Fraser
Q - What is the negative cutting?
Mike - Whenever you shoot a film, you

always edit it on what is called secondary
material, you never touch the master until
the final conformation of your film, be it on
video tape, be it on film, whatever - you only ever touch a copy. The
negative cutting is the final conform of the master negative to match the final edit you have decided
upon. The final edit usually comes to us either as a film cutting copy or some form of edit decision list
(EDL).
Q - Am I correct, in saying that once a film is neg cut you can never go back and rejoin a cut?
Mike - Certainly on 16mm there is no going back, but on 35mm we have a method whereby you can
extend shots without loss.
Q - How long does it take to neg cut an average feature film?
Mike - An average feature film, lets say 110 minutes long with say 800 cuts would take 2 weeks or
so. It can be done quicker, and it depends on how many people you have working on it.
Q - Are there any special requirements when cutting super 16mm?
Mike - Yes, stability is important because it’s single perf only. Super 16mm is often blown up to
35mm so the joins have to be very smooth and seamless. It is vital to find out if the negative cutter
has worked with Super 16mm before and that he is set up for it, otherwise you could end up having
to go to great expense and re-neg cut the whole picture. Super 16mm is cut A and B checkerboard.
Every shot is on an alternate reel so that the joins don’t show and you can have dissolves etc. With
16mm and Super 16mm you have to have an overlap which effectively destroys the frame before
and after every shot. The important thing to remember about 16mm when in the cutting room or edit
suite is that you must always lose one frame at the beginning and one frame at the end of every
single shot of your film - that’s the absolute minimum requirement. Also, laboratory printing
machines can only do dissolves at the rate of either 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 96 frames. They can’t do
anything else - if you want it done at any other length you have to have it done optically which will
produce an interneg. Also when you’re doing A and B roll, you have to leave on 16mm at least 20
frames between a cut and the beginning of an optical or the end of an optical and a cut, and you
must always leave a minimum of 4 frames between the end of one optical and the beginning of the
next.
40
Q - What do you need from the production team to enable you to cut the negative?
Mike - We need to have logged the negative in the first place, we need either a cutting copy if it’s
edited on film, or an edit decision list if it’s been edited on non linear. We also need full instructions if
there are requirements other than what is shown on the cutting copy or EDL.
Q - What happens to the negative when it’s cut?
Mike - The cut rolls are sent to the laboratories where they are graded, frame cue counted, cleaned
and printed, and you get a first mute answer print. If you are going to blow up to 35mm it is important
to check with the lab the maximum roll size they can handle on their optical printer. It’s usually either
ten minutes or twenty minutes, including leaders.
Q - What happens to all the unused negative?
Mike - It stays with the negative cutters, until such time the producer says junk it or store it or can I
have it back?
Q - How does non linear computer based editing affect negative cutting?
Mike - For feature films, regardless of how you edit it, you still need to neg cut. Non linear editing
affects neg cutting in a very specific way in so much as you no longer have a cutting copy to check
your neg against. As non linear is digital, we do not get any kind of cutting copy to physically check
against the picture, shot by shot. All you have to work with are numbers. Therefore it is absolutely
vital that those numbers are generated by something you have total confidence in. If the numbers
are wrong and you cut the negative you’re in a lot of trouble. There are various ways of doing it, but
the way we’ve pioneered has always been the most frame accurate and in our view, the most
comforting. We use software called OSC/R which in itself, has never let us down, it always produces
the goods.
There are other ways of doing it, other systems such as Excalibur, Computer Match, and also
Lightworks and Avid have their own ability to produce key neg cutting lists - the only problem with
that is that the negative cutting list produced out of a Lightworks or Avid is only as good as the
information that the Avid and Lightworks received in the first place. If the telecine reader head has
read the Key Kodes incorrectly or has been offset incorrectly it could be a disaster - and remember,
there is no visual guide, no cutting copy to check it against.
Q - What's the telecine head reading?
Mike - The telecine machine must be fitted with a Key Kode reader which translates the Key Kode to
numbers. On the edge of new negative stocks is a bar code - Kodak call it Key Kode, it’s their
trademark. All manufacturers carry this type of ‘bar code’ now and they are all completely compat-
41
PLUS!
35mm
Shot 1
Negative
Negative
Cutting
Cutting
Shot 2
35mm is marked up
for neg cutting in the
Dissolve Shot 3
same way as 16mm.
35mm is neg cut as
Dissolve
a single A roll.
There is no B roll
COMBINED IN LABS
unless there are
Sh 4
dissolves or fades in
the film. If there are
dissolves, then a B
roll is made up
Shot 5
which comprises
mainly of black
spacer. The only
negative on this B
roll is the second
half of any dissolve,
or the clear spacer
Shot 6
for a fade.
To the right are rolls

A and B with a 16
frame dissolve.
Please note that a
16 frame dissolve
needs 20 frames
outgoing (not the 6
that are shown).
Shot 7
At the far right is a

wider view of the
35mm negative. Roll
A has several shots,
roll B is black spacer
except for the
negative of the
second half of the
dissolve.
Shot 8
Note - some labs

only use the B roll
for the second part
35mm of a dissolve. 35mm 35mm 35mm
Cutting Copy Neg Roll A Neg Roll B Neg Rolls A& B.
Wider view
42
ible. Everyone refers to it as Key Kode but it is actually edge numbers in a bar code form.
It reads those bar codes and converts them to edge numbers. You’re not always able to read the
Key Kode because the negative may be fogged, certainly around ends, dissolves and splices etc.
Problems can arise. For instance if a reader head goes through a splice and the next roll of material
(with different Key Kodes) is fogged for the first 10, 20, 100 feet or whatever, the first thing that the
telecine reader does is to stop reading. It merely accumulates the previous numbers which are
incorrect because the neg has changed. It also flags the operator but if the operator doesn’t notice,
you’re going to get 10,20, 100 feet of negative where the edge numbers have been incorrectly read.
Q - In the telecine, how do you check that the Key Kode that is being read is correct?
Mike - You can’t. There is no practical way of checking that the Key Kode that is being read is
correct. That is why we do not log it that way - we log it on a bench, with a Key Kode reader. These
numbers are later fed into the computer and should match the telecine timecode numbers, that is
unless there is a problem. Either way, you are aware of the problem before the damage is done.
Q - What methods of post production are available to a producer?
Mike - Currently, there are several methods of producing an end result. Firstly is the traditional film
edit where rush prints are sunk and cut by the editor. The final cutting copy is sent to us where we
re-cut the neg to match the cutting copy. The cut neg goes off to the labs and is printed. This is the
most tried and tested method that has worked for decades, but it is a little labour intensive on behalf
of the editor. There is a general trend to non linear editing systems now and traditional film cutting
may become a thing of the past. Method 2 - after the telecine of the rushes negative, you stay on
tape, and you don’t come back to film. During the telecine you do a 50-80% grade of all your rushes,
transfer them onto whatever final conform tape you want, Beta, D2 etc. That footage is then digitised
from tape onto hard disk in your Avid or Lightworks - you edit the movie. Then you conform the final
picture purely on tape - the final grading is done in the edit suite and you never go back to cut the
original negative. There are advantages there but obviously the completed production can only ever
exist on tape and unlikely to be projected in a cinema.
Method 3 is pure non linear, where the rushes are telecinied and digitised into a system like
Lightworks or Avid. The movie is edited and the computer produces an EDL. We use the EDL to cut
the negative and the final neg is then printed at the labs. Both Avid and Lightworks have got ways of
getting around the problems of productions shot at 24fps which can entail slowing down and
speeding up - it’s all tried and tested but it’s something of which to be aware. There are other
systems and without doubt new systems will have been developed by the time you read this. The
system to opt for is the one your post production team has the most experience with, or with which
they are happiest.
Q - As traditional editing was mechanical, the speed at which film was shot was ''academic'
with regard to the negative cutting. Is this the same for non linear?
43
PLUS!
Negative Cutting 35mm / 16mm

35mm contains 16mm 16mm and Super 16mm
is considerably smaller
enough space
35mm between frames for
the negative cutter
16mm with virtually no space
between frames. This
16mm forces the negative cutter
to actually cut the
to conform using A&B
negative and join it
rolls.
up as one single
35mm roll.
Dupe Detection &

Frame Overlap
Not all non linear editing

systems will flag duplicated
footage, or check for frame
overlaps. It is essential that
your EDL is checked before a
single frame is cut to ensure
that there is enough film to
actually make up the master
negative. Avid Film Composer will make this check for you, but most other systems won't. If your software
doesn’t check, send your completed cut EDL to the neg cutter who will then check it for you.
Mike - No. It’s important if you are shooting a theatrical release, i.e. if you are shooting at 24fps that
you are aware of how you are going to post produce as your film is 24fps and will be using 25fps
timecode. If you shoot at 24fps and telecine transfer at 25fps, your picture is going to be shorter than
your sound. The only way to get them in sync is to do something to either the picture or the sound,
and you don’t want to do that. You want to keep the sound at the proper speed the whole time - AND
the picture at the proper speed the whole time. One of the ways of doing it is with Avid - you shoot at
24fps, transfer at 25fps and take it into Avid. Avid can then slow down the picture to 24fps so that it
will match your sound. Now you edit and send the final EDL to us and we do the neg cut. Lightworks
has a similar method to combat this problem too.
Q - White Angel was shot at 25fps to avoid technical headaches so it is possible to shoot a
feature at 25fps and not 24fps.
44
Mike - Every feature film that’s been shown on television here for years was shot at 24fps and
transferred at 25fps yet few know the difference. Nobody watching television knows that the Guns Of
Navarone or The Magnificent Seven has been speeded up by 4% to be transferred at 25fps instead
of 24fps. It is fair to say that if you shoot at 25fps there are less headaches, especially if you cannot
afford a Film Composer and are cutting with a cheaper non linear editing system. I would advise
micro budget films to always shoot at 25fps.
Q - What are the most common mistakes made by a film maker that you encounter?
Mike - Not preparing the post production route in the early stages. Producers tend to think, Oh well,
we’ll get that done later when we go into editing and they simply don’t give it enough thought,
planning and preparation.
Q - What extra things can a production team do to make your life easier?
Mike - The most important thing is for the neg cutter and the editor to sit down and talk about how
he’s going to do it. We’re talking film editing now, the way the cutting copy is marked up is vital, so it
must be marked up in either a standard way or a way the neg cutter understands the editor's wishes.
With non-linear editing you do not have a film cutting copy to check against. Therefore you are
cutting to a neg cutting list, which has been generated by the translation of timecodes from an EDL
(edit decision list). Therefore the translation has to be absolutely frame accurate.
It’s very important that an editor on a non linear system understands the logging in of his material so
that he gets the right tape numbers and so forth. If you’re using something like OSC/R it doesn’t
matter, because OSC/R will sort it all out. On a more basic and cautionary level, always put plenty of
leader at the head and tail of any reels, if you are going to blow up Super 16mm to 35mm, check
with the labs that you have made the rolls up to the right length, label all your cans with as much
information as possible - it's amazing how quickly material accumulates and people forget what's in
a can. That often leads them to the last point, NEVER handle your negative - get it sent straight from
the labs to the neg cutters and have your problems checked out by professionals in the right
environment. Remember absolutely everything you have worked for is contained in that negative.
45
PLUS!
FILM LINGO: Blimp - A fiberglass housing

used to encase a noisy
Clapper Board - This is a form
of slate onto which filmic
camera to make it suitable for information, such as the
Above the Line – the cast, sync sound filming. production company, film name,
producers, writer and director of director, cameraman, scene,
a film. Separated from the rest Blocking a scene – the act of take and the sound take
of the crew by an imaginary line setting up how a scene will be number can be chalked onto.
of “importance” in a studio’s shot via the movement of the
eyes. actors and motion of the Cookie - a cutout pattern, cut
camera. out from a material and placed
Alligator Grip - This is a in front of a light to cast a
spring-loaded lighting grip used Bullets – clothespins used to patterned shadow.
to attach a light to pipes, attach gels to lights. So called
molding or doors. because electricians and Crossing the Line – crossing
gaffers hang them off a string the invisible line of action.
Barney – Lightweight padded like a bandolier.
covering around the camera to Cutaway - shots done away
reduce camera noise. Term The Cheat – technique used from the main action, allowing
comes from ‘Barney blanket’ – a to make things fit that wouldn’t you to delete uninteresting
horse blanket. normally, such as moving dialogues or mistakes in the
furniture forward so a person main action.
Barn Doors – Flaps attached to or camera can fit in the space,
lights that when opened and or an actor not quite looking in Day-For-Night - shooting night
closed can manipulate the the right direction of another scenes during the day. To this
direction of light. Barn doors are in order to compensate for properly you have to use
also the place you clip gels, space restrictions. camera filters and
diffusion, blackwrap and flags to underexposure. If you are
the light. “Check the Gate” – to take shooting on B & W film use a
lens off camera and look into red or yellow filter to darken the
Below the line – the people the camera’s gate for hairs, sky. With color film use an ND
involved in the physical emulsion buildup etc. If there or Neutral Density filter.
production of a film, which is something found, you need Shooting Day-For-Night works
included post production. Seen to clean the gate and perhaps best on really sunny days,
as below an imaginary reshoot any affected scenes. either early in the morning or
importance line that separates late in the afternoon, because
the creative executives and the Chicken Coop - An overhead, the shadows are hardest then.
physical production. box-like light with a cluster of When you shoot, avoid shooting
six, usually 100-watt globes, the sky and you should also
Black Bag/Changing Bag - a for top lighting of sets. underexpose the film two or
changing bag that functions as three stops below what your
a portable darkroom. This bag is Cinching - the practice of light meter tells you.
basically two bags, one inside pulling the end of a roll to
the other and is used from remove slack. Cinch marks Dolly - camera term referring to
everything from loading film to are caused when the end of when a camera moves in or out
fixing camera jams. the film roll is tightened of a shot. A dolly is usually
causing the dust to make a done on wheels or tracks in
small scratch. order to produce a smooth
movement.
46
Dot - Shadow-forming device from light to dark and to avoid or Honeycomb - A grid used on
in the figure of a small round control light spillage in your soft lights to control the
scrim. scene. Can sometimes be called lighting design and
gobos or siders. direction.
Establishing Shot - a shot
used to introduce a scene or Gels - large sheets of Inky-dink - the tiniest
location to the audience. transparent tinted plastic used as focusable studio lamp with
Generally, this is a wide shot a filter for a movie light, or to a Fresnel lens and a bulb up
of a building or landscape. cover a window. There are two to 250 watts.
basic types: ones that will covert
Eye Light - a low-powered one color temperature to another “In the can” - term that
light to produce a lively (such as C.T.O. and C.T.B.), and means the film has been shot
reflection in the subject’s eye. others that come in a wide and is ready to go to the lab.
The light is usually there to variety of colors. In more generally terms, it
substitute the sun’s reflection means that everything is
you get when you’re outside. Gray Card - a piece of dull gray finished.
cardboard that reflects 18
Finger - a thin rectangular percent of the light that strikes it. Kicker - a form of backlight
shadow-casting device. This card is intended as a that shines on your subject off
representation of an object to one side. This serves not to
Fishpole - a long lightweight indoors with average reflective illuminate but to define the
telescoping rod, which a potential. However, this card is edges of it’s subject.
microphone is attached to for not an accurate reading for flesh
recording dialogue. tones. Magic Hour/Golden Hour -
the time just before sunrise or
Flying Moon - a lighting Gaffers Tape - wide black tape the time just after sunset
apparatus, which is used to that is better then duct tape for it when there is enough light to
create artificial moonlight. It is leaves no sticky residue on your get an exposure on buildings
in the shape of a cube film equipment. It is also good and on various landscapes
composed of aluminum pipes because it can be ripped quite but car headlights and
and covered with bleached easily into smaller strips. You building lights can still be
muslin. It houses four 25,000- can fix anything with gaffers seen as on. The color
watt HMIs and is lifted by an tape. temperature of the daylight is
industrial crane to 80 to 120 pleasant gold color, which
feet. “Hitting the mark” – when an makes objects seem magical.
actor stops at the correct spot in
Flags - metal or foamcore a scene for framing and Mark Slate – snapping the
boards used to protect the focusing. The mark is usually a arm of the clapperboard
camera from stray light, piece of white camera tape against the main panel to
creating a gradual transition set on floor. provide a mark for the lab to
synchronize the picture and
the sound.
47
PLUS!
The Martini – the last shot of Tough Spun - A highly heat Sparks – a term for
the day. resistant diffusing material Electricians.
made of synthetic fibers.
Meat Axe - An informal term for Sun Guns - Camera-mounted
a small flag. Safe Area - When you shoot a lights that are portable and
film or video you must take provide constant and
Mike Stew - unwanted into consideration that what shadowless illumination.
background noise that is picked you see through the Generally used in documentary
up by the microphone. viewfinder is often a larger or news production.
area then your final product.
Peanut Bulb - A tiny light used You have to shoot and test to Stinger – an extension power
for hiding in confined areas. see how much of the viewable cord for running electricity
area can be seen. This
Practicals - household light includes any text you want to Video village - slang term for
fixtures that are placed to be lay down on your images in the crowd that develops around
visible in a shot (i.e. that would post-production. Safe Area video assist monitors on film
be there naturally like a varies from one camera sets.
desklamp). format to another.
“A wrap” – the end of the day/
Room Tone - This is the Scrims - circular screens shoot.
distinct sound every film made of wire mesh placed in
location or set makes. It is front of a lamp to reduce the Wrecking crew - slang term for
used to bridge gaps in the intensity of light without make up and hair because of
sound track of a film, providing reducing the color the amount of product they
a consistent background. temperature or quality. have to put on an actor to look
good on film.
Rushes – video transferred Script Doctor – a writer
shots from the day before used brought in to fix a script just
to check for continuity and prior to, or during production.
performance problems. Called
rushes because they can be Second Unit - a crew that
produced quickly. shoots scenes that require
stunt scenes, crowd scenes,
Snoot - A funnel-shaped light- battle scenes and battle
controlling device used on scenes. Basically they shoot
lamps in place of barndoors for any scenes that do not require
a more precise light-beam sound. These scenes have a
pattern. different director and camera
crew then the first unit.
48
Glossary of Lab Blow Up - An optical Edge Numbers - Coded
Terms:
enlargement of a film from one numbers printed along the edge
gauge to another, such as 16mm of a strip of film for identification.
up to 35mm. The opposite of a
blow up is a Reduction Print. Edge Fog - Exposure along the
A & B Cutting - A method of edge of the film from raw light,
assembling original material in Checker Board Cutting - A in most cases from a lightleak,
two separate rolls, allowing method of assembling alternate due to the camera door not
optical effects to be made by scenes of negative in A & B rolls, being taped. Edge Fog can
double printing. used fro 16mm, which allows sometimes be visible in the
prints to be made without visible frame or sometimes outside of
A or B Wind - The two forms of splices. the frame effecting the clarity of
winding used for rolls of film the latent edge numbers.
perforated on one edge only. Cinemascope - A system of
anamorphic widescreen Fade - An optical effect in which
Anamorphic - An optical system presentation (Trade name). the image of a scene is
having different magnifications in gradually replaced by a uniform
the horizontal and vertical Clone - An identical copy, usually dark area, or vice versa.
dimensions of the image (used for referring to a digital tape.
cinemascope style effect.) Flop-Over - An optical effect in
Combined Print - A motion which the picture is shown
Answer Print - The first Answer picture print with both picture and reversed from right to left.
print is the first combined (action sound on the same strip of film.
and sound) print produced by the Also, referred to as COMPOSITE Grading (Timing) - The process
laboratory from a cut negative for PRINT/MARRIED PRINT. of selecting the printing values
further customer grading for colour and density of
comments. The final Answer print Dailies/Rushes - Daily rush successive scenes in a complete
is a print which has been fully prints. The first positive prints film in order to produce the
graded and accepted by the made by the laboratory overnight desired visual effect.
customer. from the negative photographed
on the previous day. Used to see Intermediates - General term
ASA or EI - Exposure Index or if there are any mistakes in the for color masters and dupes.
Speed Rating to denote film filmmaking process that need to
sensitivity. be fixed immediately. Interpositive - A colour master
positive used as protection for
Aspect Ratio (AR) - The Density - A factor which indicates the original neg and as a
proportion of picture width to the light stopping power of a printing master from which the
height. photographic image. internegative is made.
Bleach Bypass - A technique Developing - The chemical Liquid Gate - A printing system
where, by skipping the bleach process which converts a in which the original is immersed
stage in the color processing photographic exposure into a in a suitable liquid at the
sequence, silver is retained in the visible image. moment of exposure to reduce
image along with the color dyes. the effect of surface scratches
The result is effectively a black Dissolve - A transition between and abrasions.
and white image superimposed two scenes where the first
on a color image. Bleach Bypass merges with the second.
images have increased contrast,
reduced saturation, often giving a Dupe - A copy negative, short for
pastel effect. duplicate negative.
49
PLUS!
Mag-Opt - A motion picture print anamorphic negative has been DVE – Digital Video Effect.
with both magnetic and optical corrected for normal projection. Devices such as ADO, A53,
(photographic) sound track Encore and Kaleidoscope for
records. Wet Printing - (See Liquid Gate). picture manipulation.
A system of printing in which the
Optical Sound - A sound track original is temporarily coated with DVTR – Digital Video Tape
in which the record takes the a layer of liquid at the moment of Recorder. Multiple generations
form of variations of a exposure to reduce the effect of or passes on DVTR’s do not
photographic image. surface faults. suffer from tape noise
degradation associated with
Pull Processing - A special type analog formats.
of processing where the film is
developed for a shorter time than Glossary Video DROP OUT – Momentary loss
Terms
normal, usually to make up for of signal on a video tape,
intended overexposure. showing up as randomly
occurring white spots on the
Push Processing - Lab BITC – Burnt In Time Code. Time picture, present in worm or poor
technique where the film is code numbers recorded from quality tape.
developed for a longer time than camera tapes and visually
normal, usually to make up for displayed on screen giving a 525 – This is the standard,
intended underexposure. It frame-by-frame picture reference. specifying the number of
should be noted that only entire BITC is used on reference copies horizontal lines that makes up
rolls can be pushed, not of dailies, which in turn will be the TV picture. 625 being the
individual scenes. Pushing film used for the off-line edit. standard in the UK and 525
will add some contrast and being the American version.
graininess. BLUE (GREEN) SCREEN –
Foreground subject is shot FIELD – Area of a TV screen
Reversal - The processing of against a plain blue screen, on covered by alternative lines.
certain types of film to give a film or video, so that background Two fields are equal to one
positive image on film exposed in images can be added frame (picture).
the camera. electronically in post-production.
Blue is chosen as it is the least FRAME – Single television
Skip Frames/Step Printing - An naturally occurring colour in flesh frame or film image. In the UK,
optical printing effect eliminating tones. Green screens are also 25 frames per second are
selected frames of the original used these days as images on scanned to give the illusion of
scene to speed up the action. green blend with the foreground continuous motion. Each frame
images better. is composed of two fields. In the
Unsqueezed Print - A print in US, it’s 30 frames per second.
which the distorted image of an CHROMAKEY – Technique which
allows a vision mixer to substitute HUE – Colour tone of a picture.
a saturated colour (usually blue
or green) in a picture for another KEY – Effect that allows a
picture source. picture to be superimposed over
a background.
DEINTERLACING –
Broadcasting or recording a video LUMINANCE – The black and
signal with only one of the fields white information of a video
of a frame. Gives the picture a signal.
grainer, and therefore, more filmic
look.
50
MATTE – An area blanked off Q-LOCK – Device for TELECINE – A device for
within a frame in order to include synchronizing audio with video transferring film to video tape. Film
additional material or remove machines. can be colour graded during this
unwanted material. process.
R.G.B. – Red, Green, Blue.
MOTION CONTROL – A computer Primary television colours before TIME CODE – Binary Code
assisted camera and rig with encoding to a composite signal if recorded on video and audio tape
multiple moving axles, enabling required. recorders which uniquely indentifies
high precision, repeatable camera frames. Used for synchronizing
moves. RESOLUTION – The definition recorders and editing.
(clarity) of a television picture,
N.T.S.C. – National Television and the ability to determine small
Standards Committee. Colour objects or the detail in objects.
standard used in the USA, Canada
and Japan. 625 – This is the standard,
specifying the number of
OFF-LINE – A pre-edit used to horizontal lines that makes up
establish edit points for the on-line the TV picture. 625 being the
edit, usually on non-broadcast standard in the UK and 525
standard equipment. being the American version.
ON-LINE – The main edit during SECAM – French, Eastern

which mixes, effects and audio are Europe and African colour
brought together using broadcast television standard. Stands for
standard equipment in order to SEquential Colour with Memory
create a “master” edit.
STANDARDS CONVERSION –
PAL – Phase Alternate Line. The process of converting
Colour standard used in Western between different TV
Europe (except France), transmission signals. Usually
Scandinavia, China, India, refers to and from NTSC and
Australia, South Africa, etc. PAL.
PAL M - Aversion of PAL T.B.C. – Time Based Corrector.

standard, but using a 525 line 60 A device required to correct time
field structure. Used only in South base errors of a VTR, which
America. build up during operation.
Needed in dubbing, particularly
PIXEL – The smallest picture for poor quality material.
element on a television display.
51
PLUS!
Funding for England Screen East:

(Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire,
Norfolk, Suffok)
Northern Film and Media: 2 Millenium Plain, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 1TF
(Tyne & Wear, Northumberland, Durham, Tees Leavesden Studios, South Way, Hertfordshire, WD25
Valley) 7LZ
Central Square, Forth Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tel: 01603 776920
NE1 3PJ Fax: 01603 767191
Tel: 0191 269 9200 Email: info@screeneast.co.uk
Fax: 0191 269 9213 Web: www.screeneast.co.uk
Email: info@northernmedia.org Develops regional talent and promote this nationally
Web: www.northernmedia.org and internationally, to serve and nurture the industry
Development of people, content, companies, and to develop audiences. Lottery programme is
audiences, networks. organised into three priority streams: covering
development and production support, company
Northwest Vision: development and investment, exhibition and
(Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, audience. Contributions from Screen East are in the
Lancashire, Merseyside) form of investment which will be recouped from
233 The Tea Factory, 82 Wood Street, Liverpool L1 revenue /credit required. Training/Development
4DQ Scheme: Helps screenwriters living in the region to
Tel: 0151 708 2967 produce 1st draft scripts. Pays the full cost of
Fax: 0151 708 2984 screenwriting course at East Anglia University.
Email: General - jacquir@northwestvision.co.uk Finished screenplays are read by low budget arm of
Production and Funding – Working Title Films, WT2, and exceptional candidates
tomg@northwestvision.co.uk may receive an MA in screenwriting.
Web: www.northwestvision.co.uk
EM (East Midlands) Media:
Distributes regional lottery funds on behalf of UK (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire,
film council: Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland)
1. Organisational and Individual development 35-37 St. Mary’s Gate, Nottingham NG1 1PU
2. Production and Development Tel: 0115 934 9090
3. Audience Development Fax: 0115 950 0988
Email: info@EM-Media.org.uk
Screen Yorkshire: Web: www.EM-Media.org.uk
(North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire
and Humberside) Develop business, talent and opportunities .
40 Hanover Square, Leeds, LS3 18Q Organises it’s lottery into three streams.
Tel: 0113 294 4410 1: Develops film and media businesses
Fax: 0113 294 4989 2: develops and promotes screenwriting talent, and
Email: info@screenyorkshire.co.uk helps with development and assistance towards
production and distribution of low budget films.
Lottery in 3 streams: 3: develop access to archive service and materials,
1. investing in development and promotion of develop exhibition, access and choice;
regional talent
2. increasing the size and competitiveness of the Screen West Midlands
film and moving image sector (Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire,
3. building audiences, participation, knowledge and Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, Wolverhampton,
culture Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Telford and The
Wrekin)
31/41 Bromley Street, Birmingham, B9 4AN
52
Tel: 0121 766 1470 City of Westminster:

Fax: 0121 766 1480 City of Westminster Arts Council,
Email: info@screenwm.co.uk Room 70, Marylebone Library, Marylebone Road,
Web: www.screenwm.co.uk London. NW1 5PS
Regional Lottery Fund, advantage broadcast fund, Tel: 020 7641 1017 / 020 7641 1018
Training Freelance Development Fund, Graduate Email: funding@cwac.org.uk
Training Programme, Production Funding, Web: www.cwac.org.uk
Westminster Film, Video and Moving Image Bursaries:
South West Screen Dealine: March
(Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, 1k for short film, free editing time at Paddington Arts,
Devon, Cornwall) City of Westminster Art Council organises screening
St. Bartholomews Court, Lewins Mead, Bristol, BS1 of films.
Tel: 0117 952 9977
Fax: 0117 952 9988 Croydon Council
Email: info@swscreen.co.uk Croydon Media Awards, Croydon Clocktower,
Web: www.swscreen.co.uk Katharine Street, Croydon CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8760 5400
Lottery split into three streams. Email: paul_johnson@croydon.gov.uk
1. developing film, tv and digital content sector Web: www.croydon.gov.uk/clocktwoer
2. developing talent and innovation Deadline: March
3. developing film and moving image culture and Awards up to 8 short films of drama, doco or
increasing access. experimental no more than 8 mins long.
Residents within a 7 mile radius of clocktower are
Screen South: eligible to apply for between 500-1000k. If successful
(Kent, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, given use of MiniDv camera kits and post production
Surrey, Berkshire, East and West Sussex, IOW) facilities and consultancy sessions..
Folkestone Enterprise Centre, Shearway Road,
Folkestone, CT19 4RH Enfield Film Fund
Tel: 01303 298 222 London Borough of Enfield, Arts Unit, Forty Hall, Forty
Fax: 01303 298 227 Hill, EN2 9HA
Email: info@screensouth.co.uk Tel: 020 8363 8196
Web: www.screenwouth.co.uk Fax: 020 8367 9080
Lottery is split into three streams: Email: fortyhall.lbe@fsmail.net
1. develop viable film and media business Web: www.enfield.gov.uk
2. develop audiences and cultural partnerships Short films: 1k to young filmmakers 16-24
3. develop and discover regional talent. 2k to filmmakers over 18 with 1 short behind them.
Max. amount: 10k for organisations, 5k for individuals. Production teams with at least 1 member resident in
Partnership funding is required. Enfield.
Film London: Newham Film Fund,

London Boroughs: City of Westminster, Croydon London Borough of Newham, Regeneration &
Council, Enfield, Newham, Tower Hamlets & Hackney, Partnerships Division,
Waltham Forest, London Borough of Wandsworth, 330 Barking Road, East Ham, London. E6 2RP
20 Euston Centre, Regents Place, London. NW1 3JH Tel: 020 8430 3312
Tel: 020 7378 8787 Email: carol.thomas@newham.gov.uk
Fax: 020 7387 8788 Web: www.newham.gov.uk/filmfund
www.filmlondon.org.uk Deadline: March
No longer than 10 mins, 25 mins for docs.
Max: 5k
53
PLUS!
Eligible: Newham based production companies or CORNWALL FILM FUND

professional freelancers who’ve not received more Pydar House
than 60k from public grants or schemes over the Pydar Stret, Truro, TR1 1EA
previous 3 years. Tel: 01872 322886
Match funding not required unless project costs Fax: 01872 322887
exceed max grant available. Email: director@cornwallfilm.com
Web: www.cornwallfilm.com
Tower Hamlets & Hackney 10% or 200k towards production costs of feature films
Tower Hamlets Film Office and major tv programmes.
Brady Centre, 192 Hanbury Street, London E1 5HU
Tel: 020 7364 7920 The Ignition Network
Email: filmsoffice@dial.pipex.com The Ignition Network, 9-12 Middle Street, Brighton,
8 awards a year up to a value of 4k for short film. BN1 3RH
No longer than 10 mins, doc 30 mins. Tel: 07773 634328
Deadline: March Email: ignition_net@hotmail.com
Short digital films no longer than 7 mins.
Waltham Forest
Waltham Forest Arts Lighthouse
William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road, 9-12 Middle Street, Brighton. BN1 1AL
London. E17 4PP Tel: 01273 384222
Tel: 020 8527 8750 Fax: 01273 384233
Email: infor@lighthouse.org.uk
Hitchcock Production Fund: 15k a year with Web: www.lighthouse.org.uk
contributions of 5k each from LFVDA, Waltham Forest
Arts Council and London Borough of Waltham Forest. The Pool: Lincoln
Deadline: July 3 Campus Way,Lincoln, LN6 7GA
Tel: 01522 532959
London Borough of Wandsworth Fax: 01522 532957
Arts office, Room 224A Email: info@thepoolonline.co.uk
The Town Hall, Wandsworth High street, London Web: www.thepoolonline.co.uk
SW18 2PU Not for profit organisation – membership organisation
Tel: 020 8871 8711 10 students and concessions, 15 for individuals, 30
Email: arts@wandsworth.gov.uk for companies. Access to services and The Pool aims
Web: www.wandsworth.gov.uk to organise events thruout the year, projects with
Deadline: April students, community corporate clients as well as
5K to produce or complete a short film. Films budget funding and training.
must not be higher than 25k.
YORSHIRE MEDIA PRODUCTION AGENCY
CITY EYE MEDIA CENTRE The Workstation, 15 Paternoster Row, Sheffield, S1
The city Eye Production Award, 2BX
Swaythling Neighbourhood Centre, Rear 200 Burgess Tel: 0114 249 2204
Road, Swaythling, Southampton. SO16 3AY Fax: 0114 249 2293
Tel: 023 80 677167 Email: admin@ympa.worksation.org.uk
Email: takeone@city-eye.co.uk, / taketwo@city- Web: www.ympa.org.uk
eye.co.uk
Web: www.city-eye.co.uk
Take One: 1st time filmmakers short films.
Take Two: filmmakers with some experience to do
short films.
54

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The Guerilla Filmmakers Handbook

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copyright 2006 Chris Jones and Genevieve Jolliffe

Chris Jones and

Q - Why do you want to be a producer as

Q - What is the job of a producer?

Q - How did you start?

Q - How old were you when Fakers came together?

Q - EIS, is it still available?

Q - Do they buy shares?

Q - Did your industry preconceptions change after working on Fakers?

Q - What was the budget, and where did it come from?

accountant and our assistant on board. It would have

Q - How did you approach casting?

Things to do if shooting overseas

Q - How long did you shoot for?

Q - Was it shot on 35mm?

Claire - No! That was a budget thing. We intended to shoot on

Q - Did you do any re-shoots after the main shoot?

Q - How long was post-production?

Q - In terms of your edit, do you think there was a better

Q - How did you approach sales and distribution?

PACT / EQUITY LOW BUDGET SCHEME

Points to consider... 4. There is no limit to where you can show your

3. Include the number of 8. You don’t have to be a member of Pact or

Q - How much have you earned them?

FILMMAKERS CODE OF CONDUCT

Q - So how did you feel the theatrical release went?

Q - What do you think was your biggest mistake?

Q - What advice would you offer a producer?

Feature Film Schemes:

Details of all the schemes can be found at: www.sgrin.co.uk or

production track record and a slate of projects screenwriting talent by supporting

Q - Did you have any problems with cast or crew?

Q - Did this producer have any comments on the screenplay?

Q - How many weeks did you cut for?

Q - The original cut had a lot of music - why?

Q - And how much money did you get out of it?

Q - What advice would you give to a new film maker?

INTERVIEW CONTINUES DEC 2005

Q - How much have you made from Driven?

Q - What have you done since Driven was completed?

Q - What are you doing now?

Q - What is your film called?

Simon - The Kaleidoscope Man, a sci-fi actioner.

Q - Where are you based?

Simon - I chose to move out of London so I could enjoy a

Q - Having filled out many forms for money, what

Simon - Don’t just look at the obvious organisations

Martin - I design key artwork and posters for

Martin BuPtart nership

Q - What software do you use?

Martin - Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Quark, too.

Q - How important is having a website for your film?

Q - What are the common mistakes that you see?

Q - What advice would you give a new film maker

Martin - Don’t make it too personal. Try to stick to the

Traditional Photochemical Post for Film

Post Production Notes

Super 16mm Camera DAT Audio

Neg and DAT sent to

Lab syncs up sound and puts

Negative held at lab for