OK, OK I know, this could possibly be getting ahead of myself. 2015 is still young and I shouldn't be wishing away my time away, cherish it and blah, blah, blah. I know all that, however, 2016 is going to be an exciting year, the year I finish my undergraduate study, and hopefully move on to study (maybe) Television Drama, Masters degree (again maybe).
While there is a lot of uncertainty about my future, a lot of maybes, a lot of roads I could take. There is a certain, to graduate my course, I have to produce a 10 minute original drama. Something I've always wanted to do, is to blog the stages of the production. This final drama, feels like the perfect opportunity to show you how a film grows, from a blank piece of paper, to a ten minute piece.
Granted, it doesn't sound like the biggest task, a ten minute film, pft, try making an hour, or a two hour film. Today however, productions have multiple outlets, where work can be shown, and different spaces have different attention spans. Face it when you click on Youtube and see '20 Minute short film' next to '10 Minute short film' you're more likely to watch the 10 minute film. Like wise for the cinema, you've gone for a day out, you've paid money, if its less then 90 minutes, you're likely to feel ripped off.
So my film maybe short, but this no negotiable time, helps me place where my film should go, and the audience that come with that format. The short running time, also makes it a perfect chance for it to be entered into film festivals. I have entered a film into a festival before, a film which I knew would fail to make the cut, but once promises have been made 'yes I'm entering it into a film festival' its hard not to go back on that.
Now is the perfect time to research festivals and to find the dates. See if you can work them around your production, and see if your film needs to fit into any rules.
2016 Film festivals:
Sundance - (currently accepting submissions) Festival dates - January 21st -31st 2016
London Short Film Festival - (currently accepting submissions) Festival dates - January 8th - 17th 2016
Berlinale - Festival dates - February 11 - 21st 2016
Manchester Film festival (currently accepting submissions) Festival dates- March 3rd - 6th 2016
Glasgow Films Festival (accepting submissions 31st August -16 November) - Festival dates- March 16 - 20 2016
All the festivals I have listed have relatively early submission dates, and for me personally, the submission dates would be impossible, preproduction on my film wouldn't begin till late January. If you are unlike me though and are well scheduled, and already have a film, give the festivals a Google and submit. For most festivals they will charge a submission fee, the more prestigious the festival, the higher the submission fee, but, if you believe in your film, and think it needs to be seen, then get it out there. SUBMIT! 'Just do it' - Shia Labeouf 2015.
For us least prepared, (the filmless) we don't need to worry, as history repeats itself. So if you really want to submit to say Sundance, but you've missed the submission dates, then wait for the next one. Its good practice to look around other festivals, most festivals post updates on the films, and their makers, letting you get a grasp on what other people are producing.
So we've looked about and seen the ways we can get out film out their, my first priority is to produce a film that earns me a first in my degree, but I would like to get it out there, not collecting dust on Youtube.
But the first step we must take, is getting an idea, and a good idea is like a good fart. You get one every now and again, and when you do get one, you want to share it with people, and feed of their reaction. Like farts however, nobody wants to smell your idea, if your friends and families are like mine, yes their supportive and want you to succeeded, but frankly they don't care. You can spend hours wafting the best idea in their face and all they're going to say 'yeah its good', you want to know what's good about it, what is bad about it, but when it comes to family and friends you might as well ask a wall.
This is where its good to know other people who, also want to work in that industry, to test you're idea on. They understand the process and will be able to tell you where their highs and lows of the idea is, and if its worth pursuing. This stage is horrifying, it feels like standing in the middle of boxing ring, with no defence, just waiting to receive that killer blow from Mike Tyson. 'I don't get it' is something nobody ever wants to hear, but if it keeps coming back and people are not grasping the concept, then maybe think of moving onto another idea.
If you don't have any one to talk to, you can email me, if you like, I'm more then happy to talk though ideas, and listen to people, email me: Terryhall_11@hotmail.co.uk
Being scared of someone stealing you're idea, is a stupid reason not to test your idea. Social anxiety is a pain, but you have to break through and trust people. Nobody is going to steal you're idea, and if they do, BIG IF, and your film sells for millions at the box office, move on, ideas come and go, there will be more. One of my ideas recently became a TV programme, 'You, me, and the Apocalypse' coming to Sky One, is an idea me and the writer must of shared, because I wrote a proposal, and I left it to collect dust, every now and again I'd return to it, and think 'Someone should make this' and so someone did. I was upset at first, yes I felt robbed, my idea, just gone, but so what, theirs millions of people trying to produce and make television and of course people are going to have the same ideas. Just make sure you're the first one to produce the piece, and don't get beaten to the punch. By the way, I'm really looking forward to watching 'You, me and the Apocalypse' it looks good.
Where do good ideas come from though? Well that's hell of a question, my ideas, so far, have been inspired by music.
It was a cold winters night, their was no food in the flat, and my friend offered to take me to Tesco. Together we went on our quest for walkers crisp, it was late, and this song came on the radio, we didn't speak, we just listened to 'The clouds over Pompeii' by Bears Den. A beautiful song, with a man's soft voice and plucks of the guitar strings, it had highs and lows, even though the lyrics felt dreary. We got are food and rushed home, I had to Youtube the song, it was in my head. And then I saw the music video, an old man dancing by himself, but he's not sad, he's happy, happy that he's dancing, the memory of his wife, knowing she would want him to be happy. Was truly powerful.
Its been just under a year since I first heard that song, and I always returned to the man, the joy on his face, even though he was alone. How can he keep dancing? With his wife gone, surely the last thing you'd want to be doing is dancing. It wouldn't leave my head, and in my gut, I knew, this is the idea I should to explore with my drama, having to carry on with life, even though you've lost those who you love most. How do you learn how to dance again?
That's where my idea for Dance Again came from. But Ideas can come from anywhere, paintings, music, film, but there not going to come to you, if you only sit behind a desk banging your head on a the keyboard, wishing an idea would come to mind. My idea came out from a shopping trip to Tesco, its by living life we learn, we experience things and then are able to share. So if you can't get an idea, stop thinking so much, get out, live life, let the idea come to you, and god knows lives to short to waste forming words on a word processor.
And on that note good bye.
Till next time, Terry. x
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