At the start of the term I was feeling very optimistic about this term as I had formed my group quickly and we had an idea and the basis of the script before the term started, so when the term started I had already started casting and Helen was nearly done with her first draft so we was way on it and with all our deadlines in places especially for the book to be printed.
Along the way as a team we have had our differences and ups and downs but we have sorted and worked them out to get the final pre-production piece to where we are at now.
We have locations ready and paid for, a big cast of actors all keen and ready to start filming and a crew that is big enough and helpful enough to help get it all done in time.
Some pointers I have had along the way have been the if people drop out or don't turn up its there lost but we have to have a quick come around and find other people, we need to keep people interested and secure them and the locations so that we won't be having troubles like the auditions where people had mix ups on days.
I need to be clear with all the actors and no one else is to confer with them or they get confused with wrong information even by accident, which is why I organise the shoots and am the only one with each persons contact details.
I need to not let people fall behind and need to confirm straight away as we was messed around by the sound guy a few times saying he would do the sound then he wouldn't etc, so we now in fact have 2 back ups for sound and a lot of back up runners that are capable to do numerous jobs on set except act apart form necessary extras we may need.
Overall this unit has been a busy and stressful time where I wasn't sure if we would get the book printed in time and all the information for the book done in time but it all fell into place we have not missed out on anything important and we have got outside people to help out as much as possible.
I have learnt so much about the means to being a producer and not just the obvious fact like organising he shoots but also helping the director and making sure they is consistency in the way the production is shot and people keen to their timings as the shoot we are on even stricter times for certain locations, I know that I need to seek as much help from the runners to do smaller jobs for me like Lawrence did at the photoshoot just by watching and escorting the actors when I was busy.
So overall I and hopefully my team are happy with the out come so far for this unit as there is not so many bad points as achievements and we all cant wait to film in February.
Thursday, 10 December 2015
Pre-Production Major Project: Producer Research Part 2
sayhttp://www.indiewire.com/article/10-tips-for-successfully-producing-a-micro-budget-feature
This article has a lot of step by step tips to make a good producer and what you need to remember, this is just for low budget producers.
The first tip is: make sure the script is written for a low budget.
It states that you can't produce a film when the script is not good enough, which in are case I feel that it is plus it is wrote to fit the locations and the plot well enough to film on a low budget.
Next: Have a 'home based' location.
She says you don't want to be having loads of different locations as you will be spending to much time traveling and setting up so have a safe space and a main location.
Lucky for our script we have found all our locations in Medway and based around all of our houses just in case and then we don't have to be traveling around everywhere, making this easier and time saving.
Open it up.
Don't have the whole film based in one location as this can tired the audience.
Also lucky for us that Helen is charge of that and she hasn't limited us and also not made my job too and by having too many locations.
Shoot when locations are open.
This is a variable that for us does not make as much difference as we are renting the place out and for small amounts, but Jennifer says that it would be cheaper to film during the open times of restaurants and clubs but you won't be able to control some outcomes
Cast matters a lot.
This for us we feel could make or break our film which is why we did a lot of auditions and casting to find the right actors to fit each characters, this can make or break our film but by having actors who are keen and excited has helped the process.
Jennifer Westin
Jennifer is a Producer for Covert Production company in Tennessee, America.
She has a film MFA form Columbia and has won the Arthur Krim Memorial Award for excellence in Producing, she was also close to winning the PGA awards, which I talk about in another post.
Some her productions include:
Producing short film and features,
Produced the stage musical "Only a Lad"
She is not a well known producer but she has been successful at her job, she is hard to find on the internet as she is not as well know but even though she is American she is still a good figure with all her good tips online for producers and that she can do it while pregnant and a child thats even better. (picture above shows that she is pregnant, so has at least one child) also she is married.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2059448/ - This a link to her IMDB page but is only tells you every film she has producer and not anything about her unfortunately
This article has a lot of step by step tips to make a good producer and what you need to remember, this is just for low budget producers.
The first tip is: make sure the script is written for a low budget.
It states that you can't produce a film when the script is not good enough, which in are case I feel that it is plus it is wrote to fit the locations and the plot well enough to film on a low budget.
Next: Have a 'home based' location.
She says you don't want to be having loads of different locations as you will be spending to much time traveling and setting up so have a safe space and a main location.
Lucky for our script we have found all our locations in Medway and based around all of our houses just in case and then we don't have to be traveling around everywhere, making this easier and time saving.
Open it up.
Don't have the whole film based in one location as this can tired the audience.
Also lucky for us that Helen is charge of that and she hasn't limited us and also not made my job too and by having too many locations.
Shoot when locations are open.
This is a variable that for us does not make as much difference as we are renting the place out and for small amounts, but Jennifer says that it would be cheaper to film during the open times of restaurants and clubs but you won't be able to control some outcomes
Cast matters a lot.
This for us we feel could make or break our film which is why we did a lot of auditions and casting to find the right actors to fit each characters, this can make or break our film but by having actors who are keen and excited has helped the process.
Jennifer Westin
Jennifer is a Producer for Covert Production company in Tennessee, America.
She has a film MFA form Columbia and has won the Arthur Krim Memorial Award for excellence in Producing, she was also close to winning the PGA awards, which I talk about in another post.
Some her productions include:
Producing short film and features,
Produced the stage musical "Only a Lad"
She is not a well known producer but she has been successful at her job, she is hard to find on the internet as she is not as well know but even though she is American she is still a good figure with all her good tips online for producers and that she can do it while pregnant and a child thats even better. (picture above shows that she is pregnant, so has at least one child) also she is married.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2059448/ - This a link to her IMDB page but is only tells you every film she has producer and not anything about her unfortunately
Pre-Production Major Project: Pilot Research
As we are creating a pilot episode I have been looking into what makes that works and not work, I have watch so many series and they all start with that initial pilot which is the make or break, but what makes or break the pilot and keeps you watching. I have decided to look at the series that fit the most with our genre and type of show like the Inbetweeners although these guys are slightly younger than our cast, Friends which even though is American show is about the lives of people and how they stick by each other throughout and also the shot Sunday League series made just for Youtube.
The Inbetweeners -the pilot is based upon a young boy Will, who is joining high school for the first time as for until this point he has been in private education. The episode travels through Will's experience and the ups and downs of trying to fit in and makes friends, like normal school there is bullying, girls, alcohol and swearing, a lot of swearing.
The pilot starts with the title sequence which has the 4 boys which we haven't seen or met yet but we know these are going to be the sole focus, we then meet Will who in voice over is telling his story of how he got to this point and with also flashes of what going to happen in the future.
The first thing they have to do is to show us the characters along with their personalities in their 'natural habitats' so we get a better feel of who they are and what makes them tick, this then takes you up to the break just before the next adventure the character are about to have 'together'.
This episode does not consist of a lot of locations as the main ones are in fact the school in which I can image the rest of the season will evolve around and the pub in which the big event happens while Will tries to make friends and fails. To compare to our pilot we have a lot more locations and main locations but about the same amount of actors, the 4 main boys the girl crush and a big extras scene and they pulled it off and kept it neat and consistent, even though its only 21 minutes long there is no a lot that happens but it does keep you watching so the time goes quickly which is a bit different to ours as there is a lot that happens but the main story is friendship for the episode about the drift apart to the coming back together plus it set over more time than the Inbetweeners and Will's first day.
Friends - An American show based around the idea of friendship and what it entails to stay together along with the ups and downs, similar to the Ibetweeners and school life, how different people from different walks of life stay as one, this episode shows how even people who drift apart can come back together along with each character being unique in their character and loved.
Again it starts with the title sequence and the first camera shot is of the coffee shot "Central Perk" which tells us this is going to be the main location and for the guys to hover over this sofa, We see 4 people so in tern they each talk so we hear there voice and their judgement on the first girl 'Monica". Each in term we hear and learn more about them, introducing the characters as we don't know there names until about 3 minutes in which in when we meet the other 2 characters and the dramatic plot changer.
Even though this is an American show it is about the same length as the Inbetweeners and holds similar concepts such as the ups and downs of life and just trying to survive which is also what our pilot is about but they are all just adaptations on this with a different story and characters, Friends however is more like ours as its based on peoples life instead of school and the struggles they face to keep them together.
Steve Bracknall's Sunday League- this 3 part series is based upon a Sunday League team that are trying to win and make it big like every other team out there, this short pilot of only 7 minutes is set on a pitch and based on true events.
Starts straight into the episode where we are in a bush looking for the ball, which to me is a bit unclear to start with and confused why. Then a minute in we get a simple title sequence which is just a black screen with the title and music which cuts suddenly, the episode contains a lot of unsettling language and shouting form the coaches to the team, which we don't even get to see. After the title sequence all we see is the coach swearing and talking about football to the team for the rest of the episode which is not keeping the interest of the audience, the music is however consistent at the end there is also no credits and instead just this guys twitter name, this is a good example of how we don't want our pilot to be.
After watching this I can tell that the sound isn't that great especially the fades from music, there is no show of the boys except when looking for the ball at the start, in fact we don't even see a ball for the whole episode or anyone playing. The coach is however motivational through all the nasty language which we won't be using, this is a simple show but there isn't much Sunday League about it and at least we know that by showing more people and storyline that we should be able to keep the audience better and what not to do.
The Inbetweeners -the pilot is based upon a young boy Will, who is joining high school for the first time as for until this point he has been in private education. The episode travels through Will's experience and the ups and downs of trying to fit in and makes friends, like normal school there is bullying, girls, alcohol and swearing, a lot of swearing.
The pilot starts with the title sequence which has the 4 boys which we haven't seen or met yet but we know these are going to be the sole focus, we then meet Will who in voice over is telling his story of how he got to this point and with also flashes of what going to happen in the future.
The first thing they have to do is to show us the characters along with their personalities in their 'natural habitats' so we get a better feel of who they are and what makes them tick, this then takes you up to the break just before the next adventure the character are about to have 'together'.
This episode does not consist of a lot of locations as the main ones are in fact the school in which I can image the rest of the season will evolve around and the pub in which the big event happens while Will tries to make friends and fails. To compare to our pilot we have a lot more locations and main locations but about the same amount of actors, the 4 main boys the girl crush and a big extras scene and they pulled it off and kept it neat and consistent, even though its only 21 minutes long there is no a lot that happens but it does keep you watching so the time goes quickly which is a bit different to ours as there is a lot that happens but the main story is friendship for the episode about the drift apart to the coming back together plus it set over more time than the Inbetweeners and Will's first day.
Friends - An American show based around the idea of friendship and what it entails to stay together along with the ups and downs, similar to the Ibetweeners and school life, how different people from different walks of life stay as one, this episode shows how even people who drift apart can come back together along with each character being unique in their character and loved.
Again it starts with the title sequence and the first camera shot is of the coffee shot "Central Perk" which tells us this is going to be the main location and for the guys to hover over this sofa, We see 4 people so in tern they each talk so we hear there voice and their judgement on the first girl 'Monica". Each in term we hear and learn more about them, introducing the characters as we don't know there names until about 3 minutes in which in when we meet the other 2 characters and the dramatic plot changer.
Even though this is an American show it is about the same length as the Inbetweeners and holds similar concepts such as the ups and downs of life and just trying to survive which is also what our pilot is about but they are all just adaptations on this with a different story and characters, Friends however is more like ours as its based on peoples life instead of school and the struggles they face to keep them together.
Steve Bracknall's Sunday League- this 3 part series is based upon a Sunday League team that are trying to win and make it big like every other team out there, this short pilot of only 7 minutes is set on a pitch and based on true events.
Starts straight into the episode where we are in a bush looking for the ball, which to me is a bit unclear to start with and confused why. Then a minute in we get a simple title sequence which is just a black screen with the title and music which cuts suddenly, the episode contains a lot of unsettling language and shouting form the coaches to the team, which we don't even get to see. After the title sequence all we see is the coach swearing and talking about football to the team for the rest of the episode which is not keeping the interest of the audience, the music is however consistent at the end there is also no credits and instead just this guys twitter name, this is a good example of how we don't want our pilot to be.
After watching this I can tell that the sound isn't that great especially the fades from music, there is no show of the boys except when looking for the ball at the start, in fact we don't even see a ball for the whole episode or anyone playing. The coach is however motivational through all the nasty language which we won't be using, this is a simple show but there isn't much Sunday League about it and at least we know that by showing more people and storyline that we should be able to keep the audience better and what not to do.
Pre-Production Major Project: Producer Research
Jason Blum
Jason Blum is the Producer and CEO of his company Blumhouse production but Jason was not always as big as he is now and even now he classes himself as a low budget especially compare to hollywood, Jason is a horror movie producer and his first big hit was Paranormal Activity which is one of the most profitable movies in history and was made on a budget less then 5 million.
Jason has worked for lost of different companies in different companies and has even worked for Hollywood before but he is an inspiration now as he is one of the most noticeable producers in the horror genre and he makes the lowest costing and most profitable films to date but yet he does not flash off his cash as he does not have a expensive car and driver but drives around looking like a handy man in a van with a small office and staff.
http://www.laweekly.com/arts/can-budget-slasher-jason-blum-prove-the-way-hollywood-makes-movies-is-horrifyingly-wrong-6176088
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-04-24/jason-blum-the-penny-pinching-horror-movie-maestro
After reading these article on Jason he has worked hard doing what he loves and for him that has always been producing and finally he is now his own producer, the article states that most producers in Hollywood have previsouly been actors or directors that have got board and what to make their own films, like the one i mentioned in one of my other posts like Adam Sandler who is executive producer in most of the films he starts in as he now owns his own production company (Happy Maddison).
The article is inspiring to the next producer as it gives in insight into what Jason went through and he even got the dream of Hollywood but it just wasn't right for him and now he has found his calling and loves his job which works around his family, which is a surprise in the film industry.
Jason Blum is the Producer and CEO of his company Blumhouse production but Jason was not always as big as he is now and even now he classes himself as a low budget especially compare to hollywood, Jason is a horror movie producer and his first big hit was Paranormal Activity which is one of the most profitable movies in history and was made on a budget less then 5 million.
Jason has worked for lost of different companies in different companies and has even worked for Hollywood before but he is an inspiration now as he is one of the most noticeable producers in the horror genre and he makes the lowest costing and most profitable films to date but yet he does not flash off his cash as he does not have a expensive car and driver but drives around looking like a handy man in a van with a small office and staff.
http://www.laweekly.com/arts/can-budget-slasher-jason-blum-prove-the-way-hollywood-makes-movies-is-horrifyingly-wrong-6176088
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-04-24/jason-blum-the-penny-pinching-horror-movie-maestro
After reading these article on Jason he has worked hard doing what he loves and for him that has always been producing and finally he is now his own producer, the article states that most producers in Hollywood have previsouly been actors or directors that have got board and what to make their own films, like the one i mentioned in one of my other posts like Adam Sandler who is executive producer in most of the films he starts in as he now owns his own production company (Happy Maddison).
The article is inspiring to the next producer as it gives in insight into what Jason went through and he even got the dream of Hollywood but it just wasn't right for him and now he has found his calling and loves his job which works around his family, which is a surprise in the film industry.
Pre-Production Major Project: Sunday League Research
Sunday League is the term used for the minor league football players that get up on a Sunday morning while other are still in bed and chase a ball around a muddy poo covered field during the snow and torrential rain, but it seems that football means a whole lot more to some people which is why that get up so early on the day of rest to kick around a football.
I did some research into the topic of Sunday League style of football and what it involves and where you can go from there. I found this short documentary on Youtube after watching the Sunday League series that is based on Youtube and this was in the suggestion to watch next.
Sunday League is a documentary that followed the plights of several Sunday football teams across England over the course of a season as they took to the muddy fields and parks to play this not so beautiful version of the beautiful game. This film focuses more on the people who play, rather than the sport itself and asks the question 'Why do Sunday Footballers keep coming back week after week?'
After watching this which is just over 30 minutes of footage from the Sunday morning football matches that the minor players put together with a few interviews of what football and Sunday League means to them and why they keep going back and getting up so early each and every Sunday, I think this a very good sum up of the football and links very well to our project even though the pilot episode doesn't have much football Sunday league is not just about the football but about the friendships and the life behind it all, why these people from different backgrounds and personalties get on so well and all have that one thing they share dearly, Football.
This even shorter documentary is based on a young man who so desperately wants to make if from the Sunday league to the professional payoffs and his tale of how to do this. Over the 11 minutes there is interviews with different people from parents of young players to football scouts, they say that from each team of about 20 maybe 4 will get scouted and get the scholarships in which maybe 1 will make it to professional and that not even the players you see on the TV games playing for Spurs/Chelsea or West Ham but for their reserve team.
This documentary sums up just how hard it is to do like another job out their, but with the right passion and skills who knows. This shows how a lot of people have dreams to play football but some still only play for Sunday league teams which most don't know exist but they love what they do and keep hold of that at no matter what age.
I did some research into the topic of Sunday League style of football and what it involves and where you can go from there. I found this short documentary on Youtube after watching the Sunday League series that is based on Youtube and this was in the suggestion to watch next.
Sunday League is a documentary that followed the plights of several Sunday football teams across England over the course of a season as they took to the muddy fields and parks to play this not so beautiful version of the beautiful game. This film focuses more on the people who play, rather than the sport itself and asks the question 'Why do Sunday Footballers keep coming back week after week?'
After watching this which is just over 30 minutes of footage from the Sunday morning football matches that the minor players put together with a few interviews of what football and Sunday League means to them and why they keep going back and getting up so early each and every Sunday, I think this a very good sum up of the football and links very well to our project even though the pilot episode doesn't have much football Sunday league is not just about the football but about the friendships and the life behind it all, why these people from different backgrounds and personalties get on so well and all have that one thing they share dearly, Football.
This even shorter documentary is based on a young man who so desperately wants to make if from the Sunday league to the professional payoffs and his tale of how to do this. Over the 11 minutes there is interviews with different people from parents of young players to football scouts, they say that from each team of about 20 maybe 4 will get scouted and get the scholarships in which maybe 1 will make it to professional and that not even the players you see on the TV games playing for Spurs/Chelsea or West Ham but for their reserve team.
This documentary sums up just how hard it is to do like another job out their, but with the right passion and skills who knows. This shows how a lot of people have dreams to play football but some still only play for Sunday league teams which most don't know exist but they love what they do and keep hold of that at no matter what age.
Tuesday, 8 December 2015
Pre-Production Major Project: Locations
Finding locations was not easy to start off with as I searched for football pitches and night clubs, Danny came to me saying that the football pitch at Raihnam Recreation grounds was a good size but its on the councils grounds, so I went looking to see if there was rules and I found a phone number for media relations and when I rang them they said it was public grounds and I didn't need permission to film which I made sure they sent me in writing. This is a picture I look of the first pitch on the grounds which we will be using, the picture was taken from mine and Danny's recce.
The night club was harder to get as I originally contacted Casino's as I had a friend who is knows the owner well and said I would be able to hire it plus they also let out their VIP area if you do some publicity for them so I rang them and emailed but I never got a reply after 5 attempts I went in search.
I came across the Royal Function rooms on the Medway website advertising halls so when we went to recce it we was thinking more for our wedding scene, when we got there we saw this room and it is perfect for our night club scene and the hire is quite cheap for our budget.
The mini stage is great for our DJ and a dance area for a few shots of the boys dancing and a smallish bar which we felt was all we needed as there is only one shot where the boys are getting drinks at the bar.
When looking for a hall all we had gone and looked at the Royal Function rooms which had a big hall as well as the night club looking hall which would be good for a wedding reception but it was expensive and would have put us on a time scale for a big scene. So we accidentally came across the Rochester Social Club which had a sigh saying hall for hire and Danny and I went on a recce to have a look and normally they say only members can come in but as we would be doing them a favour and filming they agreed to let us view.
The hall is very small and full of tables with little space for a dance floor but we can move things around plus there is a side room in which the boys and Don's mini scene can take place, we felt this was a better choice of halls as the hall in the script is a beaten up cheap place and this seems to fit quite well it just needs a little dressing to look like a reception rather then a bar.
Pre-Production Major Project: Call Sheet Research
I have not wrote my own call sheet before and I didn't not know where to start or what to write so I need to do some research, I have seen call sheets before as I worked on a low budget feature and they sent call sheets the night before with the details of what seems they were shooting and what time we was starting, now I know that I do not want to be emailing people call sheets hours before we are due to start so I want to have as much detail and them done as much as I can so people know weeks before ruffly what we are doing on what day of the week. When i worked for the BBC they would send the call sheet out of Friday evening for the show on Sunday which was about 4 pages of people and information.
I went looking for information to see what I could find out about call sheets and what basic information needs to go onto the sheet, this website has a step by step of what I should write and what I don't need to include. The website was really helpful and even gave me templates along with the advice and examples, but the website also has other useful items for not just producing.
The basics start at the title of the production at the top of the page along with the location, date and the weather, but in our case I can't predict the weather 3 months in advance so I have left it blank till nearer the date. This should also include the sunset and rise in small in the weather box. The location is important and all the details especially postcode for the sat nav and if possible a map, also the location and address of the nearest hospital is very important.
The time of the big break (lunch or dinner) should be at the top near the call time so people know when they will get to break, and a wrap time.
The scene numbers and description so people know what scene that are in on that day and what they need to wear so then know if they get breaks in-between and if they are not in that day at all.
Important numbers such as producers and runner numbers should be on the call sheet incase someone needs it but the rest of the numbers should be with the producer or head runner.
This call sheet is a template/example for the website above, as you can see it is in really good detail and is 2 pages long but it covers a lot of aspects, such as travel arrangements and health and safety. This I felt was a good example as it is a call sheet especially designed for TV short dramas but I do however feel that this is a bit long for our production but the style and layout is very clear and formal which I feel is necessary.
This another example I took of a similar sort of website, where by it hd a lot of useful tips and document for filmmakers especially in TV. Unfortunately when uploading the conversion went wrong and the layout has overlapped on the first page making it miss out the box for the scenes and crew call times. But as you can see both the call sheet examples are similar and have the same aspects needed they are just set out different ways and the top one has more detail in people and transport whereas this one has more about scene descriptions and the full teams separate call times.
I found by comparing the two I didn't have to use one or the other but by downloading them both from their website I could combine the two so I could take out the travel descriptions from the first one and the teams call times from the second one and then both call sheets hold similar details its just the second one has more distinctive layout which I feel would be clearer especially the call time and production title at the top so I will use this as my main template.
Monday, 7 December 2015
Pre-Production Major Project: Music Research
After a discussion about music for the final piece next year we decided that we wanted a catchy song that everyone would love to be our theme song like the friends, when the title sequence comes on and you sing I'll be there for you and everyone automatically claps their hands 5 times very quickly before carrying on with the title sequence, this song is known by everyone who watched at least one episode.
This intro is so catchy that this is the kind of song I was looking for to be our theme song. This is done by the music as it suit the genre and the message behind the program the "i'll be there for you" as its all about a group of friends and there thick and thins over 10 seasons plus people will know this for years to come and do the clap or movement to the 5 quick drum beats at the beginning.
This is the Inbetweeners Title sequence and theme song, this however does not have an signing it is purely just the soundtrack but when people hear it come on their TV's they know straight away it the Inbetweeners so this I don't mind not having the singing but I feel for a show like our we need some meaningful words in the chorus.
So this inspired us to find a person or band to create a song for us, which we knew might mean it would be tailored and would be made to the edit after filming next year. I went in search of some royalty free music to see if I could find anything like this without going to a band.
I just typed in Royalty free music for TV intros into Youtube and I found this, although it does sound more of an epic soundtrack to me it was more like a Bond (007) movie type soundtrack not a sunday league drama type, it started off slow and after a few seconds the music started building until the beat got into it and even though it was good it just doesn't fit our style.
This one is also from Youtube, this song is also a start of simple and slow and it builds soundtrack but it is more for action and intense movies or TV than our production so it also does not work but by listening to these soundtracks it definitely makes me want to have singing in our theme song so I think we need a band.
Helen told us she knew a bang and would get into contact them to see if they would create a song for us, once she told me that they are an American bang and would not tailor a song for us but would let us have the rights to anyone of their already produced songs it was then my job to look into the bang and their songs further to see in any fitted.
The bands name is Nekokat, so I went searching to find out more about them. Nekokat is made up of three band members one of which is Helens friends (the drummer) they are a new up and coming band based in America with their new debut single 'Gimme a Break' a catchy song that we felt fitted our script very well, and after listening to the single a few times I found that I would walk around the house singing this. So the next thing was to get in contact with the publishing company to get the rights for the song which the band had already agreed too.
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6583132/supergroup-nekokat-gimme-a-break-exclusive-single-premiere
http://wearenekokat.com - features the new summer hit "Gimme a Break" on the website.
Saturday, 5 December 2015
Pre-Production Major Project: Budget Research
When you say budget it means give an estimate on how much you will be spending, well thats what i thought I would have to do for this part of being a producer but in my research I learnt that I would have to over budget items and account for every little thing I needed which I can't think of now, so instead of saying I have this amount of money and then spending it when it needs I have been looking at film and Television budgets.
A definition of a budget is that it calculates the number of items and people that the production would need, derived from a combination of the items brought from props etc and the cast and crew, this is also called in inventory and is also used to calculate under or over spending. This is an example of a Tv Budget after the show has finished and the over spend they had not budgeted for.
Because we are spending our own money into this Pilot we don't want to go over budget if we can help it as that means I would have to explain where all the money has gone and ask for more, plus if I had only budgeted say £600 and my estimate was under then I didn't stick to it plus unlike this image we are not paying anyone, we are paying travel and crews food so we shouldn't go over on wages.
Television has always had the most money chucked at it for series, Lost estimated at $4 million per episode and game of Thrones $6 million but sometimes fantasy shows don't always succeed with the high budgets and low budget series like Doctor Who are just as big a success with lower than a tenth of the budget at $2 thousand, which means we can do the same.
Working out at budget isn't as easy as it looks as you have to think of every little item (like for us the tea and coffee dispensers for the football pitch scene) but when looking into budgets they mostly cover peoples wages, after searching the internet I found that a to be classed as a low budget the max amount of money is 250 thousand for a film but for reality Tv shows they start at 100 thousand and these are classed as low budget series.
Pre Production Major Project: Producer Research
Before researching into producer roles my interpretation of a producer was, a Producer organises the crew to be at each shoot with all the equipment needed and their plans but also to have the cast and locations sorted with all the paperwork for each shoot.
But after searching on the internet of what a producer does from hollywood to low budget, from films to Television I came up with this:
Film producer do a variety of roles depending on the type, such as selecting the script, directing, editing and arranging finance, but most of all they create and keep the creativity and continuity through out the production and keeping the production on the same level.
The average Hollywood film made in 2013 had just over 10 producer credits, this is because one producer cannot do everything so there appoint an executive and line producer but the main producer has the last say on sound, edits and script changes, but they also have to arrange all the distribution and selling of the film.
Different types of producers
Executive Producer
Executive Producer
- The Executive Producer addresses the finances in that they pitch films to the studios, but they when chosen they will deal with things such as budgets and contracts.
Line Producer - Manages the staff and day-to-day operations. Finds staff for the production. Most people know them in the credits to be "produced by" not Line Producer
Supervising Producer - Supervises the creative process of screenplay development, and often aids in script re-writes.
Co-Producer - A writer who may not have written the script, but contributed significantly through table reads.
Co-Ordinating producer (Production Coordinator) - This producer manages the schedule and arranges the staff into teams.
Associate Producer - Runs day-to-day operations.
Segment Producer - Writes or produces one segment of a film.
Editing Producer - Helps co-ordinate the edit by working with the editor and relaying information from other producers.
Notable producers of which I know but these are mostly Directors or Actors that have put their own money into the production.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Vin Diesel
j.j Abrams
Leo Decaprio
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Stanley Kurbrik
George Lucas
Brad Pitt
Steven speilgburg
Ben stiller
Adam Sandler
Taratino
Jim Carey
Mel Gibson
Peter Jackson
all of which are male!!!!
PGA- Producers Guide of America which is a trade organisation representing TV producers in the U.S. They help every one of the above producers by supporting them as a member and giving them benefits but this is a non-profit trade group that promotes the producing team interests, the PGA has over 7 thousand member who improve their careers and the industry by being apart, plus the organisation try to work on the laws and impartial standards for the producer.
The PGA have annual awards to celebrate the hard work and gratitude.
Their mission statement is:
"The PGA represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team"
The PGA have annual awards to celebrate the hard work and gratitude.
Their mission statement is:
"The PGA represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team"
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