Pre-Production Major Project: Check list

Aimee's to do list

I created this for myself so I could remember and keep up with all the jobs I have to get done before printing the book at the end of November.
This helps me so I know what I still have to do and what I have done, also by adding the dates I want them done by I am then strict with myself and I would then push myself to finish each task and I can see which needs doing first. Plus by having notes I could give myself some guidance or instructions like call sheets which I have to organise with Danny what he would like to shoot on which days of the week.
I created one for each of the team members so they would know what they need to have done and give me by certain dates instead of me keep asking them. I feel these are a good idea just so we all have some type of document to look at rather then trying to remember plus they can be printed and wrote on.

Pre-Production Major Project: Budget

For the budget as a group we decided it would contain two different elements:

• We would put our own money in 
• Raising money through either fundraising or kickstarter

We are raising money just so we would have more money to put into the film as there is stuff we need which we won't get free like the football kits; these are expensive.

We was going to do fundraising but what we had in mind was a lot of time for not a lot of money which is why we came up with the idea for kickstarter and Indigogo.

We are aiming to raise £300 from Indigogo 

The money as a team we are putting in, is as follows:

Chris = £100 

Helen = £200

Danny =£150 

Aimee =£150 

plus Chris is going to sponsor the film with his production company and put in an extra £100

The budget will have to cover, Travel, Food, Football kit, props and Locations.

Travel I have budgeted  £5 per person per day = £125

Food for over 50 people for 4 days                   = £125

Football kit for 7 players including goalie        = £100

Locations (5 places)                                          = £200

Props (wedding)                                                = £50

                                                                          = £600

This does not include Indigogo money which would be a bonus to pay more actors for travel as I have only allowed for 5 people which does not include me each day. I will be calling in people to help as crew for favours such as the sound guy who is a professional, and people in the course as they know what they are doing and need the experience. 

I managed to get a designers for the kits for free.

The only things I feel I may have to change and could be more vigilant on would be that I may have under or over budgeted in certain areas as I don't have prices from Locations quotes yet, the above numbers are still estimates but there is nothing I need to add to the list so if I go under on Kit I would have more room for Travel or Locations.

Pre-Production Major Project: Funding Research

For this project even though we decided we would all put money into this project we felt it was a good idea to raise money for the budget too as the more we had the more we could pay actors or get better locations or props etc. so we have been looking into various different funding places such as Kickstarter and Indigogo. They are both online forums where people go to donate money for your project and in return you might off them some sort of goodies, but I was told about some government funding schemes that might be available and help out instead of relying of peoples donations we could then apply.

http://www.creativeengland.co.uk

I found Creative England, they give funds to starting out film makers and low budget productions.
After researching their whole website and the details so I could apply for funding I came to a conclusion that their requirements for the money we did not fit any of them as even though they fund feature films and TV dramas and the TV dramas are only for people that live in the Midlands which would have fitted us the best apart from the location. The Midlands one is for Producers who are looking to make their start in the industry and for TV with upto £1 million, the other one was for feature films only for established directors who have a budget of up to £2 million so unfortunately this did not fit what I was looking for so I am moving onto Kickstarter.

Pre-Production Major Project: Football Research

In this group I am the person that knows the least about football, the rules the outfits and what goes on, so I need to catch up and do my research into football by reading about it and watching some of the films out there, Helen, Danny and Chris have suggested some:

• Goal
• Green street 
• Football factory 
• Bend it like Beckham 
• Longest yard
• Dream team 
• Footballers Wives 

I was advised that some of these are not very good but I can learn from them.

Not only should I watch the films but it would be good to understand the rules of play when it comes to football so I looked into football, I starter on Fifa Association page

On this page it has all the rules about football but its not that easy to understand football like that but by watching matches and the films I should be able to pick it up as I know have a basic understanding from the rules on the website and now watching these films listed above I will be better help in this group knowing I have more knowledge and understanding of the sport.

One thing that I have learned is that I didn't understand free kicks and penalties but the group have explained and we watched a match so I now get the difference, a free kick is when the ball is outside the goalkeepers box and a penalty is inside, also a corner is when the team on the same side as the goalkeepers kicks the ball over the back line but if the opposite ten kick it over the line or the goal then its a goal kick.

Pre-Production Major Project: Kickstarter

Intro and a bit about Kickstarter, this was an idea from Helen that we should try and raise some money for our major project and that Kickstarter would be a good thing to look into.

Since the launch in 2009, nearly 8 million people have pledged more than 1.5 billion to projects.  On average, more than 1 million is pledged to projects every day!

Every Kickstarter project should have the following:

• A project page with a video and description that clearly explains the story behind your project
• Rewards that backers will receive when the project is completed
• Updates that share the creative journey as the project comes to life.

What to offer

People like to pledge if they know there is something in it for them too. Here are five common reward types:

Copies of the thing

The album (physical or digital!), the DVD, a print from the photo exhibition.

Limited editions

Backers love limited editions. They celebrate the special role backers played in helping the project come to life.

Collaborations

A backer appears in your comic. Every backer gets painted into your mural. Two backers do the handclaps for a song on your record.

Experiences

A visit to the set. A phone call from the author. Dinner with the cast. A concert in your backyard.

Mementos

Polaroids sent from location. Thanks in the credits. Meaningful tokens that tell a story.

What I have learned about Kickstarter is that people send you money to back your project as you set a goal of how much you need and when by, but if you don't met the goal then no money is given as its an all or nothing. 

So we have nothing to lose by trying Kickstarter and hoping people like our film and what we are offering to back us.

After researching I now have to plan a Kickstarter program and set up a project, so first Chris and Danny need to make a video which will include meeting the team and about our film, we need to decide on a budget and what we will be offering to people donating.

We are responsible for getting the word out and getting people to donate and we also have to send the items we are offering to the people too. 

We will be planning to offer things like:

• Poster
• DVD
• Thank you in credits 
• Pictures from on-set 

Pre-Production Major Project: Character Profiles and Episode Information

Sunday League

Helen sent us this document of the Character Profiles and Episode Bio's she had created for the project, we were suppose to read over this while she was on holiday and give feedback so when she gets back she can start writing the first episode.
I started to read over the episode list and its very basic at the moment but the pilot sounds just like we wanted and although it doesn't give much away it is just enough to get the basic information of what Sunday League is about and what will happen.

The character profiles are a hard to read all in one go so I slowly started going through it and I stopped after the first main characters so I could absorb the characters before they start muddling together and I decided to start putting up casting to give plenty of time for us to get applications and also while the characters were fresh in my mind I could give enough information and detail to people.

I have decided to read the character profiles slowly and maybe one each day so I don't overload and then List them so I would remember them, but I don't have any problems so far with what I have read with the characters and episodes.

Pre-Production Major Project: Chosen Production

I have been chosen to join a group to do the Major Project pre production idea, in which I will be the producer.
My group consists of Helen- the script writer, who will write the 6 part series of which we will film the pilot episode.
Danny- Director, who will compose a detailed shot list and storyboard with a designer
Chris- Cameraman and Editor, who will shoot and edit the trailer and title sequence ready for the major project in January.
I will of course be the one who organises the team and get everything together ready so we can film early next year, I will research into football and how it works but also come up with ways to raise the budget for the project plus if there are small jobs like the poster I need to get someone to design it.

The group has decided to do the pilot on a comedy of football, this means the crap teams that have basic numbers and maybe aren't the best players play at weekends and shows the struggles of their career in football, so far the name is Sunday League but might change as it was just a name thrown out by Helen but everyone so far likes it.