LINE PRODUCED BY A PODCAST?
Pretty much.
Signs Of Life, my debut feature film, really was a labour of love. A micro budget film with a mighty heart and huge ambitions. I began planning eighteen months before we turned over. Until very near production I was a one man band as regards line producing and planning. I was very honest with myself about where my strengths lay, I had a long career as a busy actor in film, TV and theatre, so I had a lot of contacts to call upon for advice and hugely talented family and friends in the industry. I was even more conscious of where my weaknesses were, or to be more precise, where the holes were in my knowledge. I began hoovering books and podcasts that claimed to help indie filmmakers. The Robert Rodriguez book was useful but felt as if it was only sparking a fire that was already blazing in my heart. The fantastic book ‘Fizz Ginger and fierce determination’ by Matt and Tori Butler Hart may have one of the least catchy titles ever but was a HUGE help. It is not an exaggeration to say I have read and re read that book three times in the making of our film.
The Filmmakers Podcast was already a part of my life, I was an avid listener and knew several of the team of hosts from my time working as an actor but once the ‘This Film Is Happening’ switch was flicked in my head I began scrolling back to the very earliest episodes of the podcast and listening almost daily to ANY podcast that was described as being about a low budget or indie film. I absorbed them all.
I would listen on a dog walk, or on a run and then listen again with my endless notepads to jot down ANYTHING that felt like a pearl. Let me be clear about what constituted a pearl for me. Giles or Dom (or other hosts) would often ask “what might you do different next time?” Or, “What do you wish you’d thought about before.” I would jot down EVERY response. They all had common themes. Directors often wished they had considered the end of the process more before they shot the film. It seemed a common story that many first time filmmakers were so dead set on ‘getting it in the can’ that they were then shocked or even depressed by the amount of work required afterwards to get the film into a condition that could screen or sell.
The list of things I knew nothing about was vast:
Deliverables,
Post (in general)
Foley,
The world of sales,
Music rights,
Score,
Contracts,
Festivals,
Distribution,
And so much more.
I was so grateful to be aware. And it set me on a kind of red alert , it put my radar on a setting to find these things out in the real world. It meant if I so much as brushed shoulders with someone who was from in a department out of my ken I would pounce, quiz and beg for a cup of tea to question further. My enthusiasm was probably a little much for some but often resulted in incredible levels of unexpected help and support. It helps to be really honest about what you don’t know. To ask questions, and to really listen.
Listen to the podcast episode with Joseph Millson for a masterclass in micro budget filmmaking here https://thefilmmakerspodcast.com/making-an-micro-budget-award-wining-indie-film-signs-of-life-with-minimal-crew-director-writer-joseph-millson/
SIGNS OF LIFE is out now WATCH HERE
#JosephMillson #Signsoflife #Podcast #Directing #Microbudget