Recently in Funding Category

Raw Nerve Screening & Info Session

By Nat on February 22, 2010 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Wednesday 17th February, the 5 films funded under the Raw Nerve initiative for 2009 were screened at the Bohemia Outdoor Cinema. The night was a success with many of the films cast and crew showing up to show support to the filmmakers and to watch the films on the big screen.

In 2009, teams were awarded $2,000 cash and $5,000 in-kind assistance from the Film & Television Institute of WA to produce a 5-minute short film.

The five funded under Raw Nerve 2009 were:

CUBS (Prod. / Dir Jules Duncan)

I Will NOT Be Outbid (Prod. Mel Judkins / Dir Tasha Stephenson)

Trash Out (Prod. Orellie Tylor / Dir Phillip Walker

Crows Feet (Prod. / Dir Megan Palinkas) and

The Washing Line (Prod. Megan Riley / Dir Penny Bedford).

This year, all the Raw Nerve films were of high quality and the filmmakers should be really proud of what they achieved. It is not just me that thinks this! Many of the films have achieved success with local and national short film festivals - with more nominations and awards to come I am sure! 'CUB's' was shortlisted for Tropfest, and 'Crows Feet' and 'I Will NOT Be Outbid!' have been nominated for WASA's (for more info please check out the films HERE).

The evening also served as an information session for the initiative in 2010. The updated Guidelines and Application form is now available on the FTI website HERE.

RAW NERVE is a joint initiative of Screen Australia, Screen Development Australia (SDA) the national network of screen resource organisations and the Film & Television Institute WA. The aim is to provide early career filmmakers with an opportunity to showcase their filmic storytelling abilities. This year, funding consists of $3,000 in-kind and a $3,000 cash component, to cover fees for key positions (camera operator, sound recordist, editor, etc) as well as production and design expenses specific to each project. There are provisions for mentors to be attached to the projects, further details of this will be announced at a later date.

Information from Funding Fundamentals Evening

By Nat on February 15, 2010 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At FTI on wednesday 10th February at 6pm, FTI's Production Support Team, Yvette and Nat, held a Funding Fundamentals seminar. The seminar covered the Do's and Don'ts of the application process, how your application is assessed, and what the panel looks for when funding a project.

We have posted the slide show that we used at the seminar. Check it out HERE

Many people ask for help with preparing an application for one of our many funding initiatives. It is a large task preparing an application and of course you want to have everything done correctly to ensure you are in with a chance!!

Yvette is the Production Support Manager and can be contacted for inquiries relating to Hyperlink, Link, Town of Vincent, or any other initiatives or general inquiries.

Natalie is the Production Support Officer and takes care of Raw Nerve and OOMPF and can help you with other queries too.

For further assistance - take a look at Support & Advice and our FAQ section.

The Production Support department at FTI provides advice, assistance and funding to FTI Members for independent production projects. The support is provided through various programs. To find out more and to see if you're eligible, make sure you read through the guidelines and application forms for the the different funding initiatives HERE

Completed OOMPF Film - A Basement On A Hill

By Nat on January 11, 2010 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cassidy Hill and Charlie Lewis first met in 2003 when they were members of a film-making group at the Film & Television Institute (FTI) in Fremantle, Western Australia. They worked together on numerous short films for others before making their own no-budget project "Laundrette". Their short "Brood" was also no-budget and screened at the prestigious Bradford Film Festival, won a WA Screen Award and Best Horror Short at the Bare Bones Festival in Oklahoma.

Their recently completed short "A Basement on a Hill" was successful in receiving OOMPF funding from FTI and is their third project together. It is their first film to be released under their new production company title "Lonesome Twin Films".

Directors Charlie Lewis and Cassidy Hill discuss their approach to making "A Basement on a Hill".

As co-directors, how do you two work out your respective roles?

Charlie: Director, editor and writer

Cassidy: Director, writer and producer.

Charlie: We both had input in both areas. Cass had final say on visuals. And I had final say on performance.

How did you devise the story?

Charlie: The origin of the story is that we were trying to write a horror film to submit for funding. We decided on writing a horror story based on repression and control, but we removed the overt horror elements when we rewrote the script later. We decided to focus more on the central relationship.

How did you find your actors?

Cassidy: For the roles of Zoe and Anna, we spoke to Walter Hanna, an actor who worked on one of earlier films, and asked for a list of recommendations. Based on that we held auditions and found a lot of people who auditioned well. Whitney (Richards) wanted to audition for Zoe, she was reluctant to audition for Anna. But when we played the audition tapes back she was a brilliant Anna. She had this great haunted look in her eyes.

Charlie: Angelique (St Jorre) plays Zoe and she had the character down from the beginning.

Cassidy: She had this James Dean kind of masculine swagger, which was perfect. We changed the character a little before we started shooting, decided to make Zoe a little more vulnerable and nervous when they first meet. Angie was great however we asked her to play it.

Charlie: Incidentally, Whitney and Angie already knew each other really well, I think that helped a lot, they've got a great on-screen chemistry.

Wasn't this script a long time in development?

Charlie: It's gone through heaps of revisions, about ten drafts. What we finally shot should count as the eleventh draft. It's changed many times but Anna and Zoe remained basically the same through all the drafts in terms of their relationship. Because we'd stuck with them through many revisions, we felt close to them as characters. Having revised a script for so long, you are asked many questions about characters and their motivation, so by the end we were confident about what we had done.

Where was this shot?

Cassidy: Mostly in Charlie's old house in Nedlands, which was great for the storyboarding process. We were trying to create strong and stylised images. And having the location so far in advance really helped. Instead of abstractly imagining the shots, we had mental maps in our head and we knew where characters would go and where the light sources could be placed. Or we could even pace around the actual locations and work out the blocking for the characters while storyboarding.

The editing style seems quite formal at times.

Cassidy: To reinforce the themes of the film, the editing and cinematography is quit rigid and composed. The formality of the editing disintegrates later according to the story. It gets choppier in the 'escape' attempt and you see more of what is a traditional style these days. (jokes) Hand-held, jump cuts.

Charlie: It's the Bourne Identity bit of the film (laughs). A ninja jumps out of a cupboard.

Cassidy: People see a title like "A Basement on a Hill" and they expect ninjas in cupboards. It's a Pavlovian response (laughs).

What films did you make together before this one?

Charlie: Our first film was a romantic comedy set in a laundrette called "Laundrette". The next one was a horror film called "Brood". It won a West Australian Screen Award for the writer, Mark Hudson. "Brood" also won Best Horror Short at the Bare Bones Horror Film Festival at Muskogee, Oklahoma. It played at the Bradford Film Festival which is a very prestigious event and we were very proud of its being there.

Cassidy: It also received a marketing grant from (the Western Australian government film agency) ScreenWest.

So how does doing a low-budget film compare with no-budget?

Cassidy: It mostly shows visually. There's a shot where one of the actors leans against the wallpaper and that cost quite a bit because we had to buy the wallpaper and stick it up. We wouldn't have been able to do that previously.

Charlie: (jokes) If you divide the wallpaper screen time by the amount of money we spent on it, it probably works out to about the same as Brando in Apocalypse Now. It was the most expensive actor in the film.

Cassidy: The wallpaper was our Brando,

Charlie: It makes a difference being able to buy props.

Cassidy: Being able to pay actors a little, rather than nothing is a morale booster.

Did you have a specific aim in making Basement?

Charlie: The aspect of Basement that we wanted to get right was that we wanted to achieve a feature style arc within the constraints of a short film.

Cassidy: A proper arc for the story and the characters.

Charlie. A lot of short films are just set up, then punchline, or a 'twist'. We wanted a proper storyline with the characters changing. Now we realise why people don't do it more (laughs), because it's really fucking hard.

Have you made the film you originally intended?

Charlie: I'd always pictured this as a cold and quiet film. As Cassidy said at the time, the way the relationship between Anna and Zoe played, changed that - so now it's warmer and more human and it works better that way. The relationship is really the centre of the film.

What did Natalie Ryan-Brand and James Davies bring to this?

Charlie: Those guys were guns. Natalie would really think about the back-story of her character. She would hit the line take after take and always do it the same way. James is like our Jack Nicholson.

What are you working on next?

Charlie: It's a short relationship film, about a couple trying out bondage for the first time, called "Bonds". It's going to be able the frustrations and compromises of any relationship, but looked at through that.

Cassidy: Basement is pretty long by short film standards, because of the type of story we were trying to tell. But for our next project, which will probably be "Bonds", we are going to try and make something about half the length for twice the budget.

HINTS - PREPARING FUNDING APPLICATIONS

By Nat on November 23, 2009 1:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just a few handy hints to remember when preparing your application for funding at FTI. These are available online along with other information about preparing an application. This information does get updated so check it regularly!

Please send me an email if you have any queries.

FORMAT THE SCRIPT CORRECTLY

Not hard! Email Nat for a script template. Or download from the Screen Australia website.

READ THE SCRIPT OUT ALOUD

Is the dialogue naturalistic? Do people talk like that? Then neither should your characters! How long is the film? Does it make sense? Read out directions also - don't describe too much. Only include directions that help reader to understand character development. We DON'T need to know every minute detail.

HOW LONG IS THE SCRIPT?

Raw Nerve projects should be around 5 minutes long - this means the script should be no more than 6 - 7 pages long. OOMPF projects should be 9 - 13 minutes long. Scripts should be no more than 15 pages.

DO A SPELL CHECK

This is not hard! Spelling errors really irk panelist and are so easy to avoid!

SHOW IT - DON'T SAY IT!!!

Convey information visually. Dialogue communicates backstory, background information and any facts that are necessary to the story.

For example, throughout a film, a character could wear a wedding ring and have pictures of himself with a woman and child in his wallet and in his house. Yet you never see this family in person. The audience is clever enough, they will surmise that the character has been through a divorce or separation, and that he still cares for his family.

BEWARE OF EXPOSITION OVERLOAD!!

Early career filmmakers worst enemy! A very common occurrence in submitted projects. Don't have the majority of exposition too early in the script. It lessens the opportunity for shocking revelations and plot twists towards the end.

Try to disperse exposition evenly throughout. Only include what is necessary for the audience to understand the story...but no more. Anything not required to help the audience understand the story right away can be saved for later.

INCLUDE A PRODUCTION TIMELINE

You don't have to specific include dates - periods of time are ok. How long will you allow / do you feel you will need for Pre / Production / Post?

Jules Duncan @ SPAA Fringe 2009

By Nat on November 23, 2009 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A rundown on what WA finalist of the 2009 SDA pitching competition, Jules Duncan, experienced when he went to SPAA Fringe 2009.

"After winning the WA heat of the FTI SDA Pitching competition, I was awarded funding to attend the SPAA Fringe conference (held in Sydney on October 16 & 17th), and compete in the National SDA pitching final.

Competing was a massive let down, and not just because I didn't win. Compared to the WA pitching comp, the pitch was shorter (3 minutes compared with 5 minutes), the questions and feedback from the judging panel were less comprehensive, and the whole experience was a hell of a lot less satisfying.

I also would have preferred pitching my idea on 'Cashed up Bogans' to an Australian judge rather than a Pom. 'Loaded Chavs' just don't compare.

Basically, I'm a sore loser, and I don't care who knows it.

However, the experience of preparing for the pitch was invaluable. It meant I was able to really boil down my idea into themes and exciting concepts. That helped me to pack a punch when pitching one-on-one to producers and commissioning editors- something I got to do a number of times at the conference.

According to SPAA, the Fringe conference 'educates, connects and inspires filmmakers'.

For me, I'm 'inspired' enough. As for 'education', that sounded like too much hard work.

So I concentrated on the 'connecting' part.

I treated SPAA Fringe as a chance to meet and interact with people who might be able to help me get my ideas up.

The 'Roundtable' discussions and 'One-on-One' meetings were perfect for this. I was able to meet with Commissioning Editors and other big wigs from different areas of the ABC. I would have liked to have even more meetings, but I had to dump a few appointments in order to prepare for my pitch.

In the 'One on One' meetings, I was able to pitch my ideas directly, and then spend a few minutes fielding questions. I used my phone to play people a teaser from 'Cashed up Bogans', which seemed to impress. I had feedback ranging from moderate to excellent, with one commissioning editor approaching me later in the day to say 'Make sure you send me more information, I'm very much looking forward to hearing from you again.'

She hasn't returned my calls since, but at the time I was very happy with myself.

The 'Roundtable' discussions were a great chance to direct broader, non project specific questions to people who matter. They were also good to find out what is on the mind of like minded 'emerging producers'

Career-wise, this experience allowed me to grow in confidence. Being able to talk with 'network execs' was amazing - they're not scary and they don't scoff at everything you say. At the same time the criticisms and questions they had for me are exactly the criticisms and questions I know I need to be ready for next time.

One big wig I spoke to said 'don't give anyone a reason to say no, give them lots of reasons to say yes'. I feel I'm now one step closer to knowing how to do that.

I am very appreciative to FTI and ScreenWest for their support before and after the conference.

I also feel the WA pitch heat was very well run compared to NSW. From the format to the judging panel scrutiny, I felt that each pitch was comprehensively explored. I'm sure that like me, each of the WA entrants now has more of an understanding of their project, and how they need to pitch it."

Crows Feet - Raw Nerve 2009

By Nat on November 3, 2009 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nat Eaton from Production Support at FTI had a quick chat with local Producer / Director / Writer Megan Palinkas, about the process and experience gained from working on the recently wrapped shoot for the 2009 Raw Nerve funded film "Crows Feet" and where she hopes to be when the project is delivered.

1. How have you found producing an FTI funded project?

I've had to beg, steal and borrow to make this film. As grateful as I am for the grant, the simple fact is that $2000 doesn't go very far. No-one's getting paid their worth, if anything, and people let you down. It's been very stressful at times but the experience has been such a rich one and I've learnt more than I ever expected to.

I'm glad I produced this film. It's important to me as a writer/director to have some ownership of my work but next time I will definitely source a producer. No matter how much you put into place to prevent it, shit happens on set and the producer is the 'go to' man. On set I'd rather not waste energy on debating whether the runner should shoot off to Osborne Park to pick up a spare battery.

2. How did you come about applying for Raw Nerve?

I come from an acting and writing background but recently I've been drawn to the idea of exploring the other side of the camera. It's a nice change to be in control of the creative proceedings rather than at the mercy of them. I knew of Raw Nerve and thought it would be a great opportunity to cut my teeth as a first time director. Luckily the panel liked the script and took a chance on me.

3. How would you describe the filming process of 'Crows Feet'?

The shoot was probably the most enjoyable part of the process for me. It was immensely satisfying to see that script come to life because the 2 main characters are based on my grandparents. We actually shot most of it at their house because I figured it would save a bit on production design.

The director of photography, Anthony Hanson recruited the crew. They were wonderful, especially first AD Rosie Bright who did a superb job corralling extras and keeping us on schedule.

4. Who else was involved with the project?

Anthony Hanson was the director of photography on the project and his creative contribution was priceless. We went in pre-shoot and created digital storyboards so on the day I had a very clear idea of how I wanted to execute each scene. He just 'got' my vision and none of my requests were too hard to carry out, bar for one infamous steady-cam shot.

On the acting front I don't have enough good things to spout about my lead actor Clem Littleton. He was simply magic. I can't wait for audiences to see his performance.

5. What was the most interesting incident on set during filming?

Let's just say that capturing a wild bird and an actor in the same frame is pretty tricky.

6. What knowledge have you gained through this process that will benefit you in future projects?

Being an actress I was familiar with crew roles and common filming techniques, but now having experienced the process as the 'captain of the ship' I have a renewed respect and fervor for film and the people who work together to create them.

I can't wait to make my next one. I have a ton of scripts that I'm working on at any one time but at the moment I can't see the forest for the trees. There's one in particular that I would love to make but it's a period piece and that equals chunky budget so I'll consider my options come the new year. I have to get this monkey off my back first and we're on track for a mid-December completion. I just hope people will like it.

Lowdown on SPAA Fringe Conference 2009

By Nat on October 27, 2009 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Friday 16th and Saturday 17th October, Yvette and Nat from FTI's Production Support attended the annual SPAA Fringe conference, sponsored by Screen Australia, at the FOXTEL Television Centre in North Ryde. We were there to watch some informative seminars as well as to support Jules Duncan, the WA State Finalist for the SDA Pitching competition, as he pitched his project 'Cashed Up Bogans' to an industry panel and full house.

SPAA Fringe is an interactive two-day seminar for emerging film, television and online content makers who are interested in building their community and career within the Australian screen industry. The event was comprised of workshops, roundtables, one-on-one sessions, panel discussions, film screenings and social networking events and also provided a unique opportunity for the emerging sector to network with and pitch to, like-minded content creators, established professionals in the screen industry and local and international financiers.

People who were interested in similar projects or subjects could participate in a discussion thread on Fringe Facebook; while The Melting Pot, a social networking online portal where filmmakers could collaborate, network, find creative partners and discuss current and potential screen projects by posting an advertisement to other registered delegates calling for expressions of interest. There also was a Speed Dating event, where Writers, Directors and Producers could 'date' one another and see if they would like to 'hook up' for project collaboration (must have taken the idea from Production Support), a Screen Testing Workshop for directors and 1-0N-1's which enabled up and coming filmmakers the opportunity to get access to commissioning editors from Foxtel, ABC and SBS.

The keynote speaker for 2009 was Mia Bays, founder of film production company, Missing In Action Films (MIA), which has produced Oscar and BAFTA winning shorts. She spoke about what she has learnt of the different stages of the development, production and distribution process of a film through working on 45 features.

Other speakers were Kath Shelper, Producer of Samson & Delilah; the team behind the first Australian Muslim comedy series Salam Café; Dario Russo, creator of the hilarious viral Italian Spiderman; and filmmaker and new media auteur Nicholas Carlton the creator / writer / director of Australia's first social web series, OzGirl.

One of the seminars I found most interesting was 'The Cutting Edge Of Digital Distribution' by Fringe patron and digital media guru Peter Broderick which looked at the latest strategies for maximizing distribution. It was very interesting to hear Nicholas Carlton talk about the strategies and processes involved in the creation of the web series 'Oz Girl".

Also interesting was the 'Rapid Development Workshop: Multi Platform Content', in which all participants were put into groups, given a recent Australian feature (we were given "Kenny"), and then allowed time to brain storm and develop a hypothetical cross platform marketing strategy for the film. Our group decided the best way to market the film would be utilizing a ChatBot, Facebook, a 'Kenny' character web page, and potentially involving Kenny in a waste water recycling campaign. This was all very entertaining and interesting.

We also checked out 'Using The internet To Create Personal Audiences and Building A Social Media Campaign on A Budget' with Laurel Papworth, who is in the top 5 of media bloggers in Australia. We were shown how to use the internet to create personal audiences and build a social media campaign on a budget. We learnt how to use low cost/open source ("free") tools to build out a campaign.

Basically the message was clear - BE ACTIVE. The more content you have out there the more opportunity there is for people to notice.

Now to the SDA pitching competition! Held at the end of the final day of the seminar, the room was packed and abuzz with a great energy. On the panel was Mia Bays and Michael Wrenn. All the state finalists were well prepared and we watched them each present their 3 minute pitch. There was a range of entertaining projects, from short docos on the history of chilli, the cult of the cat, cashed up bogans, to a feature script (drama) and some short comedy series on arranged marriages and living low in Tasmania.

Unfortunately WA was not successful this time around, the winner was Wide Angle's (TAS) Elise Taylor who pitched as the loveable 'Darls', her project "Have A Crack", which was to teach us how to 'learn to live a successful low-lifestyle with some Tasmania pure-breds'. We congratulate Elise.

Many thanks to ScreenWest for their involvement in the SDA Pitching Initiative, it was a great opportunity for Julian to get feedback on his project.

Next year will be WA's turn to steal the limelight we hope. Get 'cracking' WA!!

Desperately Seeking Producers

By Yvette Coyne on August 4, 2008 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here in Production Support, we've been inundated for requests for Producers. So if you are a Producer or Production Manager then your ideal director or writer could be waiting for you at our Perfect Match event on August 14.

Remember guys, the event is all about networking and meeting people that you could potentially team up with creatively (we aren't really into matchmaking that much, but we do enjoy the gossip!). The creative team is one of the first thing a panel looks at when assessing applications - so remember there is no "I" in team and come out and meet some people!

FTI production support manage a range of great funding initiatives - but its not only about who the director is, a creative producer is all too important. With LINK coming up on August 28, directors and producers should be getting together very soon to prepare their applications.

Till then, fly my social butterflies, fly!

Legacy Screening

By Phil Jeng-Kane on July 8, 2008 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LEGACY, directed by Grant Sputore and produced by Poppy Dowle & David Smith, is an FTI funded short film. Funded under FTI’s LINK initiative the short film had its debut screening last night at the Astor Cinema. The audience was filled with industry professionals, cast, crew and family and friends.

It is a story set in Australia 1943. On leave from the front Donald makes one last attempt to save his brother from the life their father has unwittingly prepared for him. It’s a touching film, beautifully shot with excellent production design values and brilliant performance.

Also worth noting is the very informative website this team has created as part of their marketing strategy legacyshortfilm.com. I am sure it will come in handy when Legacy takes over the film festival circuit.

Be prepared to hear a lot of news about Legacy, as this team has really achieved something special.

Well done to all involved - you’ve made us proud!

Yvette

Raw Vincent Getting Off A Duck

By Phil Jeng-Kane on June 17, 2008 6:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ABOVE: Scott Eathorne's SELLING HOPKINS

Remember this?

Q. How do you get of an elephant?
A. You don't, you get off a duck....

Nah, it doesn't age well.

The duck we are disembarking from at this stop has more to do with cricket. Specifically, the metaphorical duck's egg that represent zero which equals the number of funded films you new filmmakers have made so far.

But it can happen. You need to start with information.

You've got a story to tell and need some money, but you've never shot anything apart from the time you faked your cat lip-synching to Amy Winehouse for Australia's Funniest Home Videos.

Here's where the Film and television Institute can help you. Each year we run the Town of Vincent Film Project in conjunction with the good people at the Town of Vincent. We also run the Raw Nerve Fund in conjunction with the Australian Film Commission. Although different funds the films have a similar scope and length.

And we're about to screen the 2007 Town of Vincent films and the 2007 Raw Nerves for the edification of new filmmakers keen to make their markby making a very short, funded film.

Cue Blurb:

Raw Vincent Screenings

Got a 5 minute film idea you can make for $2000?

Do you want to apply for the Town of Vincent Film Project?

See what other filmmakers working on projects of this length and budget have achieved.

The FTI is screening a program of 8 dramas and documentaries from the 2007 Raw Nerve Initiative and Town of Vincent Film Projects.Following this, the FTI’s Production Support staff will hold a Q&A session for potential Town of Vincent and Raw Nerve applicants.

How much drama can you put into five minutes? How much information can you pack into $2000?

Come to the Raw Vincent Screenings and find out.

7.00-8.00pm Film Screening
8.00-8.30pm Q&A Information Session

Tuesday July 8, 2008
FTI Building
92 Adelaide Street
Fremantle

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DATE OF THIS SCREENING HAS CHANGED TO
Tuesday 8th July 2008.
PLEASE UPDATE YOUR DIARY.

« Digital, | Main Index | Archives | Interactive »

You're reading one of many FTI blogs.