Diligence is Golden: Stick to Your Guns

As an independent filmmaker who is recently distributed I have learned lots of things that I did incorrectly on my first film.  Unfortunately I did not discover these mistakes until delivery for distribution.  It is always so very important to do things correctly from the beginning because it will always bite you in the butt towards the end.

For the rest of those independent filmmakers out there, we all know of our fun little production binder that we create for each project that we make.  We feel so organized by having them and they become very valuable while shooting, but how useful are they when the cameras wrap and the final cut is ready to be delivered?  Let me run through a list of binders that you should have and what I found to be the most important things to have in those binders.

My binder usually consists of the following:

• Master Contact List
• Shooting Schedule
• Script
• Shot List
• Locations
• Vendor List

As you can see I am missing some very important things in this list so let me tell you what the binders you have should contain.  The biggest learn I have made is not so much what should be in each binder but how many binders.

This next binder list is probably the most important and you should always have two copies of them.  When it comes time to deliver your film to the distributor they are going to ask for these things anyway, so might as well start getting it ready as soon as you start on the film.

• Crew Deal Memos/Agreements (make sure that there is a clause that states their voice or image can be used in any form while working on the set) - every crew member should sign one of these
• Cast Releases (this is not just the principles but every single person that appears on camera)
• Appearance Releases (If anyone comes  on set you should have them fill out a release stating that you have permission to use their voice or image in any form for exploitation of the film - usually a typical likeness release or image release would be adequate i would assume)
  
  **sometimes if you are hiring someone to take care of a department for you they may not have their crew sign releases -- make sure they do it and you have a copy
  
  
• Script Registration (Any Proof the idea was yours or that you have rights to the story)
• Trade Out agreements (if you have made deals with any company that should be appearing in the credits or on the screen include those agreements)
• Stock Footage Licenses
• Composer/Music Agreements and Licenses
• Ownership Agreements/If you have any special agreements with producers
  
  **Most of these items are considered to be Chain of Title Documents**

Make sure that everything in this binder is duplicated so that you have a second binder that is identical to the original.  This second binder will be what you can deliver to the distributor when you are handing over your final deliverables.

Each distributor's deliverables will vary slightly but for the most part the are generally similar.  A suggestion would be to start calling up distributors while in Pre-Production or development and see if you can get them to send you their delivery requirements so you can plan accordingly.

**Note**

Many distributors like it when filmmakers call them up in development to find out if a story they have would be something that they would be interested in distributing.  A lot of the time they will make suggestions on how to make it more marketable and may possibly give you a letter of intent for distribution which can be something that you may be able to use to raise some money.

**End Note**

You may wonder why I titled this post "Diligence is Golden: Stick to Your Guns", well when you are working in the Ultra Low Budget sector you may be dealing with a lot of favors and people will want to be paid under the table and not want to fill out paperwork.  Don't let them, there are plenty of quality set workers and actors out there that are willing to sign a release, so tell them that if they don't sign the paperwork then they can't work on the film.  I had a few of these instances pop up while trying to get our delivery items together.  Trust me, that it is much easier to get it on set before you leave.  Stick to your guns and don't let them not want to sign.  Without these papers the distributor will not be able to distribute your film and that's not what you want, is it?

Script in a Month

So I took the plunge and am trying to write a 100 page screenplay by April 30, 2008.

http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/eng/user/260574

Although I only want the script to be 90 pages I will try to stretch to 100 for the program.

Script Frenzy

As many of you know, it all starts with the story. Without it you don't have a film. Well, here is a great opportunity for you to have a crack at writing. There has been mention that taking your time breeds quality and filters out the trash. That I do agree with, but one method I have for writing is to plow through the first draft, get it on paper. Do it as fast as you can so you are no longer thinking about it and you actually have it done, once that is done go back and start the rewriting process.

So what is the opportunity you ask? Script Writing Month with Script Frenzy - http://www.scriptfrenzy.org.

Starts in April, roughly 40 days away. I am going to have a crack at it as well as am attempting to write another screenplay by June. We'll see what happens.

Write What You Know

The saying has been told to me to write what you know. Well, after watching yet another western a thought came to me to make another western, maybe try making a number of low budget westerns almost in homage to the westerns of the 50s. The films of the 50s that were always the independents were typically westerns because they could go outside of Hollywood, rent some horses and shoot for a about a week and have a film. It was fast cheap and easy. Who's to say that it still can't be that way. Enough about genre rants, the purpose of this installment is not to defend a genre but instead to encourage you to write what you know.

Some people find it a shock when I tell them that I grew up watching The Lone Ranger, Roy Rodgers, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, Rawhide, Bonanza and even Sky King, especially considering I grew up in the 80s and these TV shows were first created during the Silver Screen era, the 1950s. Westerns were my passion then, always wanting to be cowboy when I grew up. My first attempt at writing a story was a brutal western, I was about 12 then now I'm 25 and have my first feature length film under my belt that falls under the genre of western.

I am for some reason drawn to the genre, I know the genre, I know the elements that make the genre unique, I know the history, I've visited a number of actual ghost towns, the list goes on. I feel comfortable in the genre because I have surrounded my self with it since I was around 3, maybe even earlier.

The danger of writing what you know is getting stuck in a routine that repeats itself. You need to know the elements of a genre to force you to push the boundaries to come up with something new and interesting. As a writer, artist, filmmaker, actor, you use your knowledge to know how to make something better. Writing what you know is not just a genre saying, it is a reference to almost anything. It specifically applies to the core of the story. In my case I wouldn't write a story along the lines of Brokeback Mountain because the elements of that film have absolutely no interest to me. Nor would I write a Hallmark or Lifetime movie type of a film, unless I was able to bring some element into that I related to.

When you write what you know you are able to incorporate your personal experience into the piece of work, making the relateable aspect of it that much more powerful. Whether your work is comedy, action, drama, horror, thriller, romance, I don't recommend throwing something into the story just because it is an element that is always used or it sounded cool, or everyone told you it should be in the story. Use what you know, write what you are familiar with, jokes that make you laugh, dramatic moments that make you cry, emotions that give you butterflies, situations that keep you on the edge of your seat. Write what you know and though it might not touch everybody, it will be true to yourself, to your art and won't be contrived or come off unbelievable.

For me, drama, quirky humor, thrillers and most of all westerns. It's what I know, it's what I love and though some people may not think so, it is what I do best.

Write what you know.