It has been a mad past few weeks!!!Around 4 MONTHS since my last blog so thought I'd best update it whilst I've got some breathing room. Plenty to talk about, the return of R-Rated films with 'Deadpool' outselling the last 'Star Wars' for crying out loud - "GET THE MESSAGE YET, HOLLYWOOD?"
DiCaprio finally got his Oscar over his many roles. A few people asked me, "don't you want one, some day, Dan?" - Personally, I couldn't give a shit. If I was already loaded whilst doing what I do for a living then why would I care? Those who know me better may recall that I was never in it for fame & fortune - Just to make a nice living with a nice enough apartment, jeep (not car... Have you seen how much equipment finds its way onto one of my sets?) and a holiday or two per year with something left over to take up a martial art, go back into my skydiving, try out some of these exotic places my friends keep posting on social media, I'll be happy but for now - I've been busting my ass on more work, which has finally led to the completion of many projects, including; 'Last Light' & the much delayed 'Echo Screen.'
After seeing a few students that took an interest in me and demonstrated proof in their ambitions, producing their first indie 'Mallard' on some shit equipment and going through the same shit BA course as I (with the worst lecturer on Earth), knowing that they had done it without a grade to play for was proof enough to me that it may be worth taking these guys under my wing and so whilst a couple aided me on a couple of productions I was involved in after some training (you wouldn't believe the stuff I can teach in under 3 hours, compared to the years I've spent in workshops etc), I returned a favour for them as cinematographer for their most recent production, 'Flirt.' They call themselves Shelbourne Productions.
Its so nice to work with organised people, who can do it with a smile. I've said to their faces they're far better than some MA students I've worked with in the past (YES. AGAIN - "especially" the one's asking about each others 'grades!' - *sighing & rolling of eyes moment*). But the 'Shelbourne' lot - They're still green but I'll quote
"The right kind of beginners."
One event I experienced for the first time was the London 'BV Expo' at the excel centre. Reunited with my film buddies Tom Smith & Murad Ali I got to see pretty much every type of camera, drone, lighting system, audio devices and editing packages you could ever wish to see. If you're an indie filmmaker looking to feel like you haven't even scraped the surface of resources or envy you're not rich then this will certainly not disappoint. It wasn't long before this I finally got to see the fruits of Gillian Tully's labours at 'Film Expo South.' I aided Gilly in every way I could to put this together! It took place early February and I was dashing from one talk to another. Some mates and contacts of my own were there. For a 1st time event it was a damn good effort and the 2nd one for next year is already falling into place. Gilly has earned an incredible reputation in the South West and I'm crossing my fingers that this will only grow and expand.There's so many things I've put forward that other events don't have, such as 'Screencraft' & 'Shore Scripts' funding, additional drone operators, script talks. There's so many ways it can grow. Until the day I leave the UK, its the Southern Coast where I've made my home now and if we get something that shapes up to be something of similar awesomeness to Chris Jones' London Screenwriters Festival one day - That would be... Well, I've already said it - Awesome!
Speaking of 'Shore Scripts' - it wasn't long ago I found out that a script I had reported on 'Life Expectancy' (formerly known as 'X') won at the judge of Lucy V Hay. Another victory I claimed was reaching semi-finalist with my adventure feature script 'Realm' at 'Nashville Film Festival' and have recently had 2 short scripts (the one's I posted up in my August blog), selected by 'London Screenwriters Festival.' If this wasn't enough, 'Survivor' also managed to get a 4 page feature in 'Digital Filmmaker Magazine' in its latest issue (34).Oh and I also have my 13th IMDB writing credit alone alongside a brand new showreel I went out my way with choosing the right clips, the music choice and its edit to extend it by the invisible minute you never noticed, the order, the choice of cast and locations within, the grading, export - sodding everything!
Despite what most people seem to think, I continue to struggle to find work with most cheeky f*****s 'still' asking me to work for free. Even recently, I only just had a friend ask for my feedback on his short script treatment. I wasn't nasty in my response, in fact I never am and that part of my inability to laugh and telling them to piss off amazes me sometimes - I said I'd try and get round to it later in the week, he responds something like "was hoping asap as have to start casting next week." I crafted a more polite response but my initial feeling was the same as when I find myself working with students. PLEASE understand the amount of money, time and DAMN hard work that goes into this filmmaking life of mine;
Here's a few examples to consider - Enjoy:
* Almost £30,000 of student loans + the original £16,000 with Ealing Studios Met Film School
* Living out of bedsits, where I had to do my washing up in a shower and didn't even own a kitchen
* My attending of functions, festivals, workshops and seminars over the years
* My annual competition and festival submission costs
* What it takes behind my nominations, screenings and awards
* 9 years worth of struggle in the profession to stay alive and competitive and losing my mind along the way for falling at final stage interviews for well paid jobs with people like Volvo, Team 17, Microsoft and BBC to name a few due to some odd statement.
GOOGLE ME > what did you find?
Get the picture? I even just caught an email this morning asking for almost 3 months of professional commitment for a poxy £150 or so - I'm not even kidding!
Like it or not (+ you'll all remember what I KEEP on telling student filmmakers obsessed with those bloody meaningless grades). DEGREES DON'T MEAN SHIT!
"Fancy seeing a magic trick, how I can predict the future?"
Do a job hunt in film 'right now' - You're a writer, producer, director, cinematographer, editor or a combination of things, go on:
Use whatever engine you wish - Give yourself a few minutes, a few days, weeks or even months if you like.
"Are you done?"
Right, I see maybe 2 dozen lots of unpaid, payment on deferred basis, low/no pay, expenses only positions, closely followed by another dozen statements 'must have worked in a previous agency / production house, had broadcast production credits / be based in London, have solid experience as both a filmmaker and VFX / animator, with maybe only 1 or 2 out of the other 50 you went through actually giving two shits about what degree you have - in other words, they don't even ask for one?
"How close was I?" - "Yep, told you - I'm psychic, aren't I?"
(p.s: I would've had some images for you here but a screenshot only grabs so much bullshit!)
My adept filmmaking mates also roll their eyes as I do on this one and we're agreed the problem is two fold:
1) Universities are doing a shit job at getting people ready, despite the bullshit on their prospectus. They will dance on you and drag you over the pages of their promotion material if you stick it out long enough to get somewhere so they can leer the next one's in though. Not to mention getting clients in to have their next campaign run on a free market enterprise level, whilst getting students to sign 'non-disclosure forms' so that they cannot even use it for showreels etc. Even during my undergraduate time, a PR / Marketing course was in the same building (rightfully so) as media production but not ONCE was there a part in either course where they were told to work together, when this is one of the primary sources of income for both disciplines later on - Madness, insane and stupid!
2) Employers are getting more clueless but nevertheless more demanding, asking for experience no-one has yet because no-one's giving them a chance. They're asking for filmmakers who are adept in animation, which is crazy the other way round too. Even 'if' you get it, they rarely offer a decent rate for one job let alone the 3 or more they're asking, which they tactfully address positions as 'Video Producer', 'Digital Creative' to get away with it. In fact don't take my word for it; an article written by Lucy Kellaway (@lucykellaway) ... and its not even the same fucking industry! It's called 'Don't blame The Millennials If You Can't Hang Onto Them!'
Things are at last settling for now whilst I piece together the road ahead for the next couple of months at least. Its funny I should mention 'Psychic' talent. I finally got round to writing up my treatment for my TV series pilot 'Psychics' I mentioned back in August 2014. I was guided by the brilliantly weaved infographics of Edwina Tyrrell (@ETyrrellMedia), John August and of course (the non bullshitter, straight talking) Lucy V Hay (@Bang2write).
AGAIN, the previous crap we were both taught at Bournemouth University was to write pages of stuff that 'any' producer, commissioner will never bother going through for a non-represented writer. If that place had any pride or sense for the craft, they'd turf out some of the worthless cast with prehistoric IMDB credits and put someone like Phil Peel or even Lucy herself in there; someone who gets people to roll up their sleeves, ditches the mollycoddling and delivers on a reputation... Plus she even beat cancer for fuck sake. Close the book! Although, I heard they've now at least got Kay Stonham in there but as far as 'my' experience was concerned - Not good enough guys!
Anyway, I've got myself a bargain for a paid insight into what I've written up so far by her this Friday so I'm looking forward to that and then its onto writing up the pilot. And GOD, I'd love to try and fit in a rewrite for 'Realm', 'Inertia' and a brand new feature drama if I get the time before the end of this year.
Right so, thats me caught up I think for now. A potential lead for BBC has come up, meaning I'm helping cover the Welsh elections next month on camera (odd position but there you go). "Which AGAIN students" - The guy didn't ask for a single bloody grade or degree on. He looked at my showreel and website and even asked about my childhood, my favourite TV show and even my fucking music preference without so much as a whisper of enquiry over my education - How much clearer can I be?
Anyway, another shit load of applications out the door with the new showreel you've seen above so hope you've enjoyed another dose of smiling, head-banging, rant and rave. Endure & Survive filmmaking tribe!
