Pre - Production: The Cast

I have now picked the cast for our film and I'm very happy with the overall choices. Here is a little more information about who will be starring in 'I Pull The Strings'!

ACTOR PROFILES

BETHANY HUTSON

Name: Amy Floyd

Location: East Sussex

Height: 5’11

Hair Colour: Chestnut brown

Eye Colour: Blue

Amy Floyd from East Sussex and is a new and upcoming actress. With only a few years experience, it is amazing how talented Amy is. Amy’s experience mainly is involv

ed in short films and theatre productions; however, she has also featured in the 2014 feature film ‘’Arthur and Merlin’’.

Amy originally didn’t fit some of Bethany’s characteristics; I wanted a shorter girl who had darker brown hair. Nevertheless, in Amy’s audition she proved she could portray Bethany just as well. Amy was able to portray the different sides of Bethany perfectly. From her sweet, shy side, to her anxious and paranoid side towards the end of the film. In scenes which are full of crying and shouting, Amy really got into the role, she didn’t just shout the words, but the emotions came through in Amy’s acting, which was very believable. Amy worked very well with the director and was able to use minimal props to still build the vision and picture of the scene that was being acted out. In the improvisation scene, we wanted to see how Amy would act as Bethany in a scenario where she would be late for work, and is in a queue with a very rude customer. Amy portrayed Bethany as very, shy and polite, and didn’t confront the man very much, which is what we wanted. We asked her to do it again, this time as the character Bethany after she has begun to be anxious and on edge. This time, it was very different and Amy showed the development of Bethany’s character and how she now would speak up more. This was a very important part of Bethany’s character, I want to show the progression of her through the film and how she has begun to spin out of control. Amy is definitely a great choice and has already showed a promising start in the production with her dedication and success in the film teaser.

GEORGE YOUNG

Name: Joseph Kane

Location: London

Height: 6’’

Hair Colour: Brown

Eye Colour: Green

Joseph Kane is a young actor from London. He has had experience in short films and student productions and can perform a variety of accents from Northern Irish to Cockney. Although Joseph is also quite a new actor, he has played lead roles in most of his productions.

 

Joseph Kane was a very interesting choice in the casting process, just like Amy, orig

inally from Casting Call; I didn’t feel he fit George’s requirements. George is quite a chilled out man, who does have a short fuse but without a doubt loves Bethany with all his heart. It was quite hard to find the right actor for George, as a lot of actors would just shout the words in scenes where George was angry, and not necessarily show and feel the emotions. Joseph, however, was quite different. He portrayed George in a way that showed how frustrated he was with Bethany, yet still deeply cared for her and didn’t want to get too frustrated. Joseph is a very natural actor and the words and emotions came out very easily. Joseph not only spoke the words of George right, but he used his body language to really show how George acts and it fit very well. In an improvisation scene to see if Joseph knew the character fully, he acted just how we pictured George. He played George as a very polite, chilled man, however, who after a while of being impatient, began to speak up more and show that he is quick to anger. Overall, I am very happy and impressed with Joseph and in person he does fit the character of George very well.

FRANCIS DELAGARZA

Name: Costa Chard

Location: North Somerset

Height: 6’’

Hair Colour: Dark brown

Eye Colour: Brown

Agency

Name: Martha Philbey Management

Contact number: 07949155616

Website: www.marthaphilbey.com

Costa Chard is based in North Somerset and has over 12 years acting experience. He studied Acting at the Arts Educational School in London and has a variety of experience in theatre

shows, short films and student films. Costa can perform a variety of accents from American (NY) and English Southern.

Many applicants didn’t give justice to the character of Francis and portrayed him very, very wrong, which is frustrating. Costa originally took my interest as he had the right look, which included dark hair and features, tall, and slim, he also had a mysterious look about him, which intrigued me. The next step was seeing how he portrayed his personality and acting. In anticipation we met Costa for an audition, and was pleasantly surprised.  As a person, he is very friendly, but when acting out as Francis is was very charming, sophisticated and mysterious. He acted very well spoken and gave the facial expressions we wanted to see when Francis is in conversations with people acting ‘nice and normal’. When seeing him frustrated at Bethany, he played it well also; he showed the darker side to Francis but didn’t make it obvious that he was irritated. We also asked to see him in the end scene where he is crazy, and he portrayed it perfectly. He also didn’t just ‘shout’ the lines but made it believable to us that he was the character. He showed passion for Francis’ character and showed us a variety of sides to him, which was amazing! We are definitely lucky to have Costa on the team and he is definitely a great attribute to the team.

DANIEL MCCARTHER

Name: Doug Cooper

Location: London

Height: 5’6

Hair Colour: Grey

Eye Colour: Brown

 

Agency

Name: E. L. S Artist Management

Contact number: 07801541396

Website: www.elsartistmanagement.co.uk

Doug is a London based actor and has over 20 years experience, which includes involvement in a variety of Theatre productions and films. He can perform a range of accents and studied Acting at the National Youth Theatre for 3 years.

Casting

When casting Daniels character, I wanted someone who was in their mid 50’s and had grey hair. I was looking for someone who could portray a professional stern man when needed, yet still be a kind and lovable character. Through the audition Doug took direction extremely well and very naturally fell into the role. He grasped Daniel’s character and brought him to life, portraying a very likeable character by adapting the words and putting a kind voice behind them.

Doug was easily able to re-do lines to the directors liking and showed that he could change the style of his acting to fit Daniels character. When thinking about Daniel’s character, I want him to be the type of man that is so passionate about what he does that he sometimes is oblivious to things around him. For example, the scene where Bethany confronts Daniel, she’s shouting at him, but he is so astounded and taken back by the photographs of her that he isn’t really concentrating on Bethany. Doug performed this just as how we pictured it, which worked really well. I wanted Daniel to act suspicious but in reality, be a really nice down to earth man. Doug played this very well as in the scene where he is looking at the photographs, Doug plays him to be very strange and distracted, but afterwards to show that he genuinely is a nice man. To really see if Doug knew Daniels character, we gave him an improvisation scene, and wanted him to respond as Daniel would – which he did absolutely fantastically. Doug really dived into the role and fully understood the different dimensions to him.

LUCY TAILOR

Name: Stephanie Marie DeWards

Location: London

Height: 5’6

Hair Colour: Brown

Eye Colour: Blue

Stephanie DeWards is a London based actor with many years of experience in short films, theatre plays and a few commercials. Stephanie can perform a variety of accents from Welsh,

Scottish, and Geordie to Birmingham. Stephanie studied a short acting course at City Acting.

Stephanie is a very confident actress and the role of Lucy stuck with her quite quickly. Lucy is a very confident and business-type women who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to speak up when needed. She often comes across as self centered and rude, but underneath she does have a soft spot, which we see towards the end of the film. Stephanie portrayed Lucy at the dinner scene just as we wanted. I wanted Lucy’s character to be very loud and obnoxious and be swaying her wine around whilst not really caring too much about the people around her. Stephanie did exactly this, and showed she knew Lucy’s character with the clothes she wore to the audition. Stephanie used a mixture of facial expressions to bring Lucy’s character alive and make her feel like she was the centre of attention. Stephanie was very helpful when it came to direction and changing certain things – although not much needed to be changed. The bitchy side to Lucy was also portrayed very well, I didn’t want Lucy to be a nasty character, just have a certain way of acting and talking that could be seen as not likeable to the audience. Overall, Stephanie did a great job and is fit all the requirements of Lucy, which I am very, very happy with.

JAMES TAILOR

Name: Julian Gamm

Location: London

Height: 5’7

Hair Colour: Brown

Eye Colour: Green

Julian is an experienced actor in London that recently graduated from studying Acting for TV, Film and Radio at Filming Acting and Coaching Training. He has a great deal of experience in a lot of short films and feature films. He can perform accents such as French, Australian and American.

After previously working with Julian on another short film, I knew he would defi

nitely be a great attribute to our film. I immediately thought to cast him as James and after auditioning him; I knew it was a great fit. James’ character is very typical man’s man. He is chilled out and works in a bank, married to Lucy. I wanted someone who was mid 30’s that had dark features and was quite stocky that would look well in a suit. Julian previously played a similar role in our directors film ‘Painful Regret’. He takes direction extremely well and is very adaptable in terms of his hair and beard. Julian worked very well in the audition and although only a small role, fit the role of James quickly. He portrayed James as a very carefree man but performed it very naturally. Overall, I am happy with the casting of Julian, as I know he is a very good actor who will help lift the films dynamics.

JULIE HUTSON

Name: Thea Balich

Location: London

Height: 5’3

Hair Colour: Red

Eye Colour: Brown

 

Thea Balich is an extremely experienced and talented actress from London

. She studied Acting at The Poor School and has been in a variety of TV shows and worked with Nickelodeon as a TV host. Thea has over 20 years of experience in working on theatre productions and short films. Thea can perform a variety of accents from Yorkshire to Southern American.

Thea is a very energetic person who is generally very friendly and a genuine person. However, when auditioning for Julie she portrayed a very stern character when dismissing Francis, which is what we wanted. She could portray Julie as being very free willed and friendly, but also knows when enough is enough, which was great when she finally put Francis in his place. Thea is a very bubbly person that brings so much life to the character and production and we are very lucky to have her as part of the team!

BETHANY HUTSON (CHILD)

Name: Saoirse Addison

Location: London

Height: 4’0

Hair Colour: Strawberry blonde

Eye Colour: Blue

Saoirse is a London based actress. She is an extremely talented y

oung girl, who has a few years experience in short film and a commercial.

Casting the young version of Bethany was a very important part of the film, I wanted to show her connection with Francis and how she is extremely passionate about what she does yet still likes to have fun with it! Saoirse is takes direction extremely well and when auditioning her, she always wanted feedback and direction from our director. At just 7, she is very confident in what she does and portrayed Bethany in a very cute and delicate manner. Saoirse is very passionate and brings energy to the team!

Pre - Production: Script Draft 2 Feedback.

After a meeting with Simon about my second draft of my script, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, however, I am feeling optimistic about the changes that need to be made as it's made me think a little more about the ending and how I can add another dimension to Georges' secret.

A few of the key points to change are below on some notes I made:

• Take out the rose at the beginning of the script, the power is lost when it's shown another 2 times.
• Be clear on who Bethany runs past in scene 10 - how many extras are needed?
• Francis needs to be portrayed as much younger, change the style of him. Daniel is the one that needs to be described as older. 
• George and James are young, and wouldn't be 'casually' drinking scotch. Make it more realistic, along with the way they talk to each other.
• Make Francis' relationship with Daniel a little more cold and frosty. Francis doesn't want Daniel to take Bethany away from him. Make Francis surprised that Daniel is here. Francis is intimidated by Daniel as Daniel has all this experience, and Francis has bought a theatre and made him self 'director' to try make himself look like he's successful, even though he doesn't have much of a professional input.
• Daniel should be established as someone who is higher up in the West End. Bethany should recognise his name and be embarrassed that she would talk to him in such a way.
• George and Lucy - Bethany will think George is cheating on her, which pushes her over the edge even more - all these events are happening to her so closely. Bethany rings both characters, but they both in their own way shrug her off and ignore her questions. 
• There should be a final confrontation between Francis and Bethany. Bethany accepts Daniels' offer and informs Francis of her leaving.
• Bethany should question George more.
• Scene 11 - Bethany should ring Lucy before she goes through Georges things, giving her the final push to investigate. 
• Scene 15 - once again, Francis comes off as too old. Needs to be changed.
• Scene 17 - needs to be clearly established that the performance in the theatre is still on going. Distinguish the difference between the 'real' and the 'theatre performance'
• George should ring Bethany before she goes on stage, leaving her a message. She is looking for him in the audience and doesn't hear her phone ring.
• A different ending, don't leave the audience completely lost. Francis could be sat in the audience, Lucy could be doing something odd. This will make the audience more confused, had Bethany gone completely insane, or was Francis really tormenting her?

I elaborated on the notes a little to help myself develop the story. Although theres a lot to go through, I feel like the changes that will be made will make a huge difference, just like they did on the first draft. A few of the corrections has also given me a few new ideas which I'm excited to begin writing about. 

Pre - Production - Writer research

I decided to look at writer M.A Fortin, who has written a few short mystery drama films that, although worked on a very small budget, was still successful and enticing to the audience.

I was really intrigued by the short film 'Dawn' directed by Rose McGowan and written by M.A Fortin. The short film is a mystery drama that has a very twisted and confusing ending but is still interesting.

The short film follows the story of Dawn, a submissive, sweet and 'easy going' girl. Her mother is very strict with her, and her father ignores her. She is desperate to explore the world around her, and when a boy comes along, she instantly is attracted to him.

The writer has cleverly shown a distinct change of Dawn throughout the film. At the beginning of the film she's very sweet, quiet, polite and innocent. Dawn wouldn't dare drink, or disobey her parents. She is portrayed in pastel clothing and very girly hair and clothes. During act 2 of the film, Dawn becomes friends with the boy's friends and is pressured into drinking and disobeying her parents by going out on the night to see a movie, and ends up in a car with the other characters driving around.

One of the female characters persuades Dawn to trade dresses with her, to try confuse the boys. Dawn is easily influenced and goes along with the idea as she wants to fit in. 

The man she likes, throws a rock at her, but then convinces her to follow him into the tree's, which she does - showing she is a very submissive character. Dawn is shouting at him, which she wouldn't do at the beginning of the film, and is now shown looking scruffy and tired - completely different to the original image. The man shoots Dawn in a twist ending, and the reason behind it was 'he just wanted to try it out'. 

I liked how the characters are quiet relatable to mine, in the sense that Bethany changes throughout the film, she starts off as a shy girl and ends up paranoid, and loud. Bethany is also a very submissive character as she always does what Francis says and even though he says hurtful things such as 'the role is too much' for her, she still has respect for him and his opinions, trying to convince him that she can do it, even though in reality, she doesn't need his approval at all, and she can go and do whatever roles she wants. 

I decided to look into screenwriter Dennis Palumbo, a man who has written a variety of stories such as MIRROR IMAGE, FEVER DREAM and NIGHT TERROS. 

Dennis always captivates readers with his puzzles, fast paced narratives and intriguing dilemmas. 

In an interview he tells us his techniques behind writing and some advice for new writers.

Dennis,

''I usually start with a character or situation in mind, and then just start

https://www.writersstore.com/taking-the-mystery-out-of-writing-mysteries/

In an interview, 

''I usually don't know who the bad guy is until about halfway through. Then I have to go back and seed in the kinds of details that make the reveal of his or her identity credible. On the plus side, I figure that if I'm surprised, the reader will be too.''

Although this is a really different way of writing, I think the idea that the writer is surprised and shocked by who the suspect is, makes it more intriguing.

In an interesting read on https://www.writersstore.com/taking-the-mystery-out-of-writing-mysteries/ Dennis gives a very detailed overview of what do's and don'ts to put in mystery stories.

''Viewers of mysteries and thrillers like tightly-plotted narratives, clever red herrings, and a certain element of surprise. And you should always strive to weave as many of these aspects into your whodunit or crime story as possible.'' 

Looking in my script, I realised I was trying to make everyone look suspicious, but I didn't actually show an interesting subplot. My main subplot was George planning his and Bethany's wedding, and he would eventually propose to her. However, I felt like this lacked depth. I introduced Lucy to the situation with George and wrote in that Bethany see's them together. In my mind this was a red flag as I didn't want it to look like George was cheating on Lucy. However, after a tutorial going over my script, Simon told me that the idea that George was cheating on Bethany, especially with her sister, would make an interesting subplot to make Bethany's character even more paranoid and anxious about what's going on. I feel like this now add's the element of surprise as Dennis discusses and hopefully will make the viewers intrigued into the stories that each individual character has. 

''The best clues in a classic mystery involve misdirection. A clue usually seems to point in one direction, when actually, looked at from a different angle, it reveals something else. A typical example is the clue that appears to confirm a certain character's guilt, when in fact it's been planted to frame that person.''

I think Dennis makes an interesting point here, as in my script I have made Daniel look guilty right from the beginning, however, obviously he is a red herring or the story would end there. 

''If you're stuck on a difficult scene, write it anyway.

Write it badly. Write it in verse. Write it as a journal entry, a Dennis Miller rant. If you're frustrated at being stuck, write about that. I don't care. But write.

If you have angry, self-critical feelings, give them to a character in your story.''

I often struggle to write difficult scenes, even if I have already pictured what it will be like. So reading this advice from Dennis definitely helps. I never thought to throw my feelings into a characters life, which may help develop characters more, as it's coming directly from my emotions. I think just writing out the difficult scene will definitely help, as I will at least have it on the page, and I can have a fresh look on it the next time I write, instead of still stressing about still not having the scene written.

Stephen J. Cannell was an American writer, producer and novelist. Although he was dyslexic he scripted more than 450 episodes and produced more than 1,500 episodes. He has written sixteen bestselling mysteries including The Prostitues' Ball, The Pallbearers, and On the Grind.

In a lecture that has been posted on http://www.writerswrite.com/screenwriting/lecture5.htm

Stephen has given some tips and advice on writing.

''A screenwriter should look for places to integrate his/her screenplay with toe-to-toe, eyeball-to-eyeball CONFLICT: social conflict, emotional conflict.

Conflict is crucial in maintaining the reader's interest in the story and in the characters.''

Whilst writing, I have been trying to always make sure there is conflict between the characters as when adding it in, it does add another dimension to even the characters. When Bethany confronts the Agent, it shows that as a character she is developing. Before all the stress, Bethany wouldn't have ever confronted a complete stranger. Another conflict I wrote in, was when Bethany and her boyfriend George, have a heated argument over Bethany looking through his things. Bethany has always admired George, she is very timid around him, and although has an intense love for him, she wouldn't ever raise her voice as it's just generally not in her nature. So when she finally breaks down in front of him, I feel as though the audience will also see how she's changing, and so will George. 

''In good stories, you start out with a likeable Hero(s) who have psychological and moral flaws. He/she must be likeable enough to entertain and intrigue us, but flawed enough to have the potential to learn and grow. Remember, "perfect" people are not likeable!''

Reading this, has made me want to develop the character Francis deeper. Although I feel he is one of the most detailed characters, I want to make sure he's likeable to the audience, not coming off as an ignorant person. In the script I've tried to make him 'charming' although, reading back now, I've noticed he does come off as quite arrogant and ignorant - which I intend to change, as I don't want the audience to not like him and assume he is the stalker.

Overall, I feel watching short films on low budgets, and reading q and a's from writers has really developed my thinking as a writer. I am going to carry on writing my script and make sure I remember what I've learnt from these writers as it will definitely help my characters and story develop in an intriguing way. 

Pre - Production: Theatre visit!

After a very long time trying to secure a theatre to film in, I finally had a response back from Mid Kent College. I had been in contact with Karen Wright who was in charge of the venue hire at the college, and she kindly agree'd for myself and the director Vic to visit to take a look at the theatre. Initially, she had sent me the prices and we was going to be in Band B - a non profit organisation. The prices for 3 days filming in the auditorium was quite high and the prices only fit around 4 or 8 hours. I knew that when we arrived on location we would need a bit of time to once again go over the scene, so looking at the prices did worry me a little. However, I asked Karen if there was any chance on negotiating the price, which she very kindly agreed. After a phone call with Karen, I met up with her at the Theatre and was eager to see it in person.

Initially, I did want a professional 'proper' theatre, with red draped curtains and nice seating. However, when looking on the college website, I saw that because the students there studied theatre and performing arts, they did have some really, really nice facilities, and the auditorium didn't look like a school or low budget theatre. I asked if we could also take a look around the dance studios as there was 3 different ones and on some videos I saw, they looked like they had a stage with seating - and was much cheaper.

Once we arrived, Karen was lovely showing us around the theatre and 3 dance studios. As soon as we walked into the theatre we was amazed by how well it looked. Karen let us look around and look back stage. She talked me through what came with the prices and any additional things we needed. she told us that the stage currently had an extension on it which could be taken off, but we really liked it as it comes out a little which is what I wanted anyway. The stairs are inclined down and she showed us how far they came out which was helpful. Karen showed us what the room looked like with the lights off, which made the theatre look very professional, as you can't see the white walls and the wooden floor. Karen mentioned that if we needed anything extra, we could get it projected onto the stage background. She was very helpful and managed to let us go into Band C - Charity organisation. She also mentioned that she will try get it for us for cheaper, she was very 'pro student' and was extremely helpful giving us all the information we needed, and in return we promised her recognition in our film credits and if she needed anything filming for the students we'd offer to help which she was delighted about.

Next, we looked around the dance studios. Although I was very excited about the theatre, I managed to stay optimistic about the dance studios. However, although they was very nice, they wasn't what I was looking for at all so that idea was gone. I'm glad that I've found a theatre that I really like and didn't end up sticking with one that wasn't what I wanted and the prices being even higher.

I will have a think about this location because the obvious downfalls are the lack of red curtains and theatre seats which really does lower the production values, but hopefully we can work around it and find a set designer. If not the search for the theatre once again carries on!

Pre - Production: Producer Research

As the role of a producer, I have a variety of roles and responsibilities that are crucial in the film pre production.
I have decided to some some further research into what goes into being a producer and any additional roles that I will be undertaking.

I looked into a few articles and found a list of duties and responsibilities that a Producer must undertake.

Organizing Staff

One of your most important duties as a producer is hiring the director, casting director, crew, and other upper-level members of the project. Once you have the cast and crew in place, you would need to delegate responsibility to each department. As the producer, you would be responsible for making decisions that may override the decisions made by others on your staff, including sometimes the director.

Budgetary Concerns

The other major duty of a producer is creating a film, television show, or other project while working within the confines of a set budget. As a producer, you would be responsible for determining how much the production should cost, and then you would need to secure funding for it ,either through a studio, investors, or even your personal funds. Once the funding has been secured, it would be your responsibility as the producer to make certain that each department was working within its budget. If a department was over budget, it would be your responsibility to either find the appropriate funding for it or reel in costs.

Other Duties

Beyond hiring staff and crew and ensuring that the operation stays within its budget, you, as a producer, would be responsible for setting the rehearsal and filming schedule, multitasking within a fast-paced environment, communicating with all of the key players, and troubleshooting any issues regarding cast, crew, or budget. They are sometimes also involved in auditioning and selecting cast members, and are often charged with scheduling any cast and crew meetings that take place during the duration of the project.

Producer

The producer is essentially in charge of making the film happen, they may even be responsible for hiring the Director and Writer to execute a concept (which could be their own, or anyone else's). Once the production is underway the producer will be in charge of co-ordinating the shoot and be responsible for acquiring anything the production needs for the film to happen (cameras, locations, props etc).

They don't necessarily decide what those things are - for example the DOP will say what camera the production might need, the Director will say "can we get this location?". It's the Producer's job to try and get hold of these things and negotiate on price etc, also to keep and eye on the budget to make sure that departments aren't overspending.

The Writer & Producer may be the same person... Tim Burton is the producer for Nightmare Before Christmas, which he also wrote the story for, though Henry Selick directed and there was also an additional credit for the screenplay. 

As a producer in a student film, I must always be considering the budget and if any locations or props need to be changed or negotiated a price with the company. I will need to make sure I am confident when approaching the location and cast as this way it will allow me to show that I am professional and I'll be able to negotiate more if they take me seriously. 

"You need a combination of business acumen and salesmanship, but you also need to know how to spot a great story when you see one," says Janine Marmot, who was a producer for many years before becoming director of film at Skillset. "Producing can also be a very long journey from start to finish: it's not uncommon for a film to take five or seven years to make. It's not enough to read a short story or newspaper article and think: 'That would make a great film.' You need to actually make it happen, by pulling together all the different strands, from financing to casting." - Producer Janine Marmot 

I also found some tips on an article to help produce a micro budget film.

Have a "home base" location during production.

''When you're filming, much time is lost to loading in and wrapping out. When you need to shoot 5, 6, 7,  or even 8 (yikes!) pages a day, you will rue the time your crew spends lugging c-stands up a four story walk-up. Write one primary location into the script. Somewhere you can shoot (for free) for perhaps half of your shoot days. The shoot days spent here will be walk-aways. You can pre-light. If you're lucky, you can even use this spot during prep as your production office/rehearsal space/wardrobe and art staging.''

I think this is really helpful and it's definitely something I will consider as I think if I use one of our free locations or even where we live (as its very close to another location) as somewhere all the actors can relax and we can prep the shoot, it will make the shoot a lot more relaxed. The actors will feel at ease and we can always know we are prepared for the film before hand, without worrying on locations that we are paying by the hour for. 

I also found some responsibilities that are broken down from pre-production, to production to post production.

Preproduction

• Find material from a book or script.
• Get the script into good enough shape to attract a director (and studio, if this is not a studio-initiated production).
• Secure financing for the film, if it is not being made for a studio.
• Choose the director and other parts of the creative team.
• Cast the actors, working with the director.
• Determine locations and budget.
• Decide on cinematographer and special effects.
• Hire a production team including crew and producers.
• Develop a shooting schedule.
• Create a detailed plan of action for production.

Production

• Offer creative suggestions to the director.
• Handle problems with actors or creative staff.
• Monitor production timetable and budget.
• Review video dailies, the film shot each day.

Postproduction

• Discuss order and selection of scenes with the director.
• Review the fine cut of the film after it is edited.
• In some cases, polish, revise and restructure the film to create the final cut.
• Work with a distributor to secure distribution for the film. This may include showing the distributors the final cut of the film.
• Review the distributor's advertising campaign for the film.

This is really helpful in sorting out what I'm actually going to be doing throughout the film and looking over my responsibilities for what I will be doing in the pre production, which i'm looking forward to. I need to remember to create a production schedule for next year and always keep my cast and crew organised and up to date.
I also found a link with lots of templates and documents that I can use when creating call sheets, rehearsal documents and the filming schedule!

https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/filmmaking/Sample_paperwork/production.aspx

Sources:

http://learn.org/articles/What_Are_the_Duties_and_Responsibilities_of_a_Producer.html 

https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-main-roles-of-the-producer-director-writer-and-actor-in-a-film

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/career-planning/getting-job/its-less-glamorous-than-directing-but-film-producing-can-be-the-reel-deal-800908.html

http://www.indiewire.com/article/10-tips-for-successfully-producing-a-micro-budget-feature

Pre - Production: Page Design

For our production package, we've started deciding what is going to go on what page, under each chapter. 

Below, we have written out some ideas along with any inserts.

We want to make sure that every page fit the theme and style of our film. To do this, I began brainstorming colours and ideas that fit around our mystery drama film. Initially, I thought red and black as when you think of a theatre, most the time it has large red drooping curtains and our film is quite dark. But when playing around with this on Photoshop, I noticed it made the tone of our film look very horror/thriller and bloody - which we definitely didn't want. I wanted a dark colour that gave the connotation of mystery, but didn't put our film into a completely different genre. I began thinking about what colour the masquerade mask is that Bethany is going to be wearing, and it's a dark purply red. I used a black background and downloaded a 'smoke' brush, when the white smoke was put against the black background, it showed up as purple which I really liked. I thought the smoke gave a mysterious look, and it's also featured in our film when the antagonist Francis, digs his cigarette into a photograph of Bethany, which is quite an important scene as we see a different side to him. I liked how the smoke looked so made it go all the way down the page. I softened the edges with a blue tint and on the other page, reversed the whole thing so that the spine fits together nicely. I think it looks elegant, yet mysterious. 

Back to the style of what will go on each page. Right at the beginning of the book, we want a blank page (on the left) with just the background and smoke, and on the right page it will have a short chapter name. 

Continuing to an example page I created, on the left hand side we have the actor profile, this shows information about Doug (the actor we cast to play Daniel), a photograph of himself along with why we chose him and what he brings to the role, along with any experience he has.

On the right hand side will be the character profile, in this example Daniel McCarther. Instead of the picture of Doug there will be a concept art drawing of what we wanted his character to look like, which we have someone developing on for all the characters. On this page will be a description of the character along with their background and general personality traits. 

Below is an example I have created to show what we want the page to look like. This is just a draft.

Pre - Production: MUSIC

The music is so crucial in a film and it's often forgotten about by many independent filmmakers. Finding a composer is a crucial part of the film and to make sure they understand the music I need inspiration and ideas.

On the website http://losangelesbrass.com/the-importance-of-music-in-film/ I found an article explaining the importance of music in films, they make some

''While well crafted sound design and sound effects are so very necessary in the creation of a film, music touches the emotion, the psyche, the things you cannot see. Sound design and effects don’t do this nearly as efficiently and naturally. Without music it would be much more difficult to follow the emotional ups and downs of a film, much more difficult to experience the fear of the rider as he is chased on his horse riding through the dark.''

Sound definitely is crucial and to prove this, I found a video which shows what scenes would look like with a completely different sound design.

In the examples below, the different styles of music that are used really effect the way the film turns out. In our film I want to make sure I find the right sort of composer for the film that understands what we want.

In The Exorcist, they use the song 'Tubular Bells' song to build suspense and tension along with a simple shot of a women walking along the street in day light. All though it's during the day the music helps so much to set the scene.

Danny Elfman is a composer who is best known for 'The Simpsons' but has created some amazing scores for films. In the video below he composed the 1989 BATMAN opening titles which are very delicate at first and then build up gradually.

John Williams is also a hugely worldwide known composer who has composed everything from Star Wars to Jurassic Park and Jaws.

In the above film, the scene is so simple, yet the music helps build the emotion. The man has just lost his wife and is driving along in Tokyo in a car. The atmosphere is really built up with the delicate and very simple music and it helps to convey the emotions on what the man is feeling.

For our film in the last scene, I want the music to be piano based, classical and begin very delicate. I want it to gradually get faster and upbeat to enhance the scene and the emotions of what is happening.  Below is a great example of the music I want to be in the last scene.

Looking for the right composer to create the music during our film is so important and I have been lucky enough to found a composer called Declan Gillgallon who Vic worked with on his project last year. Declan is extremely passionate and dedicated and has already begun sending us samples for the film teaser and also for scenes next year in the film - without any visuals. This is amazing how well he can do it and create many drafts. When he gets the film edit i'm sure the music will work even better.

Pre - Production: Independent Producers and Screenwriters

Adele Romanski is an indépendant Producer who in the last year has built up her filmography quite a lot. She has worked on ''City on a Hill', ''The Myth of the American Sleepover'', and ''Leave Me Like You Found Me'' She begun as an Editor, went on to screen writer and produce, and then tried out Directing.

''As a producer, I work primarily with writer/directors so when I came up with the idea to shoot a film set in a national park, the logical next step in my mind was to sit down and write it''

When asked how Adele worked with two characters to integrate them together Adele said,

''We would get together and talk about the script – make decisions about who they were, how they met, how they had changed, and how they’ve grown apart – because very little of that is presented at face value in the film. There’s so much baggage and shared history there, and yet the film exists in this one week vacuum where very little backstory is revealed.''

When producing the low budget film ''The Myth of the American Sleepover'' Adele has given some tips on how to resource things and use what you have.

''David and I sat down and typed up this really long list of everything we need – these are the locations we’re looking for, we need help with food, we’re looking for this one particular prop item, this kind of car – and then we shared this list with friends and family, and little by little, we got things checked off.” 
''“I think it’s about exploiting the resources you have,” Romanski explains, “and working with your means. People ask me a lot, ‘How did you did you make a movie for so little money? How can I make a movie for nothing, too?’ I don’t think it’s about what you’re spending the money on as much as figuring out ways not to spend money.”''
''“The best example that I’m really proud of is that Labor Day parade,” she continues. “We knew we didn’t have money to stage a parade, so instead I called the Clawson Fourth of July Parade, which David knew about because he’d always go to it as a kid. So I asked, ‘could we insert a float or two into your parade and film it for our movie?...We got this amazing parade at the end of the movie. So try to think just really far outside the box.”''

Adele has made some interesting points, as a producer I definitely need to think out side the box more and really think of how I can create a great film with such a low budget. Using resources close to me is something i'm going to look further into as I want to try get everything for as low as possible so I can put more money into making the actual film with things such as the props, equipment and any additional items that will make the film look so much better.

Here is 'The Myth of The American Sleepover' trailer for the film Adele Produced.

“When you don’t have money,” she explains, “you really have to know that everybody – cast and crew – is 100% a part of the team, and feels invested in what’s happening in order for it to be successful and a positive experience.”

http://filmmakermagazine.com/41715-five-questions-with-leave-me-like-you-found-me-director-adele-romanski/#.VidexlxVhHw


Mynette Louie is an independent producer from New

York City.

She co - produced Andrew Bujalski's 2004, ''Mutual Appreciation'' and produced several short films. Her most recent feature film she produced is 'Children of Invention''In an interview, she describes the battles of Indie Filmmaking''It’s been hard for the indie world to learn to really, really shrink budgets. And while some technological advances have brought production prices down, like the cost of digital production and post, other prices have gone up, such as labor, food, guild rates. It becomes very difficult to determine how to preserve the money on screen when you’re stretching your budget that way. And that’s why it’s so hard to do genre films in the indie world. That’s why we usually see comedy and drama, because there isn’t the money to pay for effects and stunts.There are a few very innovative filmmakers who can do that. And the studios are looking at those filmmakers as well, because they’re looking at ways to cut corners as well. But that whole middle section has been gone for a long time, and with it the auteurs who emerged when those films were still being produced. There is a whole generation of lost auteurs, some of whom are turning to TV, because that is where they can tell their kind of stories.''

''We’ve had to say, there are too many characters, there are too many locations, and I have to figure out how to cut costs without hurting the integrity of the film. ''

This is really interesting to read as I need to consider different options when screen writing and producing if in the case I do have to either take out locations or characters to create a good film. I need to prepare myself as even on the blog Mynette agreed that not all budgets are as they seem as sometimes you do go over even if you don't expect it.

http://www.themarysue.com/interview-mynette-louie-gamechanger/

I watched this interesting video on Mynette discussing tips and how she goes about producing films.

Mynette reminds us as producers to be 'very realistic' on what we can produce, to always remember if it's the only thing you're doing to have a second job and to save the money so you can put it towards that film. 

http://moveablefest.com/moveable_fest/2015/11/laura-heberton.html

https://tribecafilm.com/stories/tribeca-film-festival-2015-producers

http://www.orionthemovie.com/

http://marketingconfessions.com/2013/02/what-is-the-best-website-platform-is-wordpress-king/

http://filmmakermagazine.com/41715-five-questions-with-leave-me-like-you-found-me-director-adele-romanski/#.VidexlxVhHw

http://nofilmschool.com/2014/07/list-of-100-indie-producers-mynette-louie

https://www.google.co.uk/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=zV0nVs28Ionj8wf-0ZuIBA#q=adele%20romanski