Framing Film - Simon Horrocks - Part 2

Hey everyone. Today we have the second part of our interview with Simon Horrocks! If you have yet to check out the first part make sure to read it first here.

Again a big thank you to Simon for taking the time to talk to us and also to YOU for reading!

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Ferenc Igali: Can you talk to us a little bit about the actors/crew - how hard was it doing your first casting/how was it working on your first feature set with a crew?

Simon Horrocks: I didn't really have a crew. I had a sfx make-up artist and a great friend who agreed to try to do sound for me - he'd never recorded sound on set before. I did all the camerawork, despite never having shot a film before. We had 1 camcorder, 1 light, and one mic. So the whole thing was very small - which created a certain intimacy you would struggle very hard to achieve on a traditional film set. Casting was a mixture of traditional auditions and finding friends who I thought would work for the role. Finding Tim was a huge bonus - he's a great actor and really held the film together. We were very very lucky to get him. But all the actors and 'non-actors' were great - Jannica, Simeon, Cristiana, Kristina, Oliver, Geraldine, John, Andrew and all - they all did such a great job.

FI: Any particularly memorable experiences on set? SH: Loads ;)

FI: Top five favourite directors? SH: Orson Welles, Jean Vigo, Terrence Malick, Woody Allen, Hitchcock... uh oh, I only get 5? I've just started...

FI: Influences on Third Contact?SH: Most certainly...

FI: Some directors don't like answering this question but we ask it anyway - if there's any film that you could have worked on in the past, which one would you have wished to have the chance to work on? SH: Any Orson Welles film - you'd give anything to have been on set for one of those, right?

FI: Favourite film (or films) that really move or inspire you?SH: Citizen Kane, Magnificent Ambersons, Touch of Evil, The Third Man, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Vampyr, Eraserhead, Elephant Man, Le Jetee, Vertigo, Brazil, Sleeper, Manhattan, Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire, L'Atlanta, Macbeth (Welles), Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, The Godfather, Jaws, Duel, Les Diaboliques, The Dark Knight, Up, Pinocchio, The Seventh Seal, Scenes from a Marriage, The Magician, Knife In Water, Repulsion, The Bridge On the River Kwai, The Pledge, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Conversation, Point Blank, Don't Look Now, Performance, Bad Timing, Rosemary's Baby, If... , The Killing, 2001, The Shining, Kiss Me Deadly, Double Indemnity, Night of the Hunter, Memento, Blade Runner, Hunger, American Graffiti, Blowup, Psycho, The Snowball Express and all those other ones....

FI: So where's Third Contact going from here? SH: To the big screening at the BFI IMAX, streamed around the globe to our kickstarter backers. There will be a Q&A with me as well. From there, a cinema release, starting in London and hopefully spreading to the rest of the world.

FI: Obviously social media was critical in helping spread the word for the film to get backers - any tips on how to maximise the effectiveness of social media?SH: It's a full time job. Twitter I have found is by far the most effective - its seems to have the perfect balance of messaging, chat, and your profile is like your business card. Because of the way it limits the information you can provide, it makes it much easier to find the people you want to connect with. It also has big potential to spread your message, if you put the time in. The key is to engage people - you need to start a conversation. If you just spam your message, you'll mostly be ignored. It also helps to be yourself - if you hide behind a logo, or a film title, or made up identity, people won't engage with you as much.

You have to imagine it as a huge party. The boring people are the ones who talk about themselves all the time. Your eyes glaze over and you make your excuse and leave. If you feel someone is hiding something, you stay guarded and don't fully engage. You can see big, established companies struggle to use social media fully because of this. 

FI: Like many independent filmmakers - you clearly rely on networking to get things done. Any tips for first time filmmakers on how to make the most of networking?SH: Look for people with similar interests and who are agreeable with your style of working. In fact, I didn't do too much networking for Third Contact because I did most of the technical stuff myself. The film is self-funded and shot pretty much without a crew. I did most of the technical work myself or used friends who were happy to chip in. My old friend Justin Rogers did all the CGI work and kinda saved the film, really. To hire someone to do the work he did would, alone, have cost more than the budget of the film.

 FI: Can you tell us a bit about your production process - any favourite equipment? What was Third Contact shot with, for example? Did you have to hire a lot of the equipment or did you end up buying it? SH: I bought the most expensive camera I could - an HV30 Canon camcorder. It's not even semi-professional. It was designed pretty much as a high-end consumer camera to take on holiday or film your friend's wedding. It was never intended to be used to shoot a feature film on. But it had a bit of a cult following, so I chose it for that. The microphone was the most expensive bit of kit - £700. You can't really cut corners with sound equipment. For lighting I bought various lamps and battery powered strip lights from Homebase. Plus someone found a small redhead in a cupboard at the BBC which was about to be thrown away, so I nabbed it.

I didn't hire any equipment. I bought everything and spent about £1500.
FI: Post production - colouring, editing and such - what was your experience on this side of the filmmaking process? SH: As with everything, I hadn't done any of this before, so I had to learn as I went along. There are various issues you have to deal with when you don't have a pro set up. For example, for some reason the footage appeared darker in Final Cut Pro than it did as QT footage. As soon as I output it, it comes out lighter. So I had to edit dark footage, knowing it would come out brighter. I asked around - friends and online forums - but nobody came up with a solution.

FI: Experience of film festivals? Any tips or thoughts to share on this front?SH: I feel like film festivals have become very narrow-minded in recent years; very conservative. The film world in general seems to be in a transition and struggling to cope with new ideas. Festivals were set up to promote celluloid creations, in a certain way, and they don't seem to be in any hurry to change or adapt. How relevant are festivals now? We can make a film (feature film) without much of a crew and get it to millions of people online at the click of a button. Meanwhile, festivals are still working at the old pace of things. I mean, I think they're beautiful and fascinating, like old steam trains.

What you need to understand with festivals is that films are selected mostly back stage, out of the public eye. They charge you to submit your film, but what they don't tell you is they don't charge many of the people whose films they select. Most films are selected via the industry network, through contacts. Those people rarely pay submission fees. If you want to get your film selected, don't just download the submission form and send it off with that rather expensive fee. You're better off building up relationships with programmers. That's how you get your film selected.

FI: Finally, any words of wisdom that you can share with those considering to chase their dream and turn their idea into a fully fledged film? SH: Make your film the most creative way you can. Don't let funding became an obstacle.Make a film with your phone or a camcorder. Make it YOUR way. Then promote it yourself and have as little to do with the industry as possible.

Thanks again, and another big congratulations on your work - we really do look forward to seeing the concept driven Third Contact on screens soon - and fully expect to be blown away! Thank you for taking time out to join us! 

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Make sure to check Simon out on Twitter and find out more about his movie right here!

But You Didn't Hear it From Us,

Mr & Misses

Framing Film - Simon Horrocks - Part 1

Hey everyone! Welcome to another edition of Framing Film, today we have an interview with Simon Horrocks. As usual we'll be splitting the interview into two, so make sure to check back for the second part!

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Ferenc Igali: Hey Simon, thanks for agreeing to do this interview with us - first off, a public congratulations again on the project! But first, let's talk a bit about you; what did you do before Third Contact movie? 

Simon Horrocks: I was half of a composing duo, writing music for TV, adverts, corporate videos etc - plus I was a screenwriter and a househusband bringing up my son.

FI: How did you get into film making from the process of a directorial side? I noticed that you had mentioned previously that you had written for a while before penning the script for this?

SH: I had been involved in other people's shorts over the years, offering my time for free doing various things. As a sound engineer I was able to do location sound, for example. I focused my creative efforts on screenwriting, for over 10 years. I had had sold a few scripts and had an agent in LA, but nothing got made.

During one short production, the director was a very indecisive - which is pretty fatal for a director. I ended up pretty much directing the film and found that I was never short of ideas. Previous to that, I'd ended up directing a short with work colleagues which I was only down to write the script for. I just found that I was comfortable in that role.

FI: How was your 'movie-making' education before this? Did you have a lot of experience on sets? Any experience with shorts for example - which many people view as an almost requirement for going into features?

SH: I did have some experience with short films, one of which was a key learning experience - where we had to shoot the film twice over, the second time without any funding - a 12 minute film for probably about £200.

There's no excuse now for not making your film. I saw a lovely short by one of the kickstarter backers shot with her phone - the camerawork was great, imaginative, free - and better than a lot of other stuff people have been showing me. In other words, she'd used the fact it was a phone and she had no crew to her benefit.

It's not about 'oh well I'll shoot it with my phone as a make-do' - it's actually, 'why on earth would I shoot a film with all that machinery getting in the way of my creativity'. I think in the near future people will laugh at the amount of people and kit we used to use when making films.  The film industry is still very male dominated, and there's a very macho thing about the size of your equipment/budget/crew etc.

FI: Can you tell us a bit about the movie itself? What it's about, what it represents? Inspirations?

SH: It's about a psychotherapist who gets involved in a strange and obsessive investigation when two of his patients die in mysterious circumstances. The inspirations were many, from reflections on mortality from quantum physics theories such as  'many worlds', to Sophocles Oedipus the King, things that were happening in my life, including my own struggle with depression. But every time I answer this question I write something new. I'm still working what it is.

FI: Dealing with questions such as many worlds theory and quantum suicide, how hard was it to translate such revolutionary but exciting concepts to the big screen? 

SH: It all just came together in a rather organic way. I'm more interested in the philosophical implications than the detail of the science. As H.G. Wells said about his writing, the science is just there create a fantasy around. There's no real hard science in the story. Having said that, fiction did seem to mirror fact in a rather eerie way, after I'd written the script.

FI: We heard (and read on your site!) that it got great reviews - how did it feel to get those reviews for the initial screenings of it? 

SH: Incredible.

FI: Obviously, the big area with you will be the crowdfunding campaign - first off, how hard was it? Some say that running a kickstarter project is like a 24/7 job?

SH:Harder than making the film. But with experience I think next one could be a little easier.

FI: Why did you choose to go down the crowdfunding route and where can funders expect to see their money being used?  

SH: Most people who are looking for distribution money on kickstarter will tell you they thought it was 'right for the project'. The fact is they couldn't get distribution, but they probably don't want to phrase it that way in case you think they made a bad film. The truth is I couldn't get cinema distribution for my film - well, its shot on a camcorder and has no names in it, its not really a huge shock.

The money will be spent on PR and a cinema booker.

FI: Talk to us about a bit about funding the film initially and then the crowdfunding process - can you tell us about your experience of securing funding as a first time filmmaker? Is there any trials and tribulations that you could share with other filmmakers?

SH: I funded the film from my wages as a cinema worker (at the time about £7.50/hour). Don't waste your time looking for funding, or trying to get the industry to like what you're doing. Chances are, if they like it - its a bad sign, not a good one. If you want to be original and create something unique, work outside the industry. You will end up working harder then them and your lunches won't taste as nice, but you will end up with something far more rewarding. And you will have empowered yourself.

FI: If you had any tips for first time filmmakers, what would you recommend that they know or read up on? 

SH: Don't read any filmmaking or screenwriting 'how to' books. Use your phone or buy a camera from Argos for £50 and go and start expressing yourself and your stories and feelings and ideas. When I wrote Third Contact I'd been reading a book called The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker (it was being thrown out by the BBC library and I got it). Its not about filmmaking or screenwriting specifically, but it does talk about stories, from Ancient Greece up to more recent action movies. Its not a bible, by any means, but it gave me a few ideas. But that just so happened to be what I had in my head at the time, I'm not saying anyone should read it.

And watch films. There's over 100 years of astonishing films to get inspiration from, so use them. Why would you need anyone's 'how to' book?

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So there we have it, the first part of the interview with Simon! Make sure to check back soon for the second part.

We just want to say thank you to Simon for taking the time to have an interview with us and a particular favourite comment of mine is not to read how-to books! I completely agree, it's all about trial and error (how else are we going to create new and exciting things?)

Make sure to check Simon out on Twitter and find out more about his movie right here!

But You Didn't Hear it From Us,

Mr & Misses

Framing Film - Pete Walton - Interview Part 2

Hey guys - sorry for the delay - here is the next in our series of 'Framing Film'. The first part of the interview can be found here.

This is the second half of our interview with the brilliant Pete Walton - links below as usual.

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FI:     Just like us, you interview/contribute/write about filmmaking on indiesonar.com – what has inspired you so much to get into the indie film community?

PW: I learned a lot of things from making the movie that I wish I’d known beforehand, and wanted to share them. Also, a problem for most indie filmmakers is publicity so I started Indie Sonar as a means of giving it to them in return for them describing their filmmaking experiences and sharing tips from what they’ve learned. Seemingly mundane things like how a director got hold of a camera or found actors I think is of interest and useful to filmmakers out there struggling to get their first film made. I also don’t know many filmmakers in Belgrade where I live so it’s also been a good way to connect with the community on a regular basis.

FI:    How are you find directing actors (or in this case, your second cast member) on this other feature?

PW: It’s been a breeze directing the actors I have to say. This I think is because I was good at casting the right people. I looked for something in their showreels similar to what I wanted, so when they turned up on set, there was actually little directing needed from me for their performance. Everyone was a real pro; turned up and said their lines brilliantly.

FI:      Anything you’ve learned from this feature that you wish you had known before you started?

PW: The cost of feeding a film crew! Seriously, this can break the budget if not properly accounted for and done right. It hit me how much it was costing one day when 7 of us sat down for a coffee break during a shoot in Berlin – the bill was 25 euros! Multiply that over the course of a shoot and the numbers start to get scary. The 5-liter vacuum flask I then bought from eBay literally saved me hundreds.

 FI:  Right, technical questions – what kind of camera have you filmed on so far/what has gone on in the pre-production process/etc?

PW: The movie has been shot so far using the DP, Maciej Kwiecinski’s Sony PMW-EX3. Pre-production for Belgrade involved me videoing locations and sending the link to Maciej. I’d tell him the type of shot I was after and we’d decide if it was doable technically at the location. I’d location scout in some places using Google Street View which I recommend to others as it saves a lot of time and money.

FI:  We read about your audition process – quite an innovative push forward and does save on time/money – but are there any disadvantages to it?

PW: Not really I have to say. Another benefit from having someone audition over Skype or record a YouTube video is you’re getting to see them on camera.

FI:     Top 5 favourite directors of all time?

PW: Spielberg, Hitchcock, Tarantino, Wells, Lean.

FI:   We ask all directors this question – if you could have worked on any other film, in any other role, which one would it have been and why?

PW: For Your Eyes Only as assistant director to John Glen. The Citroen car chase would have offered a master class in directing and editing action sequences. It was the first Bond film I saw in the cinema and I’d watch it incessantly on video – and the car chase had me transfixed and I’d watch it over and over again – the shots, editing, music, Roger Moore’s perpetually raised eyebrow – perfect! I think Eon would be great employers as they seem to look after and reuse the same crew who have done a good job for them. I like how John Glen progressed through the ranks of the ‘Bond family’ from editor and second unit director on Her Majesty’s Secret Service to finally being given the reigns to direct 5 Bond films in the 80s. I’d like to do my own Bond film someday - I’ve already got the story mapped out in my head..

FI:      Our favourite reader question; your favourite film(s)?

PW: The Empire Strikes Back, The Usual Suspects, Reservoir Dogs, Memento, Pulp Fiction, From Russia With Love

FI:     How is it on set so far? Does all the travelling really impact the film and the crew?

PW: It’s been fine on set most of the time. The travelling itself hasn’t been a problem – I think the other guys who’ve travelled - David Masterson, Stephen M. Gilbert and Maciej - have looked at it as an adventure to some extent. However, I could have made it a little easier on everyone at times with a bigger crew and better catering, plus I was on some days juggling day job with shooting which impacted the schedule on a couple of occasions.

FI:    You must ‘wear a few hats’ so to speak on set – what other roles do you perform other than acting/directing when on set?

PW: I do most of the mundane things too like make coffee and packed lunches, and also book travel and accommodation. I’ve held the boom or reflector on a couple of occasions too.

FI:   How much have you learned through this process?

PW: A hell of a lot. The main thing is that you can make an international movie on a shoestring budget.

FI:    Despite any trials and tribulations, would you go through it all again?

PW: Yes I would, but with a bit more financing to make things more comfortable.

FI:    And finally – if you were to just give a quick pitch to anyone who hasn’t seen the video/the page – what would you say to them to get them to back your project?

PW: I’m a strong believer that a movie should be able to speak for itself, so I think I’d simply say: watch the clip from the movie I’ve added to the page – if it makes you laugh then I’d love you to be a part of helping me finish it!

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Link to Pete's Twitter.
Link to Pete's film's Twitter

And finally - Pete's Crowdfunding Page.

As usual guys, any shares/reads/recommends that we get, we thoroughly enjoy. Not just for us - we focus on indepedent films - it helps get the word out about great projects and filmmakers that can use a bit of help to finish their films or to gain more exposure for them. We hope you enjoy/find the interviews useful and we love our readers. We really do - we'd be nothing without you guys!

Even if you can't donate, do remember that every time you share this article with another filmmaker/fan of film - we can help gain another person a little bit more traction and exposure that gets them one step closer to realising their dream. 

It also helps us greatly obviously - and hopefully it gives a bit of insight into the trials and tribulations of first time filmmakers!

We would like to thank Pete Walton for joining us, and we hope you guys help him get closer to that finish line so he can get this movie finished!

More Framing Film interviews are lined up and should be appearing on this very blog over the next few weeks - we've loved having everyone on so far as they've all been brilliant. If you haven't read any of the other interviews, we'd highly recommend them.


But remember, you didn't hear any of this from us,

Ferenc and Georgia

Framing Film - Pete Walton - Part 1

Hey guys, welcome to our next interview - this one is with Pete Walton from Indiesonar. He's a first time feature director - and as always, we've got another great independent filmmaker to give us an insight into their process. As usual, we'll do our interview in two parts. Expect the next one on Thursday this week! (Two days from now!)

We really want to thank Pete Walton for joining us - he's a brilliant sport who gave us wonderful answers. We hope you return this favour by helping support his film!


Hope you enjoy!

(Links at the end!)

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Ferenc Igali: First, how about you tell us a little bit about yourself? We know a bit from your crowdfunding video (link will be found later in article), but what about your story? What inspired you to go into the business of making movies?

Pete Walton: I’d always been a huge fan of cinema, but in recent years there’ve been fewer and fewer movies come out that I’ve actually enjoyed, so I thought it was high time I stepped into the ring myself.

FI:  What made you decide on doing a first feature as opposed to a series of shorts/documentaries/etc?

PW: I didn’t really have any interest in making or watching a short. People basically like to watch features so that’s why I decided to jump straight in and make one. Plus I believe that the effort involved in preparing for a feature isn’t all that greater in comparison to what’s involved in making a short. And being able to walk away with a feature under your belt at the end of it is worth all the extra effort.

FI: So, before we get stuck into anything too technical – talk to us a little bit about Inverted, what it’s about for those that are unfamiliar with it?

PW: It’s a comedy about 2 friends on the verge of middle age who, following tragedy in their lives, decide to self-medicate by going on a journey around Europe in an attempt to discover the meaning of life, and also themselves. The comedy is heavily influenced by shows like It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The Office and Peep Show, plus the movie This Is Spinal Tap.

FI: You’ve shot in a variety of locations – in several countries in fact – can you talk us through what that experience has been like?

PW: It’s been quite an adventure! I decided from the outside I wanted the film to an authentic international feel and felt that it was possible if I flew low cost and found most of the cast and crew at the locations.

Berlin was the easiest place as there’s a big creative community there and attracting talent was quite easy. I also used to live there so I know the place well in terms of locations I wanted to use. I slept on the couches of other people on the movie.

Maastricht was great in terms of getting around as the place we stayed in was within walking distance from the locations. I’d scouted all the locations first using Google Street View so when I got there I simply had to check them out the day before for noise etc. I found a place for the four of us stay on Couchsurfing.org. Ali, our host, was great and he and two friends of his even appeared in one scene as extras. We had one problem as it was November and the fountain in the main square had been switched off, which we needed for a scene, but with a little clever fakery we got round it – you’d never know from the finished film.

Belgrade, where I live, was good for the locations but finding actors was difficult as I didn’t know anyone in the business there. We had to abandon one location at short notice but I had a backup in mind so we didn’t lose much time. I’ll say to other filmmakers, always have a backup ready if you’re filming on location that you can get to quickly if you need to and not lose too much shooting time. The biggest headache of the Belgrade shoot was finding our car had been towed one day and having to pay the 150 euro fine!

Athens was ok too in terms of cost and getting around. I’d researched all the locations pretty heavily before deciding where to shoot in terms of cost – not just to get there but how much it would cost travelling around once we’d arrived. Athens was only 14 euros for a 7-day pass on the metro. We also stayed with couchsurfers here, who were both great and even appeared in a couple of scenes. Casting and crew were very difficult to get through. As I don’t speak Greek and had trouble finding any Greek talent on sites like Mandy.com and CastingCallPro the casting wasn’t completed until the last minute. My first host in Athens, Chrissa, had worked in the business and she took me to a party where I met a director who gave me the number of an actor. A few phone calls later and the parts I needed were cast. I have to hand it to Nikos Anagnostopoulos and Vasilis Christidis who both turned up at short notice and gave great performances – Nikos as a mugger, who after mugging the main characters apologizes for his poor English (this actually happened to someone I met in Sarajevo), and Vasilis as a shop owner who forces one of the characters, who’s desperate for the toilet, to buy a carpet before letting them use the bathroom.

By the time we hit London, I have to say funds were getting a bit tight – it was literally down to the penny. So much so that I had enough money to hire a taxi to transport the lights and C-stands we needed back to the hire firm, but I’d have to carry them on the Tube the other way myself. This was by far and away the toughest thing I had to do on the shoot: C-stands, I’m now convinced, were originally designed as some kind of medieval torture device – lol! The problem is not so much the weight but that they’re extremely awkward to hold and constricted my leg movements, but I somehow managed to hobble from Ealing Studios in West London across the Tube to the Docklands location in the East. I actually collapsed in exhaustion soon after leaving the hire firm. Luckily a passer-by offered to help me carry them to the station. I’m eternally grateful to them for that.

London’s expensive to get around with a crew so we made full use of the flat I’d hired on AirBnB.com and the nearby surrounding area. The flat interior and balcony, we faked as 5 different locations.

FI:   Obviously you’re a big advocate of crowdfunding – how have you found the process so far? It’s pretty much a 24/7 job, but with your stringent planning/dedicated work ethic, how has the overall experience been?

PW: Well, I have to say the campaign so far has not been good and I have to hold my hands up and saying I haven’t done a few things right on it. I’d read up a great deal on crowdfunding before the campaign and one thing kept cropping up and that was that people buy into the filmmaker rather than the project. My mistake has been to go overboard with the ‘filmmaker’ aspect in the video to the extent I’ve actually mentioned little about the movie itself. Also, technically the sound is very poor, but I’m in sort of a catch-22 on that as I need the crowdfunding to get the sound equipment. So for the video I was forced to use what I had, which was a Logitech headset suspended on a metal coat hanger just out of shot! I also didn’t have backers ready to fund on day 1 which is very important to give your campaign an early boost. Hopefully there’s still time for me to correct it, but if at first you don’t succeed..

FI:   Also – what do you think of the effect of crowdfunding on the film landscape?

PW: Very good! It’s going to give a lot of filmmakers the opportunity to make projects with their creativity unhindered by investors. If you’ve got a good idea you’re likely to get your film made a lot more quickly.

FI:  You’re very clear and concise with how you budget – any tips you can give first time filmmakers on overarching strategies to approach budgeting with?

PW: Plan what you think you’ll need, then add another 30% to cover all the things you didn’t foresee. List everything you think you’ll need, then go through each one and ask if it’ll really make an impact on screen. It’s surprising how many things you can do away with if you’re prepared to do more work yourself.

FI:   We’ve read your tips regarding buying off Ebay and Amazon – have you got any particular market searching strategies here that you found have worked really well for finding the all important pieces of equipment?

PW: In terms of buying, I check eBay first as it’s normally the cheapest, then Amazon then elsewhere. To identify the piece of equipment I read a lot of reviews on forums and Amazon.

FI:  You’ve come up with some inventive rewards, including giving away the camera that you are going to use to film the next part of the film with – how important is it to have such big/important rewards to the process of funding of a film?

PW: To be honest, I think it’s the person and the project that crowdfunders really buy into – with the rewards being a bonus. I did however try to think of something different from the norm by giving away the equipment. I just need the equipment to finish the movie so I thought why not give it away as a thank you to crowdfunders afterwards.

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Link to Pete's Twitter.
Link to Pete's film's Twitter

And finally - Pete's Crowdfunding Page.

As usual guys, any shares/reads/recommends that we get, we thoroughly enjoy. Not just for us - we focus on indepedent films - it helps get the word out about great projects and filmmakers that can use a bit of help to finish their films or to gain more exposure for them. We hope you enjoy/find the interviews useful and we love our readers. We really do - we'd be nothing without you guys!

Even if you can't donate, do remember that every time you share this article with another filmmaker/fan of film - we can help gain another person a little bit more traction and exposure that gets them one step closer to realising their dream. 

It also helps us greatly obviously - and hopefully it gives a bit of insight into the trials and tribulations of first time filmmakers!

Stay tuned on Thursday for the second part! 

And remember - you didn't hear it from us!

Ferenc and Georgia

Framing Film - Two Guys and A Film - Interview Part 2

Hey guys - the second half of the interview with the two wonderful guys can be found below. In case you missed it and somehow stumbled onto this second half, the interview part 1 can be found here.

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FI: We've heard great things from you guys about leads like Robyn Buck, as well - so what's it like on set? We see all the photos - but how is it directing your first feature length films?

C: Robyn has been amazing.  We saw so many talented women for the role of Ruth in Hard Sun, but when Robyn walked into the room I knew it was going to be her.  It’s been awesome getting to see her and all the other actors grow as artists through the process.  For most of them, it’s either their first leading roles, or first dramatic roles, so it’s been really fun.  As a director, it always feels great when you’re able to push an actor past their comfort zone and allow them to tap into something they didn’t even know they had.  I do that a lot with Ben Begley.  He works a lot as a comedic actor and so I’m always casting him against type in things.

J: Just like Hard Sun, Get Away saw a lot of actors stepping up to take their first leads. At the same time this was my first time stepping up into directing a feature, which is a very different game. I’ve learned a lot about myself as an artist and that’s really helped me understand how to work better with actors. I remember one shoot day on Get Away, we were already on hour 18 and we had a very heavy scene to do. And one of the actors was having some trouble connecting with the scene, so I sat with them and did take after take trying different techniques, tricks if you will. It took another 3 hours to shoot but when they nailed it, everyone felt it. That was probably one of the coolest moments as a director I’ve had.

FI: You guys are at the LA Film Festival - one which we hope to attend in the future - what's it like there? I know you guys have been Tweeting frequently - but what's it like meeting with fellow filmmakers who share a boat with you and seeing some of the 'bigger films' - talking to distributors, and networking with others in the industry?

C: I love film festivals and LA Film Fest is one of my favorites.  I think I’ve attended the last five or six years in a row.  It’s just an awesome energy.  You’re surrounded by people who either are part of the filmmaking process or just have a genuine love for film.  There’s always great parties and you never know who you’re going to strike up a conversation with.  Plus, I really enjoy the idea of going to see films that I know nothing about.  Sometimes, you discover an amazing film that you would’ve never seen otherwise.  And then sometimes you end up watching a film that is just plain awful.  But I always love those moments as well because it really makes me feel good about my own work.

FI:  How has the funding process been? You advocate places like IndieGoGo and Kickstarter - but you emphasise frequently the need to find other avenues of funding. Can you share some insight into this process and any recommendations you'd make to new film makers?

J: People always ask me how to raise money for their first film and I always start by asking what their plan is. Most people don’t have an answer to that question or they say they are going to crowd fund for their budget but they don’t even have an audience built yet. The biggest piece of advice I give them is to look at crowd funding as only a part of the budget, and to look at other avenues like equity investors and pre-sales as other viable and attainable parts of their budget. There are more ways to finance but these are just a few of the main ways you will raise money for your film. Also, I’ll note that the type of film you are making plays heavily into this because it’s easier to finance a genre (action, horror, sci-fi) than it is to finance a drama or comedy(comedy being the hardest).

FI: How has the forming of your own actual company been? An arduous process? 

J: Super easy.

C: The actual process was super easy, though next time we’ll structure things a bit differently.

FI: Favourite films and reasons why?

J: Gladiator – Ridley Scott did a fantastic job of combining story with action in a way that you don’t feel a lack of either in the film.

C: Braveheart is number one.  Say what you will about Mel, but that movie is perfect.  I think there’s an innate desire in the heart of every man to fight for the things you believe in and I think that film more than any other, speaks to that part of our soul.  Plus it has the best speech in movie history.  James always gives me crap about this one, but Titanic is also one of my favorites.  Technically it was years ahead of it’s time.  Same thing with Avatar.  I really enjoy the technical aspect of filmmaking just as much as I do the creative side.  So any time I see filmmaker’s pushing the boundaries it gets me really excited. 

FI: Top 5 favourite directors - and their 'best' films?

C: Wow, just five?  That’s going to be tricky.  Let’s see what I’ve got on Bluray here. Tarantino (Pulp Fiction), Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy), Baz Luhrman (Moulin Rouge), David Fincher (Fight Club), Peter Jackson (Return of the King)

J: Ridley Scott (Gladiator) Michael Bay (Bad Boys) Alfred Hitchcock (Where do I start?) Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight) Yeah, I’m going to have to go with David Fincher (Fight Club) also.

FI: If you could work on any movie currently in production/already released (other than the two brilliant ones you guys have going already) - which movie(s) would it be/have been, and why?

J: You mean someone else’s project? Not sure I know how to answer that.

C: Man that’s a tricky one.  I think the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  I would’ve just loved to shadow Peter Jackson for two years.  I don’t think that guy slept the entire time.  Insane.

FI:  How's directing your first feature film going? Obviously you exercise a large amount of control (creative and literally) as the director - so how does that play out on the set of an indie feature?

J: Best experience of my life other than getting married, ha ha. Seriously though, it’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but at the same time it’s been the most rewarding.

C: Yeah, its been an amazing experience.  As far as control goes, I’m learning with each thing I direct to learn to let go of that a bit.  Not to say that it’s not my vision.  It totally is one hundred percent from beginning to end.  But I used to try and control everything and get everything perfect and that was no way to live.  Too much stress.  Now I’m learning to just roll with it.  Plus I’m learning to listen to other people’s thoughts and suggestions.  My thing is this, if I’m the only one coming up with ideas and solutions, then the film will only be as good as me.  But by involving everyone, it becomes so much bigger and better than me and my capacity at the time.  Plus I get all the credit in the end anyway.  (laughs)

J: Yeah, that’s one I had to learn the hard way on GA.

FI: Obviously you guys are shooting two films, back to back. How did you/do you decide on the process of who got to shoot what where and in what order? Basically - how do the two guys in "2 Guys and a Film" get on? Is it hard splitting time between each other's films, as well as being producers? 

J: We chose to do Hard Sun first because it’s more of a festival film, so we wanted to try and get that one in the can and through post to hit some of the bigger festival deadlines. It’s rather easy splitting time actually, since we shot Hard Sun first it’s always in a different stage than Get Away. So for example while HS might be in sound design, GA is starting vfx.

C: Yeah.  Even though we were shooting two films back to back, we’re not like the Cohen Brothers or anything.  I directed Hard Sun and James directed Get Away.  That was always the plan.  We both were Executive Producers on both films and then we each acted as producer on the ground on the other’s film.

FI: Risks - how is it for independent filmmakers to take risks (obviously not ones dangerous to anyone's health!), but with things such as creative solutions or concepts? Obviously you need a notoriously good ability to adapt and improvise - but how far do you need to push your own work to get it to where you want? Or even perhaps to a place you never thought it could go?

J: I would almost go as far as to say if you aren’t willing to take risks, then you have no place making films. You have to be willing to put it all on the line for something as big as a feature, at least on the indie level.

C: I agree.  I’m to a place in my life where I trust those things that scare the shit out of me more than those things that don’t.  The things that don’t scare me keep me complacent.  It’s when I take risks and feel like quitting that big things happen.

FI:  Everyone's favourite topic - budgeting! How do you guys approach it? Any sagely advice to share that you've learnt from your first two features so far?

J: I would say the biggest thing is having a plan. Like I said earlier there are many ways to raise money, but you can’t just hope someone comes along and gives you a million dollars, you have to do the work to find it.

FI: Finally - the most important thing you wish you had known when you started out?

J: Budget more for post and deliverables.

C: Proper production sound.  We skimped here and it cost us a lot of time in post.  Luckily it all worked out, but I’m definitely going to have a full production sound crew from here on out.

Thanks for the interview guys, we’ve had a blast coming on.

FI: Thank you guys for coming on - we really appreciate all the people who have/do sit down with us for an interview to explore their process, especially when they are working on two feature films!

Right

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Right, that ends our interview with these two lovely guys - I'll copy the text verbatim for you guys (not that we're skimping, or anything) from the last post about links and sharing! 

Stay tuned over the course of today/this week - we have several new reviews coming up, as well as our first addition to our greats line. As always, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you, dear readers! This blog would, rather obviously, be nothing with you guys. But you didn't ... you know the score!

Just another set of links, incase you guys missed it the first time round - remember to go and support these guys if you enjoyed the interview/want to find out more!


Link to their IMDb page.
Link to their Facebook page.
Link to their Twitter page.


Remember guys - if you liked the interview, share it with friends. ReTweet - share it on Facebook - shout it from the mountain tops, but just share it! As always, we welcome comments and feedback - but remember, the more exposure we get, the better it gets. Not just for us - but for the filmmakers themselves. More exposure leads to more interviews and more opportunities to be entertained/informed by (potentially) hidden/rising talent. Also - the more exposure we get, the more we can help out rising stars like Canyon and James, who heartily deserve it!

(Plus, you know, more interviews means more original content for you guys to read.)

As usual, our Twitter can be found at @bydhifu!

But most importantly, just remember, you didn't hear any of this from us,

Ferenc and Georgia

Framing Film - Two Guys and A Film - Interview - Part 1

Hey dear readers - don't say we don't spoil you for jumping onto our bandwagon early. As you know from our interview with Dave Vescio, Framing Film is a series that attempts to focus on understanding film making and adding to the discussion. We try, as any interviewer within the movie industry, to look at the process that goes into each film. Why? Because each process is relatively unique, special and possibly entertaining.

However, unlike other outlets, we don't specifically focus on A-listers, big budget films or legendary directors (but those will all hopefully fall into this interview series at some point during it's tenure!). We focus on as much variety in our interviews as possible. As interesting at is to read how the studios make films with $200 million, it is also equally important to see how features with access to less resources still end up being so great.

For this interview series, which much like any global mega studio approaching any new project, it will come in two parts. It features the two talented, and upcoming filmmakers over at 2GuysandaFilm. The '2 Guys' in the film are Canyon Prince and James Thomas (and their informative/entertaining Twitter feeds can be found here and here respectively!). The two guys have recently attended the LA Film Festival and are hard at work shooting their directive feature film debuts, "Hard Sun" and "Get Away".

Now these guys aren't just in the industry for themselves - which is what really caught our interest. Not only do they share constant behind the scenes photos, but they also engage with many of their fans/would be collaborators quite frequently - are genuinely two great guys - and on top of that, they also share first time filmmaker tips that may provide insight for novices. Which is exactly why you should 'Like' their Facebook!

Without further ado -






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FI: So, could you tell us a little bit about yourselves and how 'Two Films and a Guy' came into being? Backgrounds, any peculiar stories or life changing moments where you had an inkling/knew this is what you wanted to do?

J: Two Guys and a Film was really born out of a passion both Canyon and I share for filmmaking. Canyon and I had worked on a couple of music videos, a webseries, and a show open for a TV pilot and really became friends from that. And so I took Canyon out to sushi for his birthday, I think it was in December of 2011, and told him that I’d been kicking around the idea of doing a feature film and immediately he was like “I’ve been thinking the same.” So we came up with this idea to shoot two features, one he would direct and one I would direct, and we would shoot them back-to-back. By January 3^rd we had scripts written and were location scouting for the films. The rest is history!

FI:  Out of interest - how did you guys come up with the name "Two Guys and a Film"? Obviously quite straightforward, but is there a story behind it at all?

J:  We wanted something funny but simple. So we got together to think of a name, and we threw out tons of names all of which sucked. Then after sitting and starring at the wall, finally Canyon was like “What about Two Guys and a Film?” And I was like “That’s funny and simple. I like it.”

C: We were so over names by the end I just said sarcastically “Why don’t we just call it Two Guys and a Film”  And then it stuck.

FI: Before we start talking companies and directing, what inspirations did you have when you set out - and what goals are you hoping to achieve? Obviously you both have directorial debuts coming up - which we'll talk about in a bit - but how where do you hope to take Two Guys and a Film?

J: We had to have crazy tunnel vision with these projects and really keep our eye on the goal of getting these two films in the can. It really wasn’t until we finished Get Away until we thought more about the broader goals of the company. Since the films, we’ve expanded into television with the pilot “Faculty Lounge” that we’ve just acquired and are in the process of packaging.

C: Yeah.  It really was just about the two films in the beginning.  But once we finished production I really started feeling like there were bigger things on the horizon.  So lately, it’s been about finishing what we’ve already done and looking forward to all the other things we want to do within the company.  It’s an exciting time.

FI: Can you guys talk a bit about 'Broken Home' - one of the shorts listed on your company page?

J: Broken Home was really just a quick action scene that we shot for our IndieGoGo pitch. It was also a test shoot for Get Away.

FI: I've been keeping up with your pictures - you guys use a 5D on set? Georgia is a photographer, so she would know more about this - but other than the color grading test you've uploaded to your blog - what differences do you find between shooting on a more 'conventional' camera like the Red series and on cameras like the 5D?

J: Yeah, we used the 5D and the 60D with Zeiss CP.2s. Red cams are still great cameras however they are slower and require a lot more man power and time to shoot with than we knew we would have on these films. And since the graded footage looked so similar we went with the cost effective Canons.

FI: Equipment wise, what set up do you guys have? Do you loan out equipment like tracks, dollies, booms, etc? Or do you have a stock currently?

J: The cameras we owned but most everything else was given, lent, or rented.

C: Yeah, I used to have a lot of gear, but recently have gotten rid of most of it.  We just rent the equipment we need or lots of times the people we hire come with a bunch of their own equipment.

FI: For software - do you guys use all of your own stuff? Can you break down your post-production process for us a bit and your workflow?

J: We shot on SD cards so ingesting footage was simple. We cut the films in Avid, which was the biggest switch for us because we’d previously only cut in Final Cut. From there we would go to Davinci for color and finish in After Effects for the vfx work that needed done. We’ve had an amazing team working on the sound design lead by Sean Hines.

C: AVID and Davinci Resolve have been the two newest additions to the arsenal.  They’re both amazing and I won’t work on anything else.

FI: Frequent collaborators? People who you've worked with in the past who joined you on this new venture perhaps - if any?

C: I tend to collect a few people from project to project.  I’ve kind of been building an Apatow style family for the last several years.  James and I had worked on several projects together before we decided to start the company and shoot these films.  J Michael Briggs, one of our producers and actors in Hard Sun, I’ve know for a decade and a half.  We always work together.  Tami Carey, who plays the role of Lucy in Hard Sun, is another one I work with a lot.   She’s been in basically everything I’ve directed the last few years.  My DP Stephen Snavely is another one who I’ve worked on multiple projects on.  I just love surrounding myself with talented people whom I enjoy being around.  You spend a ton of hours with people making a movie so you better like them.

J: I work very much the same. I always say if your not doing this with people you like, then why do it. The lead in GA, Dave Finn, worked with me on a webseries I directed and I brought him in for GA. Between people I’ve cast in past projects and people Canyon has cast previously we pretty much hand picked roles in GA. I’ve done this same thing with crew also. As a director, especially younger director, it can be hard to get people to believe in what you are doing. So, when I work well with someone and they can get behind the project, I keep them around.

FI: How important is networking to independent film-makers?

J: Hugely! It’s probably the most important thing you can do especially if you’re a first time filmmaker. Other people who’ve been there and done that and share solutions are the reason Canyon and I were able to tackle some of the problems that came up on set so easily. If you are trying to make a film, you need to surround yourself with people who’ve made films, it will push you to make sure you finish yours.

C: Every filmmaker should be networking.  There are so many great organizations like Film Independent out there.  Go and become a part of those communities.  And go support independent film.  Attend festivals.  Talk with people.  You can’t make a movie by yourself, and you’re not going to meet people sitting in front of your AVID all day.  Trust me, I know.

FI: Any social media tips to share with upcoming filmmakers, considering how important it is becoming in today's age?

J: Build your audience day 1. Don’t wait until after you shoot your film to build it. As soon as you either have the script or at least have an idea of what the film will be about, get online and build your audience.

C: Social media is all about engagement.  I see so many people using it incorrectly and then complaining that it doesn’t work.   You have to treat it like real life.  Like real human interaction.  You can’t just talk “at” someone all day long and expect them to help spread the word about your film or product or whatever.  You have to cultivate these relationships.  It has to be a two-way interaction.

FI: You guys mention that you shot the show opening for a new pilot - can you tell us about that, the experience and all? What was the live taping like?

J: Yeah, we shot the opener for a pilot called “The Men’s Room” in which Canyon directed and I helped produce.  

C: The live taping was just like any other.  Live audience, soundstage, the works.  James and I actually attended the taping of it and watched from the audience.  We were hired to shoot the show opener video that played at the top.  If the show gets picked up, we’ll be in charge of all the “film” content of the show.  All the pre-recorded stuff.  Kind of like SNL’s Digital Shorts.

FI: You guys obviously run a Behind the Scenes Experience - but you regularly do updates on location scouting that we follow with avid interest. Can you talk a bit about that? How hard/easy is it to find that perfect location for independent film makers who don't have access to multimillion dollar budgets? 

J: It’s not easy, and it takes a lot of work. Not only are you going all around town searching for locations that might work but also you have to work with the owners and make deals that make sense for both sides. We were fortunate enough to have amazing people donate locations or give us great deals.

C: You need to have a great sales person, a great negotiator to get your locations for you.  Someone who doesn’t understand the word “no”.

FI: We've followed your casting news/updates/photos for 'Hard Sun' and 'Get Away' - we also know you guys are still looking for funding - so could you talk about both films? Plot (like the fragile X-syndrome angle?) - casting - difficulties/triumphs on set, etc? Anything significant that your first feature directorial debuts are teaching you?

C: This is probably a whole separate interview in itself.  We’ll save this one for the sequel.



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Tune in towards the end of this week to hear more about the set and leads on their new films, talk about the LA Film Fest, funding an independent film and forming your own company, their experiences directing, risk taking and of course - our standard fare of questions about favourite influences/films!


Just another set of links, incase you guys missed it the first time round - remember to go and support these guys if you enjoyed the interview/want to find out more!


Link to their IMDb page.
Link to their Facebook page.
Link to their Twitter page.


Remember guys - if you liked the interview, share it with friends. ReTweet - share it on Facebook - shout it from the mountain tops, but just share it! As always, we welcome comments and feedback - but remember, the more exposure we get, the better it gets. Not just for us - but for the filmmakers themselves. More exposure leads to more interviews and more opportunities to be entertained/informed by (potentially) hidden/rising talent. Also - the more exposure we get, the more we can help out rising stars like Canyon and James, who heartily deserve it!

(Plus, you know, more interviews means more original content for you guys to read.)

As usual, our Twitter can be found at @bydhifu!

But most importantly, just remember, you didn't hear any of this from us,

Ferenc and Georgia