by Elliot Grove
Founder of Raindance Film Festival and one of our judges for The Reelshow All Winners Festival.
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Why Screenwriters and Filmmakers Fail
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Dear Filmmaker,
I was sitting around over the Holidays contemplating the careers of so many of my friends and acquaintances, when I had a moment of clarity:
Why not write up the mistakes and pitfalls so many filmmakers and screenwriters fall into? I know I am going to get into a lot of trouble here. You might not like or agree with me - and that is totally fine. I might even offend you. That is not fine, and I am apologising in advance.
Perhaps you'd rather not read Why Filmmakers and Screenwriters Fail...
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Their Scripts And Screenplays Don't Tell Stories
One of the most common failings with films submitted to the festival is that they lack structure. If there's no story, people won't watch it.
This applies to documentaries as well as fictional narratives. The best documentaries have a strong story with a beginning, middle and end.
Try to condense your story into one or two lines which are at it's heart, and link everything you write back to that.
9 Elements of Great Films
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| They Don't Clear Music Rights |
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You can't put someone else's music in your film without their written permission. If you do, you are in breach of copyright laws in every single country of the world.
Get music for your film
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They Don't Understand Social Media
It's a whole new world out there, media wise. Get a firm handle on what you need to do to build a following of people for you and your film.
7 Things Filmmakers Can Learn From Perez Hilton
10 Twitter Tips For Filmmakers
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| They Don't Move With The Times |
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The films that people love to watch are groundbreaking, either with regard to topic or techniques used. Films like Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity have inspired many filmmakers and played on trends of the time.
Take a look at what you need to know with our 10 Top Trends for Filmmakers.
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They Don't Have a Marketing Strategy
Successful filmmakers can visualise the film buyer and distributor of their film BEFORE they make it.
And more importantly, they visualise the marketing honcho.
7 Elements of a Press Kit
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| They Don't Network |
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It's a people industry. If you don't talk to that person sitting next to you, how do you know whether they could be the producer/director/writer you're looking for?
You need to meet people and get to know them. They may not be able to work on your project, but they might know someone or they might be able to give you the advice that will solve your problem.
Get started with your networking by coming along to our next Boozin' and Smoozin' on 8th February. |
They Don't Make Films/Write Scripts
Practice makes perfect. If you can't make a decent film for $200, no one will believe you can make a decent film for $200, 000. If you can't write a short script, no one will commission you to write a feature. No matter where your talent lies, start filmmaking.
Get together with a few mates and film something on someone's mobile phone. Then, with whoever still wants to do it, make another. And another. Your first mobile phone film may not have been BIFA worthy, but with a couple of films under your belt you'll be rapidly improving.
There's no better way to learn how to make films than by making films.
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| Don't expect handouts from government |
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The government has slashed arts funding over the last five years and with the 2012 Olympics coming up we can expect even more cuts as money is channeled into that.
Do not rely on government funding.
Use social media, use contacts, and use your initiative.
How Filmmakers Approach Investors
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They Don't Train
Everyone makes mistakes when they're starting out, but you can minimize these by talking to people who have already made them.
Film theory won't help you when you're learning to make films, but listening to people with practical filming experience can. They've done it before and they can give you hints which will help you avoid some of the nightmares that first time filmmakers often face.
Raindance Film Training Courses
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| The Favourite Wine of Failed Filmmakers |
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"We can't make a film, or write a screenplay because..."
Don't make excuses. Make Movies. Write Scripts.
The 4 Habits of Successful Filmmakers
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They Say 'But I don't know how anything works'
If it's something that you need to know, find out! There are loads of classes available and hundreds of websites with hints about every aspect of filmmmaking. Our indie tips include articles on everything from special effects to directing.
If it's an introductory overview you're after, come along to our 99 Minute Film School which is just £13 or FREE to Raindance Premium Members |
| They think "I'll fix it in post" |
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With all the advances in post production technology, you can now do almost anything in post. And with software getting cheeper all the time, it's easy to rely on it to fix our mistakes, but don't be fooled.
Whether you're dubbing the audio or getting rid of a boom in shot, fixing stuff in post should only be used as a very last resort. If there's any way that you can fix it during production it will almost always work out quicker and easier than sorting it in post.
If you get everything as good as it can possibly be then post-production will be a calm and stress free proccess
The 13 steps of post production |
They Break The Rules
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for breaking the rules when it helps a story. Crossing the line to cause confusion or disorientation often works and lets face it, rules are made to be broken.
To break the rules successfully you need to understand why the rules are in place and you need to do it deliberately. If you accidentally cross the line it will look amateurish and it will pull the audience out of the story.
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| They Alienate Their Crew |
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The words please and thank you cost nothing yet so many people forget them. If you're making a low budget film then the chances are that most, if not all, of your crew are working for nothing because they love your project, so be nice to them.
Try to get them decent food and decent coffee. When you're frustrated that the sun has gone in on that perfect shot, don't take it out on your DoP. When a train goes past just as you're filming a pivotal moment, don't take it out on your sound engineer.
It's simply good manners.
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They Don't Get Permission to Film on Location
The rules on where you can and can't film in London are notoriously complicated.
It mostly depends on which borough you're filming in and how much disruption it will cause, but it's best to do your research well in advance of filming. The last thing that you want is to have your schedule disrupted because you suddenly discover that you cannot film somewhere.
You'll also need to make sure that you have permission to film on any private property, and be clear on whether your location is private or public property.
You can find more information on filming in London on Film London's Guide to Filming
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| They Don't Consider Other Opinions |
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If you show someone your script and they have constructive criticism don't ignore it - you may not agree but consider whether it will improve your script. The same is true if someone on your crew has another idea of how to achieve an effect.
People who have worked on different projects will have different approaches to a problem, but make sure you give someone's idea full consideration
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Now, back to your writing and filmmaking.
Raindance Film Festival is now open for submissions until June 15th.
Hope to see you and your film at the festival
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Elliot Grove founded Raindance Film Festival in 1993, the British Independent Film Awards in 1998 and Raindance.TV in 2007. He has produced over 150 short films, and 5 feature films. He has written eight scripts, one of which is currently in pre-production. His first feature film, TABLE 5 was shot on 35mm and completed for a total of £278.38.
He teaches writers and producers in the UK, Europe. Japan and America. He has written two books which have become industry standards: RAINDANCE WRITERS LAB, 2nd Edition (Focal Press 2008) and RAINDANCE PRODUCERS LAB (2004). His first novel THE BANDIT QUEEN is scheduled for publication in 2010.
He has been awarded an Honourary Docorate by open University for services to film education |
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