I see what you mean about it being quite a drawn-out process now! Thanks for the replies - I'm going to find the audio equipment I need, start a line item budget right now, and write up a schedule of what's going to happen day-by-day.
You are on the right path. The reason so many people have trouble
financing their debut feature film is they have very little
understanding of what people with the money are interested in
knowing. They are far less interested in the passion you have for
filmmaking and the determination you have to get your film done
and make it successful than in the "nuts-and-bolts" of the money
you need and what you will do with that money.
So far I've emailed at least 50 newspapers here in the UK and I'm trying to get onto radio shows during their "movies" section, just in case the right person is listening and wants to get in touch.
What would you have done if someone with money contacted you and
said, "I read the article on you and heard you on a radio show and
I want to give you money."? This happens to way too many
filmmakers. They get their one shot at impressing someone with
money and cannot answer their questions.
I'm glad I can help here.
In response to the shooting/editing time, is there a definite way a filmmaker can roughly estimate how long both shooting and editing will take?
There is. It's experience. Another reason why getting financing
for a debut feature is so difficult. Without the experience
editing a full feature length film, a director/editor is likely to
think it will take 2 weeks.
Working part time - say 20 hours a week - it could take as little
as 10 weeks. Not knowing your movie or your skills and knowledge of
editing I would say the very minimum would be 200 work hours. It
might take you 300. And it might take you 100.
You want to submit to festivals like Cannes. Do you know what their
requirements are? Do you know what distributors are going to want?
Will you being doing all the audio work yourself? Are you aware of the
need for a separate M&E track? Prepping a movie for festivals and getting
all the "deliverables" in order can take a long time.
I find it hard to give such a guess when there's a lot of things to get out of the way, although I've never worked with an entire main cast of actors (usually just friends who are interested in acting, mainly my martial arts teacher who I convinced to sign up to
a casting agency) so I'm hopeful that having to work around people's day jobs won't be such a hassle.
It will be so much more of a hassle you cannot possibly fathom in
your wildest dreams how difficult it's going to be. I'm dead
serious. It can be done - it has been done - but it will rock you
to your core. You will spend far more time dealing with schedules
than with anything else. I've done it. It is pure hell. And then
it gets worse.
Also, about the clothes, the cast have been informed that they'll be ruined with fake blood and all sorts during the shoot.
I understand that. What if a costume is accidentally ruined on the
third or forth day of shooting? What if someone looses or
misplaces a costume during the couple of weeks they aren't
shooting?
The two most difficult things I have faced when shooting over a
period of 10 weeks (around work, school and personal schedules)
are costumes and hair. Men aren't usually too much of an issue,
but over 10 weeks many women make changes to their hair style. And
10 weeks is an unrealistic wish. It will take MUCH longer than
expected.
Everything you want to do can be done. And if you weren't asking
how to get funding, much of what I'm asking would not be essential,
but as soon as you want money from people (even friends and family)
you have entered the business of filmmaking. And if you are thinking
of asking people who don't know you personally to give you money for
equipment, it's even MORE difficult.
I gotta say, I am very impressed with you so far.
