The screenwriter and director Tony Grisoni might be best known for his collaboration with Terry Gilliam on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but his discussion at exposures ranged from his writing process to making short films, the practicalities of directing, and his views of the film industry.
 
Tony talked about the nature of his collaboration with Terry Gilliam, describing it not as hard work but “hard play”, saying that Gilliam “distrusts it if it feels like homework.” The screenplay for Fear and Loathing was a deliberate attempt not to write anything new, drawing dialogue from the novel itself as well as from Hunter S Thompson’s other works. Tony described the Vegas of the film as a dark magnet in the vein of Dante, the protagonist Raoul Duke’s attempts to escape repeatedly drawing him back into an increasingly hellish city.
 
In response to a question about his career, Tony argued that he rejects the idea of a conscious career plan within the film industry. He compared filmmaking to rock and roll, saying that he and his peers were simply “trying to play forever”. After going to film school, Tony got his first job as a runner in the early 1970s, working on BBC-produced films. This led to directing and producing short films, before eventually becoming a screenwriter. Refreshingly, throughout the evening Tony talked about how much fun the film industry is, saying that this is down to the people involved; film people “are like circus people”. Filmmaking has a social, collaborative nature, with the director as the focal point for everything and everyone involved. Tony said that he sees filmmaking as a strange combination of extremely practical decisions and the intangible magic that it can create.
 
Discussing his old fear of public speaking, Tony shared an anecdote about how Terry Gilliam had helped him overcome his fear; “it’s because you think you’ve got something important to say,” Gilliam had told him. Once you realise that you actually don’t have anything important to say, Tony suggested, you’ll be fine.
 
Talking about his writing process, Tony said that the best place to start is in not knowing, and writing should follow the journey of finding out. You have to be able to play and to pretend, and you need to be able to visualise the finished film, complete with cuts, music, lighting, and everything else that goes into creating a scene. You must always stay true to your characters, and let them take you on the story; don’t try to impose anything external. Tony suggested that the first draft should always be written fast; make notes as you go along, so that you’ll have something to go back to when you’ve finished. Similarly, you should end every day of writing while you still have something to do tomorrow.
 
Returning to one of the themes that had run throughout the evening, Tony stressed the collaborative nature of film; after all, you can’t make a film by yourself. Going to film school is a strong foundation, in part because it’s all about surrounding yourself with other people who are doing the same things as you, and building the network of people you’ll collaborate with throughout your career. Over the course of the discussion, Tony gave an inspiring account of filmmaking as exhilarating, fluid, collaborative, and, perhaps above all, fun.

And fellow digital rerporter Dan Shannon manged to grab a quick few words with Tony after the event....

Laura Swift - words and photo
Digital Reporter

Dan Shannon - audio
Digital Reporter

One of the most exciting events last week at the festival was the One World Media Live Pitch. It was a great session where 5 young filmmakers had been whittled down from a group of 70 to battle it out for the One World Media Live Pitch final grand prize of £2,000!  In front of a prestigious panel of documentary film makers and producers each filmmaker had 5 minutes to pitch their idea and were then grilled by the panel and offered feedback on what they had delivered.

The documentary ideas put forward covered an eclectic range of topics ranging from moustaches in India to punks in Algeria. The panels advice was clear and concise with their main questions including 'how is this universal to all?' and 'what is the story?'. A couple of the pitches were in the early research stages and these were offered guidance on how to develop their ideas fully and told they need to be clear from the story what type of production company they want to take their idea forward when complete.

And the winner was.....With The Punk. They were my favourite and gave an excellent, very confident and energetic pitch.  They had a story mapped out and a taster film to show, which highlighted the feel, emotion and pace of the documentary and how the story would unfold.  The presenters were very engaging and the story had a real life journey to it, relevant storyline and was universally linked to all teenagers rebels.

Fellow Digital Reporter Monique Jarrett caught up with panelist Steve Boulton after the event and also got to grab winners Onyeka Igwe and Sofia Bouzidi to congratulate them on scooping the top prize...

And my favourite bit of advice from the event was from filmmaker Olly Lambert who made Tea Boy of Gaza.  He said that the best documentaries are those that do not hit the message home with a hammer but take the smallest story like the little tea boy from Gaza to show the bigger picture such as the political unrest and war happening around him. That bit of advice I will use well!

Sarah Miles - Words and photos
Digital Reporter

Monique Jarrett - Audio
Digital Reporter

 

David Lewis Richardson stepped in to run the workshop at the last minute, and we couldn’t have been in better hands. As well as directing television drama and soaps including Shameless, Eastenders and Hollyoaks, David has directed documentaries, commercials, and music videos, and the workshop was peppered with anecdotes and examples drawn from his professional experience.

The workshop started off with a discussion of the importance of a strong showreel; while showing a broad selection of your work, it also relies on the physicality of acting for moments that capture the viewer’s attention in a short space of time.

Throughout the workshop, David stressed the importance of a relationship of mutual trust and respect between actor and director, and how the director must treat each actor differently.

The directing process begins during casting, and directors will usually already have an idea of what each character will look like. One of the most important functions of the audition process is to see how well the actor can take direction; even if they deliver the scene perfectly the first time, a director should give them other suggestions to see whether they are willing to adapt their performance after feedback. Auditions will also help you to determine whether you can build a rapport with the actor, which is crucial to a successful working relationship.

David stressed that the director must always trust their intuition. If you’re happy with the first take, it’s not always worth doing a second take just for insurance. On the other hand, if your intuition tells you that something’s not right, don’t be afraid to ask for another take. A good performance is simply defined by whether or not you believe it.

Drawing on certain examples from his own experience, David gave some tips on how to work around, and cover up, truly bad acting. Usually the best thing to do is to keep the camera on the better actor for as much of the scene as possible, concentrating on their reactions.

David then turned to the subject of how to direct experienced, well known actors. Even if you’re a little starstruck, you owe it to them and yourself to always trust your intuition and say what you feel; if you’re not true to yourself, any actor will lose respect for you. Even the most successful actors are always looking for direction. Equally, it’s important to listen to the actor’s point of view. Soap actors, for example, may have been playing the same character for decades and will know them inside out.

The workshop was filled with advice and tips from David Lewis Richardson’s hugely varied career, with practical ideas as well as discussions about the importance of intuition and building strong working relationships. Above all, it was a fascinating insight into the many roles of the director.

Laura Swift
Digital Reporter

Yesterday I was volunteering at the Kudlian Animation workshop which was happening downstairs at Cornerhouse. James Long from Kudlian Software Ltd was showing a group of 15 individuals how to use I Can Animate, an easy-to-use programme to create stop-motion animation that Wallace and Gromit would be proud of.

He brought along a bag full of wacky puppet creations and invited the group to make their own. Using a webcam, the software lets the user take a sequence of pictures which can be played back as a movie. Set the character up in front of the camera and move it a little bit before each photo is taken. Now when the sequence is played back the character will appear to move all by itself. This is the basis for stop-frame animation. The only limit is your imagination. It's also incredibly simple to export the finished film to YouTube or other computer programmes for post-production and editing.

James also showed the group the brand new I Can Animate app which is available for iPhone and iPod Touch (the one with built-in camera). With it you can animate remotely, no wires and no computers needed. The project files can even be copied back onto your computer where you can continue to work on them.

It's amazing how new technology is putting industry-standard tools in the hands of individuals. And with the power of the internet, you can show your films to millions of people.

Rob Birchall
Digital Reporter
@thisisobject
http://thisisobject.co.uk

Do you define yourself as an artist or filmmaker? Is there a place for artists’ films in cinemas, and how do we position filmmakers’ works in galleries?

Last nights panel looked at these issues and explored the directions emerging filmmakers and artists may take to develop a successful artist film practice.

If you missed it catch up with the disscussion here on the live blog we wrote…

Katia Porter
Digital Reporter
@katiaporter
http://www.katiaporter.com

So you've got a great idea for a documentary how do you go about pitching it? Cue the Pitching for Documentary workshop that took place earlier today.

We heard from experienced filmmakers Steve Boulton and Sophie Chalk who gave lots of great advice to those wanting to get their ideas commissioned and onto our TV screens.

Steve Boulton started working on documentaries in 1982 and was a researcher at Granada. He's worked with a whole host of companies including Channel 4, ITV, BBC and Channel 5. Steve started his own company in 2002 and went on to make the documentary Young Nazi and Proud, which won a BAFTA  - not bad hey.

So here's Steve’s advice on how to pitch for a commission -

- It matters that you learn how to sell - the power of persuasion is key.
- It helps to have a reputation, experience or awards within the business.
- If you don’t its important to encapsulate your idea in no more than 100 words to get it across clearly.
- Never give more than two pages for an idea.
- Always start with the nugget of the documentary.
- Know your character.
- Know exactly what you want the documentary to be about.
- Think about who would be involved on the talent side i.e. celebrities, experts.
- Research the people you're pitching to. Each broadcast channel has a genre and specific topics that they are looking for so watch out for those and taylor your pitch. 

Things NOT to do when pitching a documentary -

- Undermind the person/company you're pitching to.
- Do no research into the person/company you're pitching to.

More useful tips from Steve -

- Use a Narrative Ark that shows a clear beginning, middle and end of the documentary.
- Take a few mins sample footage of your documentary that covers the core of your work.
- If pitching about a character it should be about the character and nothing else.
- No graphics should be used unless its explaining something brief.
- Stay clear of music besides the intro and ending.
- Simple is best.
- No fancy editing.
- Communicate your passion for your documentary.
- It’s a hard business so you have to be tough skinned.

Up next was Sophie Chalk. Sophie started working in documentaries in 1989 and over the years has worked with companies including Sky News, TVAM and Yorkshire TV. Sophie set up her own company Rooftop production in 1998 and also works for the International Broadcasting Trust.

Here's Sophie’s advice on making and pitching documentaries:

- Documentaries that are about misery don’t work well.
- Pitch to a company that you like and who work with similar topics as your documentary.
- Being turned down becomes a way of life, dont take it personally, be thick skinned and passionate.
- If it's an international documentary make it more about the people than the topic.
- Find a human narrative and a familiarity in peoples lives that the viewer can relate to.
- Think about the sensitivity towards the viewer.
- Produce adocumentary that would inspire a viewer.
- Include a mixture of humour and sadness or seriousness

And more advice on commissions from Sophie -

- BBC3 have made a real skill of developing serious documentaries without them looking serious.
- All of these channels/progs are looking for new ideas NOW for documentaries: BBC1, 2,3,4, Dispatches, Panorama and Crew Cut.
- To find out who to speak to watch documentaries and keep an eye on the credits to catch contact names.
- Don’t be put off by the commissioners saying it will cost more to film abroad, in many cases this isn’t true. It costs a lot to film in Britain.
- Make sure your taster video has your name at the beginning, end and on the DVD.

Monique Jarrett
Digital Reporter
@roidmj

 

There was a lot of helpful advice dispensed at yesterdays panel discussion. Successful director Phil Hawkins chaired the session and a group of industry professionals talked about their experiences on becoming a freelance filmmaker. These included....

Mercedes Crescenti the funder of Mercedes Crescenti TV. She began her career as a runner at the BBC and graduated to head up production for the Current Affairs department, producing a wide range of programme, from BAFTA nominated documentaries to live broadcasts. Over the past few years, Mercedes has worked for independent companies shooting award-winning television commercials for multinational brands.

Richard Bodgers has composed and produced music for over 1000 commissions, including global TV and cinema ad campaigns for brands such as Bentley motors, Mercedes, Tomb raider and Hoover. He has also written original scores for computer games and films.

Paul Kondras a production designer and art director with a background in theatre.

And Ollie Pillon who is fairly new to the industry after graduating from Manchester Met two years ago. He's now an assistant director and editor after beginning his career as a runner.

Phil and the rest the group had recently worked on a Manchester-made feature film called Being Sold which is due to be released early next year. 

Everyone agreed that being a runner was a good way of getting into the industry. If you're eager to learn and can make yourself indispensable then you will hopefully progress. It's a great way to learn about the industry. An ability to drive is a useful skill to have as a runner. It's not a necessity but will make you more hireable.

Working on short films is a good way to acquire new skills and get your work out there quickly. If you can get your work shown in one of the many film festivals around the world then that's a good way of marketing yourself. There are also still avenues for funding, even in this financial climate.

Another great positive for being freelance is the freedom to do your own thing, up to a certain point. Everyone agreed that it can be a little daunting if a constant supply of work isn't flowing in. You just have to keep publicising yourself and be as proactive as possible and you will hopefully find more work.

The best piece of advice was to just go for it. If you have an idea, for a film or business, then you can make it happen. If you have the passion and the commitment to get into the film industry, give it a go. Be as confident as you can be and introduce yourself to other professionals. There is a lot going on, in and around Manchester for the freelance filmmaker in terms of projects and networking events and with MediaCityUK opening in the coming year the future seems bright for the freelance filmmaker.

And if that wasn't enough advice for you our Digital Reporter Dan Shannon caught up with Phil after the panel. They talked funding opportunites, the different routes into the industry and those all important characteristics you need to make it.

Rob Birchall
Digital Reporter

 

With the imminent move to Salford for some BBC departments, tonights Creative North panel explored the strengths of the region and what it has to offer for creative minds. Terry Christian did a grand job of chairing the event and with the likes of musician/TV presenter John Robb on the panel it was always going to be a lively discussion.

For those that missed it take a quick look at some of the highlights...

And for more detail on the points raised during the panel discussion check out the live blog from the event here...

Mary Stark - Live Blog
Digital Reporter

Rob Birchall - Video
Digital Reporter

So the festival kicked off today with the BBC Writersroom Workshop led by Jo Combes, New Writing Development Manager at BBC Writersroom. The sell-out event covered both the theory and practice of storytelling, with Jo adding the personal touch to proceedings by giving some of her own tips on mastering the art.

Her advice for the budding writer? "Ask yourself - would I believe this? You have to be able to buy it or it won't work." Citing the 'grit in eye' incident that causes Brief Encounter's protagonists to meet for the first time, she went on to explain how many inexperienced writers seem to try too hard when it comes to narrative devices: "You don't have to throw everything at a story - an inciting incident can be the smallest thing." In her view, good writing will always seed turning points - "nothing should come from nowhere, but it should happen in unexpected ways."

The BBC Writersroom aims to work with writers who are new to the BBC and discover and develop new talent. Visit their website for more details.

Dan Shannon
Digital Reporter

The festival starts tomorrow and do we have a line up of guests for you...and it's only the first day! Advance tickets are going really fast so make sure you get booking to guarantee a place. Throughout the festival we'll make sure we document as many events as we can via this blog, video and audio to give you a little taste of what happened if you miss out. But nothing beats being at the festival itself!

The day will start with Jo Combes, New Writing Development Manager at Writersroom for the BBC Writer's Workshop, who will help you develop your story skills through an informal and practical guide to narrative structure.

Phil Hawkins (Director);  Paul Kondras (Production Designer); Mercedes Crescenti (Producer); Richard Bodgers (Composer) and Olly Pillon (Runner/AD) will then be on hand to give you the low down on what life as a freelance filmmaker is like and answer all your questions (at 15.30)

• Phil Hawkins directed his first short film when he was 13. Since that time, he has continued making shorts and promos regularly. It was through the experience of writing, directing and editing his own films, that he has honed his skills as a filmmaker. After writing and directing a short film for BBC Manchester, Phil fell into the commercials industry. He worked his way up the ladder from Runner to VT Op, Camera Assistant, 3rd Assistant Director, 1st AD and then Director. His first commercial won a Roses Advertising Award and his work since have won over ten advertising awards. His first feature THE WOMEN OF TROY won Best Director at the New York Independent Film Festival and his second feature, Philip Pullman's THE BUTTERFLY TATTOO, won Best Adaptation at the same festival in 2008 (and Phil won Best Director for the second time). Phil was also the only filmmaker from the UK to appear on Fox/Dreamworks reality television show "On The Lot" for filmmakers. Phil was personally selected by Steven Spielberg to appear on the show and was controversially voted off to the surprise of the show's producers, critics and fans!
  

• Richard Bodgers (Composer) has composed and produced music for over 1000  commissions, including global TV and cinema ad campaigns for brands such as Bentley motors, Mercedes, Tomb raider and Hoover. He has also written original scores for computer games (WORMS and TOMB RAIDER) and films TRIPLE EXPOSURE, SNAPS and THE BUTTERFLY TATTOO. During 1998/99, he was appointed Musical Director at Manchester's Library Theatre, where he composed original scores for ANGEL’S IN AMERICA and THE GLASS MENAGERIE. More recently, he has composed serious music for EMI and KPM music libraries and is

• Mercedes Crescenti is the funder of Mercedes Crescenti TV. Mercedes began her career as a runner at the BBC and graduated to head up production for the Current Affairs department, producing a wide range of programme, from BAFTA nominated documentaries to live broadcast including Panorama, Real Story, Liquid Assets and The One Show. Over the past few years, mercedes has worked for independent companies shooting award-winning companies shooting award winning television commercials for multinational brands 

We will then welcome Alex Connock (Chief Executive, Ten Alps Plc); John Robb (Musician, Music Journalist, Broadcaster and Author); Liz Molyneux, (Academy Partner, BBC North and Nations) and Jon Corner (Director, MediaCityUK, University of Salford) for a panel chaired by award-winning broadcaster and journalist  Terry Christian. Creative North (at 18.30)  will explore what is shaping the creative landscape of the region and the opportunities it offers for aspiring creatives.

• As one of the UK’s leading media professionals, Jon Corner is responsible for delivering the University's unique 103,000 sq ft, teaching, research and business hub at MediaCityUK and for forming the commercial partnerships to enhance student experience and engagement with industry .Jon is the founded River Media, the highly successful Liverpool production house that has contributed films for the City’s European Capital of Culture and World Heritage Site bids. His knowledge and expertise spans broadcast, post-production, interactive and advertising. Jon is also Chair of the Liverpool Digital and Creative strategy committee and is a non-executive director of Liverpool vision.

• Liz Molyneux has been a film maker in Current Affairs and Factual TV throughout her career. She has worked mostly for the BBC though her credits include programmes for C4, ITV and Discovery. Liz's career started in the newsroom in Plymouth, she has inevitably spent time in London where she was Director of Development for the Specialist Factual and Editorial executive within the BBC Commissioning group but has spent a good deal of her life and career in Manchester.  Liz was Head of Network Current Affairs TV in Manchester and is now BBC Academy Partner North and Nations.

 We also have very special guests throughout the day as most of the filmmakers whose films were selected to be shown at the festival will be around. We can't wait to meet them and we hope you'll give their film a warm welcome!

Full programme can be found on the exposures website