Geek Time (1)

My camera does not use tape or disks but records directly onto solid state media.

Now, this is convenient in many ways. Mainly in that transfer of footage from camera/memory stick to computer is quick and easy. The way that these sticks are designed is that the codec used to compress the HD footage does not compromise on picture quality, and that the sound is DAT quality. Very important for filming, as digital cameras usually suck on sound.

However, they cost a fortune. A 16GB stick (which holds approx 55mins of Hi-Def PAL footage (25fps/35Mbs, 1920x1080) costs over GBP400.

That meant that all I could afford at the time of purchase was one memory stick for my camera in addition to the 'free' one that was included with the initial purchase. In total I had approx 1hr and 25mins worth of recording time.

Now that was fine when filming in my own place. During the breaks, I could head to the computer and upload the footage while everyone else was eating. It was not an elegant solution, but it was a workable solution. However, it did cut back on the amount of shooting time available, as I had simply run out of space on my camera's memory sticks.

So now in pre-prdocution this year for two new films and these are not going to be shot inside the house. I will have to go on location. Even with very careful planing, effectively limiting the amount of footage I can capture in a shooting day to 80 minutes is not feasible. But nor was paying GBP400+ for a measly hour of filming time a good answer either.

Thank goodness for the MxR adapter.

Essentially, with this little adapter, you can put a normal 16GB SD card into the camera and voila! You have exactly the same memory capacity as buying the fully branded Memory Stick from the manufacturer.

And it is a lot cheaper. The MxR adapter with a 16GB SD card cost me GBP136 on the high street (Tottenham Court Road). Three times cheaper or to put it another way, for what I was prepared to spend on one card, I can now spend on three and be ready for whatever this year's filming throws at me...

Media Files, bumpf and distribution

Sending copies of 'Jay and Kay Save the World' to film festivals is a long and bewildering process. You need to be focused on the task at hand (hell for someone like me who enjoys the thrill of procrastination) as well as military precision in order to fulfill the requirements for each festival. Some festivals are part of a central submission system, such as the UCAS system for Britain's universities. This can take a lot of the heartache out of applying to festivals. About half of all the film festivals I have applied to so far are a part of one of four such systems. The other half are still independent and require you to go direct through their own website in order to submit your film.

And there is a lot of 'bumpf' that you need with the film that you submit to the film festival. Many festivals just want the DVD screener and nothing else. They will get back to you when they have made their decision. Others want a whole array of materials. This is the much anticipated media pack. You see, making a film does not just stop with the editing of a film and subsequent burning onto CD. No way. You see, the 'indy' director has to be a person of many talents. As 'El Director' of CWP, I also act as distributor, possibly one of the most tedious tasks to fall onto a film maker and the one that will make you go bald faster than any other task on set (other than dealing with actors/actresses).

Firstly, you have to distribute the film itself. That means, getting a list of all those film festivals. Filling out forms (accurately without spelling errors – and if anyone has read this blog then u no how baad i am at dat), burning DVD's (PAL or NTSC, subtitled or not, and better get handy with your French) before heading off to the local post office to send your post. Of course, I know how bad postmen can be, so it is not just a case of licking a few stamps but actually registering the damn things (at least fiver a pop for international submissions). The guys at my three nearest post offices know who I am. Then there is the waiting. Oh, the dreaded wait...

'Bumpf', yes, let me get back to that. There is an assortment of 'media' files that many festivals may or may not want, but need to be prepared by the director of his/her film in case they are required. This is where many directors (including myself in the past) fall. After the marathon run of making a film, you are then expected to complete the triathalon of creating a media friendly side to the film and then distributing the damn thing. You can see why even small films have a huge number of people in their credits. They are the minions who take care of all the 'little things'.

So, what 'bumpf' do I have prepared for my official 'Media Pack'? At a glance, I have a director's bio, filmography, picture and statement (that's the ego bit), half a dozen film stills (at 300 d.p.i.), Posters and Press Packs (recently rewritten), Synopsies (long, short, loglines and everything else in text, word and acrobat formats), a dialogue list (note this is not the same as the script, and again need as txt, doc or pdf files), and teasers/trailers (formatted for both Quicktime and Media Player).

Don't forget, a website is always handy, and guess what. All the above is on that website too, able to be downloaded at a click of a button. Some festivals do not want the clutter of extra paper or a CD-ROM as part of their submission. They want all these files online where they can download at their leisure. These festivals are few and far between at the moment, but they will probably become a requirement in the future.

That's the 'official' bumpf'.

There is a whole lot of 'bumpf' that I do not include in my media CD-ROM, but still need to keep on hand. For instance, a cover for the DVD case, letterheads for any letters I may need to send, a CD cover (if I send the CD-ROM separately), a credit list (some festivals demand a separate list, despite the inclusion of a press pack), a synopsis for the feature film (you never know), lower resolution files of the film stills (to upload directly onto some festival websites) and ditto for the press pack/posters.

As you can imagine I have sent to a lot of festivals. The turn around time is kicking in next month. The proof is in the pudding as they say. Or in this case, the media files...

Now onto the filming!

I have decided to round off my Citizen Journalism for a while to concentrate more on the filming, especially as the next few months will be critical. I am one of the most distracted film makers out there and so I am hanging up my pens for a while to really go all out on the filming side. It is again, one of the reasons why I am also giving up internet bumpf, but not yet blogging.

However, the article is a good one and over the past year, I am proud to have written some great articles for OhmyNews covering a wide variety of subjects, many of which would hav never been covered in the mainstream media, such is the power and breadth of Citizen Journalism.

My interview of Lara Farrar about the future of the media - click to read!

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And so that's it, clearing out the clutter and going for the future. While 2008 was successful, I felt that The Paint had stagnated during the final quarter of the year. The energy and direction had gone from the project. And as I fundamentally believe in the idea of venerating milk (in a strictly secular way) and sultry Brazillian dancers (because they are truly a divine creation) I want to make sure that 2009 has real progress not just for my sake but also for all the people who have believed in the project so fa.r It is going to be a tough year ahead, so here goes!

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