Film

General Information

Filmmaking in the UK
Film Speak: Understanding the Filmmakers’ Lingo
BBC New Talent
Make Your Mark in Film
Runners in Film
Understanding Filmmaking

Job description and activities

Actor/Performer
Production Designer
Film Director
Film Production Manager
Director of Photography
Film Producer

Training

National Film and Television School
Elstree Film School
International Film School Wales
Leeds Metropolitan University
The London Film School

Industry Directories/Trade Press
The Knowledge
Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT)
The Production Guild
Screen International

Organisations and regulations

British Board of Film Classification
British Film Institute
UK Film Council

Video
Tips on filming
Low-down on independent films
Submitting your film to independent film festivals
Becoming a film critic

BBC one shot one minute film

4Talent Resources

Commissioning
Make Some Noise: So what do you need to do to impress Film 4’s Senior Commissioning Executive Peter Carlton?

The Next Scorsese: This is the deal: produce four short films, each with a budget of £4K and get them aired on Channel 4. Sound good? If it does, then send in your ideas to 3 Minute Wonder.

Directing
Mark Pressdee: Video: Soon after his first foray into directing, seasoned short film producer Mark Pressdee discusses the importance of diversifying as a freelancer.

Simon Welsford: Video: Writer/director Simon Welsford didn’t let the lack of cash stop from him from making his feature film. So how did he do it?

Simon Welsford: Video: Insider tips on how to shoot a feature film when your lucre is running low.

The Indie Producer: Video: With BAFTA wins and nominations to her name, Natasha Carlish is a bit of an expert when it comes to running an indie films outfit that people sit up and take notice of: Welcome to Dreamfinder Productions.

Black Sheep’s Family: Paul Clarke talks to European filmmakers Oliver Rihs and Olivier Kolb about Black Sheep, their flatpack-screened feature film that’s creating a buzz from Berlin all the way to Birmingham.

Stupidity Pays: Video: The art of mistake-making in film.

Inside/Outside: Writer/director Paul Wright is in from the cold.

Family Foe: Get your people to call my people…

Fest Best: Amid the annual mayhem of the world’s largest arts festival, getting around Edinburgh in August is tough enough. But try shooting a full-length feature film in the thick of it all.

Is He Worse Than Hitler? Arguably Britain’s finest living film director, Ken Loach’s plaudits come from everywhere but Britain – his 2006 film about the IRA had the British press comparing him to Nazi propagandists. Surely, that can’t be right.

Black Night for the UK: Why are these directors heading to New York to draw attention to their celluloid creations?

The Next Big Thing: Lauded as a “real force”, Richard Fenwick has carved his own niche with his film, promo and animation work.

Dan Reed: Video: Write and direct your first feature: sounds like a mad idea, but documentary filmmaker Dan Reed reveals why it worked for him on Straightheads.

Cut to the Chase: World Premiere at this year’s Edinburgh Festival for his debut feature film, Paul Andrew Williams is the director everyone is name-checking.

Can You Handle It? Constantly bombarded by feature films ideas, producer Kevin Loader has been in the fame long enough to know what will cut it on the big screen.

Discovered: From 3MW to the Sundance Festival… Howard Byrom finds out where it all went right for Ken Wardrop.

Call of the Wild: At 48, Bryan Grayson gave up his day job as an aircraft engineer to pursue his passion for wildlife filmmaking.

Leap of Faith: From zilch experience to producing six films, Michael Kelly of Geronimo Pictures has truly landed on his feet.

Super Fly Guy: Video: Fasten your seatbelt as Producer/director Gawain Morrison flies us through the latest adventure taking off in the backyard of Seamless Productions/Red Label Records.

Life of Brian: From experimental short films to off-the-wall music videos, Brian Philip Davis has built himself a formidable reputation in a short space of time, all on a shoestring budget.

Lab Ky Mo: Video: He’s the first successful filmmaker from Northern Ireland’s Chinese community, yet even without this cultural distinction, Lab Ky Mo’s creativity, tenacity and off-beat humour mark him out.

Perry Vision: Video: Director of BSE/IFB Simon Perry injects his bold vision into the Irish industry.

Robert Douglas: Video: Meet the Irish-Icelandic filmmaker tracking the local story through a global lens.

Mind the Gap: Yasmin Fedda is a Lebanese Canadian national of Palestinian origin, raised in Kuwait. So what was she doing in Gorgie of all places?

Believe the Hype Part 2: Continuing on from his original interview, Stuart Wright asks filmmaker Richard Fenwick about his series of satirical instructional guides, the role of the director and the big decision to move out of London.

Older and Wiser: For Adam Smith, directing was the only thing he wanted to do. So how did he set about getting his feature film off the ground?

Are You Kidding? From Eastenders to Kidulthood, Ray Panthaki has switched over from acting to life behind the camera.

Warped Imaginations: Digital film studio Warp X want to address a specific problem: why don’t many women direct horror?

Feature Films
Barrow Boy: The Scottish road movie making waves worldwide.

A Kind of Magic: It’s been over three years coming but fantasy feature Gamerz has finally got a general release in the UK.

Second City Story: Director John Bradburn on shooting his debut feature film Kyle on the streets of Birmingham.

Film Festivals
Mountain Men: Creating the world’s first online mountain film festival.

Gone in 15 Seconds: Video: Blink and you’ll miss it – it’s the 15 Second Film Festival.

On the Edge: Some of the documentary’s edgiest makers gathered in Derry’s Bogside for a three-day screening last year.

Eiff: Anton Corbijn, Gary Love and Jennifer Venditti: 4Talent treaded the red carpet at The Edinburgh International Film Festival.

What’s on Show: Showcasing an astounding 700 films, the 12th annual Portobello Film Festival attracts a wealth of talent from around the globe.

Independent Thinkers: Ten years in and the British independent Film Awards have gone from strength to strength.

Speed Freaks: Filmmakers who are looking to make an impression should entre the Rushes Festival.

Hit the Road, Jaques: What do you do if you’re not made of money and want to go to Cannes? Well buy a van and paint it bright yellow.

Girl’s Corner: NY-based distributors, Women Make Movies present a refreshingly different perspective in a man-made world with a diverse catalogue of over 500 films made by women.

The Sky’s the Limit: Rachel Millward is pushing women filmmakers into shot with the Birds Eye View Film Festival.

Tight Little Outfit: Working relationships: Howard Byrom explores the exchange between director Ken Loach, his collaborators and their audience.

Funding
Sink or Swimmer: Bollywood Star’s Rupak Mann talks candidly on the nightmare of financing her film diaries.

Commissioned North: You might not believe it, but there is a film and TV industry in the north of Scotland. If you want to get started, you might believe even less that it’s possible.

Cheap Shots: North West-based filmmaker Ray Turner talks to Howard Byrom about making ends meet on self-funded productions.

Tried and Tested: Where do you go if you have a brilliant creative idea that requires investment and technical support?

High Fidelity: Are filmmakers on a budget in danger of sacrificing quality for low cost?

Locations and sets
Location Location: Eliot Mullett explores the ins-and-outs of the world of film location: the forms, the stunts and the people working to give filmmakers an easier ride in a complex world.

Shooting Stars: Co-founder of Northern Ireland’s first ever Location Company, Shoot NI, Chris Patterson is a man highly in demand by people in high places.

The Perfect Set Up: Set construction manager Cole Doherty turned heads when he first entered the niche business just under a decade ago.

Trailblazers: Leading the field without leaving a trace.

Intelligent Design: For production designer Tom Sayer, success means never having to sign an autograph.

Traffic, Trash and Toilets: Video: Any member of a TV crew will tell you that days spent working on set can be frantic, long and even boring. For the locations assistant, working literally on the set, it can be even more so.

Lost Property: Video: Standby props. Everyday is different.

Mr Fix-It: Willie Cameron is what he describes as a “fixer” – a service provider to film and TV companies.

Film Inspiration: Film City Glasgow is a unique and unprecedented project for the Scottish screen industries, offering home-grown and foreign talent the chance to access state of the art filming and editing facilities within one building.

Misc Film Roles
Something Extra: Meet NI’s first ever dedicated extras agency.

Smokin’ Gunn: Meet Belfast’s very own Professor Higgins.

Production
Rapid Rise: Rapideye is fast becoming Scotland’s hottest production companies.

Give Us A Break: Hugh Welchman believes that movie producers need to think beyond the cinema screen.

Eye for an Eye: There comes a point when you can’t continue slaving away fro someone else. So what’s the score when it comes to setting up your own film production company?

Short Film
Crashing the Scene: Video: Short film writer/director Chris Baugh shows the skills and determination it takes to get those first productions off the ground…

Out of Africa: Yes, You Cannes: the West Midlands animated documentary causing a stir on the Croisette.

In the Can: It’s never 9-5 when you work at MI High.

Leading Lights: The Magic Lantern – shining a light on the stars of short film.

A Fishy Tale: As he grew up on the Isle of Skye, it’s no surprise that the sea flows through filmmaker Johnny Barrington’s work like an Atlantic current.

Breaking Out of the Box: Zak Hanif explores the declines of a stereotype – The Corner shop.

Making Shell: Video: Why settle for one film when you can make two? Shell is a short film about a girl who lives in a remote petrol station in the Highlands, where she cares for her father but feels trapped.

On the Road: Documenting the past – how Alice Nelson recreated a 70s road trip.

Not Short of Ideas: Ruth Mortimer asks award-winning directors John Williams and Daniel Mulloy whether short films can lead onto feature-length success.

Bring to the Four: Four filmmakers get their first broadcast break on 3MW.

The Price is Right: An object of eternal fascination, human have always been drawn towards the moon, but would you buy a bit of it? And whose it is to sell?

Did You See…? Content creation is now in the hands of the masses. Want to get your short films seen and talked about? Then upload your stuff onto YouTube.

Artful Dodger: A decade of low-budget filmmaking from YouTube guerrilla Mark Locke.

Too Good To Be True: Calling all writers and directors: here is a dream filmmaking course. Sarah Weatherall discovers why Binger is churning out elite students.

Schools for Film: What effect has the Moving Image AS Level had on Northern Ireland’s budding filmmakers?

The Belfast Connection: Media junkie, Clement Lesbarreres arrived from France in his mid-twenties. Seeking filmmaking opportunities in newly peaceful Belfast, he’s settled into the city.

Main image by Don Solo. Some rights reserved.