Soul Searcher: June 6th 2005

First off, the screening in Birmingham is at 9pm, not 8:30 as previously stated. Secondly, there is a Back To The Future reference in this entry, since I notice they have been sadly lacking of late.

Neon, the PR agency working for the Ideas Factory Creative Class, has offered to do a lot of press for the screening, since they’re based in Birmingham and they have contacts there. They’re going to try to get Midlands Today to cover it and encourage some reviewers to attend.

Today I had a meeting with Daud (he of the Kodak Pavillion) in Soho. We discussed DV-to-film transfers, DVD release strategies and the problem of piracy. Daud seemed to think piracy was a real issue for unheard-of films just as it is for blockbusters. He said the problem with me having these screenings in Hereford and Birmingham is that a distributor could say, “How do you know that no-one snuck a camcorder in and pirated it? I’m not buying your film because you screened it, thus running the risk of piracy which reduces my potential earnings from distribution.” Hmm, wish I’d thought of that earlier. I can’t honestly believe anyone is going to pirate a film no-one’s ever heard of, but if anyone does then rest assured I will HUNT YOU DOWN AND SHOOT YOU LIKE A DUCK. (It’s “dog”, Buford.)

Oh, and rather impolitely I decided not to call the New York Festival back. I’m sure it’s a great event, but if I screen it there that’s my North American premiere gone, meaning I’m inelligible for Sundance, Telluride, Toronto and so on.

I had an idea for a movie called The Black Donald. It’s basically Ghostbusters in Scotland. Who ya gonna call, laddy?

Soul Searcher: June 6th 2005