1. Short financing

Midlands Today Report

neiloseman, ,

The Midlands Today piece on Stop/Eject goes out tonight at 6:30pm on BBC 1 in the West Midlands, and on Sky Channel 979, but if you can’t wait that long you can see it here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150454093341266&set=vb.21263239760&type=2&theater

My first Midlands Today appearance in 2002
My first Midlands Today appearance in 2002

So how did I get my ugly mug on the custard and jelly? Well I’ve been on Midlands Today twice before – once with The Beacon in 2002 and then again with Soul Searcher in 2005. Both times I was interviewed by the same reporter, who gave me his number and said I should feel free to call him if I ever needed any other films promoting. So getting on this time was relatively easy. Even though that reporter no longer works full time at Midlands Today, he promptly forwarded the info I sent to the relevant person and the next day I had a phone call to arrange the shoot.

There’s a certain amount of luck involved as well. You have to catch them on a slow news day. And since your piece will not be news in the strictest sense, i.e. it won’t be tied particularly to that day, it will be the first piece to get bumped off the show and postponed to a later one if something more newsworthy comes up.

As to how I got on Midlands Today the first time, back in 2002, I’m afraid I simply can’t remember. I’m pretty sure I didn’t approach them, and there was some good coverage in the local papers at the time, so most probably a researcher saw that coverage and they contacted me.

I have to say that everyone I’ve met and dealt with at Midlands Today has been incredibly friendly and helpful and I’m very grateful to them for giving my little film project a bit of publicity.

Remember, there’s just one week left to make your contribution to Stop/Eject at http://tinyurl.com/stopeject

Midlands Today Report

Katiedidonline Homeware Giveaway

neiloseman,

PLEASE NOTE: THE ITEMS OFFERED IN THIS POST ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

Stop/Eject‘s costume designer Katie Lake of Katiedidonline has kindly donated some beautiful items from her Mayumi range of hand-made fabric gifts which we are delighted to be offering to new sponsors. We have two sets of pretty fabric coasters, two sets of cute baby bibs (a pair of boy’s bibs and a trio of girl’s bibs) and four stylish hostess aprons to give away. These lovingly upcycled, eco-friendly items would make great gifts for Valentine’s Day, Mothers’ Day or Easter.

£10 of sponsorship to Stop/Eject will get you a set of coasters, £20 will get you a set of bibs and £30 will get you an apron – while stocks last of course. We’ll do our best to accommodate any combination of those values, so for example if you contribute £40 you could either have both sets of bibs or one set of coasters and an apron – providing someone else hasn’t beaten you to those items! To be sure of getting one of these items you’ll need to contribute before we hit the £1,300 mark.

You can visit Katie’s shop for many more gorgeous hand-made gifts and remember you can see her discuss the Stop/Eject costumes in behind-the-scenes podcast #4.

Please note:

  1. Postage to a UK, European or US address is included.
  2. Katiedid items will only be given if we reach our £2,000 target by the Jan 18th deadline. At this time, if the target has been met, we will ask you for your preferences on specific Katiedid items, giving first choice to those who sponsored earliest.
  3. You will still be entitled to the other rewards as listed on the summary page.
  4. If you’ve already sponsored, you’ll need to increase your sponsorship by at least one of the amounts above to qualify for these gifts.
Katiedidonline Homeware Giveaway

How to Make a Fantasy Action Movie for £28,000

neiloseman, ,

This weekend, eschewing some sleep and new year celebrations, I completed a 20 minute video called How to Make a Fantasy Action Movie for £28,000. Presented by me, disguised as a homeless person who’s just been dragged through a hedge backwards, it’s a completely frank and open breakdown of Soul Searcher’s budget: where the money came from, how it was spent and how much the film made. It’s an invaluable tool for anyone considering making a feature, and since it also looks at the details of the distribution deals I was offered and why I picked the one I did, if you’ve just completed a feature and you’re wondering what you can expect when you sell it then this is definitely something you need to watch too.

Here’s the trailer for Soul Searcher to get you in the mood:

And here are the first few minutes of How to Make a Fantasy Action Movie for £28,000….

To see the full programme all you have to do is sponsor Stop/Eject £10 or more before January 18th. There are other great rewards for sponsoring as well, but you’ll get access to this programme straight away, regardless of whether we make our target or not. http://tinyurl.com/stopeject

How to Make a Fantasy Action Movie for £28,000

Christmas Present

neiloseman,
Hereford Journal
Hereford Journal

Need some cinematic inspiration and advice to get your 2012 filmmaking plans off to a flying start? As a special Christmas gift to Stop/Eject supporters, anyone who sponsors the film (any amount) by midnight on Christmas Eve will get access to an exclusive new featurette I’m currently creating: “How to Make a Fantasy Action Movie for £28,000”. This will be a detailed look at the budget from my feature film Soul Searcher, analysing where all the money came from and exactly how it was spent, examining the contracts given to the investors, comparing the distribution deals I was offered and revealing precisely how much money the film made. This is an unprecedented real-world case study of the financial realities of indie filmmaking. Get it in YOUR inbox on New Year’s Day by sponsoring Stop/Eject before Christmas. You’ll also get all the great rewards we’ve been offering all along. And don’t worry – if you’ve already sponsored Stop/Eject, you’ll get access to this video too.

Remember to keep spreading the word about Stop/Eject, just like Hereford Journal (left) and Sci-Fi London have done this week – thanks guys!

Jonny Lewis as Ezekiel in Soul Searcher. Photo: John Galloway
Jonny Lewis as Ezekiel in Soul Searcher. Photo: John Galloway

 

Christmas Present

Networking

neiloseman, ,

Everyone says crowd-funding takes up a lot of your time, and it’s true. This week I’ve set up an iTunes podcast, started a Facebook page, uploaded desktop wallpapers (in widescreen and 4:3 ratios), authored DVDs of the pitch video and am attending three events to network and spread the word.

Herefordshire Media Network
Herefordshire Media Network

The first event was a Herefordshire Media Network social. This was held in the back bar of a pub and involved myself and two other people giving little presentations and then general mingling/networking. As usual at these events there were a surprising number of people I didn’t know. Hereford is so small that I tend to assume that I must know everyone here who works in the media, but more people always seem to crop up.

The other speakers were Marc de Jersey, filmmaker and international broadcast journalist, and Nick Fogg, a filmmaker whose 90 second documentary Wake recently won the main award at Encounters International Film Festival. Both showed some of their work, which was really interesting in very different ways. I felt pretty shameless plugging my crowd-funding campaign, which – let’s face it – is essentially begging, but people responded well. After the presentations I talked to as many people as I could and handed out plenty of business cards.

The Picnic
The Picnic

The second event was The Neighbourhood Watch at Vivid in Birmingham. It’s been a very long time since I was last at Vivid, but I thought it would be worthwhile showing my face and trying to make some regional contacts. The event was an “open mic” film night, meaning that anyone could submit a film to be screened and none would be rejected, time permitting. I screened The Picnic, to the end of which I had added a caption telling everyone to visit my Crowdfunder page and sponsor Stop/Eject. I also mentioned the campaign when I introduced the film. Sadly there wasn’t much opportunity for networking, particularly since I had to leave early to get the last train back, but it did get my mind whirring on the possibilities of holding talks and screenings and using them to raise funds… of which more another time.

The third event, happening tonight, is a local meeting about community TV, which apparently is something the government is pushing at the moment. I don’t know much about it, but I’m going along to see what opportunities there may be to get involved – and don’t think I won’t plug my crowd-funding campaign while I’m there.

Thanks again to everyone who’s contributed so far, and to everyone who has helped spread the word by email, Facebook, Twitter and – shock! horror! – physical face-to-face communication with mouths and ears and vibrating air molecules.

Networking

Stop/Eject: Get Involved

neiloseman, ,

Our crowd-funding campaign has launched today. We need your help to bring Stop/Eject, a heartbreaking story of love and loss, to the screen. Donate as little or as much as you’re able, and don’t forget to tell all your friends to do the same. You can link to our Crowdfunder page or you can embed the widget (see sidebar on right) on your own site.

Although Light Films have kindly funded the development and initial pre-production, we still need money to buy more props, costumes and materials for the set, and to cover travel, catering and accommodation. For those of you who have been following my filmmaking exploits online for a while, this is your chance to get personally involved. Everyone who donates will get a thank you in the credits, plus there are various great rewards available if you donate over certain amounts, such as exclusive posters, signed artwork and DVDs of my films, some of which have never been available to own before.

Still not convinced? Check out my previous Stop/Eject blog posts to read about all the hard work that’s already gone into this project. I believe this film will be something really special, but I can’t make it without your help. Sponsor it here. Thanks everyone!

Stop/Eject: Get Involved