So much out there, so little information

Anyone who has ever tried to make a film knows one thing: there are great scripts and great ideas, great actors and people with talent everywhere, but there’s always one thing in short supply: money. And as all filmmakers know, money makes the reels go round, or as London-based filmmaker, Felicity Thompson put it, ‘Having money would solve all the problems. There is nothing that having money wouldn’t fix.’

There is a general feeling at the moment amongst filmmakers that there is optimism and cause for optimism, but probably best prefaced by ‘cautious’ and awareness of how tough it can be sometimes to maintain positivity in the face of the credit crunch on top of the usual trials and tribulations filmmakers face when seeking funding..

As a filmmaker with some experience of funding his films JH explained how he managed this aspect of his work, ‘I do a lot of ringing round contacts and people we have worked with in the past and we are on a number of mailing lists, but I am aware that some funds, like Cobra or Virgin are offering money to make films but I find you have to be quite lucky to hear about these funds and some just come and go without you even realising they were ever they’re. It can be very frustrating.’

There are lots of places that filmmakers can look to find information about funding but it can be very daunting if you are new to the business or have lost touch a little for whatever reason. Various public-funded sites like the British Film Council’s website or the KORDA database outlining public funding for the film and audio-visual sector across Europe are two very useful sources of information and attract huge visitor numbers but are often so broad in scope that they are difficult to navigate and are often aimed at ‘fund-administrators and policy-makers’ or are pan-European dealing in Euros or quickly out of date. It seems that despite the success of the UK Film Industry over the last four or five years there is still some way to go in publicising what monies are on offer to whom and in time.

Another filmmaker who has been in the business several years and runs a small film and production company, KB, also expressed a common anxiety. ‘We often feel that we are not always sure what the organisations or people making awards are looking for when they announce an award and making an application is often two or three day’s hard work! It would be good if there was a one-stop shop where we could go for information, help and advice.’

The UK film industry depends on young talent getting experience in making high-quality films and funding early on is crucial. If we are going to maintain the fantastic growth of the last few years in the UK it is going to be crucial to maintain the flow and access to information about money. Lets keep the reels of industry turning!