Pioneer One

Posted on June 21st, 2010 by Danny F. Santos

Over the weekend I finally got a chance to watch Pioneer One. It’s a half-hour drama television series with one notable exception: it’s not shown on TV. The series is available for free to download from Vodo via bittorrent networks and is being funded entirely by donations.

The series is the brainchild of the folks who produced The Lionshare which was also released on Vodo. What starts off as what seems to be a terrosist attack turns into something much stranger as a CCCP cold war relic returns to earth. And what’s in that capsule will dramatically change history. I’m not saying more than that, just watch the trailer.

PIONEER ONE “Pilot” Trailer from Pioneer One on Vimeo.

I have to say that while the quality of the series isn’t on par with something that spends more than a million dollars per episode, they do really get a lot of bang for their ($6,000) buck and they have a very interesting premise which I hesitate to call science fiction. There are parts that are a bit slow and some of the acting is lackluster. That said, I’m far more interested after watching the first episode of Pioneer One than I ever was after watching the premiere of V.

The other reason I’m keeping my eye on this is that it’s a really interesting experiment in media financing and distribution. Can you truly create a sustainable television series outside of the studio system and deliver it for free? I honestly don’t see how they’re going to make money from this, cast and crew are probably not being paid, but that may not be the point.

My hat is off to these guys for attempting this and getting some pretty great results. Click here to download and donate.

Have you seen Pioneer One? What did you think of the pilot and the distribution methods?

Tags: alternative film, bittorrent, business of filmmaking, distribution, pioneer one

Little Known Ways to Stretch Your Indie Film’s Budget

Posted on May 18th, 2010 by Danny F. Santos

Making a movie is expensive work and a lot of indie films are lacking in the budget department. I know I’ve had my share of $20 short films, and most of that went to buying duct tape and pizza. Here’s a quick top 10 list of stretching your budget!

One Location

Write the script with only one major location. By one location, I don’t mean in one room (although that would make it even cheaper!) but in one place where you can setup all your gear and not have to move it, like a house or a school. There are a lot of rooms in a house so it gives you ample changes of scenery but because you won’t have to travel from location to location, you can shave off several days of production and travel expense.

Props

When you write your script, keep in mind the free props you might have access to. Your friend has 2 replica AK-47s, then you can write an action sequence where your main character is being chased down. Roto in some muzzle flashes and voila! Production value at almost no expense!

Credit Cards

Don’t finance with credit cards! I know that there are a lot of stories about people using them to finance their films, but the interest rate will kill you! However, if you’re going to use them despite my dire warnings, use a points card. Preferably one that gives you some savings at a grocery store.

Camera and Editing

I have a bunch of friends who are hired filmmaking guns. I’m finding more and more people who own their own lighting gear, camera and editing suites. These are your new best friends and you will shower them with whatever it takes to get them to help you out.

Barter and Trade

A lot of times you can barter and trade one thing for another. Want to shoot in a location that you can’t afford? Why not give them a production point. If your film does well, they will get a piece of the profit.

Haggle

When you have to pay for something, ask for a lower price. Sometimes all it takes to get a lower price is just to ask! Other times it’ll take a bit more persistence.

Rehearse

The less time you spend working stuff out on set the faster the production will go. Tape and harddrive space may be cheap, but time isn’t! Try to get your team working as a well oiled machine and plow through production as fast as you can!

Coupons

Never underestimate the power of coupons! Food on a no budget film becomes currency, and never ask your cast and crew to pack their own lunch, you will have a riot on your hands. So cut those coupons to keep that catering budget as low as possible! Oh, and those points on your credit card for the grocery store? Yeah, here’s where they come into play too!

Cold Cuts

By cheap cold cuts and generic sliced bread. The key to this one is get the deli to cut the cold cuts as paper thin as possible. Stretch that meat as far as it can go!

Pay your Cast and Crew

Sounds counterproductive doesn’t it? The fact is that non paid cast and crew are more willing to abandon your project then a paid cast and crew. The cost of reshooting half your movie because the actor playing your main character quit halfway through production may be more than paying your actors from the get go. You may not even have to pay them that much, just the act of paying them for their work shows how much appreciate them.

Any tips on stretching your budget? Let us know in the comments!

Tags: budget, business of filmmaking, filmmaking, guerrilla style, Preproduction, tips, writing

An Independant Filmmaker’s Manifesto

Posted on October 1st, 2008 by Danny F. Santos

This is something I’ve been trying to put into words for a while. How and why movies are being made today are starting to radically change, but putting it into a block of text for all to read and understand has been very difficult.

Ted Hope’s Keynote for the Filmmaker’s Forum brilliantly illustrates where we’re heading and the challenges that face us as filmmakers.

When someone says “Indie is dead”, they are talking about the state of the Indie Film Business, as opposed to what are actually the films themselves. They can say “The sky is falling” because for the last fifteen years, the existing power base in the film industry has focused on films fit for the exisiting business model, as opposed to ever truly concentrating on creating a business model for the films that filmmakers want to make.

To read all of Mr. Hope’s excellent keynote, cilck here.

Tags: business of filmmaking, filmmaking, manifesto