Low Budget Shooting Tip: Drug Store Cheap Fixes
Between torrential rain, unsteady steady-cams and tangled cords, life on set becomes mighty difficult. However, trusted film connoisseurs, here are a five rather handy Handy Store fixes to make your low budget shoot run slightly smoother.
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|  Chop her leg off!
Dan Martin will show you how to inflict some serious injuries on your actors. Sadly, they will feel no pain.
SFX For Low Budget Film
19/20 July
The Arts Theatre, London
£250+VAT (Raindance members get 15% discount)
|  Film Club
Raindance Film Club proudly presents WRONG NUMBERS, the debut film from Alex Holdridge, director of the highly acclaimed IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS.
Made on a shoestring budget in Austin in 2001, it was Alex's intention to head to LA to remake the film with a large studio. Unfortunately the deal collapsed, but curiously enough in 2007 that same studio released SUPERBAD, an almost identical film that went on to become a huge international hit. Screwed over? We think so.
Featuring Midnight Kiss' leading man Scoot McNairy, this hilarious indie gem is currently without UK distribution, so for the time being this is the only place you can see it. Come along and support this fantastic and shamefully overlooked film.
What: WRONG NUMBERS
Where: The Horse Hospital
When: 23 July, 7pm
How Much: FREE
|  Read My Script!
Our ol' buddy Bill Martell has been in touch; seems he's doing very well at the moment.
He has a film shooting in Hawaii in September, plus 6 companies currently reading his scripts...and two deals close to closing.
So, do you need to get noticed? Or rather, need to be noticed by a producer? Here is Bill Martell's guide to the query letter and beyond, advising you on where to find and how to approach your producer of choice.
Read his advice here.
There's an enormous amount of very useful information available on Bill's site and also his blog. Check them out.
| One Night Stand
In the current economic climate it's more important than ever to show potential investors in your film that you know what what you're doing.
Making a film is, after all, a business, so you need a plan.
Creating A Business Plan
Tuesday 22 July 6:30 - 9:00pm
Arts Theatre, just off Leicester Square, London W1
Last few places. Click here for details.
|  RDTV update Ever wonder what that "special relationship" between Britain and America really is? Well, Raindance.TV has three hilarious films to help explain this link.
Norbert has an ironic grasp on British culture in the comic and colourfully animated short Norbert's Great Britain. It's a mere minute, so just watch and feel British.
Shooting Nick is a Daniel Yost documentary, initially intended to spotlight America. However, he is abruptly hijacked by a couple and coerced into shooting the next two days of their lives. This is not your average hijack. This feature length film contains loads of harmless fun, and offers unexpectedly profound views on some deep issues facing America.
Tie it all together with the vivid urban story tale Lofty Life. Enjoy this edgy viral cocktail as Shena, a keen disciple to Michael Moore, explores grungy loft land to get to the bottom of the UK/USA Special Relationship.
BTW, our fund raise to develop Phaze 2 of the site is going really well, and there will soon be some pretty exciting developments announced. There is still time to get your own slice of the action, before the city boys gobble it up. Interested? Email our financial advisers and they will sort out a meeting with you.
| Buy my film!
It might be July, and October might seem ages and ages away, but for serious filmmakers, sights are already set on the American Film Market. As important as it's glamourous cousin, Cannes, the AFM is The palce to go to sell your film, especially to the lucrative American territory.
Here's some tips on how to attend AFM.
| Free Membership
There were quite a few entries to this competition to come up with a bad idea for a film. Some of them, I'm happy to say, are just awful. One of them has actually been written, which is a little confusing.
This week's winner, with SNIFF MY SHOE, is Stephen Rowell, who wins a year's membership. Stephen's film was not only bad, it had the added bonus of being a bit disgusting.
One thing I should have mentioned - if you win and you're already a member, I'll extend your membership by a year.
So I'm keeping the competition open for another week.
Details and entries can be seen here.
Send your entries to competition@raindance.co.uk and I'll put them up on our website. The one with most votes will win.
| Smooth Negotiating
You're at a party and someone asks you what you are up to, and you say 'I've just sold my short to an IPTV company' and they say 'what the hell is that?'
Here's some bumf on our very own IPTV offering If you want to see the distribution contract you will need to sign before you start earning from your movie on the web, send an email to smoothnegotiating@raindance.co.uk
| Writers Tips
Anyone who has taken a Raindance Writer's course will know that creating memorable characters lies at the base of any truly great story. Coming up with new quirks and traits is always a challenge. Here are some tips:
Want to get some quirkiness into your character's profile? How about lacing shoes? Here are 25 ways to tie your shoelaces, from Professor Shoelace himself.
Or, want to come up with some great pranks for the office workers in your script to pull? Here are 25 different office pranks.
|  Brittown
Thanks to everyone who came down for the Brittown doc, held last night at the Horse Hospital.
There will be another screening of the film at the Ace Cafe in Willesden, London this Saturday, the 17th.
|  The BlueCat Screenwriting Workshop
Gordy Hoffman, Sundance Award winning screenwriter of LOVE LIZA, USC School of Cinematic Arts Adjunct Professor and founder of the BlueCat Screenplay Competition, is coming to London to teach his acclaimed weekend workshop August 16-17.
Designed to connect screenwriters to their personal and individual story intuition, without formula, systems or conventional fixes, the BlueCat workshop is taught from the perspective of an active writer who continues to practice his craft today.
This weekend will challenge the new or veteran screenwriter with the simple idea of why honest pictures revealing story emotionally rivets your audience, while yielding commercially and artistically successful work.
Gordy has very kindly offered you a discount; instead of paying the full price of £150, he's offered 15% off. To get your Raindance discount, register here and enter the paypal discount code BLUEDANCE.
| Feature Film Competition
The 'Micro Movie Lab' competition to a create a user-generated feature film is about to enter its exciting second phase entitled 'The Writer's Brief'.
Round 1 saw Welsh Filmmaker Ryan Hooper win with his pitch "Negotiating Life." This idea now forms the basis of the next round of the competition.
NEGOTIATING LIFE
A melancholic life insurance salesman finds his attempts at committing suicide unwittingly thwarted by his disgruntled customers.
© Movie Mogul Ltd
It's now time for Round 2 - The Writer's Brief
Budding screenwriters have until 31st July to devise and submit their 500-1200 word story outline, incorporating the title, genre and essence of 'Negotiating Life'.
For further information see www.moviemogulfund.com
|  Quote
"I'd like to see a nature film where an eagle swoops down and pulls a fish out of a lake, and then maybe he's flying along, low to the ground, and the fish pulls a worm out of the ground. Now that's a documentary."
-- Jack Handy
| Working the Net
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A brand new way to find and license music for your film.
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Sound Recordist needed
I will be shooting a documentary about some folk singers in Poland this September and still need a sound recordist for the dates 3-9th September. Expenses will be covered, deferred payment.
Do you know anyone who may be able to help, ideally with own kit.
Thanks
Jenny
jchodera@doctors.org.uk
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| * Dogme 95
A filmmaking movement launched in 1995 by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, among others. The Dogme 95 Manifesto renounces special effects and other forms of "gimmickry" in favour of stripped-down techniques. In order to qualify for Dogme status, filmmakers must abide by ten rules (known as the "Vow of Chastity"):
Read all about it
|  Joe Pearshouse and the Raindance team
Elliot Grove
Suzanne Ballantyne
Will Pearce
Jesse Vile
James Merchant
Natasha Carlos
Katherine Waters
Zoe Carter
Amelie Thille
Chris Hill
| |
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