IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

DRIFTWOOD (3 years in the making – for 200 dollars)

Fellow Filmmakers may be interested in seeing a clip from my ultra low budget film

Theatrical Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRQhcpDab8w

Bus DVD Extract:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDVDy0JBayU

Various documentaries, director’s commentary and extracts from the film can be found on this channel:
http://youtube.com/PMiddy001

For any free advice on how we achieved this full-length feature for such a low amount, or any other aspect of our film - simply email me at:

internationalpictures@fsmail.net

Cheers,
Pete Middleton - Director

Wow - there is a LOT of material on YouTube about the film and a few other nice things kicking about on the net like an interview with Pete by an American indie producer Sujewa.

On first look at the trailer you think "This guy is not one of us - he must have had a heck of a budget etc... " then as you watch more of the background stuff you realise that he is just as much of a nutter as anyone who tries to make movies using non-commercial kit, he just applies more passion and energy to it than most people.

The material on the web is well worth watching and I hope some aspiring drama makers do make contact with Pete to pick his brains about how to make such great looking material for so little money.

Dave

Thanks ever so much Dave for taking a look and for the kind words.
Cheers,
Pete

This is what we love, folk who get out and do!

Thanks Film Thurso,
I did put the odd hour in here and there! The rundown sequence for example (featured near the end of the trailer) where the girl is being chased by the speeding car. I first filmed the victim running and spinning around to a stop and after the cut, I left the camera running. I then drove the car at about 70mph down the same stretch of road and blended the two scenes together.
Unhappy with the 'transparent' look. I was forced to cut around every single frame of the victim running with the basic 'Paint' program and I pasted her onto the road frame by frame - (75 frames - 3 seconds on-screen footage)
With a full time job during the day (Sadly not film related) - I was often oversleeping and was faced with getting sacked at one point! It's so easy to say to yourself, 'it's only 2.30am, lets do another frame!'
The 3 seconds seen in the trailer took me 3 weeks to achieve but I'm very proud of it!
Thanks again for the reply!
Pete

Ah he mentioned the day job, welcome aboard, you are indeed one of us. I am equally enthused by my dayjob!

Oh yes, 'enthused' - probably not the closest of descriptions! I wish that time would pass as quickly at work as when I was on a film set!
Everybody's getting ready to go home and I have to look at my watch!
Cheers,
Pete

Thanks Pete, will put your links in the next issue of the AMPS newsletter. Have you written about making the film? This will be of interest to most of us, enjoyed your comments on the "hand made CGI".

Great stuff, will we see the film in AMPS Fest this year?

ned c

I've viewed the trailer and think it is excellent. I love the way you've used the music to help intensify the tension.

Hey Ned,
Thank you very much for the help. I haven't written anything down in full about making the film, I have however posted links out to various film forums and have answered many questions about certain issues.
I guess the book would be the same length as War and Peace considering everything that could have gone wrong - did. If anybody runs into a problem on a set or in post theres a 99.9% chance I ran into the same thing making this!
Great about adding the links into the newsletter. Very grateful.
Pete

Glad you liked the trailer Brian.
I used music whenever it felt right and also added an artificial wind soundtrack through-out the entire thing. (Both were there to cover up nearby traffic noise!!)
Cheers,
Pete

Where and how much can us fellow film-makers get this film from.
Just seen the trailer, It looks inpressive. A bit like a Filmfour froduction.
Well done.

Ian Gardner

Hi Ian,
Thanks for the kind comment.
At the moment I'm just trying to get the film noticed hopefully by somebody with the right connections to get a distribution offer.
(I'll probably have more luck winning the national lottery!)
Getting a film made and packaged onto DVD is one thing but getting it that stage further is an entirely different matter.
I thought making the film was hard work but getting it out there has proven much harder.
I would be pleased to send you a complimentary copy (from one fellow filmmaker to another and all that) - I'm sure you will appreciate my concerns about the entire film ending up on the internet. Please forward an address!
Kind Regards,
Pete

Have you considered self-distribution through your website?

I am sure you have done this but just in case: get releases from all those appearing in the film, get location releases for where you were shooting on private property, make sure you have the clearance on any music covering "paying audiences", look out for "incidental copyright" ie car radio playing, similar background sunds/music . Make sure you own the copyright, not sure how that is done in the UK but here we can register with the Library of Congress.

Then get your website linked to every website you can and try establish a "buzz", this was how the Blair Witch Project worked.

Good luck

ned c

All the copyright in the film is my own and everybody who's in it wants it to be a success as much as me. Every song in the film already has a written contract and we got permission from the two private property owners before filming commenced so I think all that is already covered.
There is one or two concerns though. The film has never been censored and not too sure about charging the general public (Taxes and all that) - Just thought it would be easier to find somebody who did it for a living
Cheers,
Pete