I have applied for many film funds over the years and have been only successful on very few occasions (and often only for ‘micro commissions’ which rarely even cover the time spent creating). I am not unique in this: many of my cohort have also had little success with funding. It’s just that it’s so over subscribed. This recent rejection has really made me think carefully about my future career as a filmmaker: what if I keep applying for funding and am never successful? With my track record, I wouldn’t say that thought is as hyperbolic as it sounds and potentially a reality.
I am a filmmaker and want to make films. I do not want to wait months or even years for people to grant me permission to be able to do so (which is no guarantee). So, I have decided for the time being, I am going to ‘self fund’ my projects going forward. I am going to make stories which I can create within my means (both financial and creative skillset). I did this with my most recent film ‘Bear’ and much of my previous work, too. The results might not be as slick if there was funding behind my productions, but at least I’m making work, which is when I am happiest. In three years time I could still be waiting for a film fund to say ‘yes’, or in three years time I could potentially have a finished rotoscope feature film. I think I know which option I’d rather pick (spoiler alert: it’s the second).
So, I am going to make a feature film next (I feel the ‘right’ time for when you want to make your debut feature is when you feel you want to, rather than having completed x number of shorts or garnered x amount of festival/ industry recognition). Luckily I work in rotoscope animation, which perhaps gives me a little advantage than working fully in live action, because you can make the locations where you want them to be as everything gets drawn in post production. Audio can also be recorded at a later date. But then again, I still need to do hundreds and thousands of drawings, so perhaps I don’t actually have much of an advantage, but quite the opposite!
I am not going to use the idea I applied for funding with, because it does need a budget due to the sensitive nature of the content (themes of sexual assault and mental health) which I’m not going to go anywhere near without hiring an intimacy coordinator. So, instead, I have started outlining something I can make within my means. This will involve one lead actor and will be set using locations and scenes with props which I can easily get hold of. I am very excited about the prospect of making the film and can’t wait to get properly stuck in. When I’ve created all the visuals I might attempt to apply for some completion funds, so I can pay the voice cast, composer and sound design people, but that’s a bridge I’ll cross when I get to it.
I’m not under any illusion that it’ll be easy- I felt my eleven minute short film was difficult, so this one, being eight times as long, is likely going to be (at least) eight times harder! But I am so motivated and keen to make it, hopefully the fact that I’m making a feature film should push me through when the project feels too difficult. Either that, or it’ll scare me even more and cause me to give up! Though hopefully it’s the former…
Of course I’ll be keeping you updated on here of my progress as and when it feels necessary, so look out for those posts as they come. They’ll be on the ‘feature film’ tag on the side bar.
Think that’s all for now, wish me luck and here’s an unrelated picture of me on holiday!
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