Finding Funding, My Plans and the Law...

Well great news, the Business Plan is now complete which means we now have the legal tool to go out and raise money to get Kaleidoscope Man in production.

As I mentioned in my last blog video, when I made my first film, Written in Blood, it was a case of finding the funding within the UK Film Industry. This time around I need to find private Investors to fund the film which is a totally different ball game. The law is very heavily structured to protect Investors, so we have to be very careful as to how we approach potential backers. And not being able to advertise publicly makes the process very complicated.

But I've got this far and I will find a way. We only need to raise £1.8 million and this will release a further £500K from Screen WM, which will mean we can get the cameras rolling.

One of the things I do want to do though is to be honest about the entire process. I know a lot of film makers are now looking at my blog, and we all find funding the hardest part of the process, so I''ll be straight with you about where I get it right and where I get it wrong, and hopefully, we can all learn from my mistakes.

By the way, if anyone has any ideas or experiences about raising funds, do please contact me, or comment on the blog. I really have never done this before and I'm certainly willing to learn from others myself.

Many thanks.

How I'll Get My Film Funded (Hopefully!)

Well, I'm putting myself in the firing line here by adding a kind of "video diary" of my exploits to my blog. My hope is that you'll get to know me better and when the film finally comes out, you'll want to go and see Kaleidoscope Man because we've come this far together. So here I am, walts and all. Feel free to let me know if you'd prefer NOT to see me up this close and personal...!



Like any professional trying to raise finance for their business, a well developed business plan is the tool needed to convince everyone from the banks to Venture Capitalists that you have a well though out vision of how you intend to turn a profit. Making a movie is no different. I'm sure we'll soon find out if I've done my homework correctly.

I believe I have. Wish me luck!

New Kaleidoscope Man Trailer

I know some of you may have already seen this but I've put it up for anyone who hasn't (to save you having to go through my previous posts to find it.) Enjoy....

Lots Of Goodies in The Pipeline...

Well, just as I though the business plan for Kaleidoscope Man was ready to fly, there still a hitch. Just a small matter of no bank account for investors to put there money in too... doh! So, Ken and I are meeting up next week to set up an account at Barclays, Soho Square (a proper film business bank!). Then, the business plan will be complete and ready to get out to investors.

As regards Chris Jones' short film, Gone Fishing, it won best film at the Rhode Island Film Festival, which means it can now be short listed for the Oscars.

So, well done Chris and fingers crossed that you get nominated (the thought that we could actually win an Oscar blows me away!!!). I'll keep you informed...

Now, I know this blog is all about my mission to get my movie Kaleidoscope Man made, but I also have another little project on the go. It's a tense supernatural thriller called, 'The Final Reel' about a Film Editor desperate for cash, who agrees to edit a strange supernatural film. But things soon turn out bad, and he is taken on a very frightening journey where there is no return.

My writing friend Simon Bovey has already written a couple of drafts and today we thrashed out some ideas for a new draft which was most inspiring. The reason I'm bringing this up is because Ken, the Producer on Kaleidoscope Man, thinks we might be able to get this off the ground before we get K-Man funded. So fingers crossed....

The Show Is Over, But The Adventure Is About To Begin...

Well, I'm back! After many hours of traveling and no night time in between, Chris and I arrived home this morning. The Rhode Island Film Festival, Gone Fishing, parties and awards now a distant memory in the stew of good old jet lag. We filmed for the corporate video which went okay and I spent most of my time filming Chris for his blog, which he promptly edited and put up for the world to see. http//livingspirt.typepad.com

Chris really is a one man marketing enigma and I've certainly been taking notes during his whirlwind approach to getting his stuff out there. I won't mention the results of the awards just yet as Chris wants to show the world himself. One thing is for sure though; he can certainly whip up a crowd with his dedication, enthusiasm and articulation. In one of his speeches during a seminar on film funding (which I filmed), I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention. The audience and I were in the palm of his hand, it was gripping and breathtaking. I know he's my friend, but he really is quite a guy!

So now, back to reality and I've got to get Kaleidoscope Man financed and made. If anything, seeing the quality of the films at the festival, I'm left knowing that I have to get it done and must not let the normality’s of real life hinder me from reaching the dream. I've had time to gather my thoughts and consider a game plan. The future is in the palm of my hand and I can't blame anyone else for me not getting to that dream.

So from tomorrow morning, its business plans at the ready, because I’m going to get out there and find the cash to make my movie…

Gone Fishing - A Massive Hit in Rhode Island

What an experience coming to an international film festival has been. The film I'm with, Gone Fishing, directed by Chris Jones has gone down a storm. It was the closing night screening yesterday and the film was projected on 35mm just before the big movie. It looked amazing, the colours, the sound, it just reminded me why I want to make films and that the effort and energy we put in is so worth it. The audience lapped it up. There were tears, cheers, and whoops of joy, it was amazing. Chris and I were completely overwhelmed.

We go back to the UK tomorrow and I have a re-newed vigor to get Kaleidoscope Man off the page and onto the screen. This has been a truly wonderful and enlightening experience, one that will stay with me forever...

Hats Off to Rhode Island

After Tuesday's unfortunate screening problems the staff at the Rhode Island Festival wanted to make amends for the technical issues and so are going to show Chris's film, Gone Fishing at 7pm on Saturday night. We are delighted about this as it's the big night for the festival and the audience will be full of press and celebrities. Another chance for me to plug Kaleidoscope Man I hope.

Today I have been invited to host a panel about On-Line Film Distribution, which should be fun!

I see that I'm getting a lot of hits to my blog at the moment. Thank you for your interest and support. Next week I'm going to get back on the road with the business plan. I think its about time we got funding for Kaleidoscope Man sorted, don't you?

The Opening Night At The Rhode Island Film Festival

Chris' film, Gone Fishing, was one of the 10 films screened at the opening night of this prestigious film festival. To say we were excited was an understatement. The opportunity to see our work on a massive screen in front of an audience of 2000 people is the dream of every filmmaker.

But sadly, the festival just couldn't get its act together and despite having a fantastic venue, some superb films and the best HD projector available, 7 out of the 10 films were projected in a very small window in the centre of the screen. It was like looking at a postage stamp.

To make matters worse, they projected it in the wrong ratio (the image was stretched) and managed to chop off the first 20 seconds of our film which was really gut wrenching. I didn't feel great about it but Chris was devastated. We also discovered that last nights screening was part of the audience award and people were voting for their best film. The whole set up just wasn't fair to any of the filmmakers.

The after show party was good through and the people I spoke to were very complimentary about the film, so who knows if we will win. Either way, a level playing field would have been nice.

I was able to pitch Kaleidoscope Man to quite a few people and was interviewed by the local TV station called "Cox Cable" (no relation!) where I did a massive plug for the movie and the website.

America Greets Us With Open Arms

Yesterday: Chris and I hit the ground running. The flight was a grueling 7 and a half hours but allowed me the time to catch up on a new script I've been working on and a couple of movies. When we got to New York's JFK airport we then had a 5 hour drive to Rhode Island.

Today we start work filming on the corporate video and tonight we will be introducing ourselves to the film festival crowd where we will be presenting Chris's film, Gone Fishing. I'm not sure when the film will actually be screened yet, so will let you know. I'm making a video blog for Chris which is at: http//livingspirt.typepad.com

Watch this space for more details...

Corporate Wonderland

It's been a busy week and I've been staying in London working on a very grand corporate video for a massive consultancy company.

Corporate work is the way I pay the mortgage these days and I could certainly have a healthy career doing this if I didn't want to make epic sci-fi movies etc...

Last year I was 2nd Unit Director on a short film called Gone Fishing for a fellow Director friend, Chris Jones, and this week this amazingly up-lifting little film won the best film at the Kodak awards in London. It was a fantastic event and I'm delighted to be a part of it. This is a picture of Chris, me and Harry Potter star, Devon Murray on the set of Gone Fishing.

Check out http://livingspirit.typepad.com/ to read Chris's blog and watch the video of the awards. It's a real inspiration.

Next week Chris and I are off to the USA to film for this corporate video and while over there we will be taking Gone Fishing to the Rhode Island Film Festival. We're hoping that it will stand a good chance of winning something hot on the success of the Kodak awards. This is the first international film festival I've ever been to so I'm very excited and will use the opportunity to make new contacts and build new relationships across the pond. I'll keep you up-dated with our progress.

On the Kaleidoscope Man front, I received the Lawyers notes back on the business plan and there are only a few minor changes to be done. I'll have these knocked out when back from the States and then out it goes into the big wide world....