IndieFlicks: Interview

Justin Kerrigan is the British film director best known for his 1999 film, Human Traffic. His latest film I Know You Know, starring Robert Carlyle, took over 8 years to complete and was released earlier this year. IndieFlicks managed to grab a quick word with Justin during the promotional tour of the film.

IF: How did you get started in filmmaking?

Justin: I was on course for a fine art degree when a friend of mine bought a video camera and I got hooked. I applied to film degrees but got rejected from everywhere. Took a year off and sold jeans until I could afford a second hand camera then quit my job and made a film which got me onto a film degree in Newport. Made 6 short films, 5 went on TV then came out of college and made Human Traffic.

IF: Where did the idea for I Know You Know come from?

Justin: It’s a true story based on my experiences with my father in the late 80’s. Shortly after Human Traffic was released my father died unexpectedly and there where no photographs to remind me of him so I wanted to make something to try and fill the void and understand the double life that he led in the 80’s.

IF: This was Arron Fuller’s first acting role. Did you direct him any differently to the other actors?

Justin: I directed Arron the same way as I direct all the actors – I gave him what he needed – support, encouragement and a clear understanding of what we were going for. I am very proud of that boy. How he could be that emotional for a 12 year old boy who has never acted before really impressed us.

IF: Did you always have Robert Carlyle in mind for the role of Charlie?

Justin: Over the 7 years of writing I Know You Know I completed over 40 drafts of the script and the character Charlie went in some different directions, but in the end I went full circle and came back to the original Charlie and back to Robert Carlyle. Bobby is a chameleon. He can do anything. I know the character inside out but he still managed to surprise me. That’s a gift.

IF: What format did you film on and was this a creative or financial choice?

We shot it on 16mm and graded it using the printer lights the old fashion way to give it an archive look. If we shot it on the enhanced quality of 35mm of today or HD, it would have taken us out of the time zone of the story. It was important for me that the film looked like it was from the past.

IF: Do you have any projects in the pipeline?

Justin: I’m writing script No 3. It will be totally different from I Know You Know and Human Traffic.

IF: What advice would you give to any aspiring filmmakers out there?

Justin: Write an action-comedy - they are easier to get made.

IF: What do you think to the current state of independent filmmaking here in the UK?

Every film is unique, every filmmaker has his or her own voice. I love it when I see a new interesting director coming out like Duncan Jones who directed Moon.

To read IndieFlicks review of I Know You Know click here

IndieFlicks: Interview

Kevin McDonagh is one of the founding members of Rotunda Films, an independent production company based in Birmingham. IndieFlicks got in touch with Kevin to discuss Rotunda and their projects.

IndieFlicks: How did you get started in filmmaking?

Kevin: Originally I wanted to be an actor, but by the age of about 16 I was more interested in all the other elements surrounding a film and realised that producing and directing actually satisfied my desires more.

After leaving college having studied media and theatre, I attended a local night school course that was about the industry and production (rather than the process of film making) and through that I got a job working with the course host at his film production company. I worked on several small projects, TV pilots, and even a feature film that got developed almost to the point of full production. However, when it failed to materialise and the company looked like going out of business, a small group of us went off to make a feature film ourselves.

So in early 2001 we began putting together a small comedy script, obtaining equipment and assigning roles, and before long we were casting. We shot for around 5 nights and a handful of afternoons and before we knew it we had a film in the can. We got it edited but it was clearly a student style feature which was little more than a practise run. We began discussing Lycanthropy but it was clear we weren’t in a position to make it properly, so eventually we went our separate ways.

A year later I met up with an actor who I’d worked with, AJ Nicol, who had just finished work on a local feature film himself. We were both looking to do something as a next project and so formed Rotunda Films in order to go and shoot a feature. That feature was Actually ‘Idol of Evil’, which began in late 2004. The lack of money meant that we were slow getting across the finish line and ‘Lycanthropy’ raised it’s head due to the interest of other parties, so strangely we began work on that while still in post production on Idol.

IF: Your first feature film, Lycanthropy, come out in 2006. How did the idea for this come about?

Kevin: The story originally began as a pilot for a show about UFO investigators. The first idea was very rough and it soon became clear it was two expensive. So the aliens became werewolves, and because it all felt a little too much like the X-Files, the ‘government team’ became a straightforward police investigation.

After several terrible drafts that felt way too clichéd, we began looking into the myth of the werewolf and uncovered a truly original story, based on the origins of the myth. Working from there we ran through it and saw how it could still occur today, that people could actually become real life ‘lycanthropes’.

After getting that as the core of the story we worked with a writer called Natalie Gorton who carved out a great script from what was a very muddled, but interesting idea.

IF: Most first time feature films are incredibly difficult to fund. How did you raise the money needed for this film?

Kevin: With Idol still in production and funded by my bank account, it was a simple set up to get money. Basically we’d ask people to invest in not only the film but the idea of the company. We had the strength of showing people that we weren’t first time filmmakers, that we were a production company who were on their second product. It worked in our favour oddly enough that people saw it as a development of the company and it’s strategy rather than just a bunch of kids with the idea of a film.

So we sat down with as many friendly people as we could find and asked them to invest as much as they could afford. Luckily we had a lot of friends who either a) saw Idol and thought we were good at filmmaking so wanted in on the ground floor; or b) wanted to support me in my new business venture.

When we had raised all that we could we set out to make every penny go as far as possible. We cut deals everywhere with cast, crew, suppliers and post production houses. In fact the deal we arranged with our editor and edit facility meant Lycanthropy raced through post production overtaking Idol, so it was ready for market first. Once that happened my focus went with Lycanthropy and so Idol slowed down even more. So in the end our second film arrived first and a first shoot showed up slightly later (though it’s just secured it’s own release on DVD around the world).

IF: What did you shoot the film on?

Kevin: ‘Idol’ was shot on DV, the XL1 to be precise. At the time it was the best DV format camera and made sense for the scale of production. ‘Lycanthropy’ was shot on the XL2 , still DV but a much stronger picture quality and lots of technical nerdy things that I don’t pretend to know about. We kept with the XL2 for ‘Tied in Blood’ as we owned one of them at this stage. Since then, ‘Wasters’ was shot on HDV and ‘Celestial Sisters’ has been shot on HD, so we slowly climb the format ladder with each project.

IF: Your latest feature film, Tied in Blood, is a supernatural horror. Would you say anything has changed from your first feature to your last?

Kevin: The one thing that is the same is that despite being started as the 3rd project, our 4th film, ‘Wasters’ has overtaken it and is at festivals as we speak, while ‘Tied in Blood’ has taken a long time to get the special effects right.

What changes is the mistakes you make. You learn to prepare for everything that’s caught you out in the past, then something new comes along. ‘Tied in Blood’ was the first film where we had to shoot specifically for special effect, taking into account elements that would be added later. So while other areas that slowed us down on ‘Idol’ and ‘Lycanthropy’ were handled with ease, SFX has become a new challenge for us. And we learned a lot, much (if not all) of which has carried forward into Sisters which is a very effects-heavy project.

IF: What is your next project?

Kevin: As I say ‘Celestial Sisters’ is currently in production, I’m back in the directors chair which is nice but still a lot of production work to do so I’m feeling the weight on my shoulders again. There’s a new sense of purpose though knowing we are in a position to ensure the world sees it when it’s done.

Following that we’re working with London based film director Francois Pereire on his gritty family drama, ‘One Bird, Two Stones’. Both projects are at the highest end of what we’ve worked at before on scale, format and budget, so it’s a challenging and exciting time, but doors are opening up.

IF: What do you think of the current state of independent filmmaking here in the UK?

Kevin: It’s poor, if I’m honest. Not due to the quality of work but due to the opportunities and avenues that are available. In the US they can afford to produce lots of smaller independent films and have them sell poorly on DVD because 1% of the US market is still a huge amount. There’s nowhere for film makers to make mistakes in film over here. If you make a small indie film and it’s not a hit, or doesn’t get picked up for a release that’s kind of the end of the road, there is no life on DVD in the UK.

We’re lucky in that the distribution deal we’ve just agreed allows us to get our films out to a wide audience in the US and then filter back to the UK. That then allows us to continue to produce films which gives us a solid track record to keep increasing the scale of production. It affords me the chance to learn and fail at times in directing but not to let those mistakes bring it all to a crashing halt.

Without that cash driven market it’s tough to get people interested in investing in films, meaning it becomes government subsidised, so it has to have artistic value over commercial value, it struggles to make a financial gain, so people won’t invest and you’re in a catch 22 situation. A bit of financial ruthlessness would be a welcome breath of fresh air, and ensure that the long list of talented people that reside in the UK but can’t get paid work, would finally be able to.

IF: What advice would you give to any aspiring filmmakers out there?

Kevin: In general terms, the old cliché is ‘never give up’, and its true. You may have a 1% chance of succeeding if you try, but you have a 0% chance if you give up.

On a more specific note, you may know why you want to make a film and tell a story, but ask yourself, why would anyone else want to watch it. If you can answer that truthfully and there’s a lot of reasons then you’ll find plenty of people to help your film, back your film and watch your film. At the end of the day films are made to be watched, so make them worth watching

For more information on Rotunda Films please visit the official website - click

IndieFlicks: Interview

Neil Jones is the director of the forthcoming horror film, Stag Night of the Dead. IndieFlicks got in touch with Neil to discuss the finer points of his first feature film.

IndieFlicks: How did you get started in filmmaking?

Neil: Like a lot of people I didn’t really know how to actually get in to mainstream film making so I decided to take route one and make a film myself. I wrote a ten minute short called Zero Tolerance which we shot over one weekend in a locker room in a West London warehouse. ZT was part creative and part experimental but gave me the confidence to make two further shorts, On A Plate and Reco Men.

IF: Where did the idea for Stag Night of the Dead come from?

NJ: Making shorts is all very well but you soon learn that it’s commercially unviable (although can be a useful calling card). I wanted to step up to a feature and decided to make a no budget/one character/one location/small crew production. Then I came up with an idea during the first bird flu scare about a stag party being hunted down in a secret Government testing facility and I couldn’t shake it off.

IF: How long did the writing process take?

NJ: With rewrites and script editor help the script took about six weeks to write. The ending took nearly as long as i junked the original three pages after our main shoot and decided we needed a much bigger payoff.

IF: Would you cite any films as inspiration towards SNotD?

NJ: Easy - An American Werewolf in London which ties as my favourite film of all time (with North by Northwest). I’ve also included some nods to the best TV series ever, The Prisoner.

IF: What was your favourite scene to film in the entire production?

NJ: My favourite scene to shoot was the experimental centre where Candy and Dean discover the truth behind Zomball. It was probably the only occasion we were ahead of schedule and the department heads weren’t being beaten up to get to the next set up.

IF: What cameras did you use to shoot Stag Night on?

NJ: We used Sony Z1s with 35mm adapters for 90% of the shoot and the Sony A1, which is a great camera.

IF: Would you change anything if you could go back and make the film again?

NJ: I should have got a full time caterer on set…big mistake.

IF: What do you think of the current state of independent filmmaking in the UK?

NJ: I have the highest regard for every indie film maker out there putting themselves through the sheer hell of trying to make anything in the UK. We’re obsessive, like mad dogs (who should be put down out of kindness) that chase the dream. There’s no problem with the indie film scene, it’s the incestuous, bloated and self indulgent film funding agencies that are (supposedly) there to support us that are the problem.

IF: What can we expect to see from you in the future?

NJ: Well if I can avoid divorce and bankruptcy my next feature will be a straight horror called The Sigil which is in the vein of the original Wicker Man.

IF: Do you have any advice for any aspiring filmmakers out there?

NJ: Yes, don’t wait and don’t talk about it - make it.

For more information on SNotD please visit the official website - click

IndieFlicks: Interview

Tristan Versluis is the feature director of the up and coming horror, Not Alone. Known for his special effects work he has now made the jump to taking the hot seat. IndieFlicks caught up with Tristan in September as he was halfway through shooting.

IndieFlicks: You’re currently in the middle of shooting your first feature film. How are you enjoying the experience so far?

Tristan: It’s been an amazing experience, working with a passionate cast and crew is inspiring and adding towards a great film.

IndieFlicks: Where did the idea for Not Alone come from?

Tristan: It came off the back of writing another feature which was much more commercial, full of blood and gore along with loads of pretty twisted ideas. So I set out on writing ‘Not Alone’ because I wanted something with deeper characters and a plot to deal with. I think I also used it as a way of dealing with issues in my own head with my life at the time. The film is full of questions and possible ideas of what really happened, but neither really matters, it’s really about what tips people over the edge and how they deal with it.

IndieFlicks: You come from a special effects make up background. What was special about Not Alone that made you want to make this your first feature film?

Tristan: It’s hopefully a film that will show my progression into directing and that I am not only an Fx artist.

IndieFlicks: What’s been the most difficult aspect of making your first feature so far?

Tristan: Time, budget and the usual constraints that they bring. Being at the helm is frustrating when you want to make the shoot/scene perfect but you get told you have to move on! But I have had great people around me that have helped achieve the maximum we could.

IndieFlicks: Did you have specific actors in mind when casting?

Tristan: No not really, but during casting names fell in place and it was looking so good, the line up for the film turned out to be great, they all worked so well together.

IndieFlicks: What are you shooting the film with?

Tristan: We are shooting on the RED camera at 4K. It looks so nice!

IndieFlicks: When do you hope to get the film released by?

Tristan: Next year hopefully, all being well.

IndieFlicks: Do you have any other projects in the pipeline?

Tristan: I have another script called ‘Club Skin’ in development stage which I hope will be next.

IndieFlicks: What advice would you give to any aspiring filmmakers out there?

Tristan: Be pro-active and keep busy. Keep making films and showing as many people as possible, and listen to their advice and comments whether they are good or bad.

For more information please visit the official website - click

IndieFlicks: Interview

Ian Fielding is the director of the feature film, Wilby Park. Last month IndieFlicks got in touch with Ian to chat about his life in film and his first feature film.

IndieFlicks: How did you get started in film?

Ian: It was around the age of fifteen that I must have made my first short film. The exact details surrounding the lead up to the shoot remain obscure to my memory. All I can be sure of is that I must have approached the experience with a certain amount of fervour as I was already deploying a number of basic cinematic tropes. Like Rashomon (which I hadn’t yet seen) it was the tale of a murder told from three differing perspectives. By that time I must also have seen Psycho, as I’m lifting from its stylings quite blatantly.

IndieFlicks: Where did the idea for Wilby Park come from?

Ian: I’d recently moved house and was setting out to make a small film. At that time I knew of only one actress living nearby and so we created a story in which she played all the roles. The twins were the characters who survived through to Wilby Park.

IndieFlicks: How long did the writing process take?

Ian: The initial ideas began mid 2008, a few months of casual planning and ground work preceded three months of intensive script work from October to December. After casting, adjustments were made right up until shooting in April 2009.

IndieFlicks: Were there specific actors you had in mind when casting the film?

Ian: I had certain archetypes in mind while writing. Though with casting you never know who’s going to walk through that door and nail it with an approach completely unforeseen, so the best angle for my taste is to keep an open mind. Once casting was complete the script was modified to suit the actor’s strengths.

IndieFlicks: What was the film shot on?

Ian: Blood, sweat, tears, and a Canon Xl2.

IndieFlicks: Did you find principal photography an enjoyable experience?

Ian: Every second of it.

IndieFlicks: If you could go back and change one thing whilst making the film, what would it be?

Ian: There is a scene where one of the characters walks into shot and the camera is static, if I did it again I’d pan in with them. Really, a collection of ridiculous micro–details like that.

IndieFlicks: When can we expect to see Wilby Park released?

Ian: We expect completion before the end of the year after which we will try our hand playing the festivals. There is no firm distribution strategy at the moment. So if you are an interested sales agent or producer’s rep please get in touch with us through the Wilby blog - we’d be happy to hear from you!

IndieFlicks: Do you have any projects in the pipeline?

Ian: The big project is a sweeping satire called Sick Jesus set during a civil war in modern day England. As that’s not strictly credit crunch proof, it’s been put aside and I’m working on a stage play and a more modest crime thriller currently entitled Dead Unicorns.

IndieFlicks: What advice would you give to any budding filmmakers out there?

Ian: Find the one thing that only you can say, and say it.

For more information on Wilby Park check out the official website - click

IndieFlicks: Interview

Colin Warhurst and Phil Drinkwater are the co-directors of the North West feature film, Mancattan, a cross-Atlantic romantic comedy that pays homage to the Woody Allen classic. IndieFlicks got in touch with the filmmakers to talk about the movie’s production.

IndieFlicks: How did you get started in film making?

Phil: Psycho. Watched it, studied it, picked it apart. Realised that there was someone who was actually responsible for putting it together, making it and authoring it. I was about 14 and it was revelatory. I couldn’t believe that the movies were also art. It was a vindication of my interest. Then I just started writing and making films. Seemed like the natural thing to do.

Colin: I wish I could say it was something dramatic, but I’m afraid it was simply very much picking up a camcorder and playing with it. We used to make spoof TV series, especially accident reconstructions based on the old BBC Programme “999.” We would build dummies, throw them out of windows, then cut to one of us playing someone who had broken their leg! After being limited to a camcorder that only recorded black and white and edited straight to tape, I became fascinated with film-making and the art of editing. It kind of steam-rolled from there. I cut my teeth following bands around making music videos and worked on short student films with other people, including Phil!

IndieFlicks: Where did the idea for Mancattan come from?

Colin: Phil and I started batting around ideas after realising we hadn’t worked on a film together for years, and we were both eager to get stuck back in. So we started bouncing ideas around and developing a short idea of Phil’s based in Manchester. It was a love story on one hand, and on the other a love letter to Manchester itself.

Phil: Rom Com is a genre that I think is pretentiously dismissed by so-called ‘film people’, because of its heavy association with mainstream Hollywood, whereas I think, when done well, they can be insightful, funny and real. Woody Allen has spent his life making them, Godard made them, Wilder made them and some of the most excellent independent films that have come out in recent years have had their roots firmly in the genre; from Garden State to Secretary to anything by Kevin Smith. So, as I have a strange desire to always want to upset the pretentious side of the film world, I thought, along with Colin, what better way than to take an outrageously mainstream genre and make it with a completely DIY, independent sensibility.

Colin: We have both been admirers of Woody Allen’s work for a long time, and most likely had the knowledge of his Manhattan as a homage to New York in the back of our heads. This in turn lead to us planning a short holiday there. It wasn’t a massive leap of logic to decide on taking the camera with us to New York to film some sequences. Although originally we wanted to make a short, during the holiday we both independently had the idea of making a full length film instead. As soon as we realised that actually, we both had the same thought, we decided to massively expand the story, and that’s the film you see today.

IndieFlicks: Did the writing process take long?

Colin: The writing was more or less begun at Christmas 2006, jotting down the basic structure and certain key scenes. Phil and I would sit down for hours (usually in the pub) or fire emails back and forth if an idea hit us in the middle of the night.

Phil: It was a weird process. I see myself first and foremost as a writer, so once me and Col had mapped out the idea in massive detail together, I went away and hammered out the physical screenplay, dialogue, etc. Then I’d go back to Colin, we’d revise it and I’d carry on.

Colin: We had a script by March 2007, but of course when you get to New York, you want to shoot everything, and I mean everything! So we had to reign ourselves in a bit! All this meant that we shot extra scenes in New York, improvising the majority of them to take advantage of the city and situations we found ourselves in. Upon getting back, we had to re-watch all our footage and completely revisit the script! New York is hardly round the corner for pick up shots or re-shoots, and so the script changed in numerous ways, mostly for the better, based on what happened in Manhattan. So the film is a result of both careful planning, improvisation, and urgent frantic re-writes right up until the last minute. I don’t think I’d have it any other way actually.

IndieFlicks: How did you raise the funds needed to make the film?

Colin: What funds?! I have no idea how much we spent as it has taken us over two years to make, all out of our own pockets. Most people have basic editing on their computers these days, and quality arguments put aside for just a second, we can all access some sort of camera if we really wanted to. We had access to a number of cameras owned by myself or friends of mine who work in TV and I had a computer already. Additional camera hire sometimes ate up costs, and buying drinks for all the cast and crew who agreed to work for free for us, but obviously the trip to New York was the most expensive thing. However, it was a holiday where we happened to take a camera and make a film, so I don’t see it as purely a film expenditure, it was an experience I’ll never forget. Don’t be scared of money; if you are doing the DIY film route, it isn’t expenses, it’s personal emotional investment. Some people put their money into clothes, food, cars or what have you, we put ours into Mancattan quite happily.

IndieFlicks: What did you shoot on?

Colin: We shot on a Sony PD170 in New York, then a mixture of that and a Sony HVR-Z1E when I could pinch or afford to hire one from various folks that I know and who supported the film. Thinking back knowing what I know now, I could and perhaps should have used HDV. All that extra quality and detail, which although not “true HD” depending upon who you ask, is great for the amateur film-maker, who was most likely using MiniDV tape stock anyway. I’m a massive technology fan and gadget lover, but I refuse to allow technology limitations to hold back imagination, that’s my own personal high from this film. We made it with what we had to the best possible standards we could manage at the time. If someone, anyone watches this film and realises that “Hey, my camera may not be the greatest, and my computer won’t be able to handle too much, but I’m not going to let that stop me,” then I’ve done my job.

IndieFlicks: Was there any difference between filming in New York and filming in Manchester?

Phil: There were more Americans in New York.

Colin: New York is perhaps the most iconic city on the planet. Everything looks new, different and very photogenic. We actually had to force ourselves not to take the camera out for a few days so that we could just enjoy the holiday we were meant to be having! Seeking permission in Manchester was still fairly easy once we explained to people what we were doing, but in New York, we just plunged right in and did it!

IndieFlicks: If you could go back and make the film again would you change anything?

Phil: I would learn my lines this time!

Colin: I am more than happy with the experience, but it has been more than two years of my life. On a personal and professional level, I am always picking at it and worried that despite my passionate belief that technology shouldn’t restrict creativity, that Mancattan is far from my best work photographically. Finishing and pushing the film for two years means I have kind of been stuck not allowing my latest work or increased skills to see the light of day. I would perhaps have got more practise in and pushed for bigger crews for a better looking film. An investment in a new computer may have been a good idea, total Mancattan rendering probably totals about 3 months if you added it all up. My PC was custom made for video editing 9 years ago but I really pushed it to the limit with this film. I’ve spent many lonely hours waiting for things to render and it can do odd things to your state of mind! I would have got a Producer on board to handle all of the admin side of things. I had to act as Producer for the film and was constantly handling all of the tasks that a Producer could do for me, allowing me just to get on with the film-making! I still have these responsibilities and I think things could have been massively different if Phil and I found a third person with a flair for organisation and producing. As it is, I’m still doing it and probably going grey very soon as a result.

IndieFlicks: When can we expect to see Mancattan released?

Colin: For the time being it will be shown at festivals but perhaps one day it might be shown on the internet for free. I am passionate about independent film-making, but Mancattan is not the film to break down these barriers or change the traditional distribution system. I have something else in mind for that next year. Mancattan may end up as a free movie to download, we’ll see how it does on the festival circuit. We’ve had interest from Salford Film Festival and a festival in Sweden too and so I am doing a frantic re-edit to get it ready for both festivals. We’ll decide on the internet release idea in 2010 depending upon how well it does.

IndieFlicks: What do you think of the current state of independent film making here in the UK?

Colin: A very good question. We have no money, no investors, no budget. I can’t release this film in the traditional manner (screen it outside of festivals or sell it on DVDs) in this country without a BBFC rating. Needless to say this costs hundreds, if not thousands of pounds. If I tried to sell you, in person, a copy of my DVD as an obviously consenting adult, the BBFC and the law can have me fined and thrown in jail. I understand why the BBFC exists to advise and protect younger audiences from potentially unsuitable content, but they are inflexible and outdated. Ironically, I only want to sell the DVD to raise the money for a proper BBFC rating in the first place, but I can’t! Their own rules and regulations stop me, as a DIY digital film-maker, from following those same rules and regulations! The film industry is not geared for this new style of film-making in any way, shape or form. Films made in the traditional way, with commissioners or investors, have BBFC money put aside, it’s part of their budget from the start. But the film-maker who literally picked up a camera and made their vision doesn’t have this option.

Imagine if a painter could be clapped in irons for selling a painting unless he’d had it rated first? If musicians could not give away or play their music? If writers couldn’t put pen to paper? The country would understandably be in uproar! So why not with film? I believe it comes back to technology again; it was never an issue before, because the idea of a full feature being made by the humble amateur, from start to finish, may not have been possible as much as ten years ago. Technology has made that possible now, and so should film-makers not have the same freedoms as other artists? The BBFC is not ready, and I suspect unwilling, to adopt the idea and possibility of this new breed of film-maker breaking onto the scene. People may read that and say “Hang about, the BBFC do a good job, we can’t believe they are in it to make money, they provide a public service, right?” Of course they do, and a valuable one, but they take their slice of the pie and are inflexible to a fault. Did you know that if you put a commentary on your DVD, they charge you double? They see that as a “new version” of your film, and they charge to rate your films by the minute. However, by their own admission, musical and educational films are exempt from classification. Surely an educational audio commentary should be exempt from the exact same by-the-minute charge, especially if you have already paid for them to watch exactly the same visuals when they rated the original film and audio? That practise alone shows that someone at BBFC HQ is quite happy to extort film-makers for this “public service” they perform. Don’t get me wrong, the BBFC provide a valued service when they get it right, for the big studios and big films. But what are they doing for home grown talent in this country? They are not providing any solution or assistance, in fact the total opposite. At best they are over protective, at worst they are enforcing a film state of national cultural castration. Stories from independent British writers, creators and film-makers, who do not stump up the ransom, will never have their films legally seen outside of festivals or the internet. So your previous question was when and where can you see Mancattan? I honestly don’t know much more than you do at this point with all of this bore in mind.

Editor’s Note: Since this interview was conducted, some new information about BBFC regulations has come to public attention. See here for more details.

IndieFlicks: Do you have any projects in the pipeline?

Phil: I’m doing a lot of writing, and have some projects in development with various independent companies with an eye to getting them commissioned for television. I’ve also written and am working on a short film called Count Dave with a few other North West film makers, with an eye to getting it into national and international festivals and getting our stuff noticed.

Colin: I set myself the personal goal of making three short films all to a much higher technical standard than Mancattan. I’m one film down after Karma, two to go, but the idea for the third one is rapidly becoming a mini special effects laden epic. If I pull it off, if you thought two guys making a film in New York by themselves was a Herculean effort, this will blow your mind. So the idea of three shorter “easier” films has quickly become just as hard as making one feature! I’ll be looking again at a Manchester feature in 2010 though, definitely.

IndieFlicks: What advice do you have for any aspiring film-makers out there?

Phil: It’s all about ideas. If you have one, then you’re ready to go.

Colin: Do not listen to that voice that says “I’ll do it later.” Pick up your pen, your camera, your computer this very second. If you don’t listen to that urge the instant you hear it, you may never get around to listening to it again. Don’t worry if you don’t have the full story planned or written, just start! The rest works itself out from there. So stop reading this, and go create. Now.

For more information on Mancattan please visit the official website - Click

IndieFlicks: Interview

Faye Jackson is the director of the up and coming independent film, Strigoi. IndieFlicks caught up with Faye to discuss the production of the film. 

IndieFlicks: When did you realise you wanted to become a filmmaker?

Faye: I remember very clearly coming out of Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It” when I was about 13 and deciding I was going to be a director. Before then, it had always seemed something unattainable, but here was a guy who was obviously an outsider but who had just done it anyway. It was the first time it occurred to me that I could become a director.

IndieFlicks: Where did the idea for Strigoi come from?

Faye: I’ve been visiting Romania regularly for about 10 years (my husband is Romanian) and I just kept coming across locations, characters, situations and ideas that I wanted to put on screen. All of those kind of fused into Strigoi. The original concept for the film was “the Romanian revolution set in a small village, only this time the Ceaucescus come back as vampires”, but the characters quickly took over and turned it into something more human and mysterious.

IndieFlicks: Did the writing process take long?

Faye: Yes. I’m a slow writer anyway, and I was working on a few things at the same time (also promoting a short film called Lump) so I did it sporadically over about a year.

IndieFlicks: What did you shoot the film with?

Faye: 35mm. It’s still the prettiest. We did it old school except for one problematic scene. Labs are very surprised these days when you want to do it all analogue.

IndieFlicks: Would you do anything different if you could go back and film it again?

Faye: Probably, but there’s no point dwelling on these things too much. You just have to learn what you can so you make different mistakes next time. And it’s all so specific, I’ll never have exactly the same problems again.

IndieFlicks: How did you raise funding for the film

Faye: We got private funding. That’s about as explicit as I can be. You never really want to reveal your sources because you don’t want to share them!

IndieFlicks: How was shooting in Romania different from the UK?

Faye: In a way it’s difficult for me to say because this is the biggest production I’ve ever done, so I don’t have a huge frame of reference. The biggest difference, of course, is that everyone speaks Romanian. There are some differences in set etiquette - things are generally a bit more relaxed on Romanian sets. The locations were fantastic and the extras, who were all just locals, were unbelievably good. We were also incredibly lucky with the cast and crew. I suppose the most important thing for us was that in Romania we could achieve something on a small budget we simply wouldn’t have been able to in the UK.

IndieFlicks: Did post production take long?

Faye: Oh yes. We had to go back and re-shoot a few scenes in the spring because of unseasonal snow during our autumn shoot.

IndieFlicks: What do you think of the state of indie filmmaking in the UK at the moment?

Faye: Lord knows. It’s a strange time. On one hand, funding has dried right up. On the other, HD Red has made it possible for people to achieve a lot more on smaller budgets. I feel like everything has become so polarized: gritty coming of age dramas in one corner and schlocky zombie gorefests in the other. I wish we had less delineation and more variety, in terms of subjects, genres and budgets. All of this niche stuff might make good marketing sense and I can see why people focus on it when budgets are so tiny but even when the films are really good it’s hard to get excited about them when they’re so firmly inside the box.

IndieFlicks: Do you have any projects in the pipeline?

Faye: I’m developing a sci-fi thriller set in London.

IndieFlicks: What advice do you have for any aspiring filmmakers out there?

Faye: Just get on with it. Do whatever you can with whatever you can get your hands on. I started out with a student video production club, now kids can probably start making films on their fricking phones. But don’t cast your friends, go find some actors.

For more information on Strigoi please visit the official website - click