MEDICI — The Film Funding Journey

Methodology, Skills and Professional Benefits Participants Participants' Comments MEDICI Head of Training «The 12 Labours of Hercules» Report of the Reports – Workshops 1 to 4

Reports Previous Workshops

Sixth Workshop – 27 to 29 September 2016 – Warth (Switzerland)

Module 5 – Talent support initiatives (support to experimental films, micro-budget, wild card, genre projects, etc.)

Introduction

The digital era gives to filmmakers new tools for low costs production. The competition among young and experienced filmmakers for access to public funds is becoming fiercer and fiercer. Short film support is an option but there is a time when long feature corresponds to the development of a filmmaker's career.

Or, in other words:

How to encourage talents to develop themselves?
How could funds take more risk at a lower price?

Case Study 1 / The Netherlands Film Fund (NFF) – New Screen NL

Please also see George Van Breemen’s presentation (PDF)
www.filmfonds.nl

In a nutshell, funding activities of the NFF

Selective schemes (development, production, marketing, distribution, minority co-productions):
- Screen NL – for development, production, marketing and distribution of feature films of all formats (fiction, animation and documentary). Designed for experienced filmmakers and production companies with a strong track record. In 2017, it will also include slate funding
- New Screen NL: see chapter below
(Semi)-automatic schemes (Production Incentive Scheme since 2014 and Supplementary Fund for mainstream films). In 2017, the fund will cut the automatic funding by half and introduce a different support scheme for the mainstream films, following the model of the Danish Film Institute
Support scheme for miscellaneous Film Activities (festivals, coproduction markets, training, research and publications)
And also Special activities like sustainability, diversity and innovation
Film Commission

New Screen NL

Is designed for new talents, low budget films, shorts, testing new ideas of all sorts and for experienced filmmakers with a long track record who want to try out something else. The scheme stimulates creativity, crosses borders, innovates and experiments:
- It includes support for development, production, marketing and distribution.
- The budget is approximately 3.1 million euro.
- The scheme does a lot of cooperation with TV and other funds, which helps the selected projects extend their budgets.
New Screen NL consists of the following sub-schemes: Low-budget Films, New Talent, Cinematic Experiment, Short films

Low Budget Films sub-scheme

Designed for the first-time directors and producers (talent development)
Production budget per project under 600,000 euro
Two production grants a year (200,000 euro each) and development support.

New Talent sub-scheme

Vrijplaats – for new scriptwriters with fresh ideas, treatment or the first draft of the script. Scriptwriters who are still without the director and/or producer, but still wish to develop a project, are also eligible. They can apply for further funding after this stage if they get producer and director attached
One Night Stand – for single plays produced in collaboration with public broadcasters and TV funds. Twelve projects are developed each year through this scheme, six of which are produced. The scheme is a chance for new producers and new talent in general.
The Crossing – for directors making their first feature films. The budget is around 1 million per year and two projects are supported annually. The scheme is co-financed by public broadcasters and TV funds
Wildcards – for winning teams of young directors, writers and producers. Three documentaries, two fiction films and one animation film are produced per year through this scheme. The scheme stared with documentaries made by students who have just graduated. However, it has evolved into a competition for all Dutch film academies where the winning team gets the production support for their project. The award for fiction films is up to 80,000 euro, and 40,000 euro for documentaries and animation. The scheme also finances the involvement of an experienced producer, but the money is given to the young filmmakers
(Script) coaches – Independent professionals who are not employed either by the film fund or public broadcasters. They can be assigned as script consultants to any project supported under the New Talent scheme.

Cinematic Experiments sub scheme

The scheme is designed for experiments, crossing borders, new technologies. A single project can receive 100,000 euro. In case of small projects only the line-producer is required. In case of more complex projects, the fund demands that an experienced producer is attached. Supported projects must be completed in 2 years, with a possibility for extension. The scheme consist of two categories:

Transmedia
- For projects exploring new ways of non-fiction storytelling in collaboration with Creative Industries Fund
- Annual budget of 250,000 euro
Art Film Imagination
- For feature films exploring borders between visual arts and cinema in collaboration with Mondriaan Fund
- The mission is to bring visual artists and filmmakers together
- Mondriaan Fund support visual artists, but their budget is really limited. When they join forces with the film scheme, they manage to collect 600,000 euro for artistic film scheme two films per year).

Short films sub scheme

The scheme involves support for animation (development and production); fiction and documentary (production – special call); all categories (limited to post-production support):

Ultra Kort! – Four two-minute animation films to be programmed before feature films in theaters. The scheme is made in collaboration with Pathé that owns a half of the Dutch cinema theaters. They show these films before big international mainstream films, which helps them be seen by 200,000-300,000 people. Pathe curates films together with the NL Film Fonds. It is usually visual artists who make Ultra Kort films.
KORT! – in collaboration with Public Broadcaster and TV funds. Ten shorts of all formats are supported every year. The budget per film is up to 70,000 euro. The scheme has been running for many years.

Interview with George van Bremen

Is it difficult to run both fragmented and structured schemes?

It takes a lot of time and work. However, it pays off because response to the schemes is good and quality of projects is increasing. Visual artists take advantage of the Art Film Imagination scheme to make their art independently, without anybody tutoring them. If they fail, they are not punished. The scheme is also meant for people who just finished their education but still have not entered the real professional life where broadcasters and distributors dictate all conditions.

Are there any deadlines?

For special projects there are deadlines, but when it comes to the small ones, the call is open all year round.

Tell us more about how you finance first films by freshly graduated film students.

It is in the form of a prize. The selection is based on the graduation films. The ones with the most promising films receive the financial prize (80,000 euro for feature films and 40,000 euro for animation films and documentaries). Competition is fierce. It includes people of 4-5 academies in the Netherlands, specializing in film, TV or creative industry. It is not open for self-made people who did not get education in those areas. We do not award them a lot of money, but they usually do not need much because they shoot their projects with friends and colleagues from school. Thanks to these first films they travel to festivals, attract broadcasters for their next projects and come back to the NFF with real projects. We do not have any requirements in terms of release windows or length. They usually make short films (max. 30-40 minutes). We give them funding, they have to find a producer (either a beginner or experienced one) and shoot a film within a certain time period.

Tell us more about the ‘One-night stand” scheme.

This scheme involves a few producers, three broadcasters and NFF. We select and finance 40 minutes single plays, which should fit into the theme “one night stand”, and show them on TV.

Why do you still insist so much on supporting short films? Shouldn’t film funds help fresh film graduates jump into development of feature films as soon as possible?

We have a scheme for first-time low-budget feature films, where we do not require a theatrical release. It is meant for people who want to make a feature film immediately after school. However, we think that fresh graduates should also have an option for short films if they have a small, simple idea. We also encourage them to do things one step at the time. Short films are a way to take bigger risks because real talents are really scarce despite the tough competition.

Does the selection committee involve TV people?

In every scheme that involves TV funds, selection committee also includes TV people.

Do you finance web-series?

No. The government does not allow us to support the online content or television. We used to have a selective television fund (Media fund) for 18 years, but it was abolished. The only remaining TV-related funding option is CoBo fund, but it is an automatic fund for projects with a broadcaster already attached.

Case Study 2 / Telefilm Canada – The Microbudget Program

Please also see Michel Pradier’s presentation (PDF)
telefilm.ca/en/financing/micro-budget-production

“Driving Innovation & Creating New Pathways for Emerging Film Filmmakers”

Objectives

To help film students create a stronger track record before they come with bigger projects to the classic talent scheme.
Allowing Telefilm to discover new talents with a low risk approach. In the era of an increased focus on track record (quantitative performance) and accountability, it is necessary to ensure that new talents also have efficient support.
Enhancing producers’ knowledge of digital release platforms. Feature films are only seen in cinemas and distributors do not make enough effort in promoting art-house films in a proper way.
Finding partners across Canada to stimulate the use of new digital distribution platforms by emerging filmmakers.
Ensuring diversity of voices through supporting Aboriginal films, official-language minority films, films made by women and filmmakers from different Canadian provinces

Note: Telefilm also has a regular talent schemes for first time filmmakers that supports around 30 projects a year with a budget between 0.8 and 2 million CAD.

Methodology

Telefilm approached film schools and universities with audiovisual section across Canada to be partner of the scheme. 35 of them confirmed their participation
Every school creates a team of a producer, scriptwriter and director. Team members could be alumni (5 years from graduation). Some schools miss producers because they do not have strong producers’ programs. In such cases, they borrow producers from another school. The teams selected by schools submit pitches through Telefilm’s online platform. Telefilm receives 35 pitches (one from each school) and sets up a jury of internal experts, plus an expert from a digital platform, to make assessments. Distributors are excluded.
The award includes 127,500 CAD per film (max 112,500 CAD for web content) + 7,500 CAD for a compulsory digital consultant. The emphasis is on first films collaborating with digital platforms for marketing, distribution and audience engagement. At least 15% of Telefilm’s contribution must be allocated to promotion and distribution expenses.
There must be a training attached to the process where teams learn marketing strategies, with a particular focus on social media and storytelling. Such actions help them reach 80% of the target audience. Teams are invited to booth camp where they work with specialists to learn how to use digital opportunities.
All submitted projects must be either art-house feature films or web-content created for online distribution (segments between 10 and 74 min)
Telefilm is usually the sole financier. However, in 2017, a tax shelter will be introduced, which may raise the budgets.
Films must be delivered within 18 months
Tracking of reports have to be streamlined between Telefilm and producers

Additional partners

Alternative platforms to stimulate fan-supported projects and increase the audience.
Technicolor that ensures free digital distribution encoding services to the selected projects
National Film Board of Canada (NFB) where the films can be uploaded on their platform in case producers do not find a platform themselves.

Main results (see complete list of factual results on Michel Pradier’s presentation)

Critical acclaim already received by our new filmmakers
A number of supported films ended up in theaters after the festival success
13 of the supported films received acclaims at national and international film festivals. It increases the chances for the next movie within regular schemes
Many genres are involved (including sci-Fi, romantic comedies, thrillers, horrors and drama). Despite the genre approach, all the films kept the art-house touch and avoided expensive special effects
Telefilm gets an opportunity to promote and evaluate web-platforms (iTunes, Netflix, etc.) that have to provide data on films they stream
The total support reached 4.4 million dollars
Telefilm engages some people to collect the data on the films supported through this talent scheme. Those people analyze the data, make reports and disseminate them to the Canadian film professionals, so that they can learn from there and become more familiar with the reality.

Lessons learned:

You must insist on a marketing strategy in order to be able to know the audience.
You need to do a thorough research before shooting in order to locate the audience. It must start already before the application and result in a marketing plan. The more research, the better the distribution channels are chosen. Research helps marketing consultants do their job better.
Digital consultants may include publicists, companies making political campaigns, etc.
The team must have an already established fan base online.
Film producers must have a basic understanding of digital marketing (this is the biggest downfall currently)
Telefilm should have a database to produce benchmarks for emerging film producers
Telefilm could have an active role in providing access to innovative (and feasible) tactics to film producers.
It is very difficult to learn how to reach your audience through social media. It is not enough just to open a FB page. Promotion is much more complex.
Young generations of filmmakers and producers paradoxically appear to be very traditional in terms of using digital opportunities. They believe only in theatrical release.

Outcomes of group discussions

Most of the funds have schemes for first-time filmmakers, student graduation films or micro-budget films
First-time filmmakers should not think about the market, but be only creative.
Co-productions are not a good model for first-time filmmakers because they require bigger budgets and higher production value.
Funds should have schemes for films that the market itself would never support or be interested in.
The funds like NFF are fragmented and well structured because they have enough resources.
Creating various schemes is difficult for many funds because they are often understaffed, or audience-oriented or unfriendly towards genre films, which hinders the establishment of new schemes including innovative schemes for new talents.
There should be schemes, at least for short films, open to anybody, not only for the elite filmmakers coming out of national film schools.
New schemes are necessary to help filmmakers acclimatize to the new reality

The Development of Content: Challenges and Opportunities – Public Funds as Pawns or Players?

List of Participants (PDF)
MEDICI Sixth Workshop Full Report (PDF)

Illustrations by Séverine Leibundgut

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