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WHAT I LEARNED FROM FILMING A SCI-FI EPIC IN TWO DAYS

26/7/2017

13 Comments

 
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Uhhhhhh... gnaaaaaaah! Ugh. UNNNNGH. I'm so exhausted. Mentally, I'm still semi-functioning, but physically... I'm done for. I have nothing to complain about though; the 48 hours we spent filming the deeply weird finale of Mr Biffo's Found Footage were two of the best days of my life. You're probably sick of my sincerity - but thank you again for making it possible.

So... despite working two 14+ hour days, we still didn't get everything filmed. We're probably about 70-75% there, which is going to require some creative editing. We could've done with a week or more, to be honest, but I'll find a way to stitch it together. Maybe. Potentially. No - I will. I already have a plan.

Anyway... you know how film people in interviews talk in really gushing terms about the people they worked with, and how it always seems fake. Well, in this instance... believe it. From the crew to the extras, to the cast - who gave up their time for free and went for take after take - we were blessed with an amazing, talented, hard-working, lovely, lovely bunch of people.

What we captured on camera was better than I could've hoped for... but I thought I'd share - by way of attempting to process the last couple of days - what I think I've learned from it, and what I'd do differently if I ever get this chance again.
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1. Buy more time. Frankly, we needed a lot more time to achieve what I wanted to achieve. We were offered the location for a third day, but that would've meant me spending even more money I no longer have, and finding a way to keep the cast and crew together for longer.

2. Get a bigger crew. Bare minimum, I really needed a line producer to keep the budget in check, a first assistant director to keep us to schedule, and a gaffer to handle the lighting. Also: a bigger crew would've helped us do more in the time we had.

3. Get more money. Almost everyone on the finale worked for free, we made three-and-a-half grand on Indiegogo... and yet over the last couple of days I still somehow ended up spending £1,000 or more of my own overdraft on unexpected expenses. I don't like that some people worked for free, not least because of how much work they did. It's fine if I don't make any money out of it - it's my project. I can't ask others to do the same. And that includes the tireless and brilliant Steve "Horsenburger" Horsley, my other half Sanya, and the horde of lovely extras and helping hands - especially Joe, Oliver, Nick and David - who gave us their time and energy for nothing. 

4. Work with people who want to be there because they're passionate about the project. I'm sure this is why it was such a happy set; because everyone wanted to be there, for the most part. Even though we worked two 14 hour days - in a dark, smelly, damp, inhospitable environment - there was never a cross word, never any barbed comments. Almost everyone kept laughing, smiling and doing their best work, and didn't make any awkward demands - huge thanks especially to the cast, Andy, Violet and Jesse - for going for take after take with a smile on their faces. They all understood this was a low-budget short film that was being made - essentially - for fun.

5. Work with mates, as much as possible. Again, part of why this worked is because most of those we didn't know well beforehand - Chris the cameraman and his assistants Ash and Harrison, Chris the sound recordist, and Andy (you might know him better as Nam Rood) - felt like mates. They were all willing to stay as long as it took to get what we needed, without a word of complaint. Sound Chris had a four hour drive to get home afterwards, and yet still she stayed. I'd work with all these people again in a shot. I am forever in their debt.

6. Always go the extra mile with the art design. I've spent months working on the set dressing, costumes and props, and my house has looked like some mad, eccentric, hoarder's hovel. But... I think it pays off on screen. That might be my proudest achievement in the whole thing. 

7. Location, location, location. We were lucky to find somewhere relatively affordable, but it was worth every penny for how it'll look on screen. Also, Sid - the owner of the place - was incredibly patient with us, despite being kept waiting to go to bed... So, we lucked out there.

8. That's it for now! Goodbye! Thanks, everyone. I'm going to do some more sleeping. Bye. Bye now!
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13 Comments
Gaming Mill link
26/7/2017 02:15:39 pm

I think a brilliant time was had by all! I only wish I could have stayed the duration but my knackered ankle was giving in - if I'd stayed until the end my accelerator foot would have been sheer torture for the 2+ hours drive back. I met some great people there and some that I'd never met in person but that I knew from online from years ago.

I sincerely look forward to your future endeavours Mr Biffo; I'd be up for it again.

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Mr Darrel J LAUGHLIN
26/7/2017 02:51:26 pm

I keep seeing you badger on about this found footage thing but I'm ashamed to say that I haven't read anything about it so can I have a brief explanation of it please?

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Mr Biffo
26/7/2017 03:05:10 pm

No.

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Mr Darrel J LAUGHLIN
26/7/2017 04:11:22 pm

Very informative, top work.

Mr Biffo
26/7/2017 07:21:10 pm

Oh! You weren't being sarcastic...?

David Heslop
26/7/2017 03:26:04 pm

A fantastic time was had by all, I do believe.
I’m still amazed at what you managed to pull off, Mr B. From the first inklings of the project, the initial Kickstarter, and even my own tiny involvement as a tantric Geordie crooner, I never expected it would end up with such scale. Bravo.
You’re bang-on about the lack of grumbles; I was only there for a day, and not even a full day at that, but no one had a sour word. All the extras and Kickstarter backers, the cast and crew, most of whom had already experienced 14 hours of it at that point – they all seemed totally up for it, happy to be covered in lube and sit on a damp floor underground, where there was no light or fresh air let along a 4G signal. And whilst I’m at it, kudos for the location: it was worth driving down to Kidderminster just for that.
I said to a couple of people yesterday that it was the sort of thing we’d have tried to get away with at CITV if they’d let us: that sense of people pulling together, making use of whatever materials they could find, to make something wildly ambitious because they personally found it funny and they were just guessing that other people might, too. That was the ethos at CITV for quite a while when we were making funny little interstitials and continuity announcements, and it bled over into some of the promos I made for them, and it was wholly on display in the dark places beneath the Earth this week. It was really exciting to witness so thanks for having me along.
Anyway, you should be really proud of what you accomplished. I’m incredibly excited to see the final product! Even if it TASTES BAD.

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Sean Buckingham
26/7/2017 05:10:51 pm

Even those couple of teaser pics look amazing. That location looks incredible.
I would guess that there's never enough time regardless. Even if you had planned for the extra time, you would still feel like you needed more so I guess you make do with what you have.
It certainly sounds promising with what you have achieved so far.

Can't wait. I'm sure it will exceed everyone's expectations!

Congratulations on such an ambitious project and everything you've done so far.

Regards, Seam

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Biscuits the character
26/7/2017 06:05:07 pm

Pics look superb! You had a little clapper board and everything. And GamingMill is knocking about too??? Can't wait, sincerely!

Regards, Seamo

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Jenny link
26/7/2017 06:51:52 pm

My God I enjoyed myself. There were times when I thought I couldn't get much more uncomfortable and I was STILL enjoying myself. And to meet all those great people, and be part of such a bizarre but brilliant project...I really hope I can meet up with them all again, and work on something else!

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Nikki
26/7/2017 09:03:23 pm

I wanted to go to there

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Gaijintendo
26/7/2017 09:28:43 pm

Given the Kickstarter, I was surprised, given what you had already established by that point, that the Indiegogo target was as low. Is there some element of gaming the system? Do 100%+ projects get promoted differently?
Or did you just forget to double all your estimates?

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Mr Biffo
27/7/2017 08:00:26 am

The Indiegogo target was set where it was purely because I didn't want to appear greedy. I hate asking for money - though I'm sure it appears otherwise! That's partly why I went all-out on FF, so that at least I could show I wasn't just pocketing it.

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Paulvw
28/7/2017 06:48:30 am

Really looking forward to seeing how it all turns out. Looks amazing.

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