who we are
Hello!
We are final year BA Film students, working on our dissertation film 'Punchline'.
Simon, one of the Producers and our talented Director, Daniel, have already worked together on their film 'Pyre for Hire' which won the Royal Television Society's award for 'Comedy and Entertainment'. We are looking to replicate this success with 'Punchline'.
The main team working on our production is as follows:
- Producers: Simon James & Mary Wood
- Writers: Simon James & Bryan Fitzsimons
- Director: Daniel Tempel - Merzougui
- Cinematographer: Simon Bogdan
- Sound Designer: Martha Luigujõe
the story- What is punchline about?
'Punchline' is a witty, dark-humoured drama co-written by one of our producers, Simon James.
The story revolves around Dave Usher, a washed up comedian struggling to keep his waning career going. He has grown bitter and resentful at the brutality of the entertainment industry. He decides that he will not be spat out, so he plans to leave on his own terms, with one final act of revenge...
why this film matters to us
This film will be used in our main portfolios as we enter the film industry. It will be our trophy to show potential employers our ability.
First, we will enter 'Punchline' into film festivals globally in hopes of receiving some attention and public notice. To do this... We need your help.
We also have the opportunity to screen 'Punchline' at the British Film Institute, on London Southbank, should it be among the top films of our year.
Where you come in
THE BUDGET
Our full budget is £1,900.
We are making 'Punchline' to meet cinematic standards and with our access to professional actors, perfect locations and industry grade equipment, we can achieve this.
The camera we are filming on is a Canon C300 and the stunning Xeen Lenses. Sound is being recorded with high-quality Sennheiser MKH416 and MKH50 microphones.
As you can see from our video, we have already shot a few scenes of the film. So why do we need to raise money?
MINIMUM TARGET
Our minimum budget is set at what we need to raise to make the rest of the film. This doesn't cover our post-production budget though which is necessary for polishing off our film and distributing it worldwide.
AND IF WE REACH OUR FULL TARGET...
If we reach our full target, then we will be able to secure locations, pay the talent and shoot the remaining scenes with a budget that covers extra costs, such as expensive light filters and set design props. We will also be able to use funds to cover post-production costs, as well as marketing and distribution.
FULL BREAKDOWN OF COSTS
So, where will the money all go?
Most of the money will go towards the following things...
- Traveling
- The Talent
- Food Expenses
- Location Hire
- Music Copyrighting
- Marketing and Distribution
Travel:
Transporting all of the equipment, crew and cast to and from the filming locations each day all adds up.
Music Talent:
We also need funds to support our music talent. The director has his heart set on a particular song which will make the whole film come to life. Raising funds for this will allow us to have the licensing rights to use it in festivals as well as our portfolios.
Post-Production:
Another part of funding that is often forgotten is the money required for post-production. Along with copyrighting and paying the music talent, we are looking to buy an additional 3TB hard drive to ensure the safety of our film. We are filming in 4k RAW which takes up lots of digital space. This needs to be backed up several times in different locations to make sure our footage isn't in danger of damage or loss.
Distribution:
We have plans of distributing up and down the UK, into short film festivals and competitions.
But we also want to go global. Middlesex is an incredibly international university so of course, many countries are on our list of possible festival entries. On the horizon of opportunities are the Brooklyn Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival. So when we say global, we mean global.
We estimate that our distribution costs will come to £400. If we go over target we will be able to enter our film into more festivals which in turn will mean more awareness and recognition.
OTHER COSTS
Another part of our budget consists of all the small, but very important things, that often get forgotten.
On set supplies:
On set supplies appear quite small and insignificant for crowdfunding but they are necessary for filming. They include:
- Batteries; lots and lots of batteries
- Tape, gaffer tape, duct tape, masking tape
- Stationery, pens, pencils, scissors, staples
- Clipboards, folders
- String, Blu-tac, bin bags
These on set necessities all add up and get used every day of filming. They ensure each day runs smoothly and this reflects in the quality of the film!
Contingency money and petty cash:
Other small parts that add into are budget include our contingency money. This is 10% of the production cost (not including post-production). This is in case anything goes wrong. If this isn't used during filming, then it will be added into the distribution budget after post-production.
We also have Petty Cash which is money we have on hand during filming that we might need to spend. For example, buying more food and drink for the set, fixing props, buying more batteries etc.
Here is a graph showing out budget breakdown:
Your rewards
There are different levels of reward for different levels of donation. If you check the rewards section, you can see all of the varying things you can receive in return for helping us.
Sponsorship and advertising opportunities:
The recognition we receive from film festivals will also go to your company (if applicable), depending on your level of donation, as we have plenty of opportunities to provide generous donors with advertising space in our programme and also on our multiple social media spaces.
WHERE TO FIND US
Facebook /punchlineshortfilm
Twitter @PunchlineFilm
Help in other ways
If you can’t donate personally, you can still help by spreading the word about Punchline.
Please share this project with anyone you think would support us - for example through your social media accounts (e.g. Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn) or by any other means possible!
By helping us promote Punchline, the greater the chance we have of creating our best work yet!
