CASE STUDIES

London to Brighton Case Study

What does the film 'London to Brighton' teaches us about..

Funding Film Projects
Methods of Production

1. London to Brighton teaches us that more smaller film projects should be funded. Williams had an film idea which he was unable to produce because of the lack of funds so he decided to make London to Brighton which surrounds a character taken from his short film Royalty.

London to Brighton was made on a budget of £80,000, this is roughly what a studio film would spend on the crew's tea and bacon sarnies. Williams wrote his script over a weekend, borrowed the money from private investors and shot it over 19 days, using friends' houses and locations that mostly cost nothing. It's a tribute to his enterprise and crew that it looks absolutely professional, and stands as a reminder that, however difficult it may be to raise money, the most precious commodities of all are talent and perseverance. Williams has proven the ability to get around problems and was able to get awards. The film won a British Independent Film Award for Best Achievement in Production. Williams won the Golden Hitchcock award at the Dinard Festival of British Cinema, the New Director's Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Best Feature Film at the Foyle Film Festival, and a Jury Prize at the Raindance Film Festival.

2. London to Brighton teaches us that there are ways to get around production issues. Williams used locations where he was able film without a fee or for a small free such as friends houses and locations which didn't cost much however he did use gurilla filimmaking which meant scenes are shot quickly in real locations without any warning, and without obtaining filming permits. William re-used actors from his short film Royalty who worked for free in hopes to get noticed in the industry.

London to Brightons Journey

London to Brighton was produced by Steel Mill Pictures

(Paul Andrew Williams and Ken Marshall). Ken and Paul formed the production company Steel Mill Pictures in 2005 when they produced their first feature film, the Award-winning, critically-acclaimed thriller “London to Brighton”.

Paul Andrew William

http://steelmillpictures.co.uk/

Ken Marshall

London to Brighton 2006

Paul Andrew William began his career as an actor but later wrote and directed pop-promos, viral ads and short films. In 2001 he wrote and directed the short film Royalty. Royalty premiered at the London Film Festival in 2001, was shown UK television, was shortlisted for the Kodak showcase, and later screened at BAFTA. In 2003 Williams was the only UK-based director to be picked up by the Fox Searchlight Director's Lab.

Williams had an idea to create a thriller/crime thriller called 'The Cottage' however Williams didn't have the budget to create the movie as he had £80,000 (80 Grand) and it costed around £2.5 Million so Williams gave up and created London to Brighton which was inspired by his 2001 short film 'Royalty'.

To keep costs low the film was filmed over 19 days using guerilla filmmaking which is means scenes are shot quickly in real locations without any warning, and without obtaining filming permits. London to Brighton was distributed by Vertigo and wasn't made for a global audiences.

The film’s low-budget restraints only help highlight his distinctive cinematic voice.

Highly praised in its native UK, London to Brighton is arguably the best British debut film since Pawel Pawlikowski’s The Last Resort, another great humanist drama about people at the fringes of society.

London to Brightons distributor

Filmmaker magazine spoke to Paul Andrew Willaims. When Filmmaker said to Willaiams about London to Brighton being inspired by the short film Royalty, Williams explained how he was walking home when he had an idea for a short film and when he was home how he wrote it up in just 15 minutes. He added that he never thought much of it but he only worked on the characters other than the story line however it was only when he struggled to make The Cottage that he knew he had to think about another idea.

This idea orginated from his short film Royalty and taking charcters from that short film into an actual film. He used Kelly and based London to Brighton on her story as a prostitute.

London to Brightons Trailer

The Cottage Case Study

What does the film 'The Cottage' teaches us about..

Funding Film Projects
Methods of Production

1. The Cottage teaches us that more smaller film projects should be funded. The Cottage was Paul Andrew Williams orginal film idea before realising he didn't have the funds to produce it. Williams went decided to use his money on London to Brighton inspired by his short film 'Royalty'. The success of London to Brighton opened the pathway for Williams to make The Cottage two years after.

2.The Cottage teaches us that even with production issues, projects can be produced. The Cottage had problems before even entering pre-production, the funds for the movie weren't enough and Williams had to come up with an idea for his small budget of £80,000. He created London to Brighton and used actors from his short film to cut costs and also used Gureilla Filmmaking so he didn't have to pay for locations. London to Brighton ended up being an success and won 6 awards and this gave Willaims the chance to produce The Cottage on a budget of 2.5 Million.

About The Cottage

The Cottage was also produced by Steel Mill Pictures (Paul Andrew Williams and Ken Marshall). The film was written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams.

The Cottage is a 2008 British darkly comic horror film and the film that Paul Andrew Williams wanted to make originally before deciding to make London to Brighton.

Paul Andrew William

http://steelmillpictures.co.uk/

Ken Marshall

The Cottage 2008

The Studio System

These 5 big Amercian compaines; Paramount Pictures, 20th Century fox,Warner Bros, Metro Goldwyn Mayer and RKO Radio pictures were found gulity of monopolising the industry through vertical integration.

Vertical intergation is when a company owns or controls its suppliers, distributors, or retail locations to control its value or supply chain. Vertical integration benefits companies by allowing them to control the process, reduce costs, and improve efficiencies.

Exbition

Consumption

Production

Distribution

Exhibition

Consumption

However vertical intergation makes issues for independence producers and audiences because independence producers wouldn't have been able to show their movies on platforms unless the bigger comapnies invested into them which means movies are choosen for the audience to consume.

This system used by these comapnies up untill the 1940s when it was make illegal.

Since the 1940's and the ban of using the studio system the internet was founded in 1983 and made publicly available in 1991. The online world offers platforms for smaller artists such as producers to create content and upload it. Platfroms include Youtube, Facebook, Instagram

Vertical Intergation

The Studio System and Independent Producers

and TikTok. These platforms make it easier for independent producers to create content witout having to go through big production companys. Vertical Intergation limited what audiences cosumed by only producing and distributing films they chose whereas on apps like Now Tv and Netflix, some smaller films are being added so audiences are able to have an variety.

The Cottage Trailer

Shifty Case Study

About Shifty

Shifty is a British urban crime thriller, written and directed by Eran Creevy. The producers were Rory Aitken and Ben Pugh from the production company Between the Eyes, this company has since changed their name to 42. The film was distribited by Metrodome Distribution.

The film was funded by Film London's Microwave scheme and delivered after a shooting schedule of just 18 days.

Production Company 42

Metrodome Distribition

Ben Pugh

Rory Aitken

SHIFTY 2008

The Microwave Scheme

Microwave is Film London’s flagship feature film scheme.

It serves to inspire and develop the capital’s best new filmmakers, empowering them to make bold, compelling features that will surprise and inspire global audiences.

The scheme was the first low budget feature program in Europe and has been responsible for discovering and developing some of the UK’s most exciting talent.

The Microwave Scheme and Shifty

http://filmlondon.org.uk/feature-film-funding/

In between 2006 and 2012 films made in the microwave scheme were made in partnership with BBC Films.

The films included Sundance award-winner Lilting, Bafta-nominee Shifty and iLL Manors, which collected three BIFA nominations in 2012. All of the films were released theatrically and distributed around the world.

The Scheme offered support for films to be filmed in 18 days with a budget of less than £100,000

Shiftys Trailer

About the theory of everything

The theory of everything is a biographical romantic drama film which is set at Cambridge University and details the life of the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.

The film was directed by James Marsh, produced by

Tim Bevan,Eric Fellner and Lisa Bruce and adapted by Anthony McCarten from the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen by Jane Hawking.

The Book deals with her relationship with her ex-husband, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neurone disease), and his success in physics.

In the film Stephen Hawkings is played by Eddie Redmayne and Redmayne was given the oppotunity to meet the theoretical physicist and his family. When Redmayne was asked about his early knwoledge of Hawkings, he explained how he thought he knew about Hawkings however he knew nothing, he then goes on to explain how he also went to Cambridge University and occasionally he'd see this iconic silhouette going across, but it never occurred to him to read around Hawkings story.

Redmayne was also asked how he felt on meeting Hawking for the

The theory of everything 2014

Stephen Hawking

first time. He explained how he was terrified to meet him as he had spent six months reading about him to then meet him. He went on to say how he ended up "vomitting" forth information about Hawkings to him.

Overall Eddie amazed by Hawkings and how humurous and vivacity he was. When Eddie won the Best Actor Oscar Stephen Hawkings wrote him a small touching note saying "Congratulations to Eddie Redmayne for winning an #Oscar for playing me in The Theory of Everything Movie. Well done Eddie, I'm very proud of you. -SH"

Eddie Redmayne and Stephen Hawking

Synergy

Synergy is when the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations come together to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

Synergy is used in the making of The theory of everything. The theory of everything was produced by a British Production Company called The Working Title. The Working Title have made so many recongised films including the Jonny English flms, Drop Dead Fred, Ali G indahouse and Love actually.

American production/distribution company

British Production Company

For the theory of everything, Working title films and Amercian production and distribition company Universal came together to Synergise. This means the companys can get more out of the movie and boost it to get even more reconigsed.

The film uses both British and American actors therefore the movie trys to appeal to both the UK and US and because universal is vertically intergated they own their own distribution therefore the film gets distribited internationally. Also the theory of everythings soundtrack was licensed under Universal music operations. Working Title had Universal take over the music section of the film.

The theory of everythings Trailer

Veronica Mars Case Study

What does the film 'Veronica Mars' teaches us about..

Funding Film Projects
Methods of Production

1. Veronica Mars teaches us that there are others way to get your film project funded. Verconica Mars was funded by Kickstarter after Rob Thomas set up a crowdfunding page which allows fans of Verconia Mars to donate money. Depending on the amount given to the page, the better the gift you get for your donation. Kickstarter allowed the Rob Thomas to revive and contiue the story line from the previous seasons. Rob Thomas did approach Warner Bros. but they declined but after realising the potentinal, they did decide to distribute the movie.

2.Veronica Mars teaches us that there are ways to get around production issues. Rob Thomas had trouble trying to make Verconica Mars after the series got cancelled. He made a feature script for a movie, but Warner Bros. opted not to fund the project at the time. On March 13, 2013, Thomas and star Kristen Bell launched a fundraising campaign to produce the film through Kickstarter, offering various incentives to those who donated $10 or more. Kickstarter helped Verconia Mars get to the production stage which made Warners Bros. want to distribute the movie.

About Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars is a 2014 American neo-noir mystery film produced and directed by Rob Thomas.

The film 'Veronica Mars' is a continuing film adpation based on Veroncia Mars the series. Veronica Mars was initially a series with 3 seasons which featured Kristen Bell as 'Verconica Mars'.

The series was cancelled in 2007 after 3 seasons however Thomas wrote a feature film script, continuing the story.

Warner Bros. declined to fund the project to make the film so on March 13, 2013, Thomas and Bell launched a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter to produce the film.

Veronica Mars 2014

Veronica Mars funded through Kickstarter

Kickstarter is an American public-benefit corporation which maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity and merchandising.

The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life".

Rob Thomas decided to use kickstarter to fund the Verconica Mars film after Warner Bros declinded to fund the project. Rob Thomas, Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni, Ryan Hansen, and Jason Dohring appeared in a

video promoting the campaign and offered

various incentives to those who donated.

Gifts included a DVD/ blue ray copy of the movie, Stickers, T-shirts, Posters, Personal Greeting Videos. The biggest award for anyone donating US$ 10,000 get a speaking role in the movie and all the other gifts included in the donatations packages.

The kickstarter page attained the $2 million goal in less than eleven hours. In its first day on Kickstarter, the project broke the record as the fastest project to reach first $1 million, then $2 million; it also achieved the highest minimal pledging goal achieved, and became the largest successful film project on Kickstarter at the time

Veronica Mars Campaign Video

CLICK TO SEE THE PAGE

On its final campaign day, the project broke the record for the most backers on a single Kickstarter project, previously held by the Double Fine Adventure. The Kickstarter campaign ended on April 13, with 91,585 donors raising $5,702,153.

Veronica Mars after the Movie

In September 2018, Hulu officially confirmed the revival of Veronica Mars coming back for season 4. The season would consist of eight episodes.It was also comfimed that series creator Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell were confirmed to return.

Rob Thomas

Kristen Bell

Verconia Mars Film Trailer

What does the film 'Life in a day' teaches us about..

Funding Film Projects
Methods of Production

1. Life in a day teaches us that there are others way to get your film project funded. Life in a day wasn't funded as the videos were entered by people all over the world through youtube sharing site which was free of charge. This means the producers and directors don't actually have to film or produce any film but go through all the footage contained which was 4,500 hours of worth of footage.

2.Life in a day teaches us that there are ways to get around production issues. A production issue for life in a day was trying to make a movie from 4,500 hours of footage from 80,000 submissions from 192 nations.

About Life in a Day

Life in a Day is a crowdsourced drama/documentary film comprising an arranged series of video clips selected from 80,000 clips submitted to the YouTube video sharing website, the clips showing respective occurrences from around the world on a single day, 24 July 2010.

The film was produced by Scott Free Productions and the YouTube video sharing site. The film was distributed by National Geographic Films. The visual effects were produced by Lip Sync Post.

The film was the creation of a partnership among YouTube, Ridley Scott Associates and LG electronics, announced on 6 July 2010.

Users sent in videos supposed to be recorded on 24 July 2010, and then Ridley Scott produced the film and edited the videos into a film with Kevin Macdonald and film editor Joe Walker, consisting of footage from some of the contributors. All chosen footage authors are credited as co-directors.

The movie debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and the premiere was streamed live onto Youtube. Due to the fact it was made of a variety of Youtube videos, the website announced that Life in a Day was available for viewing on the website for free and would also be released on DVD.

Kevin Macdonald said that the film focused on a single day "because a day is the basic temporal building block of human life—wherever you are," with Walker adding that the particular day, 24 July 2010, was chosen because it was the first Saturday after the World Cup.

Life in a day 2011

Scott Free Productions

National Geographic

Concerning the chronology of the film and the order of the clips, Macdonald explained that he let the 300 hours of "best bits" tell him what the themes and structure of the film should be, likening the material to a Rorschach test—"you will see in it what you want to see in it." Joe Walker further explained that "We always wanted to have a number of structures, so it's not just midnight to midnight, but it's also from light to dark and from birth to death. ... bashing things together and making them resonate against each other and provoking thought."

Do we live in the age of a Prosumer

A prosumer is someone who consumes and produces a project. Anyone who entered clips into life in a day then watched the film once it was completed is a prosumer because they produced a video and entered it in then cosnumed it once it was added into this movie.

Being a prosumer is common now as many individuals produce something to then consume it.

CASE STUDIES

London to Brighton Case Study

What does the film 'London to Brighton' teaches us about..

Funding Film Projects

​Methods of Production

​

1. London to Brighton teaches us that more smaller film projects should be funded. Williams had an film idea which he was unable to produce because of the lack of funds so he decided to make London to Brighton which surrounds a character taken from his short film Royalty.

​

​

London to Brightons Journey

London to Brighton was produced by Steel Mill Pictures

(Paul Andrew Williams and Ken Marshall). Ken and Paul formed the production company Steel Mill Pictures in 2005 when they produced their first feature film, the Award-winning, critically-acclaimed thriller “London to Brighton”.

Paul Andrew William

http://steelmillpictures.co.uk/

Ken Marshall

London to Brighton 2006

To keep costs low the film was filmed over 19 days using guerilla filmmaking which is means scenes are shot quickly in real locations without any warning, and without obtaining filming permits. London to Brighton was distributed by Vertigo and wasn't made for a global audiences.

​

The film’s low-budget restraints only help highlight his distinctive cinematic voice.

Highly praised in its native UK, London to Brighton is arguably the best British debut film since Pawel Pawlikowski’s The Last Resort, another great humanist drama about people at the fringes of society.

​

London to Brightons distributor

This idea orginated from his short film Royalty and taking charcters from that short film into an actual film. He used Kelly and based London to Brighton on her story as a prostitute.

​

​

​

London to Brightons Trailer

The Cottage Case Study

What does the film 'The Cottage' teaches us about..

Funding Film Projects

​Methods of Production

​

​

​

About The Cottage

The Cottage was also produced by Steel Mill Pictures (Paul Andrew Williams and Ken Marshall). The film was written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams.

The Cottage is a 2008 British darkly comic horror film and the film that Paul Andrew Williams wanted to make originally before deciding to make London to Brighton.

Paul Andrew William

http://steelmillpictures.co.uk/

Ken Marshall

The Cottage 2008

The Studio System

These 5 big Amercian compaines; Paramount Pictures, 20th Century fox,Warner Bros, Metro Goldwyn Mayer and RKO Radio pictures were found gulity of monopolising the industry through vertical integration.

​

Vertical intergation is when a company owns or controls its suppliers, distributors, or retail locations to control its value or supply chain. Vertical integration benefits companies by allowing them to control the process, reduce costs, and improve efficiencies.

​

​

Exbition

Consumption

Production

Distribution

Exhibition

Consumption

However vertical intergation makes issues for independence producers and audiences because independence producers wouldn't have been able to show their movies on platforms unless the bigger comapnies invested into them which means movies are choosen for the audience to consume.

This system used by these comapnies up untill the 1940s when it was make illegal.

​

​

​

​

Since the 1940's and the ban of using the studio system the internet was founded in 1983 and made publicly available in 1991. The online world offers platforms for smaller artists such as producers to create content and upload it. Platfroms include Youtube, Facebook, Instagram

​​

Vertical Intergation

The Studio System and Independent Producers

The Cottage Trailer

Shifty Case Study

About Shifty

Production Company 42

Metrodome Distribition

Ben Pugh

Rory Aitken

SHIFTY 2008

The Microwave Scheme

The Microwave Scheme and Shifty

Shiftys Trailer

The theory of everything Case Study

About the theory of everything

The theory of everything 2014

Stephen Hawking

Eddie Redmayne and Stephen Hawking

Synergy

Methods of Production

Methods of Production

Methods of Production

Methods of Production