Chris Jones Blog

New Digital Film Makers Pocketbook nears completion

We are getting very close to completing the all new Digital Film Makers Pocketbook – a guerilla film makers handbook for the digital age. And isn’t it tiny!

In fact isn’t this 'mock up' tiny, this isn’t the final book.

And actually, this isn’t the final cover either (it's with a designer now), but it is the final size!

So you get the idea.

All this week, while I have been running around with Judy, working on our as yet unannounced feature film project for a Hollywood studio, ace production manager Helen Taylor has been permanently wired into a Skype account and ringing around the film business, attracting companies to sponsor sections of the book – there are ten sections, and so the opportunity for ten sponsors.

We aren’t really selling it as advertising, more just a logo, a few lines about the company and contact details – pretty much what we did with The Guerilla Film Makers Movie Blueprint.

And so far, even though we are in a credit crunch induced recession, we are doing pretty well – or rather, Helen is doing very well. I think it’s partly to do with the brand, the fact we have been writing for 15 years, have sold over 100,000 copies and this is our seventh book! And of course, Helen’s charm on the end of the phone certainly helps too. Not to mention her dogged persistence!

So this new book is smaller and shinier, but it’s the familiar house style mix of inspirational case studies as well as tips and expert advice. The plan now is to launch the book at the Cannes Film Festival 2010, with a big swanky party, much like the one we had for the last British book when we threw a bash on a boat in the marina (pic right). It was a very cool night!

So if you know anyone who might want sponsor a section in the book, send them to me, or show them this PDF here...

Onwards and upwards!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspirit.com
[email protected]

Interviewing Eran Creevy about 'Shifty'

The final interview I did for the Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook last week was with writer and director of Microwave Brit feature ‘Shifty’, Eran Creevy. Immediately likeable and extremely energetic, it’s not hard to see how Eran has achieved so much in so little time. In only a few years, he has gone from runner to directing commercials, to now directing his first feature ‘Shifty’, which is based loosely on his friends while growing up.

It was hard to get a word in edgeways with him, but I will tell you one of his more revealing stories about his commitment to success and how he got his first break. He had put himself up for running on anything he could get a break on, and as it turned out, that was with Mathew Vaughn’s production company on ‘Stardust’. He was interviewed by an ex marine who clearly ran a tight ship. Part of his job was to keep the cast in tip top shape – and as Eran was a fitness enthusiast, he was asked if he could help train one of the actors... The answer Eran gave was of course, ‘yes…’

‘Then you can pick him up tomorrow, you have a car?’ he was asked.

Again Eran replied… ‘yes’

Eran got the job. The only problem was, Eran didn’t have a car. In fact he didn’t know how to driveor even had a provisional licence. He called a pal and asked if he could be taught to drive by Monday (it was Friday). His friend advised him, ‘don’t be stupid, you will get someone killed… you will have to go back and tell them…’

The thought of going back to apologise to an angry ex marine would scare off most people. But Eran went back in and said ‘I am sorry, I don’t have a driving licence, I can't drive…’ It was like staring down the barrel of a gun as the heavily tattooed ex marine PM said… ‘are you telling me you came in here and lied to me? Just to get the job?’

Long pause.

‘Yes…’

The ex marine leans forward, the table groaning under the weight of his muscular body…

‘You looked me in the eye and lied?’

Long pause.

‘Yes…’

Long pause. A smile.

‘I like you kid, you are definitely hired.’

Guts, determination and charisma. Eran has it in spades. The complete interview will be in the new Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook when it hits the shelves later this year.

Onwards and upwards!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspirit.com
[email protected]

Enter... The Black Hole...

‘People laughed at the end of the screening, and we thought huh, this isn’t funny is it? It’s an indictment of human greed…’ Said co-director Olly Williams, proving that artists don’t always know what they have created.

 If you have not seen it, do yourself a treat now and watch this two minute gen above, of click the link here to YouTube (rember to click the HQ and full screen buttons). I interviewed the film makers (Phil and Ollie) last week for the upcoming Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook. What’s incredible about this short is that it has generated nearly 6 million hits on YouTube, and the boys who made it, are now seeing revenue from that success. By their own words, it’s a fraction of a penny per click, but when you are in the millions of hits, that all adds up. More on maximising YouTube will be in the book.

The Black Hole also won the Virgin Media Shorts competition last year which meant the boys were able to go off and shoot another movie with the £30k cash prize… It’s going be a tough act to follow.

Onwards and upwards!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspirit.com
[email protected]

The All New Digital Guerilla Film Makers Pocket Book!

We have begun work on a new Guerilla Film Makers book, not an update to the last one, but a whole new book. It’s going to be called The Digital Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook. Yes you guessed, it’s going to be tiny but very dense. The focus is going to be entirely on ultra low budget / micro budget film making on digital formats. The original Guerilla Film Makers Handbook will still be kept up to date, this is not a replacement for that weighty tome – the original book, which has grown into a dense encyclopaedia, will always have a place on your shelf as a reference. This new pocketbook will have its place too, in your pocket or bag, and it will be a reference for when you are on a shoot, inspiration for when you have 20 mins to kill on a bus, and it will all be bang up to date with tips and tricks you need to bring your masterpiece in on budget, then get it out there to be seen.

We are some way down the road now and soon we will be looking to interview film makers who have had various misadventures with their own micro budget films. So if you know of any that may have dropped off our radar, drop us a line here… [email protected]

We are also planning a big accompanying website for the readers, where loads of extra content will be available, including things like regular podcasts, contracts and forms, as well as top notch video interviews.

It’s going to be AWESOME! Whenever we learn anything new you can be sure we will let you all know via the blog here, or twitter. We will also be running special events and parties, so get on our newsgroup (you can join by adding your email to the newsgroup box to the right here).

Onwards and upwards!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspirit.com
[email protected]

US Indie Guerilla Film Makers... Literally!

There’s a new film making book out there, a kind of Rebel Without A Crew for 2009, called ‘Either You’re In or You’re In The Way’, about Logan and Noah Miller, who managed to make a top notch US indie feature called ‘Touching Home’, starring Ed Harris. They had no past experience, contacts or budget. We like it already! I bought a copy, and it is a ripping read for sure, full of detail, inspiration, passion and humour… But on page 29 I was astonished to find this passage…

ON THE DRIVE back to L.A. we listened to Bob Dylan and stared out the window at the passing farmland. When we arrived at our apartment, we threw our bags inside and walked to the bookstore. There was no time for self-pity. It was time to find out what we didn't know.

One month had already been ripped from the calendar. We needed to make a battle plan, devise a strategy for the road ahead. We wanted books by people who had actually made movies, not academic works on moviemaking, but practical experience from frontline soldiers. We walked over to the entertainment section and plunged in.

Two hours later:

"We need to buy these," Logan said, holding a stack of books.
"You're out of your mind," Noah said, adding up the sticker prices in his head. "We came here to read, not buy. If it's important, write it down."

"What do you want me to do, write down the whole damn book?"

"I don't know. Figure it out. You're a smart guy. We ain't buying anything."

"We're buying them."

"You got money?!" Noah yelled. "`Cause 1 ain't got any money! Unless you got a stash 1 don't know about."

Noah has a flair for loud candor. He yells in public. He's the asshole who has the argument in the crowded elevator. It's not as if he's deliberately rude, because as soon as you point out he's yelling and disturbing others, he whispers. Yelling is just his habit of communication. He's what a therapist might call "passionate."

"I guarantee that whatever we spend on these books we'll make back a hundredfold," Logan said, pounding his fist into the cover of the Guerrilla Filmmaker's Handbook. He turned over the book and read the tagline to Noah. "The Guerilla Filmmaker's Handbook is the definitive guide. Buy it and save yourself thousands of dollars . . ."

The sales pitch hung in the air. Noah grabbed the book and flipped through it. We barely had enough money for rent. The business of death had drained our savings.

Fifteen minutes later Noah looked up from the book, a religious transformation in his eyes.

"We gotta buy this."

Blimey! I gotta get in touch with these guys! As it would happen, we are also working on a new Guerilla Film Makers Handbook project (a completely new volume) and we are looking to include as many micro budget success stories as we can, to add to our current list of ‘micro budget must see movies and must find out how they did it…’ I have seen quite a few of these films on my travels to festivals over the last year, but I also know that so many have slipped through the net… maybe you may have seen one or two…

So have you seen or heard of an exceptional micro budget film? Something that has gained critical success? Something that has gained awards, or even ended up with a great TV / DVD or cinema release? Something inspiring? If you have, drop us a line with your thoughts (even better, with any contact details if you know or have met the film makers) here [email protected].

We are trying to draw up an extraordinary list of international success stories that will help empower and inspire all emerging film makers. This will form a large part of this new project we are undertaking.

Onwards and upwards!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author

www.livingspirit.com
[email protected]