quote:

---

or are really picky about what subjects they are willing to fund (nothing controversal, which is what they see my proposed film to be)

---

This is a problem when asking the government to fund your film - the people with the money determine the subject matter. Come to think of it, that happens with private investors too.

Sorry I can?t help you make such a personal decision but here in the States the government doesn?t fund independent films at all. But I do have a question:

quote:

---

give in and make a documentary about the enviornment that I don't want to do,

---

Would this documentary be paid for by the government? Some independent filmmakers in the States write movies for money - movies they don?t really want to write - and then use the money and connections to make the movies they want to. David Mamet and John Sayles come to mind.

Why don?t you make that documentary? It seems to me any work is better than no work.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

True, but it's just they have want docs that benefit the UK rather than entertain.

Yeah, field hockey will suck now.

quote:

---

they want docs that benefit the UK

---

I suspect you mean 'docs that benefit the government', as most 'environmental documentaries' are intended to justify government policies, not to actually benefit the people of the country.

But, yes, I'd forget governemnt funding in the UK: it's just another crock of politicised, corrupt pork-barreling like everything else the government here does... most of the money goes to those who have mates on the funding body, not to people who'll make good movies.

The people who are spending the money are the people who decide what movies to fund.

This is true with private investors, too.

If the government wants to fund docs that benefit the UK - even if only to justify government policies - that seems reasonable to me. It?s difficult to get funds to make the movie you want to make. I suspect it?s even more difficult to get government money to make the movie you want to make.

quote:

---

Originally posted by cack handed gibbon

True, but it's just they have want docs that benefit the UK rather than entertain.

---

I?m still wondering why you don?t give in and make a documentary about the environment. You?re young - you?ll make many movies in your career. If the government will give you money to make a movie it seems to me that?s good experience regardless of the subject matter.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

Problem is though is that they still haven't responded to my proposal. So, I bet I'm going to have to look somewhere else. But I still don't know whether to wait another 9 months or form a production company, double the length of my script to make it a feature to get funding from the film council. I'm only looking at ?3000 at the most because I can shoot in my home town for free. Or just spend ?300 on a mini DV and sod the investors.

Yeah, field hockey will suck now.

quote:

---

Originally posted by cack handed gibbon

Problem is though is that they still haven't responded to my proposal. So, I bet I'm going to have to look somewhere else.

---

You are probably right. It's always a good idea to look at multible funding sources. Funding a movie can take a long time. If you wait to hear "No" from one before even looking for another, it can take even longer.

quote:

---

But I still don't know whether to wait another 9 months or form a production company, double the length of my script to make it a feature to get funding from the film council. I'm only looking at ?3000 at the most because I can shoot in my home town for free. Or just spend ?300 on a mini DV and sod the investors.

---

Hopefully you'll hear from someone who can make this very personal decision. I don't know what you should do.

I can tell you that I wouldn't wait. I'd make the movie now. And then I'd make a few more. When I was your age NOTHING stopped me from making movies every weekend.

Sorry I couldn't be more help. Here in the States I've never faced having to wait for the government to give me money to make a movie. They just don't do it so I have to find money without them.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

Thanks anyway.

Yeah, field hockey will suck now.

Now I have had talks with my writing partner and a few mates and we have decided to group up and form a production company. There is 5 of us in all so the costs of registering a company won't be as steep as it would be doing it all myself. Now I have to learn how to do a business plan and find out how much registering is. If anyone can point me in the right direction will be a great help.

Yeah, field hockey will suck now.

I typed "business register UK" on google and found a few for you:

?url? http://www.anewbusiness.co.uk/frameset.htm?/url?
?url? http://www.trade.uktradeinvest.gov.uk/register.shtml?/url?
?url? http://www.findspot.com/register-a-new-business.htm?/url?

There?s a great book called
Filmmakers and Financing: Business Plans for Independents, Fourth Edition by Louise Levison

I then typed "business plan UK" in google and found several sites. This one seemed interesting:
?url? http://www.sharpangle.com/filmbusinessplans/filmbusinessplans.html?/url?