Gritty Film's Budget Doubled By Internet Appeal
8 June 2012
Caught in the Headlights, showing actor Neal Higham as main character, taxi driver 'Keith'.
Crowd funding is just being recognised as one of the most important ways of financing film production
”Tom Craig, University Programme Leader for Film Studies, and Film and Television Studies
Students filming in Derby.
A film about a taxi driver's misadventures on Derby's 'mean streets' saw its budget double after its University of Derby creators sought funding through the internet.
Caught in the Headlights is a ten minute short drama about taxi driver, 'Keith', and the series of escalating problems he faces when pursuing a young man who runs off without paying his fare. The film is among those shot as final year projects by University BA (Hons) Film and Video Production degree students, to be shown at their Degree Shows screening at Derby's QUAD Centre at 7pm this Monday 11 June
In addition to the film night the final year Degree Shows by students from visual communications, textiles, product design, fine art, photography, creative expressive therapies and many other courses can also currently be seen for free at the University's Markeaton Street and Britannia Mill sites in Derby, until 12 June.
Caught in the Headlights, written by Adam Lock, features professional actors, particularly Neal Higham as 'Keith' and Derby actor Joseph Maudsley as his main adversary.
It was financed through an online method called 'crowd funding'. The student film-makers set up a 'pitch page' on a website called 'Indiegogo' where independent film-makers can talk about their film, and provide trailers and other information, with a view to attracting funding.
Final year student Christopher Bevan, the film's director and producer, said: "People can pledge very small to large amounts, with the 'thanks' they get rising from an online acknowledgment, to a film credit, to perhaps even a walk-on part in the film.
"We'd hoped to raise £1,000 for our film but we got almost double that because we stuck at it, constantly refreshing our 'pitch page' and updating potential sponsors on how things were going."
The additional cash has meant the film-makers could hire extra technical equipment to improve the look of the film, mostly shot at night, including the Canon C300, a camera with excellent 'low light' filming capabilities.
Iron Sky, a full-length spoof science-fiction film about Nazis living on the moon, saw its UK cinema release last month (May) after its independent makers spent years raising the millions of pounds needed through online crowd funding.
Caught in the Headlights' makers - University students Christopher, Adam Lock, Karl Poyzer, Silvia De Abreu, Jason White, Felix Harber, Grant Murphy and Benjamin Hodge - intend to use the additional money they raised to further develop the short drama and show it at film festivals in London and elsewhere.
"Many successful directors start off with these sorts of short films as a 'calling card', to go on to greater things," added Christopher.
Other short films by the University BA (Hons) Film and Video Production final year students being shown at the QUAD centre on June 11 include:
- Tomorrow is Nothing - a couple comes to terms with their lives as the world ends
- Fear - a man is pursued by the former employer he double-crossed
- Blood Amongst The Ashes - family and friends deal with the aftermath of a young man's suicide
- Human Touch - depicting the effects of mental illness on a mother and son's relationship.
Tom Craig, University Programme Leader for Film Studies, and Film and Television Studies, added: "Crowd funding is just being recognised as one of the most important ways of financing film production.
"Christopher, and indeed many other students on the BA (Hons) Film and Video Production course, are at the cutting edge of this trend and well positioned to take their place within the British film industry."
A website giving more information about the University's 'Transitions' film night can be found at www.transitions-derby.co.uk
For more information about the University of Derby's whole 2012 Degree Shows programme go to website www.derby.ac.uk/degreeshow
Media requiring more information should contact Press and PR Officer Sean Kirby on 01332 591891 or 7876 476103, or email: s.kirby@derby.ac.uk
