Author Archives: Catherine Balavage

Film Characters To Put Into Your Low Budget Film.

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The key to low-budget film-making is to have as few locations as possible. Locations and travel cost money.


Anna Paquin who is in the vampire TV show True Blood

Now, onto characters. You can’t afford to have a baseball player in your film if you want to see him in action. The key is having characters who can look authentic without renting expensive stadiums.

CIA agents are always popular in films. All you need is an actor in a suit, and, possibly, a fake gun. (If you are filming outside with a fake gun you must alert the authorities and tell them you will be filming in the area. Least you get shot by armed police thinking you are some kind of homicidal killer).

FBI agents: Ditto.

Waitress. Make a gritty, real life drama. It is relatively easy to talk a cafe owner into filming in their establishment for free. They will probably say yes for some publicity and a thank you in the credits.

People in love; everyone loves a good love story, and a happy ending. The purpose of film is to tell a story visually. Is there possibly an easier story to tell than a story about love and relationships. Something we all understand and go through?

Gangsters. a suit, a fake cockney accent and a fake gun. Brevity is the soul of low-budget film-making. Be careful when doing a gangster film though. They are heard to do well as Martin Scorsese has put the bar so high. You could make a good short if you have a good, original take on it.

Zombies; It’s easy to find a trainee make up artist who wants to add to their portfolio so your zombies will be authentic. It’s another popular genre.

Vampires; They are huge right now thanks to Twilight and True Blood. How hard is it to find some black clothes and fake blood? Bloody easy in fact.

More important than the genre and characters for a film is the script. An original film, well acted, and with a good script can beat any big budget blockbuster. Money is no longer a problem for independent filmmakers. You can make a film on a shoestring budget.

Photo credit: DarkChacal

Coming Up With Script Ideas.

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Sometimes it can be hard to think of a story that hasn’t been told. An original idea can be hard to have. Which is why it is important how you tell your story. Where to get these ideas? Here are some hints and tips.

Books, newspapers and magazines.
Out of copyright books are great. Ever wondered why there are so many Shakespeare films? It’s not just his writing. Copyright lasts for 100 years. After that, you’re good to go. Don’t turn your nose up at old books. Human emotion and nature doesn’t really change.

Getting stories from newspapers will make your film relevant and modern. Same thing with magazines. Editors commission articles that people will be interested in. You can choose something which you have some experience in to give the film an authentic edge.

Friends and family.
Though you may want to change some names and dates! Don’t worry too much, people rarely recognise themselves, especially their bad points.

Songs
I once wrote an entire script based on Johnny Cash’s “I Hung my Head”. My script got amazing feed back and people always tell me to sell it to the highest bidder.

Your personal experience.
Mine your life ruthlessly.

Relationships and break ups.
Something that everybody goes through. Always popular subjects and everyone has some stories to tell about theses subjects. Incredibly relatable.

Strangers.
Observe a lot. Note how people dress, move, act. What they say. A storyteller should always be a people watcher.

Brainstorm with friends.
Come up with ideas together. Do it the way that works for you. You can watch movies, listen to music, have a few beers. Whatever gets the creative juices flowing.

Hobbies and interests.
Write about what you know is the first rule of writing. Bring a fresh twist to one of your hobbies.

Political and historical events.
Get your facts as correct as possible and give it a fresh spin.

109 Scenes, 14 Locations, 17 Actors.

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I am finally making a feature film. Since I got my first camera when I was 14 I reckon I am slacking a bit. We have 109 Scenes, 14 Locations and 17 actors so far. It is a mammoth task which started today. We had a brilliant days filming and got quite a few scenes.


Prose & Cons came about when Richard Wright saw me tweet that I wanted to make a film with strong female characters. He handed me a 39 page script that he had written and told me to write the rest. I did. Richard was initially the director of Prose & Cons but we had some artistic differences and he has now left, proving that people can have artistic differences and remain friends afterwards. Richard is now a brilliant comedian making his way around the London circuit.

I am now directing the film with Steve McAleavy. Steve was originally the producer and DOP but his passion made it impossible for him to not direct with me. Steve is still DOP and producer.

Just before I wrote this I worked out the schedule for the film. Sorted out what scenes were filmed, what actors were needed and what props were needed. It is using all of the skills I have acquired during my decade long career.

I also cast the film. Needless to say it is a labour of love and a passion project. I have been turning down work and putting my time and effort into this film and so has Steve. We want to make the best film possible.

We previously did a night shoot in Hayes FM with the lovely Becky Talbot. We have a great cast, the best equipment and, finger’s crossed, it should all go well.

I will keep blogging about the making of the film. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.

Top Art Fairs

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If you love art you are probably going to want to go to as many exhibitions and art fairs as possible. The more art you see, the better your ‘eye’ will get and the more you will learn. There is so much art out there it’s hard to know where to begin.

If you really love art it’s worth taking a trip to London. October in London is art season. Art fair after art fair happens. I have visited Art London every year for the past four years, ditto with the Frieze Art Fair. Champagne, art, people watching. So much fun to be had. There is also the and that is just scratching the surface. You are spoilt for choice in London.

Frieze. Established in 2003. It takes place in London’s Regent Park every October. Frieze also has it’s own magazine There is also the Frieze in New York which will feature art from approximately 170 of the most exciting contemporary art galleries. It is massive. Almost impossible to do all in one day. Unless you make a day of it and have lunch there.

British Art Fair runs 12 – 16 September at the Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London. Champions Modern British art.

London Art Fair takes place 18-22 of January every year (all of the art fairs are every year, sometimes twice.)

Art London runs 6-10th of October. Art London is at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. I thoroughly recommend it. It is a brilliant art fair. The experience starts before you even step into the marque and there is also free champagne on the first night.

The Affordable Art Fair travels all around the globe.

And two that are not in London:

Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Runs June 14th-17th

The Armory Show, New York

Founded in 2000. Runs March 8-11.

100 Films That Have Stood The Test of Time.

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Films stand the test of time for a reason. Most of the films that do have a brilliant script and superb acting. So get some popcorn, here is my top 100 films. Disagree? Let us know what films you would choose.

girl-interrupted

1. Citizen Kane (1941) (Obvious but brilliant)
2. All About Eve (1950)
3. The Godfather (1972)
4. The Godfather II (1974)
5. Shawshank Redemption (1994)
6. 12 Angry Men (1957)
7. Ben Hur (1959)
8. The Lion King (1994)
9. Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. (1937)
10. The Breakfast Club (1985)
11. Jaws (1975)
12. Die Hard (1988)
13. Casablanca (1952)
14. The Jungle Book. (1967)
15. Dr Strangelove, Or How I learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb. (1964)
16. Caddyshack (1980)
17. Lawrence Of Arabia. (1962) This is Steven Spielberg’s favourite film, and for good reason.
18. The Life of Brian (1979)
19. Flight of The Phoenix (1965)
20. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
21. The Searchers. (1958)
22. Wizard of Oz (1939)
23. West Side Story (1961)
24. Girl Interrupted (1999)
25. On The Waterfront (1954)
26. Toy Story. (1995)
27. Dirty Dancing (1987)
28. Cleo From 5 to 7. (1962)
29. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
30. The Elephant Man (1980)
31. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
32. Annie Hall (1977)
33. Top Gun (1986)
34. The Big Sleep (1946)
35. Grease (1978)
36. Stand By Me (1986)
37. Rocky (1976)
38. Psycho (1960)
39. Goodfellas (1990)
40. The Omen (1976)
41. Raider’s of the Lost Ark. (1981)
42. Don’t Look Now (1973)
43. E.T. (1982)
44. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
45. To Kill a Mocking Bird. (1962)
46. Star Wars (1977)
47. American Beauty. (1999)
48. A Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)
49. Rear Window (1954)
50. High Society (1956)
51. North By Northwest (1959)
52. Oliver (1968)
53. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
54. Mary Poppins (1964)
55. True Grit (1969)
56. The Sound of Music (1965)
57. A Bridge Over the River Kwai. (1957)
58. Alien (1979)
59. The Longest Day. (1962)
60. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. (1958)
61. Brief Encounter (1945)
62. Pretty Women (1990)
63. Some Like It Hot. (1959)
64. The Great Escape (1963)
65. Rebecca (1940)
66. Gone With The Wind (1939)
67. Sullivan’s Travels. (1941)
68. The Apartment. (1960)
69. The Philadelphia Story. (1940)
70. Home Alone (1990)
71. The African Queen. (1951)
72. To Catch a Thief (1955)
73. Double Indemnity (1944)
74. Badlands (1973)
75. A Room with a View (1985)
76. Back to the Future (1985)
77. Karate Kid. (1984)
78. Reservoir Dogs(1992)
79. East of Eden (1955)
80. Mystic River (2003)
81. Pulp Fiction (1994)
82. Saving Private Ryan (1994)
83. Ghostbusters (1984)
84. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
85. Sleepless In Seattle (1993)
86. The Goonies (1985)
87. One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest (1975)
88. Halloween (1978)
89. Blade Runner (1982)
90. Thelma and Louise (1991)
91. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
92. Schindler’s List (1993)
93. La Dolce Vita (1961)
94. Leon (1994)
95. His Girl Friday (1940)
96. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
97. My Fair Lady (1964)
98. The Unforgiven (1992) “It’s a hell of a thing to kill a man, you take everything he’s got, and everything he’ll ever have.”
99. Shenandoah (1965)
100. Apocalypse Now (1979) “I wanted a mission, and for my sins, they gave me one.”

 

 

Is It Art?

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Art can be controversial. With the comment ‘That’s not art’ a common thing, especially in the face of modern art. But is it a fair comment? Well, it’s a matter of taste but I now have a theory: If something makes you ask ‘Is it art?’, then it is art, because it made you ask the question, it made you think. It’s also different from saying ‘that’s NOT art’.

Modern artist don’t have to draw, paint or even (controversial thing) have talent. Sure, they will have imagination, but they can just put their unmade bed in a gallery or all the names of people they have slept with (Tracey Emin) or pickle a shark and cut it in half (Damien Hirst, incidentally worth over £100 million, financially, one of the most successful artists in history). They can take black dummies and dress them as the SS in Nazi uniforms, complete with swastikas. (Jake and Dino Chapman) I remember watching a documentary on the Chapman brothers a few years ago and one of them, Jake or Dino, who knows?, walked around an art gallery and contemptuously pointed out a drawing of Will Smith that a talented artist had done, as it takes a lot of talent to draw well, and sneered ‘What is the point of that?’. Well, what wasn’t the point? It was someone drawing a portrait of a famous people. That is what art mostly was for centuries. It was good and it was, without a doubt, art.

Now, although it may seem like it, I am not attacking Emin, Hirst or the Chapman’s. I think they do have talent. Hirst particularly. They are different, avant garde. But can you be an artist without the talent to draw or paint? Evidently you can. From Duchamp’s urinal to Jackson Pollack’s splatter paintings art opinion has always been divided.

But I still think it takes more than putting something in an art gallery to make it art. And more importantly, I think it takes talent to make it good, and that is what it really comes down to: good art.

Winston Churchill once said: ‘Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse.’

UN Women UK comments on Queen’s Speech

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The Queen’s Speech on Wednesday 9th May caused quite a bit of controversy from quite a few sources. It also prompted UN Women to comment on flexible working practices.

Jan Grasty, President of the UK National Committee of UN Women, which focuses on encouraging economic empowerment for women as a route to education, career progression as well as benefitting society as a whole, comments on the recent Queen’s Speech:

“There are some welcome announcements from the Queen’s Speech, which offers opportunity for women to continue in their careers through moves to make parental leave more flexible. At the same time, we are seeing many employers in the UK taking steps to mitigate and challenge unconscious gender bias in the workplace, providing parents with greater flexibility in the workplace.

“These companies recognise the benefit of retaining staff – especially women – after they have children. Of these organisations, many have signed the CEO Statement of Support for the UN Women/UN Global Compact Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), launched in the UK last week. These principles offer businesses of all sizes a set of guidelines to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community with the goal of creating a better working environment for all and improving financial performance for the company.

There is still a long way to go however, and potential remains for both Governments and corporate thought-leaders to implement flexible parental leave policies, particularly within small and medium-sized organisations or those companies working in sectors which have historically been male-dominated. There are many reasons for wanting to take extended leave and return from it, raising children, caring for elderly or infirm relatives are just some of them, and all can apply for men and women.”

The Queen Looks as unamused with former President Bush as some were with the 2012 Queen's Speech.


1) Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality

2) Treat all women and men fairly at work – respect and support human rights and non-discrimination

3) Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers

4) Promote education, training and professional development for women

5) Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women

6) Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy

7) Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality

Have your say.

7-49 UP DVD

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Arguably the best documentary series ever made for British television and certainly the longest running factual programme in the history of UK TV, The release of 7-49 Up is now out on DVD. The flagship ITV series about children from different social backgrounds made between 1964 and 2005 as they evolve through life will be available to buy on DVD for the first time in the UK in a 6-disc set,

The first instalment of 7-UP was broadcast in 1964 as a one-off World in Action special, featuring children talking about their hopes and dreams for the future. As members of the generation who would be running the country by the year 2000, what did they think they would become? Inspired by World In Action founder editor Tim Hewat’s passionate interest in both the Jesuit saying: “Give me the child until he is seven and I will show you the man,” and the rigid class system of 1960s Britain, Seven Up set out to discover whether or not the children’s lives were pre-determined by their background.

This forward thinking television show – the very first example of a programme recording real people living real lives – and the follow-up documentaries – have won an array of accolades and awards. Director Michael Apted, who has since moved to Hollywood to direct films, has returned every seven years to chart the children’s progress through life. Over the past five decades, the series has documented the group as they have become adults and entered middle-age, dealing with everything life has thrown at them in between.