Sargent-Disc BAFTA Filmmakers' Market, 13 July 2013

Earlier this year, BAFTA and Sargent-Disc announced a new partnership in continuing the Filmmakers' Market - an event that has been run for the past several years with support from Rushes Soho Shorts. Following the unfortunate closure of the festival last year, Sargent-Disc offered to become a partner for the event.

Annual Opportunity for Filmmakers

The day had proven immensely successful in recent years, having provided information and networking opportunities to a mix of filmmaking professionals including independent producers, directors, production managers, casting directors and more. Sargent-Disc were delighted with the opportunity to help continue this annual event. This year, the Filmmakers' Market was held on Saturday 13 July.

Kick-Off

The first session, 'Budgeting and Scheduling', was presented by The Production Guild. Joining Chief Executive Alison Small were Terry Bamber, Samantha Waite and Nick O'Hagan. A wealth of valuable advice from the experienced panel made for an informative session. Here's a small selection:

• Be thorough with your breakdown when creating a schedule, particularly following script re-writes
• There can never be too much information in a schedule
• Make sure you know how much money you can raise to get a good start to a script breakdown
• An Assistant Director's role is to give the director as much time as possible for them to do their job
• Movie Magic software allows for easy organisation

         Photo: Jonathan Birch/BAFTA

Film Festivals

Following 'Budgeting and Scheduling', the David Lean room hosted 'Meet the Festival Programmers', with a plethora of established film festival figures: Kate Gerova (Birdseye View Film Festival); Michael Blyth (London Film Festival); Ian Francis (Flatpack Film Festival); Emma Smart (London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival); Louis Savy (London Sci-Fi Film Festival); Philip Ilson (London Short Film Festival); and Tom Vincent (Bradford International Film Festival). An interesting piece of advice came from Louis Savy, who dismissed the importance of a press pack when trying to enter a film into a film festival, with the preferred method of selecting a film 'that is good and stands on its own terms'.

Expert Advice from Professionals

Also featured were sessions on the business aspects of filmmaking. The first, 'Finding and Working with an Agent', was given by representatives from Sara Putt (leading independent UK agency for film and television) and Sayle Screen (agency for film, television and theatre). Matthew Bates and Kate Watson delivered advice on the prerequisites of finding an agent, what services they provide and how their contacts network can help to improve their clients' opportunities.

More on this session >

Subsequently, a discussion on film finance commenced with 'EIS Funding and the Film Tax Credit', with Abigail Payne (Harbottle and Lewis), Charles Levesque (EIS specialist) and Neil Thompson (Producer and Director).

Crowdfunding

Meanwhile, in the Princess Anne Theatre, 3 fascinating sessions were also taking place. 'The Trials, Techniques and Triumphs of Crowdfunding', led by Director of Advance Films David Pope, assembled an interesting, diverse panel of speakers including Ultra Culture blog-writer Charlie Lyne, Director Ben Blaine, Producer Rebecca Johnson and entrepreneur/founder of Please Fund Us, Tarkan Ahmet. The session covered aspects such as: designing a good pitch; creating worthwhile rewards and incentives; and the importance of realism when planning a crowdfunding campaign.

More on this session >

        Photo: Jonathan Birch/BAFTA

From Amateur to Auteur

'The Director's Masterclass' provided what was, for many people, a highlight of the Filmmakers' Market. The panel included: Neil Marshall (Centurion; Game of Thrones), Penny Woolcock (One Mile Away, On the Streets) and Bharat Nalluri (Spooks, Torchwood), who reminisced on their progression as directors; undoubtedly one of the most challenging areas to break into within the film industry. On the subject of maintaining authority as a director on set, a memorable piece of advice came from Penny Woolcock: 'Be nice, but always shout once to avoid the perception of weakness!'

        Photo: Jonathan Birch/BAFTA

Scouting Talent

The 'New Talent Summit' concluded the day's main sessions, headed by Editor of Screen International, Wendy Mitchell. The speakers represented a list of established institutions: Deborah Sathe (Film London); David Segal Hamilton (BFI Film Fund); Nik Powell (National Film and Television Schoool); Tom Leggett (Film4); and Tristan Goligher (Creative England's iFeatures 2). A particularly important message came from the session, agreed upon by all speakers: no matter what your profession in the film industry, keep working, be it on a commercial, music video, or a small budget television programme. Hopefully, a feature film opportunity will follow.

        Photo: Jonathan Birch/BAFTA

Showcase and Screenings

While the above sessions took place, the Run Run Shaw Theatre was used for screenings of short films as well as some Q&As with representatives of film institutions. Participants included: London Film School; Underwire Film Festival; Sheffield Doc Fest; the National Film and Television School; London Short Film Festival; and BAFTA LA. These intimate screenings gave ticketholders the opportunity to enjoy a selection of the best short films that represent these institutions' content, supplemented by further information from the hosts.

The Boardroom

Small sessions were also provided in the Boardroom for expert advice sessions with established bodies such as: Casting Director Amanda Tabak; Review Editor of independent magazine Little White Lies David Jenkins; Ed Hicks (RADA); Agniezska Moody (Media Desk UK); Polly Stokes (Film4); Anna Macdonald and Rachel Wardlow (London Film Academy); and writer Clive Bradley. These consultations provided attendees with the chance to gain direct and individual advice from professional experts.

The day concluded with networking drinks, attended by ticket-holders, speakers and staff.

It was a pleasure for Sargent-Disc to support this year's Filmmakers' Market, and we look forward to continuing this fantastic event with BAFTA. Thanks to all involved for helping to create such an inspiring and informative day.

Extra Content

The BAFTA Guru Team have created a Podcast> of the Sargent-Disc BAFTA Filmmakers' Market, featuring discussion with festival programmers, agents, reviewers and more.

There's also a blog> entitled 'Ten Tips on Music Clearance for Your Film', with advice from Peter Lawson and Mark Allen from ThinkSync Music, who were in attendance at the Filmmakers' Market.