| Tougher Climate Calls for More Ingenuity |
|
|
|
|
Page 2 of 2 "Mermaids was just the right film at the right time" Sheila McCarthy as Polly in I've Heard the Mermaids SingingRaffé and Rozema rushed Mermaids into production, then sent it to the Cannes Film Festival where the taste for quirky art films was strong. The rest, as Raffé says, is history. The film made money for years and won enthusiastic critical acclaim. Raffé can still feel the thrill of being in the grand palais at Cannes after the film's premiere there, and the rapture of the 10-minute standing ovation. "It was just the right film at the right time." Now, the Zeitgeist is different. During the 1990s, concern about deficits cast a cloud over each level of government. The institutions once set up to help filmmakers take creative risks suddenly became fearful of innovation as their budgets shrank. Today, producers have to piece together a jigsaw of funding sources So how would she do it if she were starting today? Raffé says she would load up on experience long before she sought out money. She would also try to work in a small company where she could speak regularly to the principals and soak up information. She says it's imperative to learn to talk to writers, directors, distributors, broadcasters and sales agents. Today, one of the first places to go for money for a feature film is to the broadcasters, who may support it with a licensing fee. Once broadcasters are on board, the next step is to find a distributor. "Making a film is an act of faith, it's not a business. But you have to do it in a business-like way" Raffé says she would also search for a mentor and find an executive producer. "It makes funders feel that there's a 'grownup' on the set," she says. The final, critical piece of advice? Make sure that the director and the film editor go over the script and discuss every shot. It's a terrific way to save filming time and therefore lots of money. "Making a film is an act of faith, it's not a business," she says. "But you have to do it in a business-like way."  |
