The edit is moving along nicely and everything is coming together really well, we’ve got our Red workflow sorted, the lads’ performances are spot on and the footage is stunning - no complaints with the visuals...In the meantime as the picture suggests I have been sourcing and pricing the archive footage that we need to complete the scene. It’s not a complicated scene and the archive footage is just to provide cutaways over an interview that describes why Geordies and Mackems dislike each other. So far I received quotes of £30 per second, £300 per minute and £12000 for (yes you read that correctly twelve thousand pounds) for 10 seconds of footage from the 1990 NUFC v SAFC 1st Division Playoffs! So now you can see the reason for the title of the blog post - and it’s not just the owners of archive material who stand to make a load of cash out of filmmakers...it seems to be everyone but the filmmakers.
You see this is how it works - the filmmaker comes up with the idea, writes the script, raises the finance, makes the film, edits the film and then tries to get it in front of an audience. Along the way the sales agent takes a commission, the distributor takes a percentage and the exhibitor takes a fee, the lawyers, accountants, consultants and bankers take a slice, the funders, financiers including RSA’s and the UKFC take their chunk then and only then do the producers actually get to see their piece of the pie - which of course they then have to share with all of the cast and crew! This is why I can find myself somewhat resentful when I’m having to share a room in Cannes (thanks Dawn) while all around me I see people staying on yachts (100,000 Euros per week - without staff) or in top hotels (where a small round of drinks can easily set you back 100 quid)! Sometimes I do genuinely wonder if we are in the wrong game!!!