What is the difference between
www.filmspringopen.eu and other film websites?
Other websites usually feature only the works
(films) posted by their authors while www.filmspringopen.eu is a
VIRTUAL FILM STUDIO, a place where we will not only be presenting our
work, but also getting together to jointly produce and advertise our
movies.
What is the purpose of www.filmspringopen.eu?
We want to create a VIRTUAL FILM STUDIO that can be used by filmmakers
from various countries as an online platform where they can come
together to make a film: work on the script together and then jointly
organize the production and postproduction of the movie, also including
the distribution of the finished film.
We also want to create a community of filmmakers who are not prepared
to wait but are ready to go ahead and change the existing system of
making films.
What is the difference between FilmSpring and
FilmSpringOpen?
FilmSpring is an annual workshop where participants
are sponsored by film institutions from their countries to make their
films under production and educational supervision, which is also sponsored
by the institutions. FilmSpringOpen, on the other hand, is a project open
to everyone and makes use of experiences gained in the course of the
FilmSpring projects.
Is English the language we have to use on
www.filmspringopen.eu?
English is required on the generally accessible
forums. As administrators of www.filmspringopen.eu we are legally
required to remove posts that violate the rules and regulations that
apply to the website. On the other hand, in the production rooms that
are off limits to unauthorized users, the FSO members may use any
language they like.
How do you propose to go about distributing the
movies made via www.filmspringopen.eu?
One of the goals of www.filmspringopen.eu is to
create an international filmmaking community that will not only be
making movies but also bringing them to audiences. We want to organize
mini-festivals of our films in the countries our members come from. At
the annual Film Spring Festival we will be screening and awarding films
made by members of our community and via our platform. Our focus is not
just on making movies. We plan to launch our Online Film Spring Cinema
which will be showing our films and serving as a discussion forum where
anybody can talk to the filmmakers. In the 21st century it is no longer
enough to produce a good film - the film also needs to be effectively
advertised.
If a film made via www.filmspringopen.eu gets
sold, how will the profits from this sale be split?
All the profits go to the people who made the film.
The website Administrator will not collect any fees. The manner of
distributing profits to members of the film crew should be agreed at
the very start of each project. The FSO organizers want to hold a
discussion on the forum and eventually propose a formula for dividing
up the profits between the artist and non-artist members of the film
crew.
Who owns copyright to the films made via
www.filmspringopen.eu?
Copyright is owned by the people who made the film.
The www.filmspringopen.eu Administrator reserves the right to use
material from the films made via the website to cut full-length
features that will be used for promotional purposes. If such features
get sold, the Administrator will collect a percentage of the profits,
previously agreed with the original film makers, as compensation for
production costs.
Is it only feature films that can be made via
FilmSpringOpen?
You can make all kinds of films with us. Our
ambition is to one day have the forum participants make multi-themed,
interactive films allowing the viewers to actively affect their plot.
Registration
Why do we have to register? Is registration
necessary if we want to take part in FilmSpringOpen?
Registration is necessary since it is the only way
to protect the website against unauthorized intrusion. All personal
data provided by our participants serves only to authorize and protect
their posts and will not be made available to anyone else.
Who can join www.filmspringopen.eu?
Filmmakers of all professions. All those who put their talent
and efforts into making films are welcome to join. Our website is
for everyone, also for those who are only entering the world of
filmmaking. Our goal is to bring together all people working on a
film and make a creative team (which will also include sound artists
and visual effects artists).
What if my profession is not on FilmSpringOpen's
list of professions?
You need to find a related profession and register
there. For example, if you are a gaffer, you should register in the
Cinematographers category. Here is the list of professional groups and
related professions: Producer (Production Managers, Transport, Accountant,
Publicity), Director (Assistant Directors, Casting, Continuity), Scriptwriter (Story Board Artist), Actor (Stunts, Hair and Make up Artist, Costume), Cinematographer (Camera Operator, Focus Puller, Gaffer- Light,
Grips-Dolly, Rigger, Digital Grading, Video Assist), Composer, Sound Artist (Boom Operator, Post Production Editing and
Mixing), Production Designe (Art Director, Set Decorating, Prop Master,
Armoury,Costume Designer), Editor (Assistant Editor), Visual Effects Artist (2D CGI and 3D CGI, Animation, Special
Effects).
I’m a young filmmaker and at the moment do not have
any works I could present. Can I register nevertheless?
Of course you can. Even if you have no track record
yet, there is always something you can offer the other FilmSpringers.
You can volunteer to be their driver or assistant and in this way get
an opportunity to learn your trade ─and also become co-owner of the
movie you will help to make.
I'm an actor. Does joining www.filmspringopen.eu
make any sense for me?
Yes. In addition to advertising yourself and
posting the movies you were in or your demo reel on
www.filmspringopen.eu , you can offer others a whole lot of things:
your ideas, your work other than acting, anything that you can give in
return for a part in a film. Sitting back and waiting is particularly
devastating for actors. You can come to www.filmspringopen.eu with a
very clear offer: This is what I can give if I get a good part in the
film in return.
Is there any point in evaluating the work (films)
of the other FilmSpringOpen participants?
Only registered members of www.filmspringopen.eu
have the right to evaluate the work of others. When judging others, we
must not forget that others will be judging us too. What we have here
is our own internal classification mechanism which may be helpful in
selecting the people we would like to work with.
My offer
Why is My Offer an important section and what is
it that I can offer there?
We do not want to just sit back and wait for money
to come our way. We want to generate the money ourselves. Making a film
is not just about a script and artists, but also about tools and hard
work of the entire crew. Whatever you have to give can be useful in the
filmmaking process. Even an old car can be used to drive some of the
crew to the set. Someone may want to shoot in Paris but cannot afford a
hotel there, while you may live in Paris and be willing to provide a
roof over that person's head for the duration of his or her shoot. You
want to be a part of a film crew in order to learn something. You can
offer to be a driver or someone's assistant. If you are an actor and
want a part in the movie, you can perhaps offer to co-produce it.
Ideas and Script Forum
I have an idea for a movie and I would like to
discuss it with others and also find people who could help me write the
script. What should I do?
Give your idea a title and use it to start a new
discussion thread in the Ideas and Script Forum. Describe your idea and
outline the problems or doubts that are bothering you. And then just
wait for the other FilmSpringers to react.
1.The discussions in the Ideas and Script Forum
are multi-threaded. What does that mean?
Discussions on the forum can be conducted in a
linear fashion, that is to say by responding to the latest post, but
you can also go off to discuss related threads or respond to older
posts.
1.Do we always have to go to the Ideas and Script
Forum first to begin our work? Can we not get a password-protected
Production Room straight away?
Sure you can. The forum is just a public place where
you can air your ideas, filter the ideas proposed by others and look for
partners who could come on board of your project. If you do not need to
do that, just create your own Production Room and invite people to join
you there.
Work and Equipment offer
1.I already described my offer in the Registration
section. Why am I being asked to present it again in the Work and Equipment
section?
The Work and Equipment section is a useful tool.
Everything that we have to offer is distributed here among sections which
make searching easier. For example if a film crew is looking for a Kino Flo
light, they will not have to read all the offers but just go to Lights,
Dollies + Services. If you want your offer to be noticed, make sure to place
it in the right section.
Can production companies and gear rental
companies also post their offers on www.filmspringopen.eu?
Yes, just like everybody else, they can go to
affordable Production Services.
What kind of consultations are we looking at in
the Expert Consultations section?
The reason why we frequently fail in our film
projects is that we cannot judge our own ideas or bring ourselves to
look at them in a detached manner. At www.filmspringopen.eu we want to
make decent films and that is why we want/have to help others in the
various stages of movie production. In the Expert Consultations section
we are looking at consultations in script writing, editing and in
technology issues (such as CGI). If you are a scriptwriter and have
some free time on your hands, why not offer to consult someone's
script? Maybe while discussing the text with the fellow FilmSpringer
you will find a soul mate a partner for some future project of yours.
The same goes for specialists in other fields.
FilmSpring on the Hel peninsula
I don't want to make a movie, my film project is
still in its very early stages of development, but can I come to Film
Spring anyway?
Of course you can. One year the husband of an
actress playing in our film, a composer, actively participated in all
our evening discussions although formally he was not a part of our
project. He then ended up composing the film's score. All those with an
interest in filmmaking who want to get to know filmmakers from other
countries and discuss making movies with them are welcome to come to
Jurata on the Hel peninsula.
How is it possible to have fun while at the same
time making a movie?
It is by all means possible. It has been happening
from the very first Film Spring workshop. The participants work very
hard all day but then grab their beer and wine and engage in fantastic
discussions late into the night. Painters organize their plein airs to
paint their pictures but also to meet other painters, to discuss and
judge each other's work. You are welcome to show up at our Film Spring
workshop in Jurata on the Hel peninsula in Poland. You can shoot your
own film there while we shoot ours and in the evenings come over to
chat and see the movies we did in the previous editions of the workshop.
You will see for yourself that making a movie can also be a lot of fun.
