 |
|
search the sitedownloadshow tocontact usmake a film in 48 hoursmake a bad film make a film for under £200 write a scriptformat a scriptget paid for writing a scriptdraw a storyboardcast a filmdirect a filmedit a filmlicense musicget a bbfc certificate make a fool of yourselfmake a blue moviecheat at pokerwin on the gee-geeshold a bad partybe a gigolomake a cup of teaask adampoetry pageword/headunderground book reviewthe blaineratordead ideasshowreelsmobile cinemasite map |
Charlie Productions : Contact UsIf you've just stepped in off the street (metaphorically) and you're looking for a production company you can send your CV to, then WOAH THERE.Stop. This website is huge and full of fun and full of information about who we are and the sort of thing that we've been doing. Take a moment to find out about us and then read this guide to letting us find about you... Please note - we want you to get in contact with us, which is why we have written this guide. If you do not follow these simple steps then we're quite likely to ignore you. Sorry and that but, you know, as the little man says "Help me to help you..." ACTORS & CREWWell, start off with a nice letter saying hallo. This is really important. Film making on both sides of the camera is a social experience and if I just get your CV and a brief "Dear sir" then I'm likely to put it in a pile and forget about it. I'm not asking you to write a terrifying stream of consciousness spiel about your life and I'm NOT asking you to be funnybut this isn't an employment agency and you don't have to call me sir.You should include your CV, but only of either relevant or interesting work. If you've made films before we want to know. If you've ten years experience as an alligator salesman we want to know. If you've worked in an office we're probably not that interested. Unless it was something like the Pope's office and you know that he's a mad old goat because that would always be interesting. If you have no relevant experience but would like to be involved then say this. Don't lie. We work with lots of people who do not have any experience (relevant or otherwise) and as long as we all get along fine and you turn out to be able to do stuff then usually everyone goes home happy (if not very well paid). Finally, and I don't mean to patronise but it does happen: Don't forget to INCLUDE YOUR NAME and CONTACT DETAILS. We will contact you if only to let you know that we have recieved your details. We try to reply in this manner within a couple of weeks (usually much less, it depends how busy we are) and if you have not heard from us by that time then get back in touch more directly and check what the hell we think we are playing at by emailing us and asking. ACTORS ONLYIf you are an actor then YOU MUST INCLUDE A PHOTOGRAPH. We will not consider actors if we do not know what they look like. Preferably a decent sized professional photograph (not a photobooth picture or a polaroid of you with evil red eyes at a birthday party). I know this sounds harsh but this is really really important - we have very little other information to go on when casting actors without a huge pedigree of work behind them and we will not audition you on the off chance because we do not have the time.If you are an actor then you should also include your personal statistics eg: * Height * Build * Hair colour * Eye colour, * Age and/or playing age (preferably both) What not to send...Obviously there are lots of things you shouldn't send us like bombs or dead crabs or your severed hand. Use your own imagination here but I just want to make it perfectly plain that:WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU NAKED OR DOING RUDE THINGS.You probably wouldn't have thought that this needed to be said but then I'm hoping that you're a nice person who realises that just because we make low budget films it does not mean that we churn out cheap DV porn or even cheaper high concept l'art erotique. If you send us pictures of you naked I will presume that this is because you cannot impress us with your acting abilities. We will endeavour to reply within a couple of weeks, at least to let you know that we have received your stuff. If we do not reply before that time then contact us and let us know. We will only return CVs and PHOTOGRAPHS if you provide a pre-paid envelope for us to do so. If you're really clever or simply have an allergic reaction to the glue on postage stamps then you can email us your details...or alternatively use a wet sponge. One note though for actors - bad quality JPGs sent via email do you no favours for two reasons. Firstly they look rubbish and secondly, when making initial casting decisions we tend to like to have real photographs in our hands so that we can move you around our carpet. We are unlikely to print your pictures out so you are unlikely to be considered if you do not send us real photographs to address above. Sorry if that sounds harsh. One thing though, it's quite possible that we're not casting right now so it might make sense to email us first and see if we want you to post us anything. This saves us time and you postage. WRITERS & SCRIPTS.Look I'll be really honest here: We don't have a lot of money. In fact we have no money at all. We are basically working ourselves into a coma in order to produce our own films so the fact of the matter is that we are NOT looking for new screenplays to produce.That's not to say that we won't. Hell no - just like everybody else we're after fantastic scripts by fantastic writers new or recognised, it's just that we're not one of those big production houses that have a slate of projects and regularly look for new work to take on. We're small and we have all the work that we need. But if your stuff is really that good, if your stuff is better than the ideas that we come up with, then send it to us and all of our lives will change.We are also always interested in reading new work, seeing what other people are doing and helping in anyway we can. We also always read everything that is sent to us, eventually, and I'm supposedly a trained Script Reader so my advice is at least sieved through the frame work that the rest of the industry uses. A word of warning, if you send us a script, once we read it we will give your our unbiased opinion. We never intend to be rude and we never intend to hurt anyone's feelings; however we have ourselves been constantly frustrated in the past by the bland, polite, film industry standard 'no' and we feel it is of more use to you as a writer to know what we actually think. This is usually positive.What to send us...* Like always start with a nice letter saying hallo.* Your CV as a writer is of interest but not important. * A synopsis of the screenplay is vital. This gives us, I don't know, grounding. It's also unlikely that we'll be able to read the script in one sitting and so a good synopsis to let us know what is going on and who's doing what to whom with what and when will be a real help in enabling us to keep track of what we've read and haven't read. (I know this makes us sound like a bunch of apes who can't read too many scripts for fear that we'll loose our voices and get blisters on our finger tips but, well, that's just the way it is. Actually the synopsis is one of the most important things in the world. At some point within the industry someone will ask you for just the synopsis and these are the few sentences that you have to grab their attention with. So as I said, it’s very important). * And the screenplay (obviously). TYPED on plain white paper and set out properly. What to NOT to send us...Hand written screenplays and those not set out properly.Also: * Scripts that are "based" on your favourite film to the point of actually being your favourite film.* Scripts that you describe as being "Like (x) meets (y)" or worse still "Like (x) on (a chemical stimulant)!" * Or a script about you and your mates talking about the films you like and then robbing a bank and being generally violent in slow motion. * Or anything from this list... We will endeavour to reply within a couple of weeks, at least to let you know that we have received your work. If we do not reply before that time then contact us and let us know. We will only return screenplays if you provide a pre-paid envelope for us to do so. MUSIC & SOUNDTRACKS.MUSIC FOR MUSIC VIDEOS: (not for film soundtracks) YOUR MUSIC FOR FILMS: We will endeavour to reply within a couple of weeks, at least to let you know that we have received your stuff. If we do not reply before that time then contact us and let us know. We will only return CD's if you provide a pre-paid envelope for us to do so. Please do not send cassettes, vinyl, minidisc, dat or, well, anything except CDs. If you're really clever or simply have an allergic reaction to the glue on
postage stamps then you can
email us a sample of your music...or alternatively use a wet sponge. Please
keep files to a maximum of 4mb.
Finally - thank you very much for taking the time to read this and, even if you haven't, thank you very much for taking the time to get in touch with us. It's flattering to think that you want to work with us and always nice to hear from you. Best wishes.
Charlie Productions believe passionately in doing things and always trying to stop in
time for tea.
|