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South West Screen

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FAQs

Production

What is shooting in the region?
We are unable to give specific details about productions potentially shooting or currently shooting in the region. This is because our Film Liaison service provided to productions in the South West operates on a strictly confidential basis. However, we actively promote the South West crews and facilities registered on the Production Guide to incoming productions.


I am setting up a new production company in the South West, can you help?
As part of our Business Development programme we have established Cluster Groups of media professionals across the region. Through a range of activities and networking opportunities, these clusters aim to focus the growth and development of media industries in each sub-region. For further advice please contact Mark Leaver from our Business and Skills Development team.

 

Locations

How do I find a location in the South West?
Our comprehensive Online Location Library features a wide range of locations from across the region, or phone to discuss your requirements with the Locations team.


Do you charge for your locations service?
No. Both registering your property in the Locations Library and the service we provide for incoming filmmakers is completely free of charge.

How do I register a location?
If you have a property within the South West region that you would like to register as a film/TV location, you need to send 6-8 images of the property, both internal and exterior, and one to establish the property's situation in the surrounding land to enable us to assess the potential of the location. As we already have over 700 locations registered in our library, we are only looking for properties that are distinctive or unusual in some way. If we are interested in registering the property, we will send you a location registration form. Send images as jpegs to Fiona Francombe or as hardcopy photographs on CD to our address. If you have a property in Bristol or Bath, you will need to contact the relevant city film office, as they have their own locations libraries.

How do I find local police/council contacts for filming?
You can search the Production Guide for details of local police, emergency service and council contacts or contact the Locations team.

How do I find local accommodation for crew?
Search our Production Guide for details of accommodation for crew. We have registered tourist accommodation hotline numbers for each district authority, and individual establishments each of which have been advised on the possible expectations and requirements of crew shooting on location.

How much should I charge for using my property as a location?
Fees charged for using properties as film/TV locations can vary depending on a number of factors. Different types of production will have different budgets but you should consider how long they wish to use the property for and how much disruption this will cause. The type and size of the property concerned will also have an effect on the fee you charge. South West Screen's role is to put the location managers in touch with the locations, and we do not broker the location fee negotiation.

How do I find local crew and facilities?
South West Screen has an online database, called the Production Guide, with contact details, profiles and credits of freelance crew and facilities based in our region.

How do I register on the crew & facilities database?
If you are a South West based freelancer or company who can provide services to the production industry you can register on our online Production Guide. The Production Guide is a publicly accessible searchable website and registration on the site assumes consent for your details to be accessed.

How do I update my crew & facilities database entry?
If you are registered on the Production Guide you will have been emailed a PIN and User ID which will allow you to access and update your profile when necessary. If you have forgotten your PIN, please contact Fiona Francombe.

I am looking for crew to work on a low/no budget shoot - what do you suggest?
Search the 'looking for experience' category on our Production Guide for people who are willing to work for low pay in order to gain more experience. You could also try contacting universities/higher education institutions to see if there are any students who would be willing to help you out. If you are a member of Shooting People you can put out a call for crew on their e-mail bulletins.

Do you hold details of local actors?
We do not hold details of individual actors/extras on our database, but we do register local casting agencies on our Production Guide.

How can I be a film or TV extra?
If you wish to get work as an extra on film or TV productions, it is best to is register with a casting agency. Production companies will usually approach casting agencies directly when they are looking for extras or walk-ons, the casting agency will then supply the type of people they require from those registered on their books. Search 'casting agencies' on our Production Guide for more details.

I am shooting a short film, what rates should I be paying my crew?
BECTU should be able to give advice on appropriate freelance pay rates.

What do you do with the information that you hold on me / my location?
Locations on the locations library are only identifiable by a reference number and a county. Productions wishing to get more detailed information on individual locations will have to make contact with The Locations Team, where we can check that theirs is a bona-fide enquiry before giving out any personal information.
Crew registered with us will be publicly available for productions to browse on our Production Guide.  If you would like to make any changes to your profile you may do so through our website here using your personal login and PIN.

Can I book a location through you?
No, we are a free liaison and support service for productions and cannot directly book locations for you - you must do this directly with the location representative.  We will be happy to offer advice and guidance throughout this process, including location selection through our comprehensive Location Database.

What is the South West region
The areas we cover are Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall.
Local support within these regions can be found in Swindon, Plymouth, Bristol, Bath, Cheltenham, Poole
(Map available here for reference)

How do I get Work Experience?
You can register on our Production Guide and select ‘looking for experience’ so that production companies can search for your details. South West Screen occassionally runs placements within the Locations Department during the summer.  Please keep an eye on our voluntary work for more information.


Funding

What funding opportunities do you have?
All the funding schemes we currently have open for application are detailed on our current opportunities page. You can also subscribe to the South West Screen e-bulletin to be kept up to date with any new initiatives we launch.

How do I find out if I am eligible for South West Screen funding?
Information about eligibility for specific funding schemes will be detailed in the application pack for each scheme.

Do you provide funding for feature films?
We are not able to provide production funding for feature films, although we have previously provided development funding for feature length projects.

How can I fund my short film?
The only funding we have for short film production is through the Digital Shorts scheme. This scheme is usually launched in the spring-time and details will be announced on our website and in the e-bulletin. Keep an eye on our e-bulletin for details of funding schemes launched by other organisations which can support short film.

Can you help me develop my script?
We run many script development and other initiatives which are all detailed on the Services page of the website. We are not able to provide feedback on unsolicited scripts.

How can I prove I have copyright on my script?
As the author of a script, you are automatically the owner of its copyright. However this can sometimes be difficult to prove. Both the Script Vault and BECTU offer a script registration service which safeguards your copyright by registering you as the author and the date it was written. The easiest way to copyright your script is to post it, registered to yourself, in a sturdy envelope, making sure the date is shown, and never open it.

 

Training/Careers

Can you fund my training?
We are not currently able to provide funding for training. Subscribe to our e-bulletin to be kept updated on future training schemes/opportunities.

What training courses are available locally?
Any courses that we are abke to offer will be featured on the current opportunities section of our website. Alternatively, we promote courses run by other providers via our ebulletin. Alternatively, you can search the BFI/Skillset Media Courses database a national database of media training courses compiled by Skillset and the BFI. Skillset Careers, the UK's only specialist media careers advice service, can provide advice on appropriate training and development.

Do you run traineeships or work placements?
We do from time to time run new entrants schemes in conjuction with Skillset and the details of any current scheme will be on the Developing Your Skills section of our website.

Do you offer work experience placements?
We don't currently offer work experience placements. If you want to find work experience in the production sector, approach production companies directly with your CV to ask if they are willing to take you on. You can look up contact details for production companies in directories such as The Knowledge, Kays and the Pact Directory. These online contact databases are also useful: www.4rfv.co.uk; www.fatcat.co.uk and Skillset Careers can provide advice on finding and getting the most out of work experience placements. They have also produced a work experience factsheet. You can also search our voluntary work page for details of voluntary opportunities avaiable across the region.

Where can I get careers advice?
Skillset Careers, the UK's only specialist media careers advice service, should be your first port of call for careers advice. They offer a range of services to anyone wanting to get into or get on in the media. They have an excellent website, or you can phone them on 08080 300900.

Do you have any vacancies?
We are a fairly small organisation so vacancies do not come up very often. Any job opportunities are featured on both the website and e-bulletin.

How do I get a job in the film/TV industry?
The film and TV industry is highly competitive, breaking into this industry requires a lot of patience and determination! Many job opportunities are not formally advertised and consequently it is often worth contacting employers who may be interested in your skills and experience directly. Skillset Careers provides a wealth of information & advice for newcomers trying to break into the production industry - their 'resources' section contains advice on writing a good CV, making speculative applications and job hunting. Our Cluster Groups advice us on job opportunities in their area.


Exhibition

My film is being shown at a film festival; can you provide funding to help me attend?
South West Screen can help companies attend key sales events and business conferences across the globe, which often accompany film festivals. For example, during 2008-09 we supported companies to attend the Asian Media Festival and Siggrapph in Singapore; Realscreen in Washington; the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona; MIPTV in Cannes and SxSW in Texas. To find out about our current opportunities click here. We don't currently have an independent film festival fund, however the South West branch of UK Trade & Investment offer progammes of support that may be able to help. For more information visit the UK Trade & Investment website.

How do I get my film screened/distributed?
Film festivals and open screening events provide some of the best opportunities to get your film seen. The British Council can offer advice and support on distribution and how to bring your film to an international audience. South West Screen is currently looking for shorts to be distributed within the region under the Short Film Network initiative.

How do I get copyright for music/archive footage/brand names used in my film?
Arranging copyright can be quite a difficult and drawn out process which is best avoided if possible. As a general rule, you would need to contact whoever owns the rights to the material you wish to use (e.g. for film footage or stills this would be the original distributor) to ask for permission. PACT occasionally run courses on obtaining copyright and you can also purchase the following publications through their website: 'Rights Clearances for Film and Television Productions' by Stephen Edwards and 'The Music Copyright Guide for Television and Film Production' by Ivan Chandler.

How do I start up a film society?
If you are interested in setting up a film society in your local area, you should contact the British Federation of Film Societies the national body promoting voluntary film exhibition. They represent the interests of film societies in the UK and can provide information, advice and support to anyone wishing to start a new film society.

Can I meet with someone at South West Screen to discuss my project/script/training needs?
We occasionally hold one-to-one advisory sessions at venues across the region. These sessions provide an opportunity for individuals to meet with South West Screen staff to discuss short and feature film ideas, scriptwriting development and critique, audience development projects, RIFE Lottery projects and any other areas which relate to South West Screen's activity. Subscribe to the e-bulletin to be informed of the next available session dates/venues. If you wish to meet with a member of staff to discuss a project you are working on, please contact us as it may be possible to arrange a session for you.

 

FAQs

SWS E-Bulletin

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