FiLMiC Pro Helps Fund Our Smartphone-Shot Web Series

Last year we filmed 3 episodes of our science fiction web series Silent Eye. We funded the 2nd and 3rd episodes using Kickstarter. Even though we are working at the lowest budget possible, we couldn’t have continued making them without support from somewhere.

By using Kickstarter, we just about break even. But that includes some highly talented people volunteering their time. So, to get a little bit of help from our special friends gives us just enough fuel in the tank to keep new episodes coming.

What about traditional funding?

I know a lot of people think that if you are good enough, the industry will fund you. That just isn’t the way it works in showbiz, in my experience. I’ve been in the music & film biz since about 1990, so I’ve spent decades knocking on doors. Some time ago I got to the point where either I accept the industry is right and I’m not good enough, or find other ways to make films and tell stories.

The thing is the industry doesn’t slam the door in your face. It just keeps it open a crack so you can see in but not wide enough so you can fit through. The industry (like any industry, but more so the entertainment business) is like a big casino and your job as a creative is to persuade someone to give you some chips so you can go play Texas Hold ‘Em with the pros.

I think sometimes people think I am the one who has closed the door on the industry, because the idea the industry has closed their doors on me doesn’t make sense to them. I’ve never closed the doors. In fact, I have recently signed a writers agreement with some producers in Switzerland for a feature script which took 4 years to write. The question for me as a creative is – can I keep spending 4 years developing a script in my “spare” time.

In this casino, I am a self-funded gambler throwing my life chips on the table and competing against people who have a lot more chips than me.

This is why I decided not to spend so much time gambling…

…so I could spend more time doing what I love: telling stories. And I really don’t see this as any kind of failure. The honest truth is, my success came from changing my mind.

Success is not what other people believe is success but what you (and only you) deep down see as success.

Making your own definition of success and live by it is surely the route to a less frustrating existence. Because you know what – those people in the casino who make out they’re are living the dream, they’re rarely ever satisfied. They truly are gambling addicts, desperate to win an even bigger pot next time. Their poker face might lead you to think otherwise, but I suggest you don’t buy it.

And this is what the Mobile Motion Film Festival is all about – we are suggesting an alternative to the casino. We are here to promote the idea of filmmaking as an artform, and primarily a method of self-expression. We are not anti the casino, but I say it is healthy to question what drives you – creativity or casino?

Do what you love and make a living doing it

I get it. Of course this is the dream which leads many of us up to the doors of the casino. Who wouldn’t want to fulfil this dream?

But if you look into yourself and decide freedom to express yourself is your primary motivation, then just make films. You never know, you might just get an invite to the casino anyway.

Episode 4: The Museum of Me

So we recently funded our next episode using Kickstarter again. We have raised just over £1500 from 47 backers. We love all our backers and supporters, but our final backer got us a little bit more excited.

We offered an Executive Producer credit for the episode for £150 and limited it to 2 backers. One of our previous backers Thilo-W Finger had already taken the first one. We were then pleasantly surprised to find FiLMiC Pro taking the 2nd!

We are so thrilled and honoured to have the makers of the best camera app for smartphone video support this series.

This means we can now confirm our shoot dates as March 4th – 6th, just a few weeks from now. We will be shooting on smartphones (Samsung S9), with FiLMiC Pro (obviously), a cheap gimbal (Zhiyun Smooth Q), Moondog Labs anamorphic and mostly the same kit we used in the last episode.

FiLMiC Pro website.

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