'Herman -The Man Behind The Terror' POST-PRODUCTION

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I don't know with what to start. Yes, we managed to finish the production...with a lot of debts but still, we did it! Actors were not paid, the film crew was not paid, some filming equipment needs to be paid (the lights and the electrical generator). There is a lot of pressure on me as a producer and director. Sometimes I just want to drop everything and run away.

But how can I? Too late now...too much done already...we only have the post-production left!

But man, this is a lot of work!!! Even after shooting, it still feels like you are in the middle of the project! The post-production, publicity and distribution is somehow more important than anything else! No one told me that producing a film is so hard. Although I will somehow manage to do this project with 25 000 euros, two millions euro still don't seem enough.

Sometimes I wonder....why all the people, producers, directors I talked with ...never told me about the real costs of a movie? WHY??????

The sound for a movie, in Romania (such as 'Closer to the Moon' for example ) costs 200 000 dollars, I expect higher in Hollywood. For my movie, the sound crew in Romania asked for 35 000 euros. Fair. Another 15 000 euros are the costs of colorization. Music costs, subtitling costs, enveloping costs, taxes for film festivals cost, publicity costs a fortune (40% of a film's budget, usually). Why didn't anyone tell me this before?

And even more interesting... some people who wanted so much to become film co-producers and paid 500 dollars on Indiegogo fundraising platfom wanted to get percentage from the film revenue and they even sent up to 1500 dollars in order to get money from this film. Is this possible??? IndiegoGo takes 19% from any donation and anyway,  the movie is in big debts..still people wanted fast profit from a film which isn't even released yet. Incredible!!!

On the other hand, time costs money..and I do not have enough to pay the post-production..even though I want to have it done by February 2016. 'Herman- The Man Behind The Terror' will be done by the end of February 2016. Not sure how, but I have to manage it.

And everything was and still is my responsibility ...documentation, development, scouting location, casting, catering, directing, production, post-production, it's like my life is attached to this film....basically I do not have a life....and this film has my life! Will be an art movie based on content and image!  A very low budget one. We did the best with what we had. I know this and I am so happy and feel so lucky to have such wonderful crew that worked and works for this project!  For them, I need to fight more! For them..for me..for the topic of this film.

We work slow..today one of my colleagues from the sound editing department called to remind me again that this goes slow because I do not have money. When you have money, he said, everything is possible! In Romania there is only one studio for Foley at the moment...all the Romanian film directors go there for sound editing....apparently they do not have room for me because I do not have money. Just great.

I would do the sound editing myself if I would be able to.
Sound editing is a serious thing. You have to clean the dialogue, then do the ADR, then do the ambiances, Foley, sound effects, mix, and some other I do not remember now. For all this, a big crew is required ....and you have to pay them all, or you have no sound or... shitty sound. Your choice Ms Director!

What to do...Christmas is coming.

Tomorrow I need to buy a new hard drive for the colorization, need to pay the composer, need to do, to do, to do ...and I have a long 'to do' list!

If you really want to make a film, think twice. I mean, if you want to make a FILM, not a joke, please think twice. If you do not have money, you have to be crazy ...and I am crazy enough, I think.






Comments

  1. Ahmad As.December 22, 2015 at 11:09 AM

    Coz this is the producer job to arrange the project funding and keep the production within the allocated budget. No one will come and talk to you about this!


    General hint and from my 5 years experience in Project Management (PM), in every project and when you start calculating the estimated budget .. you need to omit the unnecessary stuff in the project and add a percentage of extra 10%-15% of the budget for the unexpected things, changes may occure during the project, project execution or even go beyond the dead time for any reason.

    However, good luck with what u have achieved so far. All the best

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Victoria BaltagDecember 26, 2015 at 5:01 PM

      Dear Ahmad,
      Seems that you have no clue about this project. What 'allocated budget' are you talking about? This is a film with NO BUDGET! What to calculate?? I did manage this film with no money, can you accept that please? And I was saying..if I would know that all those things would be so expensive, I would never do this project. Is my English enough clear now for you dear? :P

      Delete
  2. Ahmad As.December 27, 2015 at 4:27 AM

    I could understood a little bit of yours. However, you need to work hard on your English. This is not helping at all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Victoria BaltagDecember 28, 2015 at 3:32 PM

      Hey, thanks for this, I revised the posts, hope now it is clear (even asked for proof read help)

      Delete

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