Phung

Look I know a lot about this business of film making. I've been doing it my entire working life. I'll admit most of it has been shoots for commercials. Not just any commercial. Big budget, fancy shmancy stuff for large corporations.

But at the end of the day I know that the producer wants to make a profit. And why not? I know how much effort goes into getting good footage in the can. And then comes post production which also has its price. Its fair for the producer to add on 25% of the costs when he does a calculation of the costs for the client.

As long as people are watching movies in cinemas and watching the box at home their will be a demand for high quality commercials.

There are a couple of ways one can save on the budget without saving on the quality.

Shoot on High Definition

It is a myth that 35mm is a better quality. High Definition cameras are geared for all shooting conditions. High Definition cameras have an assortment of lenses and filters just like 35mm and 16mm cameras. Broadcasting stations want tapes anyway, so if youve shot on 35mm everything has to be converted to HD which is another added expense.

The only time you should consider shooting on 35mm is for big screen. Often the client wants to have a commercial for TV and the cinema then shooting on 35mm is still appropriate. Gradually cinemas are installing digital screening equipment. Statistics reveal though that the public cinema is on the decline due to availability of big plasma screens for home use.

Also consider that shooting on high definition will save you big bucks on processing costs. It will also save you 2 days of time in the production schedule. No more waiting for the rushes before processing the whole batch.

Shoot in a country that has a favorable rate of exchange

The advantages of shooting in a country like South Africa you can cut your expenses down by a whopping third of your usual costs including the air fare and accommodation expenses. A country like South Africa has an excellent film industry going with professional crew and state of the art equipment. It is common for the producer to bring his own director and D.O.P on a shoot even though there are Oscar award winning camera men and directors available.

Out of interest let a foreign director do a treatment on your story board and compare rates. Your client may even prefer another directors treatment and go for it. I have seen this happen a couple of times.

Its common to only shoot footage in a foreign country and then do post production back home. Shop around and you will be amazed at how much more you can save by using foreign post production facilities. These days with the world being so accessible via internet theres no reason you have to edit at home unless your client insists on sitting in at the studios.

Often the client is thrilled with the idea of shooting in a foreign country, especially if he realizes its saving him money. To keep the client happy and get the shoot you want make sure you are dealing with some body that knows the ropes in the country you choose to shoot in. Some body who understands the industry, knows all the locations, has access to a professional crew, knows the customs department, knows places of interest and entertainment. This will ensure that you get a quality shoot on a tight budget and a happy client that keeps coming for more.

Claudia Apfelthaler knows Southern Africa territory like the back of her hand. She has worked the movie industry her entire working life. Her knowledge and contacts make her indispensable to any producer/photographer wishing to get footage in Africa. She is able to show you the time of your life in Africa. Visit her blog and see what shes up to http://film-production-south-africa.blogspot.com