An experienced actress and producer, Deerfield starred in Marvin’s Song, Kindness of Strangers, Jesus versus the Messiah and several episodes of National Geographic’s The Mystery Files. She has produced Film6′s Issues and the Euki series, in addition to Sweet Sunset and The Box for Insatiable Productions. Anderton has been making films for over decade, working as cinematographer on several acclaimed shorts such as Duty Calls and Switch, whilst also directing Issues, Last, Come Die With Me, The Capist and 1599: A True Story Of The Elizabethan Court, a feature-length documentary narrated by Christopher Eccleston.

“PARTY BOAT is an exciting project,” said Deerfield, “and an opportunity to demonstrate our ability to create a million-dollar look for a fraction of the budget”. Anderton added “Having secured the Bahamas location, we have high production value that normally eludes micro-budget productions, and with our top-notch cast close to completion, PARTY BOAT is well on the way to being a sure-fire success!”

Insatiable Productions have a long history in theatre and film, having produced Jean Genet’s The Maids at Camden’s Etcetera Theatre and films The Box and Sweet Sunset.
Curtin Parloe Films has been making short and feature films since the late nineties, from Milky Thursday and Through The Bullethole to The Capist and Come Die With Me.

For more information contact paul@partyboatfilm.com or gemma@partyboatfilm.com, or call Paul on +44(0)7725346261.

All Or Nothing Funding
It’s a simple idea. If you try to raise £5000, but you only manage £100, those who did invest won’t lose out, and you won’t be left trying to make a film on a fraction of the budget. Of course, it’s a double-edged sword – if you raise £4999, you still get nothing. At least if it all goes wrong, you don’t have to shell out.

Better Than Nothing Funding
This is the alternative. You keep everything you raise, but you pay a financial penalty for not reaching your target, and you still have to fulfill your obligations to funders.

The Cost Of Crowdfunding
There’s usually a payment handling fee of 3-5%. Additionally, there’s a funding fee which varies from site to site.

Is it legal?
I’ve wrestled unsuccessfully with this one, and inquiries to the Financial Standards Authority have met with silence. I suspect there’s a big folder at the FSA where all crowdfunding questions are kept until they’ve worked out an answer! What I do know is this: in the UK, accepting funding from more than five(or so) investors requires your company to be registered and approved by the FSA. However, there are exemptions, such as an Appointed Representative handling things. It may be that crowdfunding websites have this status, but I don’t know. There’s also the possibility of a loophole, as such funding could be seen as payment for goods or services (see “investment” below). The jury’s out on this one.

Timescale
It’s fairly universal in terms of timescale – The project can be active for between 1 and 90 days, although the recommended period is around 50-60.

Ownership
All these sites assert that they are merely facilitators, and don’t take any of your intellectual property.

Incentives
In order to get people to fund your film, you need to give them a sweetener. This should vary depending on the amount of funding given, from something as small as an mp3, digital stills, to something as big as even a part in the film!

Advertising
The sites are unanimous in their emphasis on advertising. Crowdfunding only works if people find out about your project, and as such, you need to make it eyecatching and easy to find. They recommend videos, photos, soundbites, making full use of social media links, and so on. It’s a full time job, too. You need to keep the momentum going for the full length of the project – if interest wanes, so will funding.

kickstarter.com
This is perhaps the most well known creative crowdfunding site. It uses All-or-nothing, and if you’re successful there’s a 5% fee. Unfortunately, they use Amazon Payments, and as a result you need US residency to be able to create a new project, so unless you have an American partner or bank account, kickstarter isn’t practical.

indiegogo.com
This has the benefit of being international, although there are extra fees involved – a $25 flat fee for international credit card transactions. Furthermore, as a better-than-nothing site, there’s a 4% fee if you reach your target, or a 9% fee if you don’t.

rockethub.com
Rockethub is a better-than-nothing sourcer, with  a 4%/8% fee and a fixed handling fee of 4%. There’s also a “launchpad” section, in which creatives can enter submissions for specific opportunities (like a small-scale mofilms.com).

pozible.co.uk
Pozible is an Australian all-or-nothing crowdfunder with a specific UK portal. It charges a 7.5% fee (5% if you’ve previously been successful).

crowdfunder.co.uk
Crowdfunder is a UK All-or-nothing crowdfunder, part of business investors Crowdcube. It charges 5%.

Conclusions
There you have it. It might be illegal, you might have to make your film for a tenner, or not at all, and it’s a long slog. On the other hand, it’s definitely easier than getting Harvey Weinstein’s ear…

When it comes to film-making (and everything else for that matter), I’m a firm believer in the “Seven Ps,” or “Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.” I may ignore the Ps from time to time, but I usually end up regretting it. It’s common sense, really. If you make a cake, it’s going to be more of a struggle if you haven’t cleared the kitchen worktops, still need to wash the mixing bowl, forgot to turn the oven on, and so forth. A film shoot that’s adequately prepared runs far more smoothly than trying to throw elements together haphazardly.

This is where the attention to detail comes in. The little things are crucial. You need that little screw. The memory cards should be pre-cleared. That signature needs to be on the bottom of the location release form. Any one of these can hold up the shoot, perhaps indefinitely, and not all of them can be fixed with gaffer tape. I’ve been on shoots where all of these examples have been issues. Luckily, the prior planning can certainly help – you brought your gaffer tape, you can tie up the location’s owner and threaten him until he signs that form.

Here are some things to worry about:

• No power. This stops any shoot dead. Cameras, sound recording devices, lights. All need the juice, whether it’s mains or battery power. If you’re in a location, make sure you have access to power, and make sure all the batteries are charged beforehand (disposable batteries can help, but it’s a terribly wasteful route).
• No permission. While many shoots can get along without acquiring permissions, it’s by no means preferable. If you’re filming anyone, anything or anywhere without the right permissions, it can be a tremendous headache later on, or even at the time. Furthermore, make sure it’s in writing. I’ve been on several shoots where we obtained permission, only to find that we weren’t allowed to film when we arrived. In fact, after telling us that life isn’t fair, he only relented when he asked us in future to liaise with the very person who’d given us the permission in the first place.
• No food. I’ve said it before, and it’s still as true. Without catering for your cast and crew, you’ll make many powerful enemies of your project.
• The bits and bobs. If it’s a light, does it have the right stand and cables? If it’s a tripod, does it have the plate? Do you have the props? The right gels? A 4-gang? These things are easily forgotten or misplaced. On my last shoot, we were missing a knuckle for a C-stand and the tripod plate. Luckily both of these were fixable with gaffer tape, but I wouldn’t recommend holding up a 2 grand Kino with some.

Look after the little things, and the big things won’t fall apart.

• A Simple Plan: Unlike sisters, gangsters don’t share clothes.
• Hallway 7: A mystical tale about a man out of place.
• Hell And Back: It’s only after you die that things get really interesting.
• Dirty Thirty: Meltdown mayhem.
• Lost At Sea: The infamous SRT.

All of these projects contain more details in the Projects section.

Medium: HD

Genre: Thriller

Synopsis:  Why would a Russian heavy steal his boss’s new suit?

Director: Paul Anderton and Ben Mottershead
Director Of Photography: Ben Mottershead

Pyotr: Paul Anderton
Marusya: Emma Wilcox
Carl: Rick Carter

Produced by Paul Anderton

Production Company: Curtin Parloe Films

Status: Post Production

Medium: 35mm

Genre: Action

Synopsis:  Four people find themselves trapped beneath the waves. And at least one of them is a killer.

Director: Paul Anderton

Produced by Paul Anderton

Production Company: Curtin Parloe Films

Status: Script Development

Medium: HD

Genre: Fantasy/Action

Synopsis:  A suicidal cop finally gets his wish. Or does he?

Director: Paul Anderton

Produced by Paul Anderton

Production Company: Curtin Parloe Films

Status: Script Development

Medium: HD

Genre: Science Fiction/Drama

Synopsis:  Two years after a meltdown, the North West of England is a very different place.

Director: Paul Anderton
Produced by Paul Anderton

Production Company: Curtin Parloe Films

Status: Script Development

Of course, there is a screenplay adaptation underway already, and better still, I have the author’s express permission to muck about with the story as much as I like!