The Magic Hour

Guidance notes for applicants, November 2009

 

What is The Magic Hour?

The Magic Hour is an annual scheme to support the production of 4 short films, shot digitally, by the freshest and most innovative emerging disabled filmmaking talent in the United Kingdom.

The scheme is funded by the UK Film Council and is 1 of 14 Digital Shorts schemes nationwide. 

There will be one call for applications.

Call opens                                          3rd November 2009

Call closes                                          15th January 2010

 

What does Magic Hour offer?

Magic Hour 2010 will provide short listed filmmakers with:

  • A place on the Script Factory’s intensive short film training programme

 and successful filmmakers with:

  • £10,000 of funding to make a short film up to 20 minutes in length
  • Support from top industry mentors
  • Distribution support and promotion of the finished films by 104 films, including a UK cinema release and premiere at a major UK film festival

 

What are we looking for?

The Magic Hour aims to create opportunities for disabled filmmaking talent with daring and challenging stories to tell. The Magic Hour will fund 4 films with a budget of £10,000 per film.

We want to make films that have something fresh to say about disability and are also accessible to a wide audience. We are not looking for straightforward issues films or community videos.

We will accept applications from talented disabled film-makers who want to make films about any subject matter, though priority will be given to bold films which portray disability on the screen in a way that is innovative in form and content.

Applicants must have some experience of filmmaking.   You should have made one short film in the capacity you are applying in. 

Any genre will be considered and the films must be under 20 minutes in length. Genres may include narrative drama, documentary, animation or mixed media.

The trailer of previous films we have funded can be seen on the Magic Hour Website. We recommend that filmmakers also look at websites such as those listed below to watch successful short films:

Future Shorts www.futureshorts.co.uk

The BBC Film Network www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork

Channel 4 Film website www.channel4.co.uk/film

4-mations

 

Who can apply?

The scheme is open to writers, directors and writer/directors resident in the United Kingdom aged 18 or over who consider themselves to have a disability.

Your project must be disability led –the main application must come from a disabled writer / director or writer director team. Non-disabled directors and writers are not eligible to apply.

As per the Disability Act, a disabled person is a person with “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”.  For more information on definitions of disabilities, please contact michelle@104films.com. 

Applications will be considered as stronger the more disabled talent is involved.

You can apply as a producer if you are part of a creative team. We do not accept applications for producers without a team.

This is not a scheme for first-timers and applicants will be expected to have some experience of filmmaking.

The following people are ineligible:

  • Film-makers who do not have a disability
  • Non-UK residents
  • Full-time students
  • Anyone under 18 years of age (please see www.firstlightmovies.com for information on filmmaking opportunities for young people)
  • Producers without a project attached
  • First time filmmakers
  • Producers without a writer/director or writer and director team.

You can apply to both The Magic Hour and the Digital Shorts programme within your region, for example Screen WM Digishorts.

 

How to apply

All applicants should submit 2 unbound, unstapled copies of the following:

  • A completed application form and additional information form
  • 1 page CV

 

If you are a writer or writer/director you should also submit:

  • A 1 page synopsis of your film (max. 1 A4 page)

 

If you are a director you should also submit:

  • 1 page of director’s notes on how the film will look, sound and feel and any actors attached
  • A single DVD (PAL Region 1 or 0) or web links to your previous film work. This can be a film you have written, directed or produced. This is not a scheme for first-timers and applicants will be expected to have some experience of filmmaking.

Please do not send scripts at this stage –they will not be read.

Send your application form and supporting materials to:

104 films, PO Box 63849, London, N1 1ND

Your application form, additional information form, synopsis, director’s notes and CV must also be emailed to michelle@104films.com. If you do not email your application it will not be eligible.

The deadline for applications will be Midnight on Friday 15th January 2010. Please note we will only accept applications which have been both posted and e-mailed. Late or incomplete applications will be returned.

If you have any queries about the application form, these guidelines or any aspect of The Magic Hour scheme, please contact Michelle Eastwood, Development Producer via email michelle@104films.com

Applications can be submitted between Monday 2nd November 2009 and midnight on Friday 15th January 2010.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email.

A shortlist of 10 applications will be made and unsuccessful applicants informed by e-mail by Friday 12th February 2010.

Short listed applicants will be invited to attend a meeting to discuss their projects with the selection panel week commencing Monday 15th February 2010. Following this meeting full script, additional directing notes, CVs of key crew and budget will need to be submitted by Friday 12th March 2010.

 

Assessment

All applications will be assessed by a panel appointed by 104 films. Applications will be assessed against the following criteria: 

  • The strength of the film idea in terms of enhancing disability culture
  • Potential of the film idea to reach an audience at cinemas, film festivals, online and beyond
  • Applicant’s previous experience and ability to deliver the project
  • Applicant’s idea, film-making and story-telling abilities

 

Training & Development

Short listed applicants will have the opportunity to attend up to 3 days of training to be delivered by The Script Factory in conjunction with Skillset. The training will focus on a range of different skills areas encompassing development, directing and producing for short film and will aid them in the development of their projects.

The training days will be held in London in February and March 2010 and short listed applicants will receive travel and accommodation bursaries to attend and access costs will be covered. Any extra costs of attending the workshops must be covered by the applicants.

104 films will conduct a training needs analysis meeting with all successful applicants. An industry mentor may be suggested in areas where an applicant requires support. For example, directors with less practical experience may be appointed a mentor who is an experienced director.

Successful applicants will be expected to participate in an intensive period of script development with professional script editors between short listing in February and green lighting.

Professional crew such as producers, production managers, 1st Assistant directors and Directors of Photography may also be recommended by 104 films on an ad hoc basis depending on the needs of each production.

 

Production

Successful projects will be commissioned by 104 films. Producers will be expected to sign a commissioning agreement and deliver final draft scripts, budget, schedule and cash flow for 104 films and UK Film Council sign-off BEFORE commencing principal photography.

Successful projects will be allocated a budget of £10,000 by 104 films. Payments will be made according to a payment schedule designed to accommodate the production process. The production budget will be expected to include all costs incurred by the producer in making the film, including: 

  • the costs of clearing all underlying rights in the film in all media in perpetuity
  • any writer/director/producer fees
  • crew fees at the minimum wage of £53.50 per ten hour day as stipulated by BECTU
  • costs for reasonable adjustments required by disabled personnel, for example, a signer to be employed for the duration of the production
  • all delivery materials and the costs of any changes made in post-production as a result of notes given by UK Film Council or 104 films
  • Compulsory 10% contingency

Please note that the UK Film Council stipulate that due to the time-consuming and expensive nature of clearing commercial music for use in short films, no commercial music may be used in The Magic Hour films (with the exception of pre-cleared library music).

 

Rights

As part of the terms and conditions for financing your film, all rights* including copyright and the right to distribute and sell your film, will need to be assigned to 104 films before production begins. Those rights will be held jointly by 104 films and the UK Film Council.  All filmmakers participating in this programme will be required to sign standard clearance agreements for The Magic Hour scheme which will be provided by 104 films prior to production.  Failure to enter into these agreements could mean that any offer of funding is withdrawn.

(*except certain rights reserved to the writer being the right to adapt their script and all the characters, places, scenes or situations appearing in it for the purposes of making a television programme or a feature film).

 

Delivery & Approvals

Successful projects will go into production in the second quarter of 2010 and will be required to make final delivery to 104 films no later than 31st July 2010. Productions will be expected to make offline edits of the film available for comment by UKFC/104 films in late June 2010, after which notes will be given to be actioned prior to final delivery. UKFC and 104 films have the right to final approval of the finished cut and their joint decision will be final. Applicants may not make further changes to their films once delivered to 104 films.

104 films/UK Film Council will have the right to final approval over the following elements of the production:

  • Identity of the writer(s), director(s) and producer(s)
  • Final draft of the script (prior to commencement of principal photography)
  • Budget & Schedule (to be signed off prior to commencement of production)
  • All clearance agreements (104 films will supply productions with template contracts)
  • Identity of key Heads of Department
  • Any music used within the film
  • The final cut of the film
  • The credits and copyright notice for each film.

  

Distribution & Showcase

The right to distribute films commissioned under this programme will belong to 104 films who will also act as a collection agent in respect of all films produced through the scheme. 104 films will work with you to tailor appropriate promotional strategies for your film, which may include submitting the film to festivals and/or other distribution and exhibition opportunities: 

  • UK cinema release of the films
  • A major UK film festival for premiere alongside the other Magic Hour Films
  • Submission of films to sales agents Dazzle Short Film label and Premium Films in France
  • Submission of films to BBC Film Network

Producers and directors will have a distribution strategy meeting with 104 films to assess which film festivals and other exhibition opportunities would be most appropriate for their films.

104 films will enter into any sales contracts with third parties for your film. The costs of providing delivery materials for a sale and/or any legal fees may be deducted from income provided for that sale (subject to caps). Please note that, alongside this, UK Film Council will also have a non-exclusive right to exhibit the film for promotional purposes.

UK Film Council will seek to recoup an amount equal to 50% of their investment in each film from any income received from any sales of your film. Any further money received after this 50% has been recouped will be treated as net profit and shared as 50% to the producer/writer/director (as negotiated), 25% to 104 films and 25% to the UK Film Council.

For more information on The Magic Hour scheme or 104 films in general, please contact Michelle Eastwood at michelle@104films.com