Presenter: Barry Ryan – “Warp” Films

Warp Films – 10 years
18 Films
5 TV series
6 BAFTAs
1 World Record – Most amount of zombies at a festival.

Parent company is Warped Records.
Check these out: Four Lions; Submarine; Kill List
Everything was defined by Deadman Shoes.

Warp Records came about by two guys just decided they wanted to start a record label to rep the music they were hearing in clubs. The film side started very much the same way based on their success with music, they figured, “Hey, we can do that” and used many of the same creative contact to begin a film company.

Warp Records was able to use their pre-existing network of distribution for CD’s to push out the first short they made. Coincidentally, they won a BAFTA the day before it released.

Warp Records Principles

• Make Good Stuff
• Look After Your Artist
• Look After you Audience
• Take Risks

Workflow:
30 Days Prep
30 Shoot
150 Days Post
Total: 210 Days

10 hour per day
2100 hours per film
18 films X 2100 hours = 37500 hours of film-making

They have gotten something out of every single one of their films. What you end up relying on is what people can do, not so much a degree or masters.

The best people in the filmmaking industry are constantly making films. The best advice you can give is to someone who wants to be a filmmaker is to constantly be making film.

They would go to BBC4 and say, look we are going to make this film, would you like to be apart of it? Because we are going to make it anyway. “We think we can raise  750,000 to make this film and make it with that budget. Do you want a part of this?”

The Director and lead actors would make a special cut for the Exec Producers who would finance the film and sign items and send it to them as a special thanks.

You need to be able to trust your artist (filmmaker) especially in large decisions.

When you are trying to decide what projects to make, you MUST love it. You can’t buy into if you don’t love it (or else you are a charlatan). If you are going to be spending 2 years of your life on a project (from creation to distribution), you must love it.

When working with your crew, you have to make people want to do it. Filmmaking can be the best job in the world. But make it that way for your crew as well.

The best way you can reduce what a film costs is shoot for less days.

They are doing a film where the crew got paid but also got part of the Adjusted Gross which means they get a piece of the film success upfront and as the film continues to do well.

There is a democratization of filmmaking because of how technology is making it more accessible to everyone.

Keys For Successful Indie Filmmaking Company:

1. Take Risks
2. Support the Artist (Filmmaker)
3. Make What You Love – You’re the person selling; YOU have to buy into it or no one else will.
4. Love What You Make –
5. Be Nice – Make it an environment that other people WANT to come back to over and over again.

No one ever makes money in the box office. But it is in the distribution.