Financial constraints - Case study: Transpotting

Trainspotting was made in 1996
Budget: £3.5 million
Director: Danny Boyle
Writer: Andrew Macdonald
Producer: John Hodge

Synopsis (plot)

• Based on a Scottish novel trainspotting 
• A series of interlinked stories concentrating on heroin hooked anti hero Mark Lenten
• Novel written by Irvine welsh 

Rights to the screenplay  - 

• To translate a novel into a movie form, the most important thing is to snap up the screen rights. 
• Danny Boyle wanted to make it and they stole the rights for it and said that they could co-produce.
• Red Dwarf production company did not originally want trainspotting.

Finance - 

• The filmmaking threesome (Boyle, Macdonald and Hodge) are being badgered by Hollywood Mogul Scott Rudin (Producer of Sabrina and the firm), who offers them $250,000 to film whatever project they desire. 
• Channel 4 said that they would finance it because they like the script. 
• The author of the novel was on their side.
• They also had huge amounts of pressure from red dwarf productions and Hollywood. 
• The deal was eventually done for 2% of the films budget ($30,000) and Noel Gay, backing out of hands-on duties in exchange for a share of the profits and a name on the credits. 
• This meant that red dwarf gave $30,000 for 2% of the movie rights. He had no production or pre-production control. 

"One of the key issues, clarifies Boyle, "was not to make a film that costs a lot of money. You can get carried away with people offering you money and end up making a film that's out of proportion with your kind of audience"

PRE-PRODUCTION - 

This is known as the run up period to the film Boyle explains.

• It lasts from 4-7 weeks depedning on budget.
• Trainspotting had 7 weeks which includes Casting, Location(recce/scouting), art department work, props, colouring, costume design, hair and makeup.
• Rehearseals began in a rented flat at the top of a Glascow tower block (this was cheap because they wanted to keep the funds as low as possible) 
• It was filmed mostly in Glascow but set in Edinburgh
• They were also in Edinburgh alot for the pick-ups (scene-setting, dialogue free snatches shot to pad out the action)
• A crew has been assembled - led by Boyle. (Camera, lighting, props, makeup  etc)
• Hunting for suitable locations (Recce)
• Lots of places visited on there locaction recce (Bars, shops, brewhouse etc)

CASTING -

• Ewan Mcgregor - Plays Alex in Shallow Grave. He was the first actor on board.

Casting directors -  Gail Stevens and Andy Pryor

• They wanted people like Ewen Brenner and Bobby Carlyle and they also made a list of the top talents to help them choose who they wanted to cast for the film.

LOCATION RECCE - 

Brewhouse -

Correct equipment 

Enough space

Safety

Initial concerns - Light bulb is too bright and spotlight could hamper filming.

- Problem panning shot across the bar. 

-May need to add more bars and stools which means costs increase.

• The bar was already equipped with booths and the bar can be refit with a long table and bench.
• This all takes alot of time and money and has to be put into the production schedule.
• 90 extras will be needed for the scene and 10 of them trained actors for the punch up
• Too keep costs low, only one section of the bar will be used , filled with tables to make it look populated.
• The cost of the place depends on the relationship with the brewery.
• Depends on how much business they may loose as a result of one day of shooting (8am-8pm)
• Cost around £500-1000 for one day filming. 
• The team only get too look at the place once - everything has to be taken into consideration such as set, props, cast and the venue, temperature of room, brief location manager of all problems and changes needed. 
• Brew house was the only pub with a balcony. 
• Had breathe finding a crematorium and a courtroom
• Probably because of the secrecy. 

Volcano nightclub - Turned out to be locked, leaving everybody to stand around for 20 minutes (wasting time and money)

• Place needs to be painted purple to give it a neon affect
• Keep club name 
• Dialogue drowned by loud music's so subtitled added. 

Ladies loo - 

• Lightbulb has a problem - remove them
• Extras in and out

SET DESIGN - 

• The look of trainspotting is drawn from real life but very exaggerated. 
• You read the script, discuss certain aspects, talk about the general film and do research
• Then planning sets, reference photographs and sketches.
• Danny is informed before everything by a mood board - which includes tones, colours, themes and items etc. 
• Sketches = Visualisation diagrams

Kave Quinn - Set designer of trainspotting 

PROPS -

• Already worked on storyboards scene-by-scene sketches of how each scene will look on screen.
• The final thing is deciding whether to use locations or build sets, and whether the locations are good enough.
• 6 weeks before production we buy things that would make good prop's

COSTUMES - 

• Wardrobe Mistress Rachael Fleming is in charge of clothes. 
• Some costumes are created and some are items from Oxfam and charity shops.
• Some clothing may also be from friends, family and own experience. 

THE SHOOT- 

• Lasts for 35 days (low budget)
• Five days a week, some Saturday mornings and includes a week of dreaded night shoots.
• Daylight doesn't stop until 11pm and is back again by 4:30am 
• Time schedule is crucial! 
• Work usually begins at 8:30 with catered breakfast. 
• Macdonald and Boyle get there at 7am too run through the day
• photographer
• distributors
• publicity 
• keeps lots of agents
• friends and family away from the set 

• Producers role to control all of this however shouldn't have to do much during shooting.
• They deal with the stuff behind the scenes.
• Art director wants the light and set to be perfect 

What is the expenditure in a budget broken up into?

• Costume
• Set designer
• Lighting
• props 
• Actors/cast