Co-Production Services

Itasca Films has been and still is involved with a number of Co-production deals. we’ve been asked to help film from Hollywood, Bollywood, UK & Ireland. They come in all shapes and sizes and each brings it’s own challenges. But we have gained a reputation for being prepared to give anything a go.

Filmaking is a Process

Like most thingS in life, making a film is 20% inspiration and 80% perspiration. It is a process, a series of small steps that follow logically one behind the other. Follow the steps in the right order and you will eventually reach the end of your journey.

It starts with a story, lots of little bits of detailed information but the trick is to communicate to your audience.
“The two words information and communication are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.” – Sydney Harris

Investment Roadblock?

Issues often revolve around investment, time or budget constraints or all three. Often it just takes some to take a fresh look do some reorganisation.

Investment is usually about getting the organised and instilling a sense of belief in investors, that the project is not only viable and profitable, but that the right management and team is in place who will make the project happen.
Going through the process to obtaining HMRC EIS/SEIS Advanced Assurance is a great way to align all the bits of information in order ready to be communicated. It also demonstrates to investors that the management are disciplined enough to follow an orderly process and see that the right steps have been followed, risk and issues have been identified an mitigated where necessary.

Out of Time and Budget

Time and Budget issues which are usually resolved by thinking creatively about script adjustments without impacting the storyline.

We once had an Indian film that wanted tear jerking farewell scene at Heathrow Airport, so asked us to close Heathrow for the duration. Well that was never going to happen. However they were running out of time to re-write the crucial final scene without which the London sequence and it’s link to Paris would have made no sense.

We simply suggested changing the location of the farewell scene from Heathrow to St Pancras International and persuaded Virgin Trains at short notice, to reverse a few carriages in and out of a platform for us. Bingo the scene dialogue, rehearsed by the actors, remained unchanged and the closing shot was in the can.

On another occasion we have shipped the production over to Ireland, re-did the tax relief, which Ireland pay up front, god bless them, and covered the budget short fall that way.

A Fresh Pair of Eyes

It takes experience to see these opportunities and sometimes a fresh pair of eyes helps spot them. There are hundred of tricks to make £10,000 look like a £1,000,000. They don’t teach this stuff at any film school, it’s learnt the hard way, on the road.

If you’re stuck in a rut, gives us a call, we’d love to help you finish your picture.