In this case the limitation is that the film must be made on a budget of up to $250,000. ESCALATOR is about creative filmmaking ideas explicitly conceived with low budget production in mind. It is most definitely not about squeezing a bigger budget idea into a low budget framework.

We are looking for edgy, challenging material, expressed with a unique voice and style, by teams that genuinely relish the prospect of working lean and fast.  ESCALATOR is primarily about having a great idea, a clear plan for how to make it into a great film on the money and then getting on with it. NZFC staff will be happy to offer advice and support but we are hoping for a fast turnaround from green-light (in September 2011) to delivery, not an extended period of development. Our intention is that each of the films will act as a stepping-stone to bigger features for writers, directors, producers and crew.


Who is it for?

This is a great chance for talented individuals to start talking to each other, inspire each other, and establish contacts and networks for their project and/or exciting collaborations in the future.

Directors who have already received feature production finance from the NZFC are not eligible to apply. ESCALATOR is specifically designed to support directors who are ready to step up to their first feature film. The NZFC is open to low budget applications at any time from more experienced directors through the standard funding process.

Other team members may have feature experience however the idea is to develop talent across all disciplines so we encourage applications from emerging filmmakers.


The Mindset: what are we looking for?

Your low budget film can’t have ALL of the following:

• lots of locations
• lots of characters
• lots of dialogue
• lots of scenes
• lots of shots
• lots of night shooting
• special effects
• a large crew
• an extended shooting schedule

But it can certainly have one or two of the above. This might mean shooting with a crew of five over 30 weekends. It might mean making a ‘one-shot’ film with a cast and crew of 400 for one day. Turn your limitations into assets!

We are looking for low budget films that are bold, personal and distinctive because we want them to be noticed on a tough and crowded playing field. A huge number of low budget films are made every year, all over the world, and most of them receive no form of distribution whatsoever. So maybe also consider these questions:

• Why am I making this film?      
• Who is my audience?
• How will I reach them?
• Why will they care?
• Who has done this before, successfully, and how/why did they succeed?

There is a Chinese proverb that says:

We don’t want to be that fool, we want to see the stars you are aiming for but we will also need to believe that you know how to reach them!

In the first stage teams will be asked to submit three ideas, each as a one-page synopsis, along with a one page CV for each member of the team. From these applications 12 teams will be selected to move through to the next stage.

The second stage is a bootcamp that we are presently aiming to run in April 2011. Up to three members from each team will spend three days immersed in an intense workshop on every aspect of the low budget mindset. Local and international industry professionals will discuss key topics and will work with teams to help them refine and focus their ideas. In the 2010 bootcamp many teams changed their lead ideas through this process, hence the importance of having three strong film concepts. All bootcamp attendees will have their travel and accommodation paid for by NZFC.

After the bootcamp teams will have 14 weeks to work on ONE of their ideas and then submit a second stage application. This will include a script, budget, schedule and statement on their low-budget methodology/ethos. In 2011 we will offer each bootcamp team a modest amount of development funding to assist in this work.

These applications will go to an independent panel made up of four filmmakers and one NZFC representative. This panel will select up to four teams that will each receive up to $250,000 to make their film.

The selected teams will be invited to choose and attach senior industry mentors to their project for advice throughout the process. The NZFC will provide teams with a modest amount of extra funding to put to this end.

Principal photography on the films should commence within six months of the date of the offer. The dates for final delivery of the films will be decided on a case-by-case basis, but we expect projects to aim for delivery within 12 months of greenlight.

NZ Film will not be able to distribute the finished films but teams will be offered advice and support to develop their own festival and distribution plan.  The NZFC will provide a modest amount of ring-fenced funding on film delivery to assist with marketing materials.

• Applications must come from teams of two or more
• Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents
• Documentary projects are not eligible
• Directors who have received NZFC feature production financing are not eligible to apply

• A completed application form, downloadable from the Escalator page of the bottom of this page
• A one-page synopsis for each of your three low budget film ideas
• A half-page statement on low budget methodology/ethos for each idea
• A one-page CV for each applying team member

 Additionally, applications may include one page of visual material per idea.


Tips for writing a good one-pager:

• Spell check.
• Keep it clear and economical.
• Make sure it’s readable (simply squashing it into 6pt text to fit on a page is not the best way). 

Condensing a feature-length story into a one-page synopsis is tough work even for the most experienced of writers. We are open to all approaches, but these pointers might help: 

·         One definition of a dramatic story is that ‘someone wants something badly but is having a hard time getting it’

·         Some dramatic stories aren’t about what someone consciously wants so much as about what they need, though they probably don’t know it to begin with. If yours is one of these then think about how the audience will know what the character needs

·         Write a logline that encapsulates the story. A good logline for a film with a strong dramatic premise will usually answer the questions: Who is the central character? What is their problem? What, or who is making the problem difficult to solve? And how do they ultimately deal with it?

·         Write the one-pager in three or four paragraphs that take us on a character journey through:

o   The beginning, status quo, the ‘undisturbed life’

o   The problem, inciting event, the thing that disrupts the ‘undisturbed life’

o   Decision – what does (do) the main character(s) do now?

o   Struggle – a series of escalating complications that often ends in that ‘all is lost’ or ‘long night of the soul’ moment

o   Climax – where the question raised by the problem is finally answered, not necessarily in a positive way

o   Resolution – the fallout from the climax, which should suggest how the audience will feel when they leave the cinema

·         Try not to end the synopsis with a teasing question mark, or dot, dot, dot… We need the whole story here. We want to know how it ends!

We appreciate that you may be writing a synopsis for a film idea that you have not yet developed into a script. We know that everything may ultimately change but we still want you to present your idea as a story with a beginning, middle and end so that we can judge whether it is built around a genuinely dramatic premise that is likely to keep an audience engaged for 90 minutes.

Henry is forced to re-evaluate his entire life when he discovers the secret to slowing down time and is propelled into a shifting world of intrigue and danger.