Net Diary - Robin Jacob

March 1st 2005

Introduction

I thought it would be a good idea to keep some sort of a Diary during the making of, or the attempt to make 1066. Succeed or fail, it might help others trying to do the same thing. It also might help keep a truer record of events, rather than trying to remember particular words spoken or situations experienced. Whatever.

Background

I was one day in Manila watching on DVD Lion in Winter with Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn. It is a stunning film, well written for the most part and superbly acted by all. I started to remember the UK stamp issue in 1966 when I was eleven, commemorating the nine hundreds year anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. And after doing some research on it on imdb.com, etc. found that there had never been an attempt to make this movie! So I set about writing it. Little did I know that it would only be 2 and half years later that I would end up with something I felt comfortable with, and that takes into account that there would be several more re-writes once we got into pre-production.

I have over the years produced/directed many Pop Videos, commercials, TV shows and musicals as well as several documentaries and line-produced number of TV and feature films for foreign companies during my time in Manila. So I have had a lot of experience in getting a production done. The hardest thing of all. All the other elements, artistic, script wise are important but not as important as getting the bloody film done! Most people don’t get it. The art is in getting it made on time, under budget and then one hopes, if not, one works desperately hard towards that end, to have a good piece of cinema and art to show, because at the end it is about getting the money back, a profit and keeping the investors happy. I have had the misfortune to meet many a would–be producer from within the industry and from without. A few actual get it down, for the most part, they fail miserably. Either they do not have enough money and overestimate their ability to get it or they just don’t have a clue. The Philippines is brimming to overflow with the aforementioned would-bes!

So, my thrust is to get the movie done the way I want to do it. But, I do not have the estimated US$60M to make it. So, apart from approaching one or two people in Hollywood who I personally know, I have decided to go to the UK and set up a PLC and raise funds from the general public. There are certain incentives in the UK such a BES companies which allow tax relief of 20% for investors, tax rebate from the UK for shooting a movie in the UK and other benefits which I shall explore. 1066 really has to be shot in the UK or Ireland. An alternative not so much favoured by me is Eastern Europe; mainly because labour costs are low and artistic abilities high. Hallmark has shot several productions there.

But I feel it should be shot in the UK. I might regret that statement later on, who knows.

Net Journal 02
Home