The whole point of making Mission X, was really to create a “calling card” You can’t just make a film, then expect to get it out there when you have a zero budget for distribution and marketing. You need at least £50,000.

At this minute, I have been showing the film directly to companies around the world. My objective is to get the budget for a UK or US remake. Much more action and character based film.

HIGH STREET RETAILERS

In the meantime, I might have a deal to get the film into supermarkets. I am currently working on that at the moment.

I will be updating this blog at least once a month now

Thanks for reading.

David

TV producer Maria Lokken interviews me for her blog, about Mission X and Mission X remake. She has a great blog.

Thanks Maria

http://ow.ly/10Qe9

Mission X available for download tomorrow night from my website. http://www.missionx.co.uk/

The Mission x website will also turn into a development platform for the much bigger budget remake.

It would be an action movie with strong characters, that will still retain the spirit of the documentary gamer hanging out with mercs. It will be on a much bigger US set scale. Less talky, more rollercoaster! A bit of “Black Hawk Down” “Cloverfield”, meets military video games. But not a fake cgi flick.

The global gamer market is huge, so this makes sense. One minute the film student-Gamer is in dull suburbia like a speilberg movie, the next minute he is in an an aircraft hanger, and then boards a hercules with 50 mercs ready for a city attack. Shot Private Ryan style in a lot of the action city scenes.

BIGGER BUDGETS

We know Hollywood is in a bad way, but they always have money if you have a project that has the potential to attract a global demographic, has sequel, video game, merchandise potential. I believe I have something strong, because it will be a film where all gamers can identify with. The film student represents them for 24 hours as he is thrust into this world. This would be a hyper reality style film, not cgi fake game style.

MISSION X DEVELOPMENT SITE

The Mission X site will become a development site for this bigger movie. All the sales I make, my personal profits, will be used to fund my development process for the “Mission X” remake. People who follow me will see if I pull this off, and will learn how I precisely do it.

TEASER TRAILER

I also might shoot a teaser trailer in a few months, to really show the potential for the film on a larger canvas. This would be shot in an aircraft hangar, plane, streets, other scenes. This will then be put into my development package to show a few Hollywood producers who have shown interest.

MISSION X BRAND

People who follow me, support, will also get the opportunity to see all this, and get the chance to involved with it in many ways. Whether that is extras in the streets, or mercenaries. This remake will have huge gun battles. I see Mission X as a brand. And dare I say it, it even has video game potential. (Based on the remake, not this current small film) I will also spin off to the web in many ways too. Trans media style.

Will I pull this off? Who knows. But I do know I am not a quitter in life, and I believe in what I am doing.

cheers

David

www.missionx.co.uk

MISSION X PROMOTION

The film has had very little promotion. It doesn’t take money to promote online, it takes a ton of time. I could commit a few years 24/7 promoting and making money with this little film, but then I would be a business man who is just selling a product. I am a filmmaker, and filmmakers are supposed to make films.

Of course as filmmakers today, we have to be prepared to also commit time to sell our films too, and find a way to make promotion fun, and not a drag. Which is what I will be doing with my next film. I will create an intensive tour, but heavily plugging the one film for years is not healthy in my opinion.

MISSION X film only shows about 5% of what I can do. If it was a bigger film that really showed my best, then I would put more time into it, but it simply shows my “potential”. That does not mean its not watchable, it just means I don’t invest all my life into promoting it. Time is far far more precious to me than money.

PROMOTION IDEAS

At this minute I am working on getting it on other platforms. Its all so so much slower because I am a one man band on this film, because I have limited cash, and because I am raising the cash for the next film with a biz partner.

My real promotion idea, is to give the film out on digital downloads and streaming, for a low cost, donations. I have a digital download plan I can use on a specific platform, because it lets me connect to people who watch the film best. VOD streaming is the main goal too.

MISSION X MERCHANDISE, OPPORTUNTIES

In my opinion, indie films themselves will be worth very little soon. Its all the physical merchandise, fanbase donations, interactive opportunities with fans that are the key to earning from indie work.

At this minute, I am saving up for the merchandise, then I will release the film almost everywhere for donations, as the film then plugs my film website, and personal brand. I always see the long term (3/5 plan) benefits, not overnight. I am in this biz for the long term struggle, so I have no complaints.

cheers

David

www.missionx.co.uk

MISSION X: www.missionx.co.uk

A lot of people ask me how I am progressing with my film via twitter, facebook, email, which is great, really amazed that anybody is interested in my work. However, I can’t deny it’s also so time consuming for each response. So I am posting my up to date progress here for those who are interested.

CALLING CARD

Whoever follows me, will know I made this little film just to get kick started again.  I had a few years gap from my first film, and it took me a few years to raise £500,000 for a horror, which also included a solid marketing, distribution plan.

When that collapsed at the start of the global financial crash, I had no option but to get a camera and start shooting a no budget story. Mission X. Filmmakers make films, so there should be a cut off point for roaming with the metal detector. I had enough of looking for money.

MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION

I would never make a budget film without having a marketing and distribution strategy. But Mission X was really just a desperate bid to get moving again, after years in “development hell”. I knew I would have no marketing money for MX, but at least I would have something to show potential investors

Without a recent project, people would simply ask, “What have you done lately?” I got sick of saying, “well, I have this idea, concept, script” Who gives a shit! Join the que!  People invest in “doers”. They only invest in pitches if you are already well established.

CALLING CARD

Making this no budget film has simply been a calling card. Personally, it’s working for me.

POSITIVES

• Private investment doors are opening again, and some are already commited for the next project.
• Its a lot easier to get the industry to consider me for bigger budget projects. They are open to packaged submissions now.
• I have a film to show a little bit of what I can do, so its easier to get great talent, resources, support for the next one. And access to named talent.
• MX is not going to make me rich, or even comfortable, but the sales keep me running.
• Some industry people are seeing a remake potential. (Much more action based) I would not even have been listened to without this little film.
• Because the film was so cheap, I can afford to experiment with it, hold on to my rights, and of course it will sell forever in many platforms
• Having the film has let me connect with a lot of great people via social media.

Anyway, there are many more positives to making the film.

NEGATIVES

I rarely see negatives in life. The positives definately outweigh the negatives. Sure, it is frustrating not having money to plug the film right out there, but on the other hand, its a small film, scottish accents, so not really for a mass global market, so it would not make sense to spend a lot of money on it.

On a whole, the film has already kicked started the original project I tried to get going. It’s created a spark for me that is leading to other things, so I have no complaints. If interested, watch this space for more updates.

cheers

David

www.missionx.co.uk

@indiemoviemaker

Mission X FB fan page

www.deathmovie.co.uk

@DEATHMOVIE

DEATH MOVIE FB fan page