We Have a Winner...

Last week you voted for your favourite from 8 shortlisted plot ideas. Project A now has a basic premise!

'Everyday half the world's population disappears. This story follows a group who find themselves the remaining few when it stops'.

This entry received 29% of the total votes. View full results

And so Project A has it's first credit,

'Story based on an original idea by Glyn Shuttleworth'.

New poll NOW OPEN at www.filmbydemocracy.com

The Willhelm Scream

The Wilhelm Scream is a film and TV stock sound effect that was first used in the 1951 film Distant Drums. Since then, it has been used in Star Wars, the Indiana Jones series, Disney cartoons and many other blockbuster films, TV series and video games. It is used when a character (mostly someone that we don’t really care about) falls from a great height, is thrown from and explosion or is hit with a bullet, arrow or other wounding missile.

It’s also the inspiration for the James Blake song Wilhelm’s Scream, which is a pretty cool song if you ask me, but doesn’t actually contain the Wilhelm Scream.

The use of the Wilhelm Scream has become a bit of an insider joke. It has been used in over 225 movies in 2011 alone!

Let’s play a game, next time you watch a movie, listen out for the Wilhelm Scream. Where else does it pop up? Are there more places you’ve heard it?

Source: static-on-the-screen

Dan's Favourite Plot Idea

Have you voted for your favourite plot idea yet?

Each day this week one of the FbD team will make a pitch for their favourite.

Today it's Dan's turn.

What's your favourite Contemporary Urban Fantasy Drama?

You voted. The results are in.

1st
Amelie

2nd
It’s a Wonderful Life

3rd
Being John Malkovich

This is a really nice group of films. Well done Film By Democracy-ers. We applaud you for your good taste in movies.

Do you feel there were any that didn’t make the list that should have?

Competition Results

Thanks to everyone who entered our ‘Identify films from the loglines’ competition.

The winner was Robert Kelsall from the UK.

Well done Robert. A Film by Democracy t-shirt is will be on it’s way to you soon.

See results.

Behind the scenes of an FbD team meeting.

Discussing the plot submission entries.

Meet the Team #001

How Julia and Monte became involved in FbD!

First FBD Submission Open Now!

We are excited to open the first FbD submission!

You are invited to enter a 20 word plot idea for our first production - Project A.

From our previous polls we know that Project A is going to be a Contemporary Urban Fantasy Drama. So it’s important that your idea is compatible with these genres.

What do these terms mean?

Contemporary
Set at the time the film is made. Often the fantastic elements are hidden or unknown to the general population.

Urban
Takes place in a centre of human population. That could mean a city, town, or even a large village. As opposed to far away lands with snow capped mountains.

Fantasy
Anything that can be imagined but which doesn’t need to be explained by science. Fantasy isn’t governed by the physical laws of nature.

Drama
Drama is the most broad of movies genres and depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Characters are in conflict with themselves, others, society and even natural phenomena.

Films which fit into these genres include:

It’s a Wonderful Life
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Being John Malkovich
Meet Joe Black
Spirited Away
Field of Dreams (Almost, maybe not urban enough?)
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
The Science of Sleep
Amelie
Black Swan

Submit your idea at www.filmbydemocracy.com

Film by Cat...?

Date: Friday 27th April, 2012

Time: Too early

Dan arrived at my place way too early this morning to shoot a quick video for the site. The idea? Film by…CAT. If everyone else is doing it, why shouldn’t we?!

Luckily, I am in possession of the most adorable foster cat, Gandalf. He’s giant and white and fluffy and well – here’s a photo of him (after a bath).

The concept of the video is to ask Gandalf to vote on which genre he’d like ‘Project A’ to be and see what he thinks. And so on. It should be online (and hilarious) in the next week or so.

After multiple cat bites and a restorative cup of tea, Dan and I headed into Carlton for the day’s real purpose – to shoot a series of live polls in University Square. We arrived to find a somewhat bereft Monte, whose long weekend camping in the bush had fogged his mind (fresh air can be a nasty thing), causing him to doubt the mission.

Re-think. In a moment of clarity, we decided instead to share a little of ourselves with the Film by Democracy community. A candid, face-to-face chat with those of us behind the scenes,who have come together to bring you the world’s first democratic (or demoCATic, whichever way you swing) web series.

We had Dean behind the camera, on constant watch for the rogue leafsweeper that was hogging the footpath, Monte on sound, Dan dazzling everyone with his wit and charm, and me watching from the sidelines, trying not to have an anxiety attack about my impending onscreen debut. Not to forget Liana, poor sick Liana, who was off in the bowels of Melbourne Uni battling with a printer. And finally Grace, who missed all the fun today but who will pop up on your screen sooner than you think.

With confusion swirling and camera batteries dying, we did as we always do and retired to the pub. Beer, wine and vodka were prescribed for whatever ailed us and the rest of the afternoon was spent giggling over loglines and talking about The Avengers. Not to mention the more serious task of planning tomorrow’s proper shoot with REAL actors. Stay tuned for that drama!