Depressing article about independent film making with ...

Good Vibrations as an example.

The highly acclaimed movie Good Vibrations opens in cinemas across the UK this week, but as a small, independent film, its path to the multiplex has been far from straightforward. So just how exactly does a film make it onto the cinema screen?

Good Vibrations tells the story of punk music icon Terri Hooley who opened a record shop on the most bombed half-mile in Europe in 1970s Belfast at the height of the Troubles. Hooley also released the classic Undertones hit Teenage Kicks, which DJ John Peel described as his favourite song.

Few cinema goers munching their popcorn and enjoying the uplifting tale will know of the difficult journey independent movies such as Good Vibrations have to undergo in order to reach the silver screen.

The British movie industry is not Hollywood. Funding is scarce, infrastructure scattered and legions of writers, directors and actors compete for crumbs from the table.

There is no dream factory to take care of the tough stuff once a movie mogul has decided upon the genius of your elevator pitch.

First things first
You're not going to get far without a great idea and an engaging script. Good Vibrations was born when writer Glenn Patterson bumped into Terri Hooley at a pub in Belfast ten years ago.

When the self-styled 'Godfather of Ulster Punk' began spinning stories at the bar, Patterson started to imagine them woven together in a movie and began working on a script with music journalist Colin Carberry.

After a few false starts, local directors Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D'Sa picked up the project. Hooley's was a well-worn legend around Belfast and some of the city's major creative figures, including Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody and music producer David Holmes, were soon drawn in.

An emotional investment in the story and a collective will to see the film made, no matter how arduous the journey, are vital components for any production team.

Good Vibrations producer Chris Martin says: "We felt, even if it took 10 years, we were going to stick at it. It was a passion project for all of us."

Show me the money
The first big obstacle to overcome is finance. Good Vibrations managed to secure a range of funding from the likes of Northern Ireland Screen, the Irish Film Board and BBC Films.

Director Lisa Barros D'Sa says: "We were told that it's unusual for a film with a budget under £10 million to reach a cinema audience. The lower the budget, the less time you have to shoot, and therein lies the biggest challenge. It is vital to hold your nerve, even when it appears that the finance has run dry."

Now comes making your movie
Finding the perfect cast, managing the demands of an intense filming schedule, with the sizeable crew that any modern film requires is challenging for a production team working on a relatively small budget. If your budget ends up being less than you initially anticipated, it only adds to the pressure as Lisa Barros D'Sa found: "We ended up making it for a good bit less than we planned to. Given that Good Vibrations wasn't the sort of narrative that could be scaled down significantly in terms of the number of characters and locations needed to tell the story well, this did put us under pressure."

Finding a distributor
Once the film is made, the concern becomes how people are going to see it. Without distribution, your movie is little more than a vanity project, but getting it is no easy task.

Films with globally-recognised Hollywood stars at the helm can have the distribution in place before shooting has even begun, but small independent films without a stellar cast are not afforded that luxury.

David Holmes has experience of the other end of the movie-making spectrum, having worked on such big budget hits as Ocean's 11. Holmes says that distribution is very challenging when your movie is not a star vehicle: "Ultimately it's a big business you're dealing with who would rather show a poor film with lots of names in it rather than a great film with none."

Having the perfect fit for your lead can affect the size of your budget as Holmes explains. "Good Vibrations would have gone to a bidding war if someone like Ewan McGregor, Ciliian Murphy, or Michael Fassbender played the lead but we knew Richard Dormer was our man (to play Hooley) so we held out for him and made the film for a lower budget."

Marketing is a key aspect, with preview screenings for press, papers and screening for the cinemas. Many low budget films simply don't get promotion, due to lack of distribution.

An actual audience
Producer Chris Martin cautions that distributors must be persuaded you have an audience for your movie.

"That was particularly the case for Good Vibrations, as Belfast isn't exactly a byword for films. We had to work hard at it," he said.

Part of this hard work was dispelling the notion that, as it was set in 1970s Belfast, Good Vibrations was just another movie about the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

"When the distributors saw it they got the power of the music and saw that the Troubles simply added context to it. We always felt it was a universal story, which was bigger than Belfast," said Martin.

Critical acclaim
For small, independent movies the importance of film critics such as Mark Kermode cannot be underestimated. Kermode has been a big advocate of Good Vibrations.

"Mark has championed the film so passionately. If the film finds a good audience he will be responsible in no small part," said Lisa Barros D'Sa.

The more endorsement you receive from significant industry figures, the higher the chances of success.

For Good Vibrations, vocal support came in the form of Oscar winning director Ron Howard, who had a private screening of the film in America.

Film festivals
Film festivals are also vital in building momentum and helping find distributors in different countries, as Martin explains:

"You hope to get good local press reviews and if the film receives a positive reaction at festivals then it greatly enhances the chances of it playing well in that country."

Having a universal story that resonates with audiences in a range of countries and cultures is vital. For Good Vibrations this led to it being screened in festivals as far afield as Busan in South Korea, Tel Aviv and Moscow.

Lisa Barros D'Sa says this journey is a most satisfying experience for film-makers.

"You have no idea if your film will ever find an audience and so to watch it with audiences all over the world is the greatest delight and privilege. One of the strangest moments was when I was asked to explain the Northern Ireland Troubles to a South Korean audience. Five minutes later I was still talking, unsure of how or in what century to end the tale!"

Box office success
So you've trailed the globe, the critics have had their say and the marketing department has worked wonders.

Richard Dormer on set with the real Terri Hooley Now as your movie goes on general cinema release, it is all down to the paying punters to decide whether it will be remembered as a cinematic classic or a turkey.

In the case of Good Vibrations, the final word has to go to the subject of the movie - Terri Hooley. How does he feel seeing the high and low points of his life unmasked on the big screen?

"I cry every time I see it. Many people think I don't come out particularly well in the movie, but I was never an angel," he said.

Away with the manners of withered virgins