Financial Constraints - Trainspotting Case Study

Financial Constraints

Transporting - 1996

Budget - £3.5 million

Director: Danny Boyle

Writer: Andrew MacDonald

producer: John Hodge

Hollywood and TV put the squeeze on UK’s low-budget film-makers

Clip notes - 

- Budget films - using sources from previous times, right the script and then work from there with the resources you have. 

- If there is no place in your budget for funding actors, turn to friends and family.(preferably somebody whois into acting)

- Where can you get all the gear?Rent? Borrow from friends?

• For a feature film use a minimum of 4 locations.
• The fewer the cast the better.
• Genre for low budget - Horror, Drama, Comedy.
• Avoid special effects as costly.
• Magic hour at sunset. Just after sunrise and just before sunset.
• Location scout, what are the best times to shoot at these locations?
• write rolls that take advantage of the assets of the person.
• Avoid ext. night scenes.
• verify availability of gear and actors.
• The more you move your camera the slower production is.
• Special events near you to incorporate in the film

Casting -

First and foremost, however, is the casting. Ewan McGregor, who played Alex in shallow Grave, is earmarked for the Renton role from the start, and is just onboard. 

The shoot - The shoot latest 35 days, as well as night shoots.

The rights to the screenplay - 

If you are planning to translate a novel into movie form, the most important thing, obviously, is to snap up the screen rights.

Pre-production -

• It lasts from 4-7 weeks depedning on budget.
• Trainspotting had 7 weeks which includes Casting, Location(recce/scouting), art department work, props, colouring, costume design, hair and makeup.
• Rehearseals began in a rented flat at the top of a Glascow tower block (this was cheap because they wanted to keep the funds as low as possible) 
• It was filmed mostly in Glascow but set in Edinburgh
• They were also in Edinburgh alot for the pick-ups (scene-setting, dialogue free snatches shot to pad out the action)
• A crew has been assembled - led by Boyle. (Camera, lighting, props, makeup  etc)
• Hunting for suitable locations (Recce)
• Lots of places visited on there locaction recce (Bars, shops, brewhouse etc)

Costumes - Saving money by purchasing the costumes at charity shops and other places rather than having them made which is much more costly.

Synopsis - This is a film of Irvine Welshes cult Scottish novel Transporting, a series of interlinked stories concentrating on heroin-hooked anti-hero mark Renton and his attempts to kick the habit, despite a lack of co-operation from his similarly-inclined friends

Finance-

The filming threesome are being badgered by Hollywood mogul Scott Rudin (Producer of Sabriana and the Firm), who offers them $250,000 to film whatever project they desire.

What was the task/what did you have to do?
What did you learn?
How will this help you prepare for your exam?