BudgetFilmMaker.com: What is the title of your new film?

Mark Jeavons: Blind Man Freddy

BFM: What is this new film about ? 

MJ: Blind Man Freddy is a drama about a boy who befriends a blind tramp. The two become

       best friends, but this has tragic consequences as the father of the boy always warned him to

        stay clear of strangers.

BFM: What category does this film fall under ?

MJ: Blind Man Freddy - Drama

BFM: How much did the film cost to made? Break this down in sections?
 

MJ: The film was funded through PLOT, an initiative to help creative businesses and individuals in

       the West Midlands. So I didn't fund the film, it was already funded for me, which is fortunate I

       know.

BFM: How did you plan to make Blind Man Freddy?

MJ: A couple of months of pre-production work went into the film - I produced it as well, found

       the locations, actors, wrote the script first of all though, obviously.

BFM: What equipment did you use to make the film ?

MJ:  I shot all my films on Sony DSR 500. Sound was on a 416 Rifle Microphone and a Monitor.
 

BFM:  Where did you get the cast and crew for this film?

MJ: Shooting people mostly, though the main actor I already knew - he had a brief part in an early

       short film I made called: 'Death By Chocolate'.

BFM: Did all the cast and crew work well as a team? Was there a good working

           environment?

MJ: Yeah, everyone got on fine, it was a really nice atmosphere, no arguments or problems,

        everyone enjoyed the shoot.

BFM: Did the film come out like you expected?

MJ: I don't think any film you make comes out as you expected - there are always things you can

       improve upon, but there are also many positives which you didn't foresee happening.

BFM:  If you had to make the films again how differently would you do it?

MJ: Maybe there's one or two scenes in the script I would change and maybe change some of the

      dialogue, but I wouldn't change too much of it.

BFM: What advice would you give film makers who want to make films like this?

MJ:Good luck, stop wasting time, go out there and do it for the love of God!!!! Plan, Prepare,

      Shoot!!! Make sure you have a good storyboard!!

BFM: What editing studio or package did you use to edit the film?

MJ: Fine Cut Pro on a G4 Mac.

BFM:. Will you be making any more films during the next year.

MJ: I'm currently halfway through a mini feature film, about 60 minutes long called: 'The Boy with a

      Thorn in His Side'. The equipment I'm using is free, but I've funded everything else, it's a 17

      day shoot spread over two long weeks and we've just wrapped on the first week. I'm

      producing, directing, editing, blah, blah, blah!

BFM: Would you only want to direct from your own scripts?

MJ: Yes, it would be odd directing someone else's material - but never say never!

BFM: What did you do before making the film.

MJ: Signed on the dole quite a lot!

BFM:  What are your inspirations and what are your favourite films?

MJ: Too many to mention - Tarantino, Scorsese, Kubrick, Lynch, Woody Allen, Fincher,

       Coppolla - other inspirations would be artists of all kind, music, whatever! Favorite films?

        Where do I start? Anything by any of the above directors.

BFM: Was there any obstacles during the course of making the film that with hindsight

           you could have avoided ?

MJ: The weather maybe, nothing much.

BFM: Finally, why did you make a film on such a subject?

MJ: It was just an idea I had, a blind tramp befriends a boy, they become close, the blind man gets

       bullied by the father of the boy and then things turn nasty - just a story I had in my head and

       wanted to put onto the screen.

     Mark Jeavons film  "Blind Man Freddy' can be seen in the 'Films' section of www.BudgetFilmMaker.com.