The mysteries of sale and leaseback, and high hopes


John is left to unravel the mystery that is a DigiBeta to 35mm blow up. Cine Byte in Toronto has been selected. They're cheap and good. Key company characteristics beloved by the Fluidity Films guys. Once John has understood pitch change (25fps to 24fps sound see?) and the best size for the telecine. It is 1:185 after all. This saves us over £10K as we were initially told we'd telecined at the wrong ratio. The producer hears this excellent news in Peru and immediately goes on an alpaca carpet spending spree.

If the blow up was complicated, then the mysteries of the sale and leaseback deal come a very close second. Luke Morris from Future Film comes to see the film and falls in love on sight. He is definitely up for a sale and leaseback deal. This involves a tax wheeze whereby we sell the film to Future and then lease it back with the money they give us. We stick 90 per cent of what they give us in a bank to pay the interest on that money (still with us?) and put 10 per cent (or there abouts) into the film. Dedarrrrrr.

Simple. Well not quite. These sale and leaseback whallahs have created a big money business and they want big money movies or it's not worth their while. With the producer groaning under the weight of all these carpets, he discovers there might be a problem with Future.

It's confirmed on his return when Future (and a very apologetic Luke Jones) pull out of a deal that was to net us about £85K. The Lord giveth and the Lord bumpeth off, to quote the film.

But the show must go on. The producer returns just in time for the cast and crew screening at the ABC on Whiteladies Road in Bristol. A site of cultural significance for a million students and also for Guy and John. They screened Shopping for Love and Mashed there.

The screening is an astounding success. 140 people come and the atmosphere is awesome. Now we know we have a sure-fire hit on our hands. As the producer says, not having a distributor is like having a Ferrari in the garage without having the keys.

A sense of excitement as well as one of frustration is mounting. A pop promo is planned for one of the songs and there's a possibility that Gut Records might promote the single.

Research into indie cinemas, media contacts and student life is well underway. A release date in mid February is being mooted in the corridors of Fluidity Films. A poster is taking shape. A press pack will be written along with the production of an EPK.

Straplines are being banded about a line from a cheesy baseball movie is being plagiarised and re-issued as a Fluidity Films' mantra: "If you release it, they will come."

Future Film puts us in touch with another sale and leaseback company who will do us a deal. But first Fluidity needs a certificate from the DCMS in order to prove the film is British. It proves an extraordinarily complicated document that leaves the producer almost insane (well, more insane than he already was). It also requires an accountant to vouch for it. More money is required.

To recover, the producer heads off for the Christmas break, leaving the accountant to ruin their yuletide courtesy of the DCMS.

John's wife, Sarah puts Fluidity in touch with Wolfgang in her office who has a friend in Vienna who does blow ups. The friend turns out to run Listo, one of Europe's most advanced post production houses. Thanks to Wolfgang and much to the producer's delight, Geoff at Listo agrees to do us a fantastic deal on the blow up from Digi beta to 35mm.

Money remains a total nightmare. The producer goes with his begging cap to the bankers who remain unenthusiastic about extending the overdraft and so a loan is blagged instead.