Planning

The production of The Bison's Legs is finished, but the project won't stop at that! I am going to show the film at museums around Europe, and in the meantime I will be working on the next one. This bigger film will also be about prehistory, possibly centered around the drawings of Altamira. It will be of middle duration (so 45-70 minutes). Below you will find a preliminary planning. The later phases right now have less concrete details than the current phase. That is a good thing, because a project like this goes step by step.

Winter 2024 / Spring 2025

Currently, I am corresponding with museums in The Netherlands, France and Germany to set up viewings of The Bison's Legs. These viewings bring a bit of income, but they are mostly meant for networking. Just as with my short film, I want the next film to be scientifically accurate. For this reason, I want to involve scientists from the start of the production process. A screening at a museum is the perfect opportunity to get to know people and to showcase what type of film I want to make next.

The following screenings are planned (or have already been done):

November 2nd - Archeonacht at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

November 9th - screening for the volunteers of Free Nature

December 30th - Hunebedcentrum Drenthe

Christmas Holidays - Urgeschichtliches Museum Blaubeuren (date TBA)

January 6th - Staatsbosbeheer New Year's Reception

Do you want to book a screening too? Don't hesitate to contact me!

In this period, I am also writing my Master's thesis. I'm studying Applied Ethics at Utrecht University. My thesis will concern an ethical case that has to do with my plans for the next film. As that film will be about hunter-gatherers, I want to explore to what degree it is possible / acceptable to make a hunting scene in which an animal is actually hunted using stone age equipment. For example, my actors would hunt a deer with a bow and arrow. I will undertake text research, interviews and I will also organize a focus group consisting of hunters, wildlife managers and animal rights activists.

2nd Half of 2025

After I graduate in april, I will find a parttime job and use the time I have left to work on the film. In relation to the project, I will be a one-man company. The project will be parttime until I find a way to make it lucrative. Either I find enough donators through the web after setting up a YouTube channel, or I have to wait until the budget for the film is such that I can pay myself (see below). Showing the film at museums and other venues will bring a bit of income on the side.

In this phase, I will be writing the script and corresponding with experts about its scientific underpinning. I will make YouTube documentaries about my findings, as well as videos with analyses of existing stone age films. I will also explain my plans for the next film in these videos. Furthermore, I will keep approaching museums around Europe to set up screenings, for example in Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia. I will make travel videos about these trips, and I'll interview the scientists. If these documentaries become popular, I can set up a Patreon account. This is a platform where content creators can generate an income from monthly donations from fans. With a bit of luck, this will become lucrative and I would be able to work on the project fulltime. The Bison's Legs will be available freely on YouTube or Vimeo around this time, giving a kickstart to the channel.

2026

The script will have taken shape, and the production planning comes into view. The most important part of this phase is securing the budget. There are three ways of obtaining a budget that I have currently in mind.

First and foremost, I will apply for fund from Creative Europe, the culture subsidy body of the EU. The goal of Creative Europe is to support the production of transnational and culturally diverse content. Since my film will for sure be an international endevour, with scientists and actors from many different places, it fits this general goal perfectly. To be eligible for these funds, it is necessary to form a consortium of partners from several EU member states. The more member states, the better for the application. For example, I would (at least) work together with a production company from e.g. France and one from Germany. I could then involve a casting agency from Italy, a costume producer from Spain, etc. But museums can also join in the process. Museums usually don't have a lot of money, but they can aid the project by sharing their expertise, and joining the consortium might even bring some income for them. There are too many details in the application procedure to share here, but after studying them closely, I believe I have a good chance of securing a subsidy. If you apply with partners from 3 member states, you can receive a maximum of €200K. I'm aiming for a budget between €50-100K. The subsidy can be 80% of the total budget at most, so I will have to find money elsewhere too.

One possibility is to enlist film production companies to share the load. If they see viability in my film plans, they could be interested in investing. There are also many smaller, national cultural subsidy organizations. To see what is possible, I need to do more research.

Third, I will place the project on Kickstarter. Through this website, I can set up a crowdfunding that is available to the whole internet. This could bring in thousands to ten thousands of euros. Since I already have The Bison's Legs as a proof of concept, I would make a good chance to bring in donators.

May 29 - June 1: Hoofddraaidagen

With all the lessons learned from the standalone filming day in mind, the main shooting days were a success. We had two days at the Maashorst and two days in Belgium. At the Maashorst, we (under supervision) lit a fire, performed a shamanistic ritual and recorded dialogues. In Belgium, we spent a day filming on the beautiful wooded hills of the Hoge Kempen. On the last day, we headed to an abandoned limestone cave and filmed the shadow play scene there. The actors brought their cave drawing to life using the shadows cast by a small fire.

2027

If all goes well, this year the actual production starts. Casting, location scouting, costume and artefact design, etc., etc. But a lot has to happen until that time.