After seeing her horror feature shortlisted for the Sundance festival Screenwriters Lab, Meloni Poole spotted an opportunity to further develop her – and her film’s – future.
The Sheffield-based filmmaker successfully applied to join an all-female cohort for Filmonomics, a programme that aims to balance the creative and commercial interests for new filmmakers. It’s run by Birds Eye View and supported by the ScreenSkills as part of the BFI Future Film Skills using funds from the National Lottery.
The programme’s areas of focus instantly appealed to Meloni. She said: “I really appreciated the chance to build a new network of female filmmakers, to put the project on people’s radars again, but also to think about this changing landscape for first time feature directors and to really connect and plug into all of the phenomenal speakers that come to speak to us on the programme.”
She soon found the programme’s sense of inclusion vital to both her own development and instilling connections to the wider filmmaking industry. “It’s twofold really. I think it really helps to say you are here, you're still making work, that you're still a filmmaker, that we want to invest in and to develop you to raise your profile, and I also think it helps those of us living in the regions as well. It feels as though you're included. You are a part of the industry. It's not just about community, it's about family. It's about creating frameworks and networks of support to reach out to people, to speak to people, ask advice and make new collaborations. As a result of working on Filmonomics I have forged a new relationship with a producer I met on the programme.”
Over 10 sessions, Filmonomics blended tailored workshops with industry panels to highlight ways that film projects can navigate the path through financing and funding and explore ways in which to secure a sales agent.
On how the programme benefitted from that industry guidance, Meloni said: “The access to the advice and knowledge that all of the speakers really bring to the programme is inspiring. You feel that you can really reach out to them and ask questions. We were able to ask for help and just say ‘what do I do about x’. I think that we can all feel that we should have all of the answers and we don't, we need help and support and I think the programme helps bring a real sense of validation and confidence and belief in yourself as a filmmaker. As a result of doing the programme I have secured a sales agent for my feature.”
Another winning factor for Meloni was the sheer variety of filmmakers on the course. “I think more than any programme that I've done, inclusion, diversity, equality is very much embedded within Filmonomics, and I was just completely just thrilled by the first day meeting everyone. There were filmmakers from all over the UK, it was really refreshing to hear diverse voices and stories from different places that reflects our social landscape and I think there was a very, very different kind of kind of vibe and openness in the room because of that.
“It was just really amazing to see other women who were a similar age to myself, as well as the next generation of our film makers coming through. I think it can break down lots of boundaries that can be there.”
And what about lasting lessons? Were there ideas from Filmonomics would take with her? “To believe in yourself as a filmmaker. I think that’s really central to the core and ethos of Filmonomics. Live in your stories and they will help you figure out a way to get them out into the world.”