Share with:
“I’ve experienced filmmaking from A (I wrote, produced and directed a feature film) to Z (selling it to distributors and platforms) which is a bit of a frightening thing, however it gives you a unique viewpoint of how an industry operates.”
With FilmDoo currently in the midst of an exciting crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs, we thought we’d take the opportunity to get to know the team a little better. Today we’ll be speaking to Head of Programming and Distribution Simon Savory.
How would you summarise your role at FilmDoo?
Where do I start! Because FilmDoo is a startup, everyone is required to be a hat stand and juggle various roles. This makes FilmDoo flexible and able to jump into various challenges as they occur. Right now our traffic behaviour is telling us that curation is important, so at the moment I’m scraping popular online search terms, blogs and listicles involving cinema and its thousands of subgenres, then using the data to beef up our Search Engine Optimization and Recommendation databases. It’s probably a pretty boring task to most people, however it is close to my heart as my brain is a bit of a film encyclopaedia, might as well put it to good use. On top of that I do film programming and contracts although less now than I used to.
When did you first hear about FilmDoo and what made you want to be a part of it?
I wanted to get stuck into something at an embryonic stage, to work on something that was still in film distribution (which is where much of my experience lies) but had a more forward-thinking and revolutionary thrust. Basically – digital. I’ve experienced filmmaking from A (I wrote, produced and directed a feature film) to Z (selling it to distributors and platforms) which is a bit of a frightening thing, however it gives you a unique viewpoint of how an industry operates. When I met co-founders Will and Weerada about 2 and a half years ago, the platform didn’t even exist yet, however after chatting we knew we were on the same wavelength. Why is it so many foreign films aren’t available to watch legally? The music industry had embraced change and run with it, but clearly not cinema. This frustrates them as much as it does me.
How would you describe your own taste in films?
Pretty eclectic. The last three films I watched and loved were Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Le Feu Follet and Train to Busan. The last film that made me angry was The Danish Girl. My favourite film is the 1997 monster movie The Relic.
What do you feel the future holds for FilmDoo?
I honestly do not know. Because FilmDoo is a small and flexible team, it can adapt quite easily to changes in the film distribution climate. Bigger and more established players are feeling the pinch or going under, so at the moment FilmDoo is playing the long game, which I think is very sensible.
Simon’s Top 4 Films Available On FilmDoo:
(UK & Ireland only)
Simon’s film Bruno and Earlene Go to Vegas is available to watch on FilmDoo here.
To Learn More about FilmDoo’s crowdfunding campaign, click here.
Watch FilmDoo’s Crowdfunding Video Here:
