Like having a number one record or winning the lottery, many fall by the wayside while the few do well. But, successes do happen. In 1999, the "Blair Witch Project" made $248,639,099 worldwide, against a $22,000 budget. This made it the highest profit-to-cost ratio of a film ever, making back $11,301.78 for every $1 spent (USD).

Savanna Film is a British independent film company that sprung up in 2007, which aims to challenge the perceptions of what has been previously thought possible on features not backed by investors or Hollywood studios. Alan Warren, a video editor and compositor who knows these trials and tribulations very well, started it.

Target Audience Magazine writer Anya Hastwell caught up with Alan to ask him what it was all about.

Alan Warren of Savana Film

TAM: What is your role(s) at Savanna Film?

A.W.: Technically, I suppose you could say I am the keeper of the Savanna Film castle which means running the day to day activities and drinking many large mugs of tea! However, I do take a far more creative role than most proprietors in that I wrote almost all the film ideas that Savanna Film plans to produce over the next years. I direct and edit them; plus, I could also be considered a producer as I manage the budgets.

TAM: When did you decide to take up the challenge of filmmaking - a path many have followed, yet at which few succeeded?

A.W.: It was my ambition to make a successful cinema-released (as opposed to direct to DVD) film since the age of 11 and my whole working life has been focused towards this goal. Savanna Film is now almost two years old, but we still have not completed our first film. It certainly is an almost impossible task, but I think there is a genuine market for quality films that challenge the audiences' perceptions and make them ask questions as opposed to the usual, same old Hollywood blockbusters that get turned out month after month. All too often, I find myself guessing the entire plot of a film within the first five minutes of the opening titles. In my opinion, film should not just entertain; it is a powerful medium that has seemingly lost its way in the fog of Hollywood hype and computer-generated tattle that will never be a substitute for good screen writing. As such, there is a distinct lack of films that meet audience expectations, it is a shockingly regular occurrence to hear cinema goers complaining that the film was not worth remortgaging the house for the cost of a cinema ticket! The concept behind Savanna Film is: after the audience leaves the cinema, they do not even think about the cost of the ticket. In fact, I hope they will just rush back in to see the next screening!

TAM: Is this the first time you've launched into a filmmaking quest?

A.W.: As I said, Savanna Film is just starting its third year and we are now in pre-production on our second project. The first was entitled "When I Choose" and told the difficult story of a young woman diagnosed with terminal cancer who lives out the dreams of the rest of her life in just one night, helped by an accomplice who may or may not be a figment of her imagination. The production was never conceived to be a full length film and was finally written at a length of about 30 minutes, but this gave a whole set of issues that, one by one, brought the project to a standstill. In essence, the problem was that it was a great idea which had no easy route to audiences because of its duration, and yet had all the costs of a full-scale feature. The location costs alone spiralled to £25,000, which was double the original budget for the whole production! As a result of all these problems, and the economic downturn in the Autumn 2008, "When I Choose" was closed down. However, the time and energies of all those who worked on its pre-production phase were not entirely wasted, as from the film's ashes rose a new Phoenix.

TAM: So it didn't put you off then! What did you learn from the experience that has been invaluable when approaching the challenge again?

A.W.: The biggest thing I learnt was that when you are establishing your first film, you need to write within the confines that your circumstances limit you to; after the closure of "When I Choose", I sat down with my Production Manager and lightly thrashed out a sketch of an idea based upon everything we had been able to coordinate for "When I Choose", but that cost as little as possible. From that point, we went on to produce the full treatment for a full-length feature film entitled "The Roadside". This is currently being revised into its final screenplay and will go into production around mid October 2009. The best thing is that the idea is fundamentally simple, as are the locations, and it only needs a small cast and crew and yet it is completely compelling and absorbing; I hope an audience will not be able to take their eyes off the screen. It all just goes to prove the key point, that you can tell an incredible story on a limited budget and yet still rival (and often show up) the big Hollywood blockbusters. "Saw" (Lions Gate) is an amazing example of this - utterly captivating and yet the story was entirely dictated by a limited budget.

TAM: You're in charge of a new independent British film company. What's your view on the film industry today and where do you see Savanna Film sitting in that picture?

A.W.: British film seems to have slightly lost its purpose and in many ways it's ironic to think that without question we have probably the best on-screen talent and off-screen technicians in the whole world, and yet nowhere near the cinema penetration of our giant American cousins across the pond! The studios are fantastic here, but almost always filled by films that are funded by Hollywood and when the odd British gem does shine through (Danny Boyle is good at these), then you find out on what a miniscule budget they have been achieved; it begs the question: imagine what we could do if we had the kind of investment in films that exist in Hollywood? It almost feels like the whole world has to be dictated to by the American studios even though most countries could probably do a better job on half the money if they were given a chance. In fact, you only have to look to India and Bollywood to see what could be possible if we embraced film production for the artistic and creative legacy it is instead of leaving it to struggle along helped primarily by Film4 and Working Title who do a superb job given the current situation here in the UK.

TAM: Who is working with you at Savanna Film?

A.W.: Savanna Film is really just like a big umbrella which encompasses a whole group of freelance creatives who come onboard just for specific projects; because we are still in script development for "The Roadside" currently only myself, my Production Manager and two additional writers are involved, but we have a regular list of people we have worked with over the last 15 years who are on standby for when the project moves into production. Most notable would be our Stunt Coordinator Lee Sheward who was responsible for the action blockbuster "Sahara" and thrilled audiences with the breathtaking car chase in the "Bourne Supremacy" for which Lee was responsible for 90%. Across all the freelance people who we have associations with you would be hard pushed to find any production they have not been involved on in the UK.

TAM: How did you recruit for it?

A.W.: Most are people I have had the pleasure to work with throughout the past 15 years whilst I edited for television and blue chip corporate companies and, indeed, this is still something I do and really enjoy. When it comes to casting and finding technical crew that we do not have an existing contacts with then we either use either personal recommendation or place listings on industry websites like StarNow, Casting Call Pro and Mandy.

TAM: Where does your inspiration come from in the script writing process? Do you have a routine for getting in the writing frame of mind?

A.W.: Inspiration is a bizarre thing, I have no special routine and often it can be infuriation as I can be right in the middle of say driving or even sleeping and suddenly I will have a Eureka moment. To be honest the idea for "The Roadside" came whilst I was sat in the bath and resulted in me nearly destroying my laptop as I was so eager to write down the idea before I forgot. I also sleep directly beside my laptop because on too many occasions I have had a brilliant idea at 4am and thought to myself, "I'll remember that in the morning", only to wake up four hours later with a complete blank! I think I am blessed in many ways as I have a very active and creative imagination, my Production Manager always wonders how I come up with the outlines for script ideas and, to be honest, even I do not really understand it fully; I will just start writing about something then all of a sudden I have an idea which just grows and grows until I have another film treatment. To date I have written nine other films and they are all waiting to go into production, but all of them need substantial investment. This is why "The Roadside" is so significant, Savanna Film is able to entirely fund the production and so it will stand as an example to what greater potential the company has to thrill audiences all over the world.

TAM: Who are your favourite directors and why?

A.W.: They vary greatly. For example, I love Michael Bay because he is an amazing action director, however, often his films lack any real substance, he really knows how to edit a film and get the best look on screen and this is because, like me, he was an editor before being a director. It is often said that editors make the best directors, but I think whilst it's true they have the ability to visualise an entire project before anything is shot, there is so much more to directing than just a film's look and pace. Therefore, in juxtaposition to this I love Ridley and Tony Scott's films, yes they are action packed, but they also have fantastic well-thought out stories and superb casting. I used to like the Cohen Brothers, but in their recent work they seem to have lost their way like several other directors. Paul Greengrass does a pretty good job, but sometimes gets carried away shaking the camera just a little bit too much. I remember watching "Bourne Supremacy" and begging there to be one fluid tracking shot, but it never came. The point being that you need contrast to appreciate what is different so if you shake the camera in the action bits then please hold it steady when the action has slowed otherwise you end up with a relentless collection of 'wobblevision' that looks more and more like a home video! Finally, I must mention Christopher Nolan ("Memento", "Batman Begins") who is without doubt probably one of the best directors ever. His ideas always hook the audience; his editing and how he changes the narrative flow and yet still keeps the geography and chronology is amazing. If you have never seen a film by him then make it your mission in life!

TAM: What's the best film you've seen recently?

A.W.: Strangely enough it was not in the cinema, it was a DVD my brother bought me for Christmas that I had been wanting to watch for so long, but never found the time. Ironically, it is a film by Christopher Nolan (hence I knew it would be good) starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale and an enchanting performance by Michael Cane, entitled "The Prestige". It is the story of two rival magicians that are driven by jealousy and guilt to outdo each other both on and off stage. It is one of the few films that I could not have guessed the ending and with superbly directed performances from all the cast, including Scarlett Johansson! With more twists and turns than a rollercoaster, it truly is a work of complete genius and as the credits rolled I thought to myself that it is probably one of the best films ever made.

TAM: Any advice for anyone else thinking of making an independent film?

A.W.: To be honest, this is a very difficult question because many of the problems that I encounter as an independent film producer are directly as a result of so many people 'claiming' to be so. So many people come out of university stating that they are making films; they upload terrible short clips to YouTube with zero production values; in essence many are just glorified home movies that maybe friends and family will be polite and say are good, but, in reality, are horrendous. This means that when genuine independent film producers like Savanna Film try to contact locations or corporate sponsors, we get grouped with all the other so termed 'wannabes'! So my genuine advice is unless you have considerable - as in years of - experience and have built up a successful network of professional industry contacts and are seriously wishing to benefit the British film industry then just leave well alone. I always knew this is what I was born to do, but I still did not finish my education and shout to the world that I was a film director. Instead I put into action a long-term strategy, which has taken almost 15 years to come to fruition. If you are genuine and really feel it deep down in your heart that your calling is to make independent film then work at it quietly, build your contacts and the equipment you need to make high quality productions and then, when the time is right, you can launch the final push, just like I did in 2007. Even after all this effort, your first attempt is most likely to fail, so you need determination to stop, think, refocus and try again. I could have just given up after my first attempt, but instead I used all the lessons I had learnt from that production and created a new concept that has grown into possible one of the best I have ever written and is the most likely to become a reality. I hope in 2010 audiences will have the opportunity to discover what fate awaits at "The Roadside".

Many thanks Alan, Target Audience Magazine wishes you the very best of luck for Savanna Film.

Interview conducted by Anya Hastwell for Target Audience Magazine

* * * * * Savanna Film website: www.savannafilm.com