Interesting things I learnt from Marcus Markou

• Acting: That he has always had a passion for acting, and studied acting at LAMDA in his late 20s.

 -  This knowledge and deep understanding of acting allowed for a brilliant quality of acting, he knew how to make the comfortable and the acting was almost theatre style. Also, he allowed the actors to adopt the script with what they feel was right and realistic for their character.

• Trust: He talked of the deep trust he had to have and did have within his whole film crew - especially during adaptations of the script, he trusted them ll to 'juggle this process'

• Funding: He wanted a straight loan, from himself, no investors, which is very rare fr a film to be paid solely with their own money.

• Line Producer: This is someone who goes through the whole script, line by line, and works out the exact budget.

• Variables: Marcus said that the two most variable things in the budget are talent and location.

• Tax schemes: Tax schemes to offset tax in profits - this system does not work for independent films, as independent films must make a profit.

• Universal appeal: Marcus said that he used the idea of a Fairy-tale of sorts, as it gathers universal appeal.

• Sales Agents: You only get 40% of profit, after costs, which, for an independent film, would mean no profit. Also, he didn't want to sell the rights for his film for 25 years - he wanted it to stay his own. So, he did this task himself, contacting Distributors and screening it, but had no luck in the UK.

• Film festivals: Film markets and festivals are a great way to get Distributors, as with many films, and for example the award-winning and box-office hit Slumdog Millionaire, as many are not wanted until they receive recognition from these film festivals.

• Marcus's own marketing campaign: Marcus said that he wanted to, naturally, target the Greeks in London, and so set out personally calling up Greek Orthodox Churches, at Universities, to societies, with flyers   and social media and raising awareness in any way possible.

• Cinema booker: Marcus struggles with his booker for Cineworld to try and be booked into their prime locations, acquiring one through a friend who lived with the manager, which they eventually had to put to the largest screen, as it was so over-booked.