All of the films produced by Fenland on Film have so far been made available to view for FREE via YouTube but the project doesn’t receive any external funding asides from a small number of donations which are sporadic in nature. Of course, I am immensely grateful to the support given by this small but generous minority.
I, personally, have been financially supporting the project by funding the shortfall to the tune of nearly £3000 over the last 3 years but it’s not a sustainable business model nor is it sustainable for me.
Our own films have been viewed and enjoyed by thousands of people over the last 3 years and if every one of those people gave just £1 each, I would be able to create at least 10 films each year.
Sadly, it’s not the case.
Everything has a cost … the website, hard drives, cloud storage (backups), film procurement, travel, developing, scanning, grading, music licensing etc. It all adds up and my personal circumstances are due to change in the very near future – not for the better.
Fenland on Film will continue – no question of that whatsoever!
I am proposing that future films produced through the project will no longer be free to view going forward – at least not for a specified time period (to be determined).
Our films would be made available to rent or buy through an online streaming service for a nominal fee.
This is a labour of love for me and I have absolutely no interest in making any money for myself off the back of it. My ‘reward’ is seeing the films being enjoyed.
I hope you will all understand that this has not been an easy option to consider – I genuinely don’t like the idea of my films being kept behind a paywall but in the interest of keeping the project alive in the absence of sponsorship or grant funding, it’s a necessity.
I can confirm DVDs for our 2021 & 2022 films are in early development – these should be a nice way for people to support the project and get something physical back in return.
A limited run of framed photographic prints taken from the film negatives are also being considered.
Feedback will be welcomed from anyone that feels there are other options to explore.
Best Wishes,
Drew Berry
Fenland on Film
Fenland on Film 