Midlands on the Move: Thomas Lee Rutter distributes film across world
We speak to Midlands director Thomas Lee Rutter about a new release of his last project The Pocket Film of Superstitions. Horror aficionado Thomas tells us about the film, how it came about and the production's continuing progress as its reputation starts to go beyond the Midlands itself.
As part of our Midlands on the Move series, we also ask Thomas how he took the movie on the road around the UK to help garner a wider audience. And with a limited edition BluRay ready for distribution, we find out what he's learnt by utlising old-school classic media and how he hopes this can get the film more recognition even further afield. (And our very own Matt Tilt reviewed the film on its initial release here)
Midlands Movies: Hi Thomas! Can you tell us a bit about The Pocket Film of Superstitions?
Thomas Lee Rutter: Certainly! The Pocket Film of Superstitions is a playful and feverish moving almanac of superstitions through the ages. It blends Python-esque humour with silent cinema and 60's and 70's British horror films and is really an ode to the magic of cinema itself. It is shot on a microbudget, but has a lot of heart and soul.
MM: Did you shoot in the Midlands?
TLR: Yes, most of it was shot all over the Midlands, with occasional excursions down to London, Portsmouth, Cheltenham, etc. We shot at various independent or council-run museums here including the Haunted Museum in Stoke-on-trent,
the Avoncroft museum in Bromsgrove, Selly Manor in Bournville. These locations provided so much production value and enabled us to create period pieces on very little.
MM:Was there a Midlands-centred creative team/crew behind the film?
TLR: For the most part, yes - but we also had many people travel up from London to us and we'd shoot in the Midlands. In the town of Kidderminster, where i'm based - i'm lucky in that we have a tight knit group of independent film-maker friends and we help each other out. They would form the core crew, but we also had a revolving door of cast and crew, so circumstances would often change according to logistics, availability and requirements.
MM: How did all that affect the logistics of making a low-budget film?
TLR: Well, my crew would often change due to different circumstances, such as shooting in London and Portsmouth - where my crew would be film-maker friends local to that area who would facilitate filming, secure locations and be huge helping hands in getting done what needed doing. Because the film is vignette-based, this also meant the cast would change from sequence-to-sequence too, so it never really meant upheaval in terms of moving production. It was sometimes amusing when I had to take vital props from my home down to the other side of the country, like smuggling a smoke machine and a witches cauldron on to a National express coach.
MM: Ha ha! Moving to the finished film, did you manage to screen the film locally afterwards?
TLR: We've had a local screening at the cinema here in Kidderminster called The Futurist, though it was still known as the Lume when we did it. It is an independently run cinema (a rare beast) and we sold it out. It also played the Paracinema film festival at Derby Quad, We're currently in talks to finally give the film a Birmingham premiere.
Continued after the trailer...
MM: Did you take the film to any UK-wide/global film festivals?
TLR:
Yes! My proudest probably being having the film play the Dracula International Film Festival in Brasov, Transylvania where the film was the only British feature entry that year - and one of 8 films nominated for the Dracula Trophy Award (it didn't win, but oh well!) We also took the film to the Netherlands where it played the BUT Film Festival 2024. That was a fantastic time. It has also played some US fests such as Midwest Weirdfest and Amazing Fantasy Fest. It also enjoyed great receptions at Horror-on-sea Film Festival, Dead and Sudburied, Sudbury, HorrHiffic, Romford and The Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films. I've been really pleased with it's run!
MM: What was that like coming in as an “outsider”? What did you learn?
TLR: I've been lucky in that i've been welcomed to many great festivals run by great people and a very friendly like-minded community aspect comes with many of them. There's a lot of fakery and hustling in this sort of game, so always be genuine, be yourself and be true to the work first and foremost. Any self promotion should be for the work, not the self!
MM: How did distribution come about?
TLR: I actually work in distribution with a Boutique blu-ray label Treasured Films. I've always had one eye on physical media and have self-released other films in the past. For Pocket Film I very much wanted to do the same - only this time do it legitimately: BBFC rated and on a factory pressed disc. To achieve that, you have to be realistic about the film's potential and reach. Film's often fall foul of dishonest and two-bit distro deals where everybody will see a penny return, but the film-maker themselves. This is because film-making and distribution are two business models at odds with each other.
MM: And can be expensive?
TLR: Correct. Both are expensive ventures and so it is hard for both parties to really profit from it. It is possible, of course, but in the case of many indie film's it usually isn't the case. This is why distributors will try run away with content and leave the filmmaker in the dark regarding numbers. They will try and fox them with imaginary expenses and know that they wouldn't be able to act legally on it anyway. With Pocket Film I always thought it would do well as a Blu-ray and so I decided to handle it myself and do it properly. Sure enough, pre-sales have been completely amazing and we've been able to make the best release we can, even including my remastered short films Bella in the Wych Elm (2017) and Dr. Balden Cross: Beyond the Void (2018).
MM: And so what were the key factors you focused on in preparation for its release?
TLR: I had to make sure I did the maths first and work out how many units I'd have to pre-sell to make sure the run could be covered. I also had to ensure I worked with somebody who knew what they were doing re. replication, so they could hold my hand throughout the process. You learn as you go in this game and the best way to learn is to throw yourself into the situation. To save on costs I also created the disc menus myself and the cover/ booklet layouts. Physical releases are expensive, so if you can save on as much as possible by keeping it in-house you're on to something! I also had some new cover art made by the fantastic Garreth Gibson of Gibson Graphix and it has gone down really well. You need to ensure you're offering a great package to collectors on physical media that isn't anything near a cynical cash-grab, but a limited edition labour of love. Collectors know which is which!
And you can get your copy at: carniefeatures.bigcartel.com
MM: And finally, any great advice for local filmmakers about spreading their wings beyond the region (filming, production, promotion, festivals etc)?
TLR: We're all different and on our own different journeys, but while self confidence is nice - don't be delusional. Be realistic about where your film fits and who it's aimed at. There is an audience for everything, but always be realistic about the film's prospects. Our work can take us on some amazing adventures up and down the country and around the world, but always think about things from attendees and organiser's perspectives as well as your own. Be true to yourself and your work, even if you're on the hustle. We're going to make mistakes, we're going to gain wisdom. It's all part of the game!
Pre-orders are now live for the limited physical edition of Tom Lee Rutter’s The Pocket Film of Superstitions!
Limited to just 250 copies, it includes a numbered O-ring slipcase with new artwork from Gibson Graphix as well as three double-sided lobby cards, a double-sided inlay and a 16-page booklet with new writing from Darrell Buxton. This will be the only time this film is available in physical formats, and this is a factory-pressed edition of the film rated 15+ by the BBFC. Pre-order a copy here.
