Anyone Made A $250,000 Film?

[jls4]

Heya jls

Can you elaborate a bit more on how you approached distributors with your movie, what you negotiated, and so on?

On my way to do a feature, that is a drama/thriller
with budget of 17k

Very curious

Charlie

Sorry - I'm generally not on the boards over the weekend...

First I encouage you, if you can, to stay in the easy to sell genres (Horror/Comedy/Action) you get less money by producing Thriller/Drama unless your thriller has lots of action type events.

We didn't approach a distributor, one approached us. We were at a festival and won the Jury Prize - it was the only festival that accepted us!

We would have approached them though, later if they hadn't called. Anyway, make your movie and then go to your local video store. Pick up a few movies that kind of look like yours and read who distributed the movie. Write down all the distributors and go to their websites. Most of them allow you to send in submissions. After 60 to 90 days you'll get a call and they'll give you an offer. Immediately add about $5 to $10K to their offer for a counter offer.

You probably wont get most of it, but you may get something. And after that - that's it! In 6 months your movie will be at the video store. I know 3 people who went this route and it worked. It's not a lot of money, but it's enough to get you to the next one.

 

[jls4]

That's tight, yeah you need those free or cheap location hookups. Honestly locations are a pain, they can cost the most and be the hardest to find. Equipment is a big issue. And then there's labor. So if you can find cheap or free locations, and you can get good labor to work for cheap because they are your friends, or they believe in your project, etc., that's another great plus. Then if you own most of the equipment you'll need that's definitely awesome.

First great reason to NOT be in LA - Locations. Here everyone opens their doors. I was in an office space excluseively for 3 days - a historic site. And didn't pay one shiny dime! I've heard in Rome and Carollton, GA the police will come out and be in your movie for free! They will lock off streets! I had a person come rent some of my equipment that was shooting there and he said the whole town was involved and for a short! A Short!

As for labor - you've read how I feel about that. Everybody gets paid on the backend - or nobody gets paid, including me. And equipment - buy - duh?!

What's funny is I told my friend that I was planning a feature with a max budget of $150,000, and really looking to spend about $125,000, and shoot in 18 days. I have the location free. He was like, "Wow, that's a lot of money!" and he's a filmmaker. I was like, uhh, no, not really. Then he tells me that I can get a production designer, which I'll need, fairly cheap but that to get someone good they'll care more about the budget they are given than their pay, so they'll want like $1,000 a day for their budget, not including what they get paid. I'm like dude, you just spent easily $20,000 of my budget right there, on production design. .

Easy production design tips: Paint all the walls a strong medium to dark color: magenta, brown, reddish brown, dark blue, tourquose. No light colors: no pinks, baby blues, light yellows. Make sure the walls are then filled with some item - pictures, gadgets, posters, etc. Create your own from photoshop and old pictures or paint on canvas and throw up on the walls. Make sure the room is "cluttered" with lamps, plants, etc. Look at the background in most movies - you'll find this is usually the case.

Who needs a production designer?

You also know I want to get a B-lister for $20,000 or so for a week. ... Then none of that includes great post sound, an editor, and a musician. Money goes so fast on a feature.

I do want the B-lister for my next movie so I have nothing to say - glad I can hear about how much it costs though! As for post sound - isn't he part of the crew? Doesn't he just get points? - mine does. And my guy is very good! He's in Washington State and I'm so pleased that he wants to work with me. He's worked with several directors before and said I've been the easiest, most knowledgable, and prepared than any he's worked with before - and all fo the other people have budgets!!!! haha!

Which brings up another point? Why just use people around you? The Intenet connects you with people around the world. You may have someone in Japan that can edit do sound or is a composer. Just send them tapes and let them send you back the movie. I've so far had people PM me from London, Washington, North Carolina, Atlanta and other places. Everybody is the same - if somebody from Japan wants to do sound design for my next movie, they may be able to. I don't care that they live in Japan. All I need in Atlanta are my production crew and actors. Post production can be on Mars for all I care.

Network people - that's what this board is for!

 

[jls4]

Time to read Rebel without a Crew one more time. If your story takes place in a cheap hell hole (empty waste land or cheap run down areas) and you grab the audience with a hero they care about, and the adversity increasingly gets worse for the hero, so much so that the audience wonders what's going to happen next ... you might find the audience you're looking ($) for at an affordable manufacturing price.

Go CHEAP and be Creative. ...

...720p actually looks better in some cases because it blurs more like many film stocks. 1080p is very clean looking. Red, I imagine would be over the top.

Be cheap, be creative & Hollywood will love you, because they're are much more interested in money than movies. The end game is selling tickets, DVDs and popcorn. It's a business, that means it's about $$$$$. Aim at teenage males and you'll make the movies the majors want. I know becuase the execs told me this to my face. 14 to 21 year old males....that's your target.

My new best friend! Awesome post!

 

[jls4]

Well

we're shooting it with two xh a1's
have most equipment steadicam jib, working on dolly
Producers are friends with a good amount of people who have the locations (bar, gym, office space and such)
moneys going mostly on food and tapes besides some audio gear
:crybaby::undecided

I'd look at a depth of field adapter. If you need one you can pm me. I'll be selling mine soon. I'll give you a good deal on it. It's the Letus Economy. Worked great for me. The main difference is that the battery pack is on the outside of the unit, instead of being on the inside.

But I'd say get an adapter, follow focus and a few lenses. It's better to have that than an extra camera.

 

[jls4]

Just found some really good stuff.

jonB - I'm sure you'll love it.

I started on this tread: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=143209&page=2

to read up about SAG Actors. (I'm not a huge Fan) I think the unions were once needed, but now they are more in the way. Don't mind working with them though - just wanted to know the rules.

Then I read up on my boy RR by searching the Internet and found an interview with him. D@mn he sounds like me. Wanting to stay out of Hollywood and do things his own way - reinvent filmmaking. He said George Lucas does it too!

that's what I'm talking about.

http://www.moviemaker.com/directing/article/robert_rodriguezs_new_toy_3000/

Get inspired! Change the game!

 

[Prodigi Pictures]

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