Business Venture (or) A feature on $5,000?

Ki-Ki

Ki-Ki

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Discussed since the dawn of time.

I have £3,000 (call it $5k) in the bank, and would really like to try and make a feature that can at least break even. Nothing outstanding perhaps, just at least make it back in it's origin area. I've been looking at businesses opportunities to invest into, from starting coffee shops to investing in an assassin. Just to have a small capital to turn around and make my own film at the end of it. But perhaps I've missed the point, and I could just try to tackle something already. In essence, invest me £3k in something I already love, and try to make a tiny profit.

Naturally it depends upon a strong cast and a damn fine script. I'm just wondering if there's any feasibility in it, or if anyone knows of any 'accomplishment stories' of people making a turnover on tiny budget flicks? I don't quite know what I'm wanting to hear, but it would be nice to have a discussion with someone over it. Since there's practically no business one can start these days for £3k anyway!

___

I should clarify that I do love filmmaking - I'm just looking at it from a money perspective for once.
 
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Sure, you can make a film for 3k...but its so incredibly hard. I'd say if you want to make something, make a great short. Your 3k will be too spread out on a feature!
 
You could but all of your funds into a feature, but you would almost definitely lose all of your funds. It would have made sense fifteen years ago, but everyone is trying the low budget movie making thing these days, and without a script that really stands out you won't stand out.

If, however, you have a solid script that may or may not blow everything out of the water you can go a different direction. Your funds can be invested in optioning the script itself, forming an LLC, hiring a lawyer, creating a business plan, getting a free long distance phone setup (Skype or Vonage work) and purchasing a list of accredited investors. You can then sit at your computer and scroll down the list, calling every single investor on the page and pitching your film. Send them a professionally copied and bound copy of your plan if they sound interested. Be prepared to send your script if the ask, but only if they ask. Once you've secured the funding through investors you will be able to make a film that has more realistic potential and you can probably keep half of what's in your bank account. Keep 5% equity just in case and besides that you can wash your hands of it regardless of the results.
 
Is there ever a way of keeping up with what the latest trends will be? Estimating what the market will be hot for in 12 months, and so forth. I hear a few people talk about ways to predict about what will be popular and what won't be, but I never seem to be able to catch on to what the devil they're talking about. Perhaps if you can predict the way the market will turn, low indi's at the right timing may have something to jump onto the base of the ladder with?
 
Understanding the market and details of market analysis techniques is critical no matter what you choose to do. Even if it isn't filmmaking, that is always critical. But the reality is that market predictions are a crap shoot 70% of the time. With some things you can see a response just over the ridge, but generally being reactive quickly is a less risky practice than being proactive and wrong. At least that's my opinion when you're talking about investing all of your capital in one project. That project needs to be safe or you're screwed. That's where LLC's and investors come in; the risk is distributed.

What I've seen in successful low budget projects is something new. Not something the market fell into as a topic of interest, but a method of storytelling or a type of story that hasn't been done before. That's why you'll never be able to predict it. The target product has nothing to compare to, and anything based on past success will no longer have that creative suddenness that you need to succeed. And I'm not telling you that whatever you come up with won't have it, it might, but it's a much safer investment to make something solid before making something new.

Even in the context of successful indie films that make it big or help the filmmaker succeed, most of them aren't made with a small savings in the bank. They're made with the same methods that Hollywood blockbusters are made, just on a smaller scale. A lot of times the investors are the same people.

There are a couple of big exceptions. One of them is current events and documentaries. Those sell on completely different merits than narrative projects. If you can find something that hasn't been seen often enough to be old news, preferably with a lot of really horrific events happening to charming people, you have yourself the ingredients for a hit. It can also work if you or the subjects you follow are doing something really impressive and unique. Those can be done on a much smaller scale and a much smaller budget because the audience doesn't expect every scene to be blocked out, well lit and captured with a lot of planning. Though you should still be as cinematic as possible. The reason that's not a suggestion of mine is that it only works if you're passionate about the issue.

If you have your heart set on being producer, director and whatever else feel free to try it. You might have something really amazing that pays off. Just have a plan for what you're going to if your funding runs out.
 
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I still don't get the point of making a feature for less than at least 150k.
I made one for that and that was hard enough.
Not actually MAKING it though, because that's doable. I'm not going to say it's easy, but it's doable.
But SELLING a feature made for that kind of cash just seems ludicrus to me.
What distribution company would buy a feature with that kind of production value? Just getting into festivals is hard competition these days.
Why don't you make a really awesome 5 minute youtube video for 5 grand and use that to attract an experienced producer who can find much better funding for your feature film?

 
That's another good option. You can then use that to prove your worth when fundraising for a feature if you so choose.
 
Ki-Ki, read this: http://independentfilmblog.com/archives/micro-budget-case-study-wake-the-witch/

And then realize that you're going to lose your money if you invest it in a film. There's a fraction of a percentile chance that, that WON'T happen, but as a business investment, a lemonade stand in the middle of butt-f**k Antarctica would make more sense than investing any amount of money into a motion picture production.

BUT, if you shoot cheap and know your end use (your end use not being theatrical, but VOD), you have a high concept and a quality film, you have a slim shot at making back your sterling. You don't need to spend $150k on a film for it to be good, and especially not for it to sell. I know of three films personally that have yet to sell because they can't afford to sell for less than $200k and the money's just not there.

But there are several booming VOD distributors, as well as sales agents who will license a decent genre film to Netflix and other venues such as small change deals for foreign rights. These films work best at a sub-$15k range in my understanding.

Regardless of what you do, don't start down the path of a feature film, especially not one you're breaking bank for, without researching the f**king hell out of your end use. Know where your film will fit into the scheme of things. Think like a distributor, figure out how they would sell your film, and then find a distributor or sales agent who's looking for a film of your genre and tone. Make it easier on them by providing them with a quality, genre film with a high concept and solid acting.

Most of all, be passionate and committed. As my producer friend always tells me, "Every time you make a movie, you are the ONLY ONE who can get that movie made. It won't happen unless you MAKE it happen." He also told me that the producer's modus operandi is: "By any means necessary." And lastly, "If you want to make a movie, set a f**king date. It's all smoke and mirrors until you've got 'Production Begins...' on your calendar."

Hope any of that helped. While the chances of making any return on your investment, or even just NOT totally losing everything, are almost non-existent, I don't want to see that discourage you, if you feel like filmmaking is something worth spending money on.

-JMT

I myself am working at McD's, and plan to save every penny over the next 8-12 months until I've got about $3,600 to make a feature that I'm currently writing. I don't expect to see a penny of that money back, but I've studied my end use and by the end of 2013, if nothing else, I plan to have lost my directing virginity. "Sometimes you just gotta say, 'What the f**k.'"
 
I think it is possible - just a lot of work. But it is a good calling card and experience.

Here is more on wake the witch http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?184887-Wake-the-Witch.

Check out these threads

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/archive/index.php/t-238877.html (multiple threads inside)
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?279995-Blood-Runs-Cold-(-5-000-indie) (made for 5k)
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...ut-the-rules&p=2494313&highlight=#post2494313 (recent 10k budget thread)
http://www.badisbad.com/ (made for 6k)
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?275927-Finally-finished-my-feature-now-seeking-distribution (made for $1K)
http://vimeo.com/25387366 (made for 10k)

Also go to indietalk.com and search there. Look for posts by rayw. For example this one covers VOD. http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=37825

Also look for posts by Kholi on both boards - he seems to know a lot about distribution. Seems like all he does is eat, drink, sleep and talk about movie making.

When you read some of these threads keep in mind some of these guys have worked for years in the business, working their way up. They have access to stuff and connections to people that some people don't. I mention this not to make anyone mad at them, just that these are the realities of life. It isn't who you know, it is who you know who will help you.

There are a lot of pieces of evidence to see that it is possible. I am sure for every 5k or 10k film success story (meaning it got done), there are at least 10 films that spent that much and never got completed.

At the end of the day, script matters so much. Before even spending a penny, I would have a good script. Want to increase chances of success? Then you gotta consider genre, and getting name actors.

Go with your heart, life is too short not to be happy - as long as you are not hurting anyone. If you hurt yourself while pursuing your happiness, fine that sometimes happens. Sorry little tangent here. I am just not a fan of hurting others while pursuing one's goals.

GOOD LUCK!
 
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