Funding movie out of your own pocket - strategy?

Sneakle wrote: Let's say I want to make a movie funded out of my own pocket -- have any of you done this?
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Ahem, well, yes, I think most of us have -- that's why we're here reading this; not just to help you but to figure out how to do it "a little bit" better. Almost every aspect of your question has been addressed, so let me add just a slightly different point.

If you're thinking of paying a few actors some money because their names might sell your movie, consider paying a few filmmakers some money so your movie looks professional.
 
filmman said:
Ahem, well, yes, I think most of us have -- that's why we're here reading this; not just to help you but to figure out how to do it "a little bit" better. Almost every aspect of your question has been addressed, so let me add just a slightly different point.

If you're thinking of paying a few actors some money because their names might sell your movie, consider paying a few filmmakers some money so your movie looks professional.
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huh? So now you want it to look professional:) I knew I was missing something
 
A sense of humor is very important too -- I agree :-) From your original post it seemed to me that all you needed was a little push, "Go ahead, Sneakle -- just do it!" Well, you are going to run into problems, but that's part of indie filmmaking. The experience comes from dealing with problems.

Happy Easter, everyone ... and Happy Passover too :-)
 
Perhaps I can make it simple for you (the OP):
If you're in you 50's and you have no children who depend on you, and you have sufficient income prospects after your move is made to survive (other than the prospects for selling/distributing your movie, which is statistically near zero) then GO FOR IT. Make your movie on your own money.

At the Pearly Gates, there's a sign: YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU.
 
dadoboy said:
Perhaps I can make it simple for you (the OP):
If you're in you 50's and you have no children who depend on you, and you have sufficient income prospects after your move is made to survive (other than the prospects for selling/distributing your movie, which is statistically near zero) then GO FOR IT. Make your movie on your own money.

At the Pearly Gates, there's a sign: YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU.
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This is the part of these forums I don't really understand, is it just to be cautious or is it sheer negativity or what? Your odds of finding a distributor and making some of your money back (if not all, if not even a profit) on an indie film are not near zero, they aren't even bad, they are quite good. I really can't say I know a single person in the real world who made a film and had NO distribution at all. So your odds of getting a distributor of some sort if you make a decent film are near 100%, not near zero. But maybe I'm not in the right crowd since people I know are professionals, I don't know, but it just is a real curiosity here why that statement is always uttered. It makes people feel like they are idiots for trying at all, which is not the case. If you get all of the math right and you have a great story, and you know what you're doing, attach professionals in your cast and crew, you'll give yourself a great chance to make all or most of your money back. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but you certainly can reduce the risk.

I do think it's good advice to tell people *don't depend on it*, however. In other words, if you're mortgaging your house a second time or using up credit cards and whatnot because you're positive you're going to make that $100,000 back, well, that's not a great idea. You should be able to afford to lose it and walk away bruised but not broken. Otherwise, you are right, avoid taking the risk for now. I just think that to make it sound too negative is crushing all of someone's hope when that type of negativity isn't going to be productive.

I heard it here over and over and over again, and was perpetually down about it, so then I started asking every filmmaker I knew in Los Angeles, contacts I had met, UPMs, producers, directors, people at film festivals, etc. Most of them had found distribution for their projects, some I had just ran across weren't entirely happy with their deals, they didn't make all their money back on an advance, but they made a significant portion back even in the worst cases, and the more professional contacts I had were ones who had worked 5-25 projects and virtually every one of them returned a profit in the sub-$500,000 budget levels. Then again, these were pro projects with name actors in many cases, done by commercial or music video directors giving their first crack at a feature, etc. Not by amateurs, by any means. But at the same time I think it's misleading to tell people they have no shot at distribution with as many hundreds or even thousands of indie distributors as there are. You just may not find a very good distributor. And if you expect your film is going to be one that sells for $5 million at Sundance, that really is like winning the lottery, and that really is near a zero chance.
 
JonathanLB said:
This is the part of these forums I don't really understand, is it just to be cautious or is it sheer negativity or what? Your odds of finding a distributor and making some of your money back (if not all, if not even a profit) on an indie film are not near zero, they aren't even bad, they are quite good.
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I do think it's good advice to tell people *don't depend on it*, however. In other words, if you're mortgaging your house a second time or using up credit cards and whatnot because you're positive you're going to make that $100,000 back, well, that's not a great idea. You should be able to afford to lose it and walk away bruised but not broken. Otherwise, you are right, avoid taking the risk for now. I just think that to make it sound too negative is crushing all of someone's hope when that type of negativity isn't going to be productive.
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Isn't that a contradiction? We've essentially only been saying what you are, so why the defensive posture?
 
subtleinspiration said:
Isn't that a contradiction? We've essentially only been saying what you are, so why the defensive posture?
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Without trying to speak for Jonathan, but I read what he wrote as the film industry is a risky business by nature. That risk gets minimized with experienced people/connections, and thoughtful planning, etc. That increases the odds of getting distribution and money.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of talented people but they haven't gotten some breaks or they don't know the right people. He also mentioned that the deals he has heard about were not done by amateurs, so maybe it is better to get experience before trying to do a feature.

In other words, look at the projects done by experienced professionals and a legit deal and their success rates and compare it to the inexperienced/unprofessional and see their success rates. If you look at all movies together and success rates - it may look bad. Also, the definition of success may vary but lets say it is breakeven. As I understand it, with my limited experience, some of these movies are successful (breakeven) before they get filmed (based on tax credits, sec 181, presales, etc).

Only the individual knows if she or he can pull it off. If a person isn't sure if they can, then maybe that should be a sign.
 
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