Help on getting funding for film

GeneralO'neill

GeneralO'neill

New member
I need money for a short film that i am getting ready to do. I have it all written, but without at least some money the whole project is scrapped. All the money that I do make is going into other things. Please help.
 
You know who seems to do a lot of financing of films? Doctors/Dentists. The ones who operate out of smallish groups. You might approach such a beast...just be sure to have a good proposal.

There's also the various State entertainment/film commissions.

Dan
 
Much of the independent film work I've done is financed by the independently wealthy. I'd rather be a crew member most of the year than a writer/director two weeks every three years. Getting financing for a movie is almost as hard as being a professional athlete and being sponsored by Nike. I don't know where they get their money, but eventually they do. Hiphop films are drug money; no questions there. The reflective/self-examination kind of films are real estate investors, almost always. Anything else is usually put together by students in art school whose parents finance their projects (not that there is anything wrong with that).

Essentially, if you want to make a movie you'll need to pay for itself or be BLUESPIDER.
 
Thanks for your help. I didn't even know where to start before. I will check some of these ideas out, and if they don't work I guess i could take a night job flippin burgers.
 
As long as you have a killer screenplay, all you need is a $300 MiniDV camera, $50 worth of tapes, pals willing to work for a couple of weekends, a $100 Firewire Hard Disk, and a friend's iMac. Throw in some chips and cookies for catering, and you've got a film for less than $500.

The hardest part is writing the killer screenplay, which costs $0 (if you've got access to a computer). Fundraising is cake next to writing.

Do you have a credit card?
 
jrv3034 said:
Fundraising is cake next to writing.
Click to expand...


I'd like to know what planet you're from, because I will travel there in my spaceship right away.

Having a killer script and trying to make it work out with your friends is a joke. Also, 'killer script' could have millions of different interpretations, ie, for a Hollywood tycoon your script could be great, for an independant director it could stink.

Of course, if all you want is to make millions out of it pleasing some Hollywood hotshot at some big studio, then when not just become a car salesman or a stockbroker. The chances of succeeding are higher and you don't have to pretend to be an 'artist'.
 
DVXuser has a lot of answers, but funding for films is not as simple as "here's a link." The best you can do is hunt around for grants, ask for friends and family to help you fund it, or save, save, save. You'd be surprised how much money you can save in just a few months. During that time you can fine tune the script to perfection.

Good luck!
 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_1/104-7597656-7742342?v=glance&s=books

Nothing specific about funding your film, but will take you thru what other, now successful, filmmakers went thru on their first project. The Coen brothers spent something like 2 years just fundraising for Blood Simple. If was a different atmosphere back then for independent films but you at least get the idea of what to expect. Great read for aspiring filmmakers regardless.

Of course there is always the R Rodriguez route of a zero budget film. The production triangle really comes into play here. Assuming you want it good, you have to choose between quick or cheap.
 
PK Gillock said:
DVXuser has a lot of answers, but funding for films is not as simple as "here's a link." The best you can do is hunt around for grants, ask for friends and family to help you fund it, or save, save, save. You'd be surprised how much money you can save in just a few months. During that time you can fine tune the script to perfection.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Quentin Tarantino recommended Dov as the guy that taught him how to finance his movies and was responsible for his being able to finance Reservoir Dogs. But then, what would he know?
 
SHORTS ARE A CHARITY CAUSE. Better have a rich uncle, generous parents or a lifestyle that allows you to save money. Yes there are grants and such, but the are usually for films that directly benefit a community, or a cause...something like a documentary that raises awareness about illiteracy in a community or something of the like. In college while trying to raise money for a short film I went door to door in the wealthiest area of hometown asking for money but that didn't work too well. I ended up getting help from my parents and money right out of my own pocket.

For a feature...I just think this is whole different story. As far as I'm concerned, features are business propositions. I feel way more confident raising money for a feature than I do a short because it's a business endeavor as a opposed to a charity cause.

I must say that raising money for shorts and features well are both very daunting tasks.

Every working director in Hollywood has a good sense of the art as well as the business aspect and they balance them well. This is essential.
 
I think Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes, not John Calvin) once set up a lemonade stand and sold lemonade for $100 per glass. He didn't have much luck, but maybe you could try that. Or maybe you could set up a roadside psychiatric stand like Lucy used to do in Peanuts.

Hmm, perhaps I should stop looking to the comics for advice.
 
I can tell you exactly how to raise the money, and I wont even charge you for it. Come up with a list of what you need. A very exact and precise list. Think about what you need, not about what you want (example: if you have no camera, do you need to go buy a new DVX or do you need to look at a used one... You can get a used DVX100 for about $2000 whereas a new DVX100A is $3400). After you have your list seperate everything into now and then post production. For example, you will need a legal copy of Vegas (or whatever NLE you want). When you have your list of now and laters, add up the nows, and then add up the laters. Once you have those figures, take 25% off your now list, and that is what it is worth when you sell it to buy your laters. At this point, you know what you need now. That simple.
Now to actually get the money, this is the easiest part in the world, and if you know anyone you can do it. It is a simple five step program:
1. Go out right now and rent the movie PI
2. Put the DVD in your DVD player
3. Go to production notes on the DVD
4. Go to the second page of production notes
5. Read the production notes

(To make PI, the producers went around to people they knew and asked people to invest $100. They promised a return of $150 if the movie made any money, and if it didn't they said they were sorry. They raised $68,000 this way)

True, this is not the fastest way to get your money, but if you have a project that you believe in, and if you believe in yourself, this will get you to where you want to be.

From my experience, no one is going to give you all the funding you need. There are people in my family that wont give me a dime, but as long as you stay focused on your goal you're fine. Come up with a realistic list, do you really need a monitor (I would say yes, but it's up to you), do you need to buy a brand new Bogden (I actually do need to... My brother borrowed mine yesterday and somehow managed to run it over with his car)... Be realistic, be simplistic, and create the best product possible.
 
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