Help on getting funding for film

thisiswells said:
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.
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Hip hop movies are made from drug money..what kind of an igonorant statement is that...ridiculous and stereotyping. What's next..black people buy there cloths from the crack they sell?
 
Chris, which one would you recommend starting with?

Another interesting read is "Rebel without a Crew" by Robert Rodriquez.
 
theHeadlessPuppy said:
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...
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If you build it, they will come. Seriously. If you can write a screenplay that has people hooked from the beginning, racing through all the way to the completely unexpected, intense climax and leaves them wanting more at the end, you've got a "killer screenplay".

If you can do that, all you have to do is show the screenplay to a few people with money that are interested in film. That's all. But it won't work unless you have an unstoppable script, which is, of course, the hard part.

A fantastic script will attract investors, crew, designers, and good actors. An ok, mediocre, so-so, or bad script will get you nowhere very fast (it might get you amateur actors, because they'll usually do anything just to say they're in a movie.)

And I'm not talking about trying to get rich or living the easy life. God knows trying to be a successful filmmaker is "like trying to find a needle in a stack of needles" (name that quote!). You can't rely on luck, or your rich uncle Winthrop. You can only rely on your talent as a filmmaker. Nobody will give you a dime if you haven't proven you've got what it takes, and the only way to do that (when you haven't already made a movie to show for it) is with the use of a killer script. If you can draw, use storyboards to illustrate some key scenes as well. Write it, re-write it, and then polish it 17 more times. And then, re-write it again. Let someone whose professional opinion you respect and trust read the thing, and then re-write some more.

Write the script. If it's excellent, the money will follow. Really.
 
jrv3034 said:
If you build it, they will come. Seriously. If you can write a screenplay that has people hooked from the beginning, racing through all the way to the completely unexpected, intense climax and leaves them wanting more at the end, you've got a "killer screenplay".

If you can do that, all you have to do is show the screenplay to a few people with money that are interested in film. That's all. But it won't work unless you have an unstoppable script, which is, of course, the hard part.

...

Write the script. If it's excellent, the money will follow. Really.
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Bwaaahaahaa!!!

That is soooo untrue!

The net is flooded with really-good unproduced "amateur" screenplays. Visit Helium or any of the number of other peer-review screenwriting sites. There's an awful lot of crap as well, but the good stuff is easy to find -- and there's a lot of it.

Hollywood and independent producers are flooded with excellent screenplays from established writers (why they continue making crap movies is another story.)

The problem is that the screenplay has to fit a particular producers EXACT requirements before it'll be produced. In Hollywood this mean that the right stars can be attached or that it'll fit whatever genre they think will be big next year. For indy producers this means that it can be filmed cheaply in few locations with no-name or B-list actors.

What this boils down to is that unless you're writing on spec or hire for a producer buddy of yours, there's little chance anyone will pick up your script -- unless you do it yourself or make an effort to sell it yourself (which means that you know who NEEDS to buy it.)

There's a huge demand now for easy-to-shoot indy features, but writing a screenplay to meet these requirements is a lot harder than writing a "blockbuster" -- and there's still no guarantee that it'll get produced. There's certainly no money in it.

The catch is that you will need to show previous screenplays that you've written -- which don't suck -- so you still need to go through the effort of learning the craft, honing and rewriting. It will take years to get the minimum of three GOOD scripts (which will in most likelyhood never be produced) before someone will feel confident in you to get you to write something that'll fit their meagre requirements -- and you won't get paid for it because chances are they're starting-out as directors, and will butcher your screenplay making an awful, unwatchable film. But after you've been through this a few times, you'll get more acclaim (if you don't suck) and will eventually get somewhere. Of course if you don't put a shotgun in your mouth and blow your head off first.

If you look at the careers of most professional screenwriters, you'll see that they'll have gone through this process -- and/or were close friends of a producer or director and happened to be in the right place at the right time with the RIGHT screenplay.

I think the only realistic/feasible route for a starting writer is to either do it themselves, or align themselves with some upcoming directors/production companies and hope that some sort of synergy happens.

Writing a screenplay and waiting for people to come to you is a pipedream.
 
DMProductions said:
Chris, which one would you recommend starting with?

Another interesting read is "Rebel without a Crew" by Robert Rodriquez.
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I recommend starting with Corman's autobiography, then reading the one by his former employee.

Rodriguez's book is great for inspiration, but he doesn't place nearly enough emphasis on the dozens of crappy home movies he made on his dad's camcorder. By the time he made Bedhead and El Mariachi, he had already worked out many of the kinks and limitations that plague most first-time filmmakers. At least he's honest about how he got his foot in the door in Hollywood.

Two more books that I read every year for inspiration are by Lloyd Kaufman, the President of Troma Studios and the Creator of the Toxic Avenger:

All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger: The Shocking True Story of Troma Studios

Make Your Own Damn Movie!: Secrets of a Renegade Director

If you ever get a chance to meet Kaufman at a convention, take a few minutes and talk with him even if you don't like Troma's stuff. His enthusiasm for filmmaking is very infectuous.
 
pmark23 said:
I think the only realistic/feasible route for a starting writer is to either do it themselves, or align themselves with some upcoming directors/production companies and hope that some sort of synergy happens.
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This is EXACTLY what I'm saying one should do! I never said you should write the killer screenplay and send it in to Warner Bros. and sit back, waiting for them to show up with a $20,000,000 check. Ain't gonna happen.

What you need to do, as pmark23 said, is to write a great screenplay, in order to put together a super-low-budget independent film. If the story is really good, it won't matter that it was shot with a MiniDV camera and edited on an iMac. If it's excellent, the "look" of the movie won't matter much.
Writing a screenplay and waiting for people to come to you is a pipedream.
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I completely agree. Write the screenplay, and go FIND people. If the screenplay rocks, you'll find folks interested. Again, not Paramount or Universal, but people with the means to fund a $100,000 indie film. That's about all you need.
 
Thank you for posting a helpful answer on this topic. My own experience as a first-time producer was, I joined pro.imdb.com and was trying to find a place to pitch a script. I failed miserably. Then I ran into a young broke kid with a good idea for a documentary and no money. He gave me a detailed budget that added up to $ 15,000. (He got two other replies on the forum, who basically told him it was impossible to raise money to make indie films and were rather rude about it.)

After looking over the budget, I suggested some ways to cut it back to about $ 7,500. He liked it and we signed a contract. We had some artistic disputes, and I was either dumb enough or smart enough to give him full artistic control as director, and retain full financial control as producer. 2/3 of the way through principal videography (of COURSE, I bought a DVX100A for the job! That was after the kid taught me what a DVX100A was!), we ran low on money and inspiration. Then we interviewed three people who gave us a whole new take on our subject matter. We skipped the glib ending that the kid wanted and that I thought was too...glib. We went with a solid, hard-hitting ending, that leaves viewers with the shivers. "That actually happened HERE?", they wonder.

Bottom line: Get started working, and serendipity happens. Don't get started working, and you can become one of those idiot naysayers who never accomplished anything but says he knows all the answers as to why it cannot be done. And get used to idiot naysayers, because in reality, only about 2 percent of the population have the foresight to plan for their own retirement...even though we all know aging is inevitable..."most people would sooner die than think. In fact, they unquestionably do". (Bertrand Russell).

PS: If the naysayers want to call my bluff, they can email me privately for tickets to the premiere. Did I mention the tickets will cost money and there will be travel involved to attend it?

:shocked: "May I have a glass of water, please?"
 
Angrius said:
Hip hop movies are made from drug money..what kind of an igonorant statement is that...ridiculous and stereotyping. What's next..black people buy there cloths from the crack they sell?
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They don't? Hmmm..... That's how us Italian guys do it... You think Armani pays for itself???

:cheesy:
 
Rosestar said:
I've seen that guys stuff advertised, Dov, what kinda name is that? Is he for real? Anyone know?

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1167662/

I checked this, doesn't seem to have many movies under his belt.

I wish this quy would do a real "how-to" book.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000339/
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I have been to one of Dov's seminars here in the Dallas area. Enjoyed it. Funny that your second link was Corman because that is who Dove used to work for as a production manager I believe he said.
 
Funny. That's what I like about documentary work. Pick a topic you care about, and the story tends to tell itself. Come visit www.truehigh.com to get an idea about the process...we started out knowing something wasn't right about the War On Drugs...but SHEEZ did we get shocked by what we learned!
 
well, I saved up some money, and I somehow found a bunch of people willing to make donations to the production for a feature I'm shooting in a few months. Try asking for donations
 
Save little money yourself... Buy 2 DVX100s, anamorphic adapters, make homemade soundpoles for your mics, get a few wireless transmitters/receiverers/quality mics, get a sound recorder, buy some lamps from the nearest paintshop for 15$ a piece.. Lots of DV tapes..
Try to find unemployed actors who wants to work free for the experience.. There are plenty of those... Write a damn fine screenplay... Watch tons of good movies to inspire you and notice camera movements / cuts etc..

Then make your movie for your own money...

Good part is if you succeed, then you can put all the earnings into your own production company....

.................................................. anyways that's my plan :thumbsup:


Good luck !
 
When George Lucas was asked in an interview, "Why do you make movies?" He answered, "I have to."



All the best,
Rick
 
Oh no

Oh no

I can't believe somebody is asking for money.

If you don't have talen attached, actors, directors, DP
NO money will come. ZIp, niet, nada, rien.

Think about it.
If you were an investor and a guy like you come to see you in your office and ask you money.

After you ask the guy the following questions:

Do you have any stars or any professionals that has a proven track record in the movie industry=somebody who will make your movie sold

And he says no

Why would you give him money?


The answer: Write as story that doesn't require any money or almost nothing.
Remember Clerks? That was terrible, couldn't watch it, I think Smith is a not talent, but it worked.
Do the same.

Now, keep in mind, people want to be fed, lodged, transportated etc...

I believe that associating movie making and no money is an oxymoron
 
I have never worked with anyone that wanted to be "Transportated", sounds like fun though. Perhaps the next gig I get, I will work in a Transportating clause.

Really though man, you need to lighten up. People come up with money all the time for films. I mean to a lesser degree Resivoir Dogs had really low name talent in it. They were all has beens or never were's or Chris Penn. I guess Kietel had some clout. Man it has been my experience that these days everyone wants to be in the movie business. You find a mortgage broker (quick though those guys are going to be hurting by the end of the year), dentist, any one that has more money than brains and just plain loves the movies, they will give you money. The caveat here is that you have to know what you are talking about. You need an investor kit, production schedules, a copy of the final draft of the script. Pictures of the principal actors, storyboards, post promotional plans, helpful contacts etc etc etc. If you go into a room of twenty "professionals" that decided to hear your pitch, and you pitch them like you have it all down but the funding, I bet 2 of them will write you a check of some kind.

The bottom line is that if you shrivel up and die when someone laughs in your face and says NO, YOU ARE A FRIGGIN MORON, then you need to have a different passion. That’s it.

All my life I have confronted situations where I thought "I could never afford that camera and all those expensive lights" but I decided I wanted that more than anything, more than a nice car, more than a high maintenance girlfriend, more than a nice place to live, more than a great TV set, more than a wardrobe that will get me a high maintenance girlfriend, more than ANYTHING, and I have always gotten what I really wanted. Most people aren't willing to make sacrifices for what they really want. Getting what is good is easy, getting that which makes you great takes great pain and sacrifice. The pain you feel right now is growth.
 
Carcaridon said:
Rodriguez got away with it. Seemed to work just fine for him.
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Yes he did. But he still spent $7000 (in 1992 dollars). He had some other things going for him, as well i.e. a large amount of talent and drive. The bottom line is it is still going to cost SOMETHING. Be prepared for that. You can still make it happen, you just have to be creative. :beer:
 
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