I need some suggestions from people who own/run production companies

Ironman

Ironman

Active member
How often do you get individuals seeking production service and/or do you guys do more of 'your' films than external client's films?

Cheers
 
That information probably wouldn't help you much, especially not with the details you've given. Production company could mean pretty much anything. A production company specializing in commercials will almost never do their own work. Some people want to only do their own work and do so. Marketing position is the main factor to decide the answer, so it could be anything. I used to work on my own productions every week with a time of talented and like minded individuals, but at the same time I marketed myself as a videographer and photographer, using what we worked on partly to market us as professionals. I can't really give an answer to your question as far as a ratio is concerned, especially since photography and other services throws it off.
 
In a way, it's two separate questions with two separate answers. Been full time in the business for 30 years. I make my living making corporate and commercial video productions for clients. I speculate by making my own movies...both shorts and full length features. Only rarely has anyone come to me and said "I have a bunch of money for you to produce my movie"... Maybe twice in those 30 years. Most filmmakers have no money. Even if they raise money, they want to try producing it themselves with rented equipment. Rarely would they think to go to a production company who might happen to do this all the time. There's a lot of ego involved.
 
Casalen said:
That information probably wouldn't help you much, especially not with the details you've given. Production company could mean pretty much anything. A production company specializing in commercials will almost never do their own work. Some people want to only do their own work and do so. Marketing position is the main factor to decide the answer, so it could be anything. I used to work on my own productions every week with a time of talented and like minded individuals, but at the same time I marketed myself as a videographer and photographer, using what we worked on partly to market us as professionals. I can't really give an answer to your question as far as a ratio is concerned, especially since photography and other services throws it off.
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I'm with Casalen here.

While we work on our own projects, at the end of the day the stable money is made by doing the daily grind (corporate / commercial / event / wedding videography). Making movies is fun and all, but don't expect to make a realistic living of it, even once you get a passable film or two, until you either become Lloyd Kaufman, Roger Corben, or get signed into the studio system.
 
Ok thanks all

I'm on the process of setting up a production company. I have few WIP scripts but once the funding begins, before moving to the production phase, is it wise to get distributes involved?

So literally, going to a distributer and getting them interested on a project that is NOT yet made.
 
My company revolves around my clientele. My own projects are labors of love until they become profitable. Until then, they are by far my biggest expense.
 
You need to decide whether you want to make a living doing video work and be a film maker (sans film probably these days) on the side, or whether you want to be a film maker. There's a big difference, and it's one of the most important decisions to make early on before you take the likely chance of running yourself into the ground and being burnt out on film making in the end. Like grinner, most of my internal feature-length projects are more of a cost burden and labor of love than a money maker at this point.

Getting distribution houses involved prior to making a feature can net you seed money if you convince them that it's worthwhile. However, it's not easy at all. Especially when you have no other features under your belt first and/or don't have any names attached to the project. Some distributors will fund you for domestic & foreign distribution rights just based on a name, it (use to be, at least for horror movies for foreign distribution) a relatively easy way to make a living making features, probably not so much these days, but not sure. Granted, you had to crank them out at a fast pace with a low budget consistantly to make that living.

As it is, for me, being a realist, I'm happy making money doing the daily grind and funding my own feature-length projects on the side, even if I know I'll likely only break even in the end if I'm lucky. If one of my features actually ever becomes a 'hit', then, well, that'd be great, but I'm never expecting one to and I'm happy providing the content for the relatively small audiences that do end up enjoying them.
 
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