If someone was willing to invest $20k into a short film for you how would they receive a return on their investment in the event a studio wanted to buy the rights from you as the writer/director? Would a standard deal be they get 125% of their investment back and then you both split the rest down the middle 50/50?
Investors for short films.....
- Thread starter FilmBoy77
- Start date
craigbowman
Veteran
A lot of deals with first position on independent features are structured along that kind of path and since its "a deal", there is nothing that says it can't also apply to an investment deal on a short.
El Gato Negro
Well-known member
At that level you might be better off getting a fiscal sponsor from an Non-Profit organization and getting donations. When we shot and produced our short film "The Journalist" our director had only one donor who contributed $5,000.00 for us to shot an exceptional short film with notable actors. Here is a link to the short. Nobody really got paid considering the week of work it took us but it was enough for rentals, small salary and food.
Chris Adler
Veteran
Yeah, there's really no money to be made from the short film. If you can find an investor, good luck. You won't be able to tap that well more than once.
Surf it Mike
Well-known member
In answer to your question .....they don't ...and you will not either . Studios aren't interested in short films.
You need to think of other funding options/routes.
You need to think of other funding options/routes.
David W. Richardson
Chapelgrove Films
Just make sure your contract specifies that the investor gets paid out of NET PROFITS, after everyone else is paid -- not out of gross receipts.
Also make sure he has a realistic idea of how likely he is to ever see his money back. The market for shorts is pretty small. But it is there.
Also make sure he has a realistic idea of how likely he is to ever see his money back. The market for shorts is pretty small. But it is there.
David W. Jones
Veteran
Exactly!
Get them to invest $20K into your education in a high paying in demand field.
starcentral
Veteran
Take the $20k and put it towards a feature film, for your investors they will have far more returns to see than on a short film.
David W. Richardson
Chapelgrove Films
Your investors will see returns ONLY if you're one of the very, very few whose movie turns a profit. It's by no means a sure thing.
El Director
Veteran
It's more sure than a short
starcentral
Veteran
Yes the point is if there are any returns to be seen, a feature film is far more promising. Nothing is a sure thing but that wasn't my point.
Go for a feature.
The investors I know who are funding short projects are not doing it for returns. They are either trying to build up their own portfolios and/or using it as a showpiece to get more money from other investment sources for when they go off to produce a feature.
The shorts I'm working on are $5000-$10,000, and have a small festival run which can help you build up credibility, etc.. but selling them later the money is usually only a fraction of the original from the ones we've sold.
Hope this info helps.
Go for a feature.
The investors I know who are funding short projects are not doing it for returns. They are either trying to build up their own portfolios and/or using it as a showpiece to get more money from other investment sources for when they go off to produce a feature.
The shorts I'm working on are $5000-$10,000, and have a small festival run which can help you build up credibility, etc.. but selling them later the money is usually only a fraction of the original from the ones we've sold.
Hope this info helps.
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David W. Richardson
Chapelgrove Films
Yes it is. But it is still a long, long, LONG shot.
David W. Richardson
Chapelgrove Films
Filmboy -- What is your role in this production? Producer? Director? And what is your level of training and experience in those roles?
Thanks for the feedback and thoughts guys.
David -- I'm writing, directing and producing. 10 plus years writing features, have directed a feature with my own funds back in 2007 that got me a few meetings at AFM but ultimately a bunch of offers with no advance money. Learned the hard way having no name cast (including myself) gives you little to no leverage. Last short film I wrote and directed won a couple festival awards, nothing major like Cannes or Sundance, etc.
I posed the initial question because I've seen some recent short films online and in my area get studio deals and I have a potential investor, but I'm not up for doing anymore indie features on shoestring budgets with no name cast or cast with low value in the eyes of distributors. All my shorts have been out of pocket money, nothing really substantial.
Just exploring different options.
David -- I'm writing, directing and producing. 10 plus years writing features, have directed a feature with my own funds back in 2007 that got me a few meetings at AFM but ultimately a bunch of offers with no advance money. Learned the hard way having no name cast (including myself) gives you little to no leverage. Last short film I wrote and directed won a couple festival awards, nothing major like Cannes or Sundance, etc.
I posed the initial question because I've seen some recent short films online and in my area get studio deals and I have a potential investor, but I'm not up for doing anymore indie features on shoestring budgets with no name cast or cast with low value in the eyes of distributors. All my shorts have been out of pocket money, nothing really substantial.
Just exploring different options.