Wilbur Eddings
Well-known member
Hi folks. I'm shiny and new around here (besides a few scuff marks from my market place post) but I have something to share that might be an encouragement to many of you who dream of a career as a filmmaker.
I don't know who will read this but I'm writing it anyway
The Short Version:
I put everything I had into making my first 90 minute movie.
I had zero experience with anything technical, just a love for movies and a massive desire to make them.
I made the movie and lost everything in the process. (Total bankruptcy).
The movie was mediocre at best but got a Cinematic release in my country and did very well on the Rental circuit.
A year or so later it was picked up by international distributors and I made a few million $ profit.
My next project has a 6 mil $ budget with 2 years to produce. (Much better than 40 days no?)
My biggest lesson learned?
Chase your dreams and turn a deaf ear to the naysayers. Chase your dream with great passion, Character and Wisdom will be provided on route.
The long-ish version:
Firstly, Wilbur Eddings is not my real name. I don't feel comfortable sharing my name here because I'm a bit of a touchy fellow and the anonymity of people in forums gives them license to be very nasty. I suffer from bi-polar disorder which means I swing between superman and worm-eater pretty darn easily.
So please forgive the cloak and dagger manouver
I love people. Seriously. I live to see them achieve their dreams, so I'm gonna share my journey here and hope it helps some of you achieve yours.
So anyhoo, lets get to the principles I learned:
My two biggies:
1) Life is running out. Time is getting shorter. Every day you delay jumping into your dream (movie) is a day you cannot get back.
2) Failure is a myth. There are merely different outcomes to every action. The doing of something is what is most important. The lessons learned are invaluable and place you head and shoulders above the theorizers.
Now to the story:
It reads like a nightmare but hold your breath and get to the end.
I was a creative director earning a good salary with really big corporate clients.
Twas' not my passion, I wanted to make movies. Nothing else in life mattered to me. i wanted to make MOVIES!
So off I went. Wrote a script, begged everywhere for money for a year before I got some to shoot a trailer of the movie. At the end of the night of the trailer shoot, the investor informed me that she actually did not have the money and had made the commitment based on a sale going through.
Uh. Crap.
Crews wanted to kill me. (Literally - haha).
So I took my trailer and off I went, begging and pitching like crazy.
At some point the pressure of the owed money was so heavy that I went to my boss and said "I have to resign because my salary won't cover my teaser trailer bills!"
Everyone thought I was nuts (I am kinda). Leave your job becuase you owe too much money? Truth is, the only way to pay those bills was to land an investor for the movie.
It took a year of cold calling at every business, friend and family member I could find.
I was doing two pitches every day of the week. I didn't care if it was the guy at the corner shop or a shoe salesman. I shared my dream with everything that moved.
At a certain point, I lost my house and my car. I was even walking and hitching with my laptop in my bag to do these pitches until someone lent me a car.
Ha Ha.. crazy no?
Eventually (after tons of false promises and failed leads) I landed my investor.
The first thing I did was pay the bills for that teaser trailer - one year later. The suppliers still hated me, but I got em paid in the end and I was very happy!
How much did I know about film making?
Um.. I did a 12 week crash course which happened for 2 hours every Saturday.
I did a short movie and fell in love with film making. After thirty four years of wondering why I was on the planet, Directing my first short felt like a light was shining upon me from above (ala mr Bean). I was besotted.
This is where the tech buffs in general will slay me. "First learn the technical side of film making then make the film". I'd still be waiting to make the film if I took that approach.
The Vision always comes before the provision!
I tried to find out as much as I could about film making and crews but all I found was a pack of tech vultures more interested in the career of film making than the passion of it.
Condescending new-school Geeks or Arrogant old-school 35mm stalwarts... These were my choices.
There was a massive debate about 35mm vs HD and i couldnt afford 35mm - why the hell couldnt they understand that? Bah!
The mainstream is filled with over charging, closed minded sharks who will suck you dry for every cent to get to their own dreams.
I had no clue that passionate people who were willing to even do stuff for free existed. I was disgusted and disappointed but I wanted to make movies so i spent my budget on the top crews I could afford in my country.
I failed in every way possible making my first movie. but I mean FAILED!
Halfway through production my principle investor declared insolvency (massive real estate value crash) but neglected to tell me the truth. "Here we go again".
My crews, who were already frustrated with my total lack of tech savvy (I didn't know the difference between a zoom and a prime), suddenly found out that they might not get paid.
The word 'nightmare' resonate with anyone?
I tell you what, suddenly you are shcheister, a thief and every other possible nasty piece of work in crime novels! Investor drops me and I'm the bad guy. Thats life no?
Everything that could go wrong went wrong but I kept going. I negotiated, ate tons of humble pie (really bitter humble pie) , begged for favors and just kept plodding forward.
Luckily I had paid some of the crew upfront and most of the actors were willing to finish it "but you better find my money!".
I rewrote the script to suit the new zero budget.
I shot that movie with an Arri D21 then a RED then EX1 nad EX3 then 7D and 5D2 but i finished the damn thing in the end with volunteers I had found via a facebook group. (AMAZING people!)
The original Editor was holding the film ransom for payment plus extortionate interest. It took three months to find the money to get the edit back and hire a new (fantastic) editor who did the edit for peanuts.
No matter how much I tried to explain to suppliers that finishing the movie would mean income to pay my debts, they rained hell down upon me. Some were extremely supportive and understanding but others humiliated me on social media and even on Radio. Twas a nightmare to say the least but I kept on moving. I wanted to make movies and I had faith in my product. I didn't blame them for being angry at me. I had made a commitment to them and they made commitments based on my commitment. Nasty circle.
We finally set a new release date at local cinema (Missed the first one because of the original editor) and released the movie.
The critics ripped my movie to so many pieces that I thought my life had ended.
I actually wanted to find out where they lived and break some legs. These bastards who had no clue what it took to make the thing sit for 90 minutes and destroy it.
One or two reviews were good but most were devastating.
Reading every line was like having molten lava poured on my heart. "Don't take it personally" - The first person who said that to me nearly got punched in the face. "Do you know what it took to make that thing?"
It did ok at box office. Digital release, so not many screens but it did better than expected. I still couldn't pay my bills though and ended up living with family in a small room. (Big time filmmaker... you can imagine the "i told you so speeches". *shiver*
The big surprise came at Rental release.
Rental stores snapped it up and it flew off the shelves. The target market really enjoyed our movie.
-- Epic shocker after so much hell. --
Anyhoo. Long story short: The Rental success increased the value of the product and we were able to negotiate from a position of strength with international distributors.
The rest is history
But here's the lessons:
I regret not one day.
There was no platform of mentorship available to me when I started my journey. I did not even know that forums like this exist. I tried to get the best crews and mentors I could find and poured my heart and soul into the project. It almost cost me my sanity, but I held on for dear life and pursued my dream with white knuckles! I am thankful that I did not have to learn these lessons over many projects but learned them all at once.
No film school can prepare you for this. Unless you've got Peter Jackson holding your hand when you shoot your first movie, you're gonna learn some epic lessons - Relish every one or else you'll be re-writing!
The lessons I learned were invaluable. There was no learning curve. Everything that could go wrong went wrong on my first project and I took note of every weakness and flaw in my own ignorance and character.
I cannot wait to reward every single person who worked on my film. (Even the vindictive, nasty ones). Paid or unpaid, it's hard work. Gruelling 12 -16 hour days for more than a month. I am so grateful for every person that was involved. Take no-one for granted, for even your enemies have the power to make you a better person!
The next projects are streamlined. They have a minimum of 1 year of pre-production each with financial trusts and entertainment lawyers in place. My goal with my first movie was to make one. My goal with my second movie is a foreign language award. Big difference in attitude.
I am starting a logistics management company specifically for independent movie makers who know nothing about the heavy logistics of film making. Film funds and Tax rebates require extremely meticulous logistics management. Investor management is no joke, it is make or break. We made sure that every sponsor got exactly what they paid for (or more).
The experience made me a better man, I was forced to deal with my temper and frustration and forced to get a haven of perspective in dealing with my dream.
I learned that critics mean nothing. They are mostly ignorant of their effect on filmmakers and those who want to want to watch your movie will watch it anyway.
Try to take the criticism as well as you can but in the end its not up to your critics, it's up to you!
I wish I could say 'don't read the criticism' but it's impossible. Every film maker cares about his hard work and having it insulted and spat on by people you do not even know is very painful. You just have to weather the initial storm, grow a thicker skin and move on to your next project.
Learn as much as you can but move on.
You chose to display your abilities on the biggest platform in the world so get ready to be pelted with both praise and rotten eggs.
Art is about taste. Some will spit out a lemon with a look of disgust while others chew it with relish. Some love the taste of Olives and others grimace at the texture. Your movie is art, it is a creative expression of your imagination which will appeal to different tastes in different ways. Don't let your fear of people's taste stop you from jumping in and shooting your movie. Just shoot the damn thing!
While I made my first movie, I felt like a failure. I felt intimidated by thirty year veterans and technical geniuses.
When my investor folded, I felt like a failure. When I had no solid answers for the cast and crew, I felt like a failure (Investor strung me out for a few months before eventually telling the truth), When the critics got hold of my movie i felt like a failure.
Then I learned the most important lesson of my life:
"Success is inevitable if you fear not failure."
It is the fear of failure that holds us back the most, but failure does not exist.
Your first movie can win an Oscar or it can bankrupt you. Those are merely different outcomes. They do not determine who you are or what you are capable of. Everything is an experience which will take you to your next level. get stuck in, put your heart and soul into it and fear not failure!
I read a heck of a lot of success books and business books. My favorite revelation is this one:
"Losing certain battles is key to winning the war".
A lost battle can teach you how to win your war.
It certainly did that for me!
Stop hanging back and waiting for the right moment! Write that screenplay and get your ass out their looking for a sponsor!
Nothing qualifies a man for battle like the whizzing of bullets around his head!
Here's my suggestions for a first timer:
Shoot shorts. Lots of em.
Shoot them on a camcorder.
Shoot them on your cellphone.
24p, 30p, 60i whatever, just shoot the dang things!
You're an Indy film maker, shoot on what you can afford, just shoot!
Make up a 60 second story about your dog crossing the lawn if you have to!
If you can't get nice DoF then compensate with excellent set design (planks and a tire) and find the best looking framing for your phone or camcorder.
Just shoot something dammit. The experience will show you how much you know and more importantly, how much you don't know!
Your goal is to fill in the blanks of your ignorance. Trolling forums becomes a totally different experience when you actually have an idea of your information deficiencies.
On that note (forums). Don't be afraid to stand up for your theories or opinions, no matter how dumb they are. You will get bullied and teased, but you'll learn a heck of a lot more if you fail with bravado and confidence! You're not wrong because some other guy says you are, you are only wrong when the proof is incontrovertible (thank God for spell check) .
Once you have a screenplay, start plaguing film funds and tax rebate departments like you've got a terminal disease!
Do not rest until you know every in and every out in those departments.
Many countries give you up to 35% of your films spend back in rebates.. that can be a LOT of money. Film funds are everywhere, they just need to be understood and taken advantage of.
I failed to pursue both those avenues and later found out that I could have had over $250 000 in my bank account just for filling in some forms. What a douche!
IMPORTANT:
Shoot a trailer for your movie as a part of your presentation. It's a lot easier to shoot a kick ass trailer than a 90 minute film that makes sense so go balls to the wall on that trailer! Investors get a lot more excited when they see you can actually make a film and it looks like you have already started production. No one likes investing into your project if you haven't. Why should I believe in you if you don't believe in you?
Go see distributors and exhibitors with that teaser trailer.
Even if you get a commitment for a small 5 screen digital release in a mall, it helps get the local fish n chips shop to pay you a hundred bucks for product placement.
Share your vision with everyone. Some will laugh, others will lecture you but eventually, you'll get an investor. If it's a one in a million shot, you best get started. Only 999 999 rejections ahead of you!
What you waiting for? That movie aint gonna shoot itself you know!
Don't roll cameras unless the money is in the bank. As Horatio says on CSI: "Trust, but verify".
Boy oh Boy did I learn that the hard way!
Ignore the dream stealers: Anyone who gives you the 'You're not Ridley Scott" speech might mean well but they are dream stealers. Smile and nod and move along.
The most important 10 two letter words ever:
"if it is to be it is up to me." <--- The DoP and Line producer may have been in the industry for five thousand millenia but its YOUR name on the chopping block!
Be humble but stay focused. If you are going to make mistakes, make them as big as you can! Conservatives are people who assume that nothing ever gets done for the first time. Stick to your guns and try your ideas. other peoples ideas are what you apply when you are 100% sure yours don't work.
Some Random thoughts/Principles:
Everyone has ideas. Heck man, almost every person on the film set wants to be a Director, most of them think their ideas are better than yours. Thats fine, let them raise their own money and shoot their own film. This is yours, for better or worse.
Scheduling is not a joke. It's a make or break. The weeks leading up to your shoot must focus heavily on that schedule. 90 minutes is a heck of a lot of story telling. Your story comes first, make sure you have that covered in your schedule BEFORE the flash and dance. The AD is responsible for that schedule but the buck stops with you. Don't let fatigue rob you of excellence. Stick your guns, maintain your focus, stay your course.
As an Indy, you will work a lot harder than the big budget boys, be ready. Set your mind to do what you can with what you have and put your cheer-leading dress on! Keep your team motivated and do everything in your power to feed them well.
Epic revelation:
Food is the most awesome cheerleader ever! An army cannot march on an empty stomach. Food and drink keeps the spirits up more than you can believe. At the worst moments of my shoot, the guys would pep up after a nice chow. Sell your lung if you have to but keep the food coming!
Phew, suddenly got tired but I'll be happy to give any other thoughts if someone is interested.
The most important thing I can stress here is this:
JUST SHOOT THE DAMN THING!
I hope someone makes sense of my ramblings above and it actually helps.
I don't know who will read this but I'm writing it anyway
The Short Version:
I put everything I had into making my first 90 minute movie.
I had zero experience with anything technical, just a love for movies and a massive desire to make them.
I made the movie and lost everything in the process. (Total bankruptcy).
The movie was mediocre at best but got a Cinematic release in my country and did very well on the Rental circuit.
A year or so later it was picked up by international distributors and I made a few million $ profit.
My next project has a 6 mil $ budget with 2 years to produce. (Much better than 40 days no?)
My biggest lesson learned?
Chase your dreams and turn a deaf ear to the naysayers. Chase your dream with great passion, Character and Wisdom will be provided on route.
The long-ish version:
Firstly, Wilbur Eddings is not my real name. I don't feel comfortable sharing my name here because I'm a bit of a touchy fellow and the anonymity of people in forums gives them license to be very nasty. I suffer from bi-polar disorder which means I swing between superman and worm-eater pretty darn easily.
So please forgive the cloak and dagger manouver
I love people. Seriously. I live to see them achieve their dreams, so I'm gonna share my journey here and hope it helps some of you achieve yours.
So anyhoo, lets get to the principles I learned:
My two biggies:
1) Life is running out. Time is getting shorter. Every day you delay jumping into your dream (movie) is a day you cannot get back.
2) Failure is a myth. There are merely different outcomes to every action. The doing of something is what is most important. The lessons learned are invaluable and place you head and shoulders above the theorizers.
Now to the story:
It reads like a nightmare but hold your breath and get to the end.
I was a creative director earning a good salary with really big corporate clients.
Twas' not my passion, I wanted to make movies. Nothing else in life mattered to me. i wanted to make MOVIES!
So off I went. Wrote a script, begged everywhere for money for a year before I got some to shoot a trailer of the movie. At the end of the night of the trailer shoot, the investor informed me that she actually did not have the money and had made the commitment based on a sale going through.
Uh. Crap.
Crews wanted to kill me. (Literally - haha).
So I took my trailer and off I went, begging and pitching like crazy.
At some point the pressure of the owed money was so heavy that I went to my boss and said "I have to resign because my salary won't cover my teaser trailer bills!"
Everyone thought I was nuts (I am kinda). Leave your job becuase you owe too much money? Truth is, the only way to pay those bills was to land an investor for the movie.
It took a year of cold calling at every business, friend and family member I could find.
I was doing two pitches every day of the week. I didn't care if it was the guy at the corner shop or a shoe salesman. I shared my dream with everything that moved.
At a certain point, I lost my house and my car. I was even walking and hitching with my laptop in my bag to do these pitches until someone lent me a car.
Ha Ha.. crazy no?
Eventually (after tons of false promises and failed leads) I landed my investor.
The first thing I did was pay the bills for that teaser trailer - one year later. The suppliers still hated me, but I got em paid in the end and I was very happy!
How much did I know about film making?
Um.. I did a 12 week crash course which happened for 2 hours every Saturday.
I did a short movie and fell in love with film making. After thirty four years of wondering why I was on the planet, Directing my first short felt like a light was shining upon me from above (ala mr Bean). I was besotted.
This is where the tech buffs in general will slay me. "First learn the technical side of film making then make the film". I'd still be waiting to make the film if I took that approach.
The Vision always comes before the provision!
I tried to find out as much as I could about film making and crews but all I found was a pack of tech vultures more interested in the career of film making than the passion of it.
Condescending new-school Geeks or Arrogant old-school 35mm stalwarts... These were my choices.
There was a massive debate about 35mm vs HD and i couldnt afford 35mm - why the hell couldnt they understand that? Bah!
The mainstream is filled with over charging, closed minded sharks who will suck you dry for every cent to get to their own dreams.
I had no clue that passionate people who were willing to even do stuff for free existed. I was disgusted and disappointed but I wanted to make movies so i spent my budget on the top crews I could afford in my country.
I failed in every way possible making my first movie. but I mean FAILED!
Halfway through production my principle investor declared insolvency (massive real estate value crash) but neglected to tell me the truth. "Here we go again".
My crews, who were already frustrated with my total lack of tech savvy (I didn't know the difference between a zoom and a prime), suddenly found out that they might not get paid.
The word 'nightmare' resonate with anyone?
I tell you what, suddenly you are shcheister, a thief and every other possible nasty piece of work in crime novels! Investor drops me and I'm the bad guy. Thats life no?
Everything that could go wrong went wrong but I kept going. I negotiated, ate tons of humble pie (really bitter humble pie) , begged for favors and just kept plodding forward.
Luckily I had paid some of the crew upfront and most of the actors were willing to finish it "but you better find my money!".
I rewrote the script to suit the new zero budget.
I shot that movie with an Arri D21 then a RED then EX1 nad EX3 then 7D and 5D2 but i finished the damn thing in the end with volunteers I had found via a facebook group. (AMAZING people!)
The original Editor was holding the film ransom for payment plus extortionate interest. It took three months to find the money to get the edit back and hire a new (fantastic) editor who did the edit for peanuts.
No matter how much I tried to explain to suppliers that finishing the movie would mean income to pay my debts, they rained hell down upon me. Some were extremely supportive and understanding but others humiliated me on social media and even on Radio. Twas a nightmare to say the least but I kept on moving. I wanted to make movies and I had faith in my product. I didn't blame them for being angry at me. I had made a commitment to them and they made commitments based on my commitment. Nasty circle.
We finally set a new release date at local cinema (Missed the first one because of the original editor) and released the movie.
The critics ripped my movie to so many pieces that I thought my life had ended.
I actually wanted to find out where they lived and break some legs. These bastards who had no clue what it took to make the thing sit for 90 minutes and destroy it.
One or two reviews were good but most were devastating.
Reading every line was like having molten lava poured on my heart. "Don't take it personally" - The first person who said that to me nearly got punched in the face. "Do you know what it took to make that thing?"
It did ok at box office. Digital release, so not many screens but it did better than expected. I still couldn't pay my bills though and ended up living with family in a small room. (Big time filmmaker... you can imagine the "i told you so speeches". *shiver*
The big surprise came at Rental release.
Rental stores snapped it up and it flew off the shelves. The target market really enjoyed our movie.
-- Epic shocker after so much hell. --
Anyhoo. Long story short: The Rental success increased the value of the product and we were able to negotiate from a position of strength with international distributors.
The rest is history
But here's the lessons:
I regret not one day.
There was no platform of mentorship available to me when I started my journey. I did not even know that forums like this exist. I tried to get the best crews and mentors I could find and poured my heart and soul into the project. It almost cost me my sanity, but I held on for dear life and pursued my dream with white knuckles! I am thankful that I did not have to learn these lessons over many projects but learned them all at once.
No film school can prepare you for this. Unless you've got Peter Jackson holding your hand when you shoot your first movie, you're gonna learn some epic lessons - Relish every one or else you'll be re-writing!
The lessons I learned were invaluable. There was no learning curve. Everything that could go wrong went wrong on my first project and I took note of every weakness and flaw in my own ignorance and character.
I cannot wait to reward every single person who worked on my film. (Even the vindictive, nasty ones). Paid or unpaid, it's hard work. Gruelling 12 -16 hour days for more than a month. I am so grateful for every person that was involved. Take no-one for granted, for even your enemies have the power to make you a better person!
The next projects are streamlined. They have a minimum of 1 year of pre-production each with financial trusts and entertainment lawyers in place. My goal with my first movie was to make one. My goal with my second movie is a foreign language award. Big difference in attitude.
I am starting a logistics management company specifically for independent movie makers who know nothing about the heavy logistics of film making. Film funds and Tax rebates require extremely meticulous logistics management. Investor management is no joke, it is make or break. We made sure that every sponsor got exactly what they paid for (or more).
The experience made me a better man, I was forced to deal with my temper and frustration and forced to get a haven of perspective in dealing with my dream.
I learned that critics mean nothing. They are mostly ignorant of their effect on filmmakers and those who want to want to watch your movie will watch it anyway.
Try to take the criticism as well as you can but in the end its not up to your critics, it's up to you!
I wish I could say 'don't read the criticism' but it's impossible. Every film maker cares about his hard work and having it insulted and spat on by people you do not even know is very painful. You just have to weather the initial storm, grow a thicker skin and move on to your next project.
Learn as much as you can but move on.
You chose to display your abilities on the biggest platform in the world so get ready to be pelted with both praise and rotten eggs.
Art is about taste. Some will spit out a lemon with a look of disgust while others chew it with relish. Some love the taste of Olives and others grimace at the texture. Your movie is art, it is a creative expression of your imagination which will appeal to different tastes in different ways. Don't let your fear of people's taste stop you from jumping in and shooting your movie. Just shoot the damn thing!
While I made my first movie, I felt like a failure. I felt intimidated by thirty year veterans and technical geniuses.
When my investor folded, I felt like a failure. When I had no solid answers for the cast and crew, I felt like a failure (Investor strung me out for a few months before eventually telling the truth), When the critics got hold of my movie i felt like a failure.
Then I learned the most important lesson of my life:
"Success is inevitable if you fear not failure."
It is the fear of failure that holds us back the most, but failure does not exist.
Your first movie can win an Oscar or it can bankrupt you. Those are merely different outcomes. They do not determine who you are or what you are capable of. Everything is an experience which will take you to your next level. get stuck in, put your heart and soul into it and fear not failure!
I read a heck of a lot of success books and business books. My favorite revelation is this one:
"Losing certain battles is key to winning the war".
A lost battle can teach you how to win your war.
It certainly did that for me!
Stop hanging back and waiting for the right moment! Write that screenplay and get your ass out their looking for a sponsor!
Nothing qualifies a man for battle like the whizzing of bullets around his head!
Here's my suggestions for a first timer:
Shoot shorts. Lots of em.
Shoot them on a camcorder.
Shoot them on your cellphone.
24p, 30p, 60i whatever, just shoot the dang things!
You're an Indy film maker, shoot on what you can afford, just shoot!
Make up a 60 second story about your dog crossing the lawn if you have to!
If you can't get nice DoF then compensate with excellent set design (planks and a tire) and find the best looking framing for your phone or camcorder.
Just shoot something dammit. The experience will show you how much you know and more importantly, how much you don't know!
Your goal is to fill in the blanks of your ignorance. Trolling forums becomes a totally different experience when you actually have an idea of your information deficiencies.
On that note (forums). Don't be afraid to stand up for your theories or opinions, no matter how dumb they are. You will get bullied and teased, but you'll learn a heck of a lot more if you fail with bravado and confidence! You're not wrong because some other guy says you are, you are only wrong when the proof is incontrovertible (thank God for spell check) .
Once you have a screenplay, start plaguing film funds and tax rebate departments like you've got a terminal disease!
Do not rest until you know every in and every out in those departments.
Many countries give you up to 35% of your films spend back in rebates.. that can be a LOT of money. Film funds are everywhere, they just need to be understood and taken advantage of.
I failed to pursue both those avenues and later found out that I could have had over $250 000 in my bank account just for filling in some forms. What a douche!
IMPORTANT:
Shoot a trailer for your movie as a part of your presentation. It's a lot easier to shoot a kick ass trailer than a 90 minute film that makes sense so go balls to the wall on that trailer! Investors get a lot more excited when they see you can actually make a film and it looks like you have already started production. No one likes investing into your project if you haven't. Why should I believe in you if you don't believe in you?
Go see distributors and exhibitors with that teaser trailer.
Even if you get a commitment for a small 5 screen digital release in a mall, it helps get the local fish n chips shop to pay you a hundred bucks for product placement.
Share your vision with everyone. Some will laugh, others will lecture you but eventually, you'll get an investor. If it's a one in a million shot, you best get started. Only 999 999 rejections ahead of you!
What you waiting for? That movie aint gonna shoot itself you know!
Don't roll cameras unless the money is in the bank. As Horatio says on CSI: "Trust, but verify".
Boy oh Boy did I learn that the hard way!
Ignore the dream stealers: Anyone who gives you the 'You're not Ridley Scott" speech might mean well but they are dream stealers. Smile and nod and move along.
The most important 10 two letter words ever:
"if it is to be it is up to me." <--- The DoP and Line producer may have been in the industry for five thousand millenia but its YOUR name on the chopping block!
Be humble but stay focused. If you are going to make mistakes, make them as big as you can! Conservatives are people who assume that nothing ever gets done for the first time. Stick to your guns and try your ideas. other peoples ideas are what you apply when you are 100% sure yours don't work.
Some Random thoughts/Principles:
Everyone has ideas. Heck man, almost every person on the film set wants to be a Director, most of them think their ideas are better than yours. Thats fine, let them raise their own money and shoot their own film. This is yours, for better or worse.
Scheduling is not a joke. It's a make or break. The weeks leading up to your shoot must focus heavily on that schedule. 90 minutes is a heck of a lot of story telling. Your story comes first, make sure you have that covered in your schedule BEFORE the flash and dance. The AD is responsible for that schedule but the buck stops with you. Don't let fatigue rob you of excellence. Stick your guns, maintain your focus, stay your course.
As an Indy, you will work a lot harder than the big budget boys, be ready. Set your mind to do what you can with what you have and put your cheer-leading dress on! Keep your team motivated and do everything in your power to feed them well.
Epic revelation:
Food is the most awesome cheerleader ever! An army cannot march on an empty stomach. Food and drink keeps the spirits up more than you can believe. At the worst moments of my shoot, the guys would pep up after a nice chow. Sell your lung if you have to but keep the food coming!
Phew, suddenly got tired but I'll be happy to give any other thoughts if someone is interested.
The most important thing I can stress here is this:
JUST SHOOT THE DAMN THING!
I hope someone makes sense of my ramblings above and it actually helps.
