Local Film Maker Showcase brainstorm

[homestar_kevin]

Over the past few weeks I've come up with a concept for an event that I'd like to run by you guys in an attempt to point out glaring issues I'm not seeing right now and just generally to get opinions and insight.

I'm wanting to take advantage of the Halloween season and use it as a spring board to launch a series of events.

I'm getting local film makers to make shorts connected by a central theme or motive and then put these all together into one program to be shown at a local theater.

This first one will be Halloween shorts.

I want to do this for a bunch of reasons:

I feel like local musicians have shows, comedians have open mic nights, artists have local galleries and exhibition space, but there isn't an equivalent in film making.

Also just to network and get to know other local film makers better and to make some fun movies.

And to get my work in a theater again.

I want to make this a continuous series of events that allows for local film makers to showcase their work in a legitimate movie theater setting all while making this a real life event.

My biggest concern now is locking in film makers and getting them to commit.

How would you guys go about getting the film makers committed?

I'm thinking a $100 dollar fee each film maker so I can use that money to book the theater and having all films due 2 weeks before the screening, so if someone backed out I'd have enough time to scramble and get someone else.

I'm focusing on approaching diverse film makers so we can all pull from our own audience pools and pack the house/put the meat in the seats.

I would have each film maker sell tickets.

I'd be renting the theater out and ticketing independently.

I also really want to keep pricing matched, like $8 tickets for 8 films.

I'm going to try and get as much press/write ups/mentions I can locally, and I think I'll be able to get some, to really try and get this event firing on all cylinders, How would you guys go about promoting this?

I'm sorry this is just a sprawl, I'd love any insight or opinions on any of this.

What do you guys think?

 

[homestar_kevin]

Any insight would really be appreciated on this


From an audience perspective: Does this sound intriguing? Is $8 for 8 Shorts too much?

From a film maker perspective: Is this something that would be attractive? What do you think I should do for commitment? Is $100 per film too much?

From an event planning perspective: What else am I missing? Any other glaring holes in this plan?

Thanks guys!

 

[David W. Richardson]

So the filmmaker pays you $100 AND has to peddle the tickets for you?

Not sure that's a deal that would interest very many filmmakers, but maybe I'm wrong. If so, then more power to you!

 

[homestar_kevin]

Well, the tickets would be sold through an online source and in person day of, but I'd definitely give the film makers some of their own to sell, or not if they didn't want to. The obvious caveat being, the more they sell, the more money'd they be able to take home at the end of this

I'm certainly trying to make it attractive for everyone involved.

I'm not out to make any money off this, if the first one works, I'd be making this into a non profit.

I'm just trying to think of ways to get the film makers committed and certainly at the same time, ease the amount of cost I'm going to have to go out of pocket on this event, and it seems like the way festivals and other submission based events work is by charging an entrance or submission fee of some sort.

Can you think of any way to make this a more attractive offer David?

Any opinions/insight you might have would be appreciated.