Looking for Funding

J

jabberwock

New member
Hey,

I'm a fourth year film student ready to make a film that will hopefully get me into some festivals. The script is solid--I've been working about 5 months on it. It's 22 pages of written glory. Got a team ready and shooting schedule and everything. The only problem is cash (fie on cash, I need it so!).

We have a budget figured at $1350. I'd like to get $2000, so I'm actually putting up the $650 or so, but that makes less than half, so I'm going around like a chicken with its head cut off looking for funding.

We'll be shooting in the AG-HVX200....with a sweet Red Rock adapter and a few choice 35mm lenses.

Got a website set up here: http://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2007-10-14.8927974102
For donations, if you feel like you're in a giving mood....I think the idea is basically like 134 people donating 10 bucks. Anyway, have a look.

Also, check these pages out:

http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/brett.hannam/aa/
http://nscad.hfxns.org/film/wiki/index.php/New_Skin

Thanks for your time (forgive me if you see this exact message on other forums...I'm strapped for time!)

Remember, vote for ME! Or rather, send me cash! please :)

Thanks!
-brett H.
 
jabberwock said:
Hey,

I'm a fourth year film student ready to make a film that will hopefully get me into some festivals. The script is solid--I've been working about 5 months on it. It's 22 pages of written glory. Got a team ready and shooting schedule and everything. The only problem is cash (fie on cash, I need it so!).

We have a budget figured at $1350. I'd like to get $2000, so I'm actually putting up the $650 or so, but that makes less than half, so I'm going around like a chicken with its head cut off looking for funding.

We'll be shooting in the AG-HVX200....with a sweet Red Rock adapter and a few choice 35mm lenses.

Got a website set up here: http://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2007-10-14.8927974102
For donations, if you feel like you're in a giving mood....I think the idea is basically like 134 people donating 10 bucks. Anyway, have a look.

Also, check these pages out:

http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/brett.hannam/aa/
http://nscad.hfxns.org/film/wiki/index.php/New_Skin

Thanks for your time (forgive me if you see this exact message on other forums...I'm strapped for time!)

Remember, vote for ME! Or rather, send me cash! please :)

Thanks!
-brett H.
Click to expand...

Bet you can save money on food. Pasta Salad! Cheap and yummy!
 
Dude, you're a student. Take advantage of those government subsidized, no-interest loans and fund the thing yourself! You're not talking exhorbitant figures here.
 
Begging is a strong word. :) I prefer to think of it as financial hassling!

Anyway, there isn't much else I can do to get money. I'm poor, every one I know is poor, I'll spare you the lengthy diatribe. There are no government programs to help, besides all the film grants in this province won't touch students. Basically the industry is ass-backwards here and pretty much set up to keep you from doing anything...unless its with your friends and a cheap little one ship Sony hand held.

But yeah, I don't like whoring myself or my project out on the internet...but short of robbing a bank I'm kinda hard up for ways to raise money, unless anyone else has a better (less...degrading?) suggestion?

-brett
 
pcascio said:
You guys are brutal.
Click to expand...

Not really. Everybody is looking for funding, but for someone who has had no history at all to just come in and ask for donations, that's a little too much.

Brett, based on what you said are available to you I don't see any reason why you can't make this film. You already have more equipments than most other people and it seems like you have a dedicated crew. Everything else can be borrowed. There's always actors who are willing to work for credits, composers who just want to get their work out etc. You can even work out craft services deal and stretch that $650 to cover the absolute essentials.
 
Do you have a job?
Saving $1350 shouldn't take too long.
Get a job, cut your expenses, and save.
Short of asking family for money you probably aren't going to find anyone willing to 'invest' in a 22 minute short.


By the way - I read your site and I'm wondering why are you shooting in 720P instead of 1080?

Also couldn't help but notice that you said:
Recording is done on P2 cards, so there is no video compression--it's all raw footage
This isn't true (and is actually kind of meaningless), raw footage is always raw footage, regardless of format (uncompressed or not)...and your video is definitely compressed into the DVCProHD codec when shooting 720P on the HVX.

Lastly - you need to be careful about taking 'donations' for your film.
Not sure how the details work in Canada - but things can get sticky here in the U.S. with those sorts of scenarios.
Granted the odds of making a profit on a short are slim, but you don't want to rule anything out before you even shoot.

You mentioned on your site:

In return, everyone who contributes will get a special thanks in the credits, a copy of the film on DVD and my eternal gratitude and respect.

So maybe instead of donations you could 'sell' credits in the film and advance copies of the DVD for $10.
Seems that way you aren't crossing over into 'donation' territory.
Then again, I'm neither a lawyer or Canadian...so what do I know.
:)

Good luck.
 
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Luis, I'm curious -- what sort of difficulties are involved with accepting 'donations' to make a film?? I know there are issues with soliciting investors, but I wasn't aware getting donors/donations had pitfalls. Educate me, please. :)
 
chapelgrovefilms said:
Luis, I'm curious -- what sort of difficulties are involved with accepting 'donations' to make a film?? I know there are issues with soliciting investors, but I wasn't aware getting donors/donations had pitfalls. Educate me, please. :)
Click to expand...

Well, I'm no lawyer - but as far as I understand it its not an issue to simply take money, but if you call it a "donation" it gives people the impression that it is a tax deductible donation, meaning that you are some sort of non profit entity - which can become really sticky if and when you attempt to sell your finished film.

There have been a few threads on this in the past - I'll see if I can dig them up, as others explained the details much better than I can.

EDITED TO ADD:
I can't find the threads I was thinking of ....
another issue that comes up is that if you are not entirely clear that it is a donation then you could be giving the impression that people are investing in the film - which then means you are essentially selling stock in your film, which amounts to a public offering without all the needed SEC filings.
 
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If all people do is send you money without signing any sort of contract or agreement of any kind, and nothing is said in any kind of correspondence about interest or repayment or profit participation -- I don't see how anyone could possibly think they were investing. But you're absolutely right that it's best to be as clear as humanly possible. Even if they didn't have a legal leg to stand on, if they think they've been cheated then they can drag your good name through the mud all over the web.

Good points. :)
 
In the U.S. the donations would be going to an individual (assuming you didn't set up a legit corporation for this) and become income and would be subject to income tax reporting and possibly require quarterly payments as they come in, (as is sometimes required with self-employment.) The tax rate is also higher because you don't have an employer paying their share - you get to pay it all yourself.

These "donations" would not be tax deductible for the person making the donation (as was pointed out above) and that should be made very clear to them up front.
 
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