The Chicken (Funding) or the Egg (Attaching Cast) Conundrum

[Kevin McCallister]

Hey All,

As most of you know, when doing a feature, a great insurance policy is to cast some names, usually b-listers or TV stars. While I've never done this myself, there are several people on this board who have successfully done it for their films.

The more I think about this, though, the more I run into a "which comes first, the chicken or the egg" scenario:

On one hand, it's hard to attach cast without having funding.

On the other hand, it's hard to get funding without having cast attached (cast is a GIANT lure to investors who are enamored with "celebrities").

I know there are many different solutions to this conundrum, but I'd like to hear some of your thoughts on how you've seen it done, and your experiences as to which way worked the best.

 

[RMJones]

I think that partial funding should come first. you can hire a casting director for alot less than you can make a film. I worked on a project awhile back where the film had some money in the budget but it wasn't going to be enough to make the film. So they took a portion of that money to a casting agent, I think it was under $10,000, who in turn got a b-list actor interested. Now was this b-list actor enough to get a studio to put up 30 million to make the film, no. But it was enough for the producers to take the film to investors and say something like "this is the project that molly ringwald, or whoever, is interested in. Lets make it!."

Also I know alot of companies are doing alot more negative pickup deal now-a-days (yeah i said "now-a-days"). That's why you see so many b-movies on blockbuster shelve. A negative pick up is where you make the entire movie on own or investor funding, then when it is complete finished, you sell the complete movie (which if shot on film would be a film roll of negative) and the studio or distribution company would pick it up and drop off a check. I think blockbuster cut a deal with a bunch of these distribution companies but in the end they were basically negative pick-up deals.

So i think you have to raise some money first. The saying goes "you have to have money to make money". A individual film is pretty like a small business in itself. Starts with a little money, make good decision to build on that money to inturn grow the business, which in turn moves the process of making the film along. Vary rarely do films just start out with enough money to make the entire film from the get go, unless you have made a big name for yourself and can convince a studio that you are going to make ANOTHER profitable film.

Just in case you are wonder the way the above said film got the initial funding- it was from a private investor who donated just under $750,000 as long as his daughter, which was an actress, was giving the lead role. you would surprised how common deals like this are. Of coarse the director was a graduate from USC so he had some credibility there. But there is no standard way to acquire funding.

In the end to get names attached they have to either read the script or hear about the project and want to be apart of it. And the most straight forward way to do this is to hire a casting director to get in touch with someone's agent and make it happen. Every now and then you find someone that knows somebdy who knows somebody who washes tom cruise's dog and gets the script to him that way but it doesn't happen very often.

 

[taormina]

Kevin,

You are describing an art form, and one not easily learned. Honestly? Truthfully? The way it's most often accomplished is by lying.

I'm not condoning lying per se, but bear with me a moment and I'll tell you how it goes.

First, you're on the right track. No investor will give you money without names. BUT - and here is the big but.....if you're smart, saavy and clever, you can make an agent believe all the funding is in place for your picture without having the funding.

To describe this in detail would be to describe how Tiger Woods hits a ball. I can tell ytou but you may not be able to repeat it.

I digress. If an agent can confidently assume you have the funding, and if your budget and offer are commensurate with what the actor normally gets, you have a shot at getting him to read the script. If they take your offer, you need to get the cash. It takes a good month by the time the lawyers get involved to close a deal. You'd better have the cash before it closes.

I'm not a bullshi*ter. I just let you in on a huge industry secret. Here it is summed up:

You don't need to have the cash, but you need to be able to get the cash.

Here are some additional points to help you.

1. When talking to the agent, assure them financing is in place.
2. They will require verification of this. Ensure at all costs that you cannot provide it by being clever:

• If you tell them your partner has the money, they will want to talk to him.
• If you tell them anything other than you have it, you're done.
• If they ask who put up the money, you say private equity, period.

The more information you give them, the more you will ensure failure. If you tell them you have the money and you are the point man for all questions, they effectively have no way of verifying you don't have the money!

Let me give you a scenario, one in which you deflect the money question, putting it instead on your fictional "executive producer" to act like you're a big outfit instead of a one man show.

Agent: Do you have financing in place?
You: Yes, almost.
Agent: Well is it yes or almost?
You: Yes, yes we do have it in place.
Agent: Who's we?
You: Me, me and my executive producer.
Agent: Who's you executive producer?
You: You wouldn't know him, he's....
Agent: He has the money?
You: Yes, well, no, I mean....
Agent: Have him call me then.

You just painted yourself into a corner.

A little saavy goes a long way.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch: You should be working your money guy at the same time. Once you have identified a person capabvle of loaning you the money, you should start working him. You do this by saying that "you're making another movie and looking for investors." You've got a hot cast, and a hit on your hands. Who's the cast? You're not ready to make that announcement yet, but it's someone you know, you tell him.

There you go, you just set the money guy up. He'll wait with bated breath until you are ready to reveal the name of the actor to him. If you give him a name, and it doesn't come to pass, you re marked as a bullshitter.