FILMMAKING STUFF Filmmaking Stuff is a resource for independent filmmakers, including articles on independent film finance, screenwriting, production, movie marketing and film distribution, as well as interviews with Hollywood producers, movie directors, screenwriters and other filmmakers.

Today, I’m going to offer yet another bit of perspective on the whole question of how to raise money for movies.

As you may or may not know, independent film funding can be a little overwhelming. If you’ve ever dabbled in the business side of making a movie, you know what I mean. The first time I heard people talk about writing a business plan or offering a private placement memorandum, I suddenly felt like I was on another planet. And if you’re like most filmmakers, you would much rather focus on actually getting your movie made, instead of cold calling rich and successful people to set up random pitch meetings.

• So, the first challenge you have in the world of film finance is: How do I find investors for my movie?
• The second challenge is: How will my feature film provide enough ROI (return on investment) for my investor?

Assuming you’ve followed some of my previous advice on creating relationships with rich and successful people, even if you do make a favorable impression on a few rich folks, your potential film investors may still shy away from making an investment in your project. Why? Because without star talent, a known director, a film distribution outlet and an experienced crew – it’s very tough to answer the important question of ROI.

Your potential investors want to know how you plan on spending their money, how you plan on getting their money back, and when. Can you provide your investors with this information? If not, then you can understand why independent film financing, especially for your first feature, can be a pain in the butt.

However, having worked as an account executive for one of the biggest investment banks in the world, I would like to share some thoughts and end today’s article on a positive note. If you can come up with a plan that at least attempts to answer the question of ROI – then you’re in the ball park. While I can’t say it’s common, there are a few potential investors out there, for which their excess cash sometimes burns a hole in their pocket. These folks will assess the potential for gain and loss, and despite the risk (which you will always disclose and never hide!), they will still choose to do business with you.

I have a friend (who I’ll interview in a few weeks) – but anyway, he made a short film that went viral on the internet. One day he gets a call from a random multimillionaire who says he has always wanted to produce a movie. Suffice it to say, my buddy is now in pre-production on his first independent feature film.

Stranger things have happened. What’s important is that you keep pushing forward!

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Posted under Film Financing

I’ve written quite a bit on the subject of Independent Film Distribution. Over the last ten years, there have been a gazillion changes in the ways movies are made. But the one area I’m most excited about is Video On Demand. I frankly don’t remember how I lived without the technology.

As a filmmaker, this technology offers us enormous opportunity to not only make our movie – but with a couple clicks of a mouse, we can now reach a global audience — well, sort of.

Unfortunately there are still a few limitations to our global reach. I’ve mentioned CreateSpace quite a bit in the past. In fact, their advertisements seem to pop up frequently on this site. I love it that you can upload a VOD movie into the Amazon marketplace. But I think a few things still need improvement. Let me explain.

1. Lag time – For one of our projects, it took CS around six months to get our movie into the Amazon marketplace.
2. Marketing – Once in, there was tremendous lag time in getting our information correctly placed on the Amazon detail page. (I’m still getting this worked out.)
3. Trailer- And instead of presenting your movie trailer, the Amazon preview plays the first 2 minutes of your movie. So you better hope you hook em’ fast.
4. Audience – With CS/Amazon VOD, you are limited to a US only audience.
5. Reporting Sales – The sales reporting is not even close to real time – There is at least a 30 day wait to find out if your movie is selling.

Still, all of this aside, the tremendous upside to CreateSpace is having your movie featured in the Amazon Marketplace while carrying NO inventory. When people buy or rent your movie, all you gotta do is collect the cash.

In a more-perfect world of Independent Film Distribution, iTunes would open the flood gates and allow all feature filmmakers to upload their work. However, at the time of writing, getting your finished feature film into iTunes is still a pain in the butt. With few exceptions, the company seems to favor traditional distributors over the indie producer. So if you one day dream of having your movie viewed on someone’s iPhone, you’ll still have to find a middle-man and ask permission…

If you want more information on Independent Film Distribution, check out the book The Independent’s Guide to Film Distributors. In it, you’ll find many of today’s top indie distributors are included and profiled. In the spirit of full disclosure, you’ll also find an article written by me.

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Posted under Distribution