Financing / Crowdfunding

Never made the big screen; as far as investors, ask friends & family or hang out at places like art auctions, collector car sales, charity funds- ppl with deep hobby pockets & big egos. Or fund the old fashioned way- credit cards.

Tbh, nobody (from my experience) reads indie business plans or knows how to read screenplays. They gave us money because they trusted us.(Us being key; have a team and a lawyer with contracts in hand to sign now. Dont do this alone). GL!

Check out the book Bank Roll by Tom Malloy. Great resource on producing and finding investors.

Product placement is extremely tough for indie films because the brands are concerned primarily with the number of eyeballs on the film. So unless you have stars and a solid distribution plan, it's going to be very tough to interest any brands to contribute anything meaningful to your budget.

One well known firm is BEN. Branded Entertainment Network. They deal with streamers all the time and the average window for commitment is 18 months. Again, this makes it super hard to plan because there's no way you can hold an actor for that long so your "potential" cast will likely disappear making it very hard to package and plan to monetize any commitment from BEN.

The reason it takes so long is their network has to approve the stars, the film and evaluate the amount they'll contribute and that takes forever. BEN is paid by the brands. There's no charge to you. But unless BEN thinks there's a real chance you'll be successful, they won't take it on. My best recommendation is to avoid depending on them and go for it. Apply for it and plan on it as a "nice to have" but don't rely on it as a recoupment strategy. Same holds true for tax credits. Don't assume you'll get those.

I will say it a hundred times - sometimes going for the BIG money is necessary but don’t leave the smaller money that you can get through product integration - laying on the ground! Engage local brands who might be able to part with $500-$5K to appear in your film! They can be found all around you - even on TikTok!

Heard a great podcast interview a few years ago on Just Shoot It with Jonny Price of WeFunder. He had a lot of amazing insights on crowdfunding and how to use platforms like his for funding via crowd equity. You can find it here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/whats-deal-crowd-equity-w-wefunder...

Finding a real person with funds who isn't a scammer or crazy.

Perfecting your pitch, package, and closing the deal. All part of the process.

Convincing your material is worth what you say it is.

All of it? LOL Making enough of a contingency to make sure you don't go over budget is tricky. You can do all your homework to get the number right BEFORE securing financing, but details can change between quotes and production. Oh, and sharing what you've made with the promise that you'll do better.

Waking up every day believing in the project

Had my first meeting with EXILE and Alexi is reading the script over the next 7 days wherein he will tell me if he wants to go forward. Then it’s attaching talent, Director.

I have lined up a pitch deck expert and a upm for a budget.

They regularly reach out to a broad range of creatives to sell their services - and charge a fee for getting involved in your project - so beware.

They are excellent and very active and aggressive self-promoters who from what I have seen will want you to hire and pay them for their expertise. Check to see if they have ever actually had things of any substance go into production.

Hi Jean - please keep us posted - I'm curious how it will turn out

Interesting. Thanks, Langley.

Hi Eric - here's a link to a Stage 323 webinar on the subject that I recommend. Sara Elizabeth has raised millions of dollars for independent films and shares valuable information here: https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Gaining-Investors-Trust-and-Money

Hey Eric, That's a good sign. It means he's a smart businessman who wants quality answers prior to making an investing decision. Feel free to connect here or shoot me a contact message via filmbudget.com - what he's looking for is a film finance plan - which I create based upon my 30 years of experience. Look forward to connecting and good work doing so via your landlord! That's how we do it! Jack

A detailed film proposal followed by a private placement memo or investor agreement is needed, but finding streamer data for filling out return on investment projections is nearly impossible. Theatrical and video data can be found or bought through sites like the-numbers.com. But streamers continue to refuse to make their figures available. Find the most similar and realistic comps you can and disclose the data limitations.

The film and music business are speculative at best. NOBODY can predict income from an entertainment endeavor. May as well toss your money down a water well.

Hi Maurice - that they don't have their ducks in a row yet and didn't do the housekeeping before asking someone to take a look! If you can't answer the questions you're likely to be asked or you don't have a plan and materials in place ( same thing almost) ... weak start to the conversation.

I have a question about going after a small investor to secure additional talent before taking a project out. I have a project with a name actor and director attached, but it seems we need to fill out the rest of the roles. Is there an existing strategy where initial money can be secured in order to get talent reads?

Hi Sam, tricky to know exactly how to answer this but broadly based on the info - I guess I'd ask you why the investor would take on that cost? If it's small then it can be deferred and paid out of the profits of the creative team who own the IP? I'm unclear if you're saying for her to sell it outright to an investor to develop and produce - in which case sell it for a fair price. Or, if you mean for an investor to fund and who'll take a share in the profits... then consider to take the lien repayment out from another pool if you want to incentivise your investors to commit. The risk of not looking at it, at least from this perspective as an option, is you inflate the cost and reduce the ROI. I'd rather see something happen and take less money amongst my Producers than I would offer an ROI that isn't appealing and wind up with no investment... or film made.

Hi Steven, if you're looking for individuals then look to the establishments you'll find wealthy individuals - yacht clubs, members clubs, collectors clubs. Art events, gala events or similar benevolently themed occasions. You can also try private wealth managers and family offices, private bankers who either themselves may have an interest or manage clients investments who could be keen.

Thank you for the answer, Emma Louise Smith. Thanks again for having this AMA. I learned so much! Have a great rest of your week and weekend.

When it comes to financing a project, most producers won't find your money on an independent level. You have to do it yourself, or do something cheap / self finance.

Most importantly, even more important than a 'good script' is having a distribution deal in place before you make your film.

Best wishes!

It's truly upsetting to hear about the challenges you've faced with film financing, and your experience resonates with many of us as filmmakers who navigate the crazy world of funding.

The elusive nature of securing financial support for creative projects is indeed a puzzle that requires not only the right information but also impeccable timing and alignment of resources. Many of us have had the "Film Carpet" pulled out from under us... I have personally lost $5000.

Success stories often involve a combination of persistence, networking, and sometimes a stroke of good fortune. Building relationships within the industry, attending relevant events, and leveraging online platforms for crowdfunding are common strategies. Innovation moves beyond crowd funding standards. Some innovation requires the will to risk.

Across your career, It is important to explore grants, film festivals, and connecting with potential investors or production companies that align with your project's vision can be avenues worth exploring. Look for the straight shooter in the industry. People's actions that match their words rather than be incongruous behavior. Flighty, wavering, and flaky behavior can be spotted early on.

Each filmmaker's journey is unique, and while there's no one-size-fits-all solution, sharing experiences and insights with fellow creators can be invaluable.

It's a tough road, but the passion and dedication you've shown in unraveling the intricacies of film financing are commendable.

Wishing you the best in your quest, and may you uncover that path of gold for your project. Let's indeed connect and share knowledge—collaboration often proves to be a powerful force in navigating these challenges. People become jaded very fast in this industry and then some even quit because of it.

To prevent yourself from ever becoming "Jaded" Have strong passion reminder, and reflect on successes. It is crucial diversify your projects and relations.

Sound advice Mario. And sorry to hear you yourself have lost 5k. The reason why so many people have trouble securing financing is most do not know what they'll do with the finished film or have unrealistic expectations when making a movie. Plus, most money you get for an indie film (if you're lucky) are personal relationships. Even then, when I make films, I try to avoid asking for money, or if I do, I'll make a film for a little as possible so there is a chance of getting something out of it.

You actually said it, you need to have all your ducks in order and as mentioned here, you need to do it yourself. Your package must be attractive and enticing for people to want to back you and invest in your project. Perseverance. Always.

I can echo what Jack says, it's good advice. To attract funding first you want to be in a position to show you have all your puzzle pieces and strategy planned out. You'll be better positioned to bring a strong Producer on board. Keep learning and keep going!

Start with a little self love

A very insightful and detailed description of film financing options! Great work Kay and thanks for posting Maurice!

You're welcome, Jack Binder. Going the influencer route is a great idea. I didn't know that was an option before reading this blog.

So many filmmakers wonder how to creatively get their films financed - this is a must read.