C. D-Broughton: In Vantaa, Finland.

You're welcome! By all means, the reel did not fail in doing its job at all. It created a curiosity and engagement and that, to me personally, feels like the purpose of a reel.

Just watched it again and knowing the genre made me pay attention to a different set of details.

Especially now when mentioned that you're aiming for "action-comedy" There is a different "eye" watching it. The music in your reel matches the visual and can definitely used to amplify the story.

There is a great introduction to the characters and reveals a large part of their relationship to each other.

Another aspect is also that in between us we work with a whole different genre and this gave me an opportunity to learn from you in creating a "hook" in a reel.

Thanks, man, I'm really glad you both liked it and learned from it!

Creating a reel to sell a concept is kind of an artform in itself and a lot of people fail to grasp that, if one can set the mood and have a hook in 1 minute, the rest of the deck suddenly gets an automatic bonus!

From networking, I can tell you now that more and more people are asking for a reel, so if this clip helped you with your own ideas, it's definitely payment for your time.

The best of luck to you!

C. D-Broughton where've you been, C D?

How awesome!!! Perseverance can be the biggest difference maker and such a great example for the community on how to stick with the projects you believe in. Way to go, Amanda Toney!!!

Thats fantastic news! Congratulations Amanda Toney !

Big congratulations Amanda & team!

Maurice Vaughan In a way it does, because it helps me understand color correction, and how to build up a look, now the only thing different is the tools I use

Welcome Diogo Pedras, very cool reel!

Cool, Diogo Pedras. You said you love using color to enhance emotion and mood in storytelling. What colors do you use to enhance anger?

Oops, I've not used this site for a long while, so didn't realise I was resurrecting something! Sorry.

Hmm.interesting ..I have something there and you're right no reaction... but then the same with InkTip. Perhaps I need to work on being a better writer?

I have used The Black List in the past. Their business model - unless things have changed since I was there - is based on the writers paying monthly to host their scripts and then paying for as many reads/reviews as it takes to stay in the top tier to try to get noticed. And in my experience, the reviews/notes were not worth the money. It is more of a commercially-based club than it is a community, IMO.

Brad - Funding for last Aprils feature primarily came from 5 executive producers who had also provided some funding on the producers previous films. These executive producers were not movie moguls they were elderly friends with money who believed in the writer/director/producer. The executive producer/writer/director had previously done several shorts and a micro budget feature which he arranged for distribution with the current distributor. This distributor is focused on the niche faith-based market and has a certain trust level with the producer. This time the distributor did all the post work at their expense (a major budget reduction), and of course the DVD reproduction. The distributor also sells licenses for group showing by churches. So you just need a distributor to endorse the project if possible. If their is endorsement their is trust. If their is trust by the distributor then it can be easier to find investors. The key is for people in charge having an existing relationship with people who believe in them. So the greater the trust the greater the opportunity. It is more about WHY you're doing it than what you are doing that will motivate people to invest. Sometimes it is not about finding a handful of investors but finding a lot of investors. A classic case are the executive producers of the "Blair Witch Project" (all from UCF here in Orlando) who collected about $2K from 50 different investors (they spoke at a meeting I attended). To date the project has grossed $248M. Here is a recent story that provides some insight into where they have progressed http://today.ucf.edu/gregg-hale-project/ . You have indicated that you have relationships with previous investors via the producer. If those investors got a previous return, trust and believe in him that can be a good starting point to see if they are interested or know someone. Find trusting wealthy retirees who believe in why you want to create the film. Start multiple levels of crowd source funding campaigns. Find trusting friends who have real estate investments. Often they have an interest in the arts. Find financial advisors who believe in your WHY. Possibly offer cameo appearances or executive producer credits. Many other things are possible as well. Personally, I am not a horror fan and have found that the genre is highly saturated. I have found great success, some really nice A and B list actors, and revenue in the faith-based genre.

Steven- I have heard of the book, but I haven't read it. Perhaps I will finally get off my ass and take the plunge. Thanks for the advice. Where in NY are you based out of? (I'm in Brooklyn)

Thanks for for the Connection

Get a camera and lights.

Make contacts because you need people.

Get on the legal side. You will miss out on a lot of opportunities if you don’t.

Take it slow (SLB Productions) and build step by step.

Here's how Beck and Woods (A Quiet Place) did it.

https://www.stage32.com/photos/2757231337696927885

Shadow, I tend to agree. What is happening now with the film&TV industry reminds me of what happened when the music industry started going digital decades ago already. Artists like Prince and Bowie, who had previously had mega deals with record companies, went to alternative means of distribution. People like Justin Bieber came up through Youtube etc.

It opens opportunities for those who are agile.

Christiane Lange You are exactly right. The difference is that film takes sometimes hundreds of people and too many skill sets, compared with music, to create consistently at acceptable values of production and substance. That's been film's saving grace for decades, as the cost of the tools has gone down by orders of magnitude. However, the mainstream has been planning to go full digital for a long time. It was, in my estimation, going to take about 5 years longer while they maneuvered to control the internet market. In the last year, Disney and others have pulled their content from Amazon and Netflix, in preparation for their own platforms, for instance. Another strategy is the behind-the-scenes push to require very expensive licensing to online platforms, akin to radio licensing. This is an ongoing process which the majors are pushing, in an effort to raise the cost of entry by a couple milion dollars or so. The covid event has pushed all this forward by years and mainstream cannot respond fast enough. So for the time being, there is a window of opportunity for independent platforms to get their foot in the door. The problem is that out of the 1 or 2 new "streaming services" coming online every week, at least 9 out of 10 of them are simple turnkey clones working off of retail platforms and thinking they can make money while sharing fractions of pennies in advertising feeds (they can't). I and a couple like-minded people are developing a different streaming and distribution platform, Facet TV with a sustainable business model for us and our content suppliers.

Informative read - thank you!

Stepford Wives... only with sluts!

Just flat poor quality craftsmanship from one end to the other (good equipment is not the answer).

The acting and on the nose dialogue. Cringeworthy stuff.

I agree, Goran Zivanovic - dialogue can be very cringeworthy. But you can find that on any budget film/TV show. CW's The Flash is a prime example of OTN/cringey dialogue!

Action lines may differ considerably due to available budget. EG Big car chases with weapons for big studio to a character does a simple walk in the park in lower fund Indie. However, money and big props do not necessarily buy audiences feelings. A simple walk can be made more interesting by how character walks, cumbersome gait or sprightly dance up path?Do they stop to pick up an injured bird? Stop to give a tramp a dollar? OR Push someone out of their way on path while jogging? Spit on ground after passing someone they don’t like the look of? Devil is in detail. Character does not need a speeding big car with an AK47 to look bad or save someone from a towering inferno or to look good. Any action line, big or small should move story forward or reveal something in plot. Action for the sake of it happens in some films and it’s then time when most folk to go to the fridge etc.

Subtle layering of props BEFORE an action line can indicate the frame of mind of character and help audience understand their reason for behavior, providing an intellectual forethought. EG In this scene baby step actions before raising a sword to protagonist, stroking a bottle of whisky and fake film award with a dust of cocaine on fingertip. (The guy's an alcoholic and druggie thinking about his life.) Props never need cost big bucks, I got books and empty bottle from a stockroom, the cocaine is a bag of sugar off a hotel table. (Sorry rambling about film and we are talking script) So, going back to question about video action lines, unless it's a "Random" event eg a thunder storm happens and character runs off park bench, instead the character may find a letter from their husband to another woman and then run off. In some cases an object or another person is a good preemptive strike for an action line, can build up tension in reader so they are excited to find out what character is going to do.

Re original question "Writing" the action line. I tried to write with screenplay spacing the other night but thread box kept shoving it all into one sentence so I photographed what I was trying to write. As I mentioned in earlier posts, action line can reveal character and not necessarily be a plot mover or spectacular visual show in blockbuster.

territorial trends and markets change every six months. There are certain factors that are included in the right kind of estimates that go beyond the very common chart of how other films in the same budget perform in the territories. IF it were that easy everyone would do it. Also most of the time you will want to have low (get ) numbers and ask (hope) numbers. And projections are rarely bankable or of value to investors if your package is not complete. So I would suggest you work on your packaging first, if you have not done so.

Great advice, Alexia!

Hi Dan, are you willing to pay for a projection sheet? That's not what I do, but I may be able to recommend someone to you. He charges a fee. But yeah, you'll want your cast (or alternative cast configurations) in place in order to get an accurate projection because projections are based on cast, director, as well as genre, etc.

Here are some resources. (Stage 32, Sba.gov and Score.org)

Awesome Tasha! Thanks! :)

Your Welcome Matt.

Thanks Joe! That's what my partner and I are thinking since we're not known. This short can be used as a promo tool.

I funded all of my shorts the same way Kevin Smith funded his first feature.

Bill, mate, I hope that worked out well for you.

P.S. the Proof of Concept, one-day shoot my company just did for our program was fully funded from my own, incredibly shallow, pocket.

Okay, I watched the video... and I can feel your rage, mate! Try to hang in there.

On a side note, is this the same individual? https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/conman-continues-fool-mel-gibson-5...

Great to know. Thanks.

yes, same people

Hi, David. Yeah, it's rather a run-on, ineffective sentence and it may be a bit too long, over 40 words. You could cut it down quite easily by using less wordy phrasing and choosing stronger single adjectives and better active verbs. It needs to be leaner and not so passive. You use four words to describe the business—pioneering, commercial space exploration. And I agree, it doesn't quite tell me much about the actual plot nor the stakes. Nor am I sure what the conflict is here? Is this just about typical generational differences and issues?—a comedy, perhaps? Is there some danger discovered too?

Keep in mind the differences between a logline, a premise line, and a synopsis. What you have reads more like the beginnings of a premise description/synopsis. A premise line is about the concept, for example, say, Space Force: "Space Force is a workplace comedy that centers on a group of people tasked with establishing the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces." A logline is a succinct summary of the narrative story. Although, TV series loglines can be tricky.

Here's an article that may be helpful: https://screencraft.org/2020/08/18/how-to-craft-the-perfect-tv-series-lo.... :) Best to you, and best wishes on your pilot and creative endeavors!

If you (or indeed anyone else!) would like a logline helpsheet I created some time ago for my writers, I'm more than happy to send. JUst become a Philmscriber via my site (totally free to sign up) and I'll email it over. (Plus you get my occasional newsletter, packed with screenwriting news, reviews, tips and the odd exclusive offer.) www.philmscribe.com

Thank you all for the valuable input!