Funding Our Independent Film

Where the hell does the money come from?

When I first started out as a filmmaker, I always wondered where the money for independent films came from.

Like literally, how did someone fund their $500K movie? People in the industry would say “oh well that’s a small enough budget, should be so easy.”

But even that amount was quite impossible to me.

So let’s be real: filmmaking is an expensive art form and money doesn’t come easily. With large budget Hollywood movies, producers can often attach “name” talent, and go to financiers who expect a return on their investment based on sales. Let’s just say this is definitely not easy.

I was always very much inspired by independent film, and more character driven movies. These “smaller movies” require a different approach. My first indie feature, Raspberry Magic, took me years to write and then years to get funded. I had tried applying to any and every lab and grant program, and hit up traditional producers with zero traction.

But someone had suggested I find an up and coming producer from my community to work with, and I was very lucky that I found the right person to help. She and I developed a shared vision, and pounded the pavement to make it happen.

This was all pre-crowdfunding, so we had a business plan (she knew about business), a nice looking pitch deck (I knew about graphics), and a couple of actors attached. We did what filmmakers have done for a long time — we shared our materials, and asked everyone we knew if they might put in money, or knew someone who might. Our goal was say, $10K - $20K a person. We went around pitching to friends, family, people in our community and honestly anyone who would listen.

Sounds a bit nutty, but that’s pretty much how it goes. One advantage for me was that I had a small business in my 20’s doing web design, video and other media-oriented tasks for clients, and a few of my former clients invested from the start, which was awesome. But it took a lot more hustle to get what we needed, but we did it!

I am now in the process on my third independent film, Days with Dandekar, and no, getting the budget together has not been easy. We are about to crowdfund, after years of trying more traditional routes.

Having done this whole hustle fundraising/financing hustle a few times, the reality is that it would super ideal if you had a wealthy uncle who would just write you a check for what you need. But that isn’t really the case for most people. So for most indie films, there will be a combo of investors, donations, in kind donations, and whatever else you can muster up.

Here are a few things I have personally found that help toward getting an independent film funded and made. These are not glamorous, they are just simple things I have done to make the films I have made:

Find Collaborators

Making a film is definitely a team sport. You want to find other people who love your script and want to work with you. The best advice I ever received was to work with people who are at the same level as I am. In other words, Jerry Bruckheimer probably has zero in interest in working with me, so wasting time on trying to contact him is probably not ideal. The same goes for big time actors. You can try and see if their management might look at your script, but don’t waste loads of time with this, unless you have a personal connection. But do spend time meeting with people who are producers, line producers, photographers, actors, etc, etc. Find people who you vibe with and want to do something!

Have Some Upstart Funds

At first, you may be the only one who really wants to make your movie. Or maybe you have a DP or a producer sort of helping but you. You may want to pay them, or need to pay for things like say, a budget and schedule, a nicely designed pitch deck, or even some casting help, so it’s nice if you have some start-up funds, like $2k-$7k. With Dandekar, I had my $10K grant from Tribeca, which I saved, and could put toward some of that. But if I didn’t have that, I might have used some of my own savings. I will say, it is good to apply to grants for this if you can because you will need this to really get going.

But Don’t go Broke

Have a limit as to what you plan to put into the movie, meaning, decide on an amount, and leave it there. If you keep adding more and more to credit cards, this is where your dream can turn into a nightmare. I’ve done the whole hustle of managing debt on credit card debts thing, and it is certainly a lot of stress. So I say, take a little bit of a calculated risk to get your project going, but do set limits.

Keep the Budget Small/Tight

I’d say keep the budget as low as you can for your independent film. This means keeping the cast tight, the locations limited, and the crew small. These types of movies are going to be more about the performances, so do invest time into rehearsals, lots of conversations with cast and crew, and work through the blocking in advance. Also, investing in renting great camera and sound gear to make the film look/sound as good as it can without breaking the bank is important. But don’t get hung up on having the most fancy lenses or gear, because it’s really about the story. Also, see what you can get donated or maybe even what you can borrow. Try applying for the Panavision grant or other programs that might help with these equipment. Again, have a budget and work with a producer to develop one.

Write a Production-Friendly Script

This goes back to “keeping the budgets small.” Writing in animals and/or children is tough and increases your costs, as do stunts, intimacy and driving elements. On 20 Weeks, one huge lesson I learned was that I really should have simplified outdoor locations. It’s hard to film say, at the beach or in other busy urban areas without a large crew to lock down the location, so avoiding things like that is ideal. Or if you are doing a lot of driving or shots that require these elements, I’d say do it in an area that is calm and quiet. Making my Lifetime movie in Little Rock was amazing for this reason — the locations were easy to deal with and no one really bothered us.

Make a Budget and Plan your Fundraising Strategy

Now as much as we all dislike asking people for money, that is really just the hustle. Any and every entrepreneurial endeavor requires asking other people for capital. I suggest tapping into your circle — hold some nice events, share on social media, and tell as many people as you can about what you are doing. You can also set up a fiscal sponsorship for the project, so people can get a tax write off when they give. I also recommend finding that one person in your circle or universe who has some resources and wants to help and will intro you to other people who want to help or learn more about movie making. Maybe it’s your friend in business who wants to put in that first $10K for an invite to the premiere, and knows five others who will do the same? That’s pretty awesome and can put you well on your way!

Embrace Crowdfunding and Social Media

Crowdfunding is kind of awesome in my opinion. No it is not easy. But it certainly can bring visibility to your project and people you know can share in your excitement! It’s a good thing now that you can build out a social media presence, and really ask for funds at various levels. What I especially love about crowdfunding is that people in your circle get to share in your excitement for the project. This is also a great way to start building your audience, since you will need to do that for the release of the film. I say spend time working on your pitch and materials so it can be as strong as possible.

Build the Audience for Your Film

Through social media, crowdfunding, events you have, future screenings and more, you will need to build an audience for the movie. It’s important to have folks who are excited about what you are doing, and come and support the movie as it plays out in festivals and other places. That online presence is critical to the later success of the movie and frankly, it’s nice to have other people care about what you are doing.

Do Try Traditional Methods of Film Financing

If you have a nice pitch deck, some cast attached, and some funds, it’s worth it to query some production companies or try some “name” talent through a casting director to see what other attachments and potential financing you can get. You may get a lot of “no’s” but that’s just a part of the process.

Apply to Grants, Film Markets and other Filmmaker Programs

It’s a lot of work, but once you have your materials, it’s somewhat easy to apply to things. It does cost money, so you want to wise about how you are spending it, but programs that organizations like Film Independent, Gotham Film Week, Tribeca, Sundance, Berlin and other have are worthwhile to get the project some visibility.

Enjoy the Process!

It’s of course a little bit stressful to go about this, but I have to say that it is also extremely rewarding. I’ve spent a lot of time waiting around for someone to read a script, or trying to get hired ot direct, which is the worst, so I say, take things into your own hands and make it happen!

We will be putting out the crowdfunding campaign for Days with Dandekar very soon, so I hope you’ll follow us, share the campaign and give. Like I said, these passion projects are no easy feat, and we’ll certainly need a lot of support!