It’s the most important element in the making of any movie. It’s the obstacle that prevents filmmakers from seeing their vision fully realized on the silver screen. And, in a way, it’s the most influential factor in the making of every movie. Money. The funding, or lack thereof, is as critical as the writer and the director. So, when your screenplay doesn’t result in a big payday or your film project fails to interest the studios, what is a filmmaker supposed to do?


"The truth is that most first time features are funded by grants, family and/or friends or funded by trust fund kids with sizable bank accounts..."

Having spent time on panels and on the festival circuit as well as having done post-screening question-and-answer sessions, this question comes up more than any other – how did you get money for your movie? Usually when this question comes up, a glib response is given in the interests of time, but I could speak for hours about funding issues. And, while this is written with filmmakers raising money in mind, this might enlighten anyone who seeks to raise money for any project requiring a budget beyond your credit limit. Here’s everything you need to know, or at least, everything I know.

How does one first go about seeking funding?
A market for first films is tough since the learning curve varies from filmmaker to filmmaker. I recommend filmmakers cut their teeth on shorts first, then when a great piece of material comes to them, graduate to a feature. So many filmmakers are in a hurry to make their first feature and they are often not ready. The truth is that most first-time features are funded by grants, family and/or friends or funded by trust fund kids with sizable bank accounts. Real funding for first-timers has all but dried up. But by the time you read this, all of that could change. It’s the beauty of this industry, there are no rules.

What is the best way to start?
It's all about the script. The script should always be in some stage of development. My Big Fat Independent Movie was actually the least developed of all my projects, but it caught the eye of an investor. Three weeks before we were originally scheduled to shoot, the initial investor pulled out. We had to shut down pre-production and reschedule everything. Then, within two days, new investors jumped in. I was shocked. I think it was a testament to how strong the script was. At least on paper.

What elements are needed to approach investors and what costs are involved?
The costs for assembling the package that I mentioned above included the following:
-Script (wrote it with two other writers) cost to me: 0
- Web site – Registered the Web site. Cost: $70
- Title/logo design – Used the title/logo for letterhead and our Web site. It was done by a friend who charged me: 0.
- Title song – I had my friend, composer Joe Kraemer who had done an amazing score for Chris McQuarrie’s Way of the Gun write the title song. I gave him a list of keywords to use and told him to come up with a two-minute title song that worked in the title of the film that would be pop-rock like Blink 182. The song proved a huge help in getting interest since it was so funny. Joe made me a copy of the song as an MP3 so I could e-mail it to interested parties. I promised to pay him for the song, so we negotiated the money up front, but it would be deferred until I secured funding, so it cost me: 0.
- Mailing/office supplies – Probably spent a few hundred. I kept the receipts and was reimbursed.
- Production Design Guide – I created a book of over 100 pages of photos found on the Internet of all the films and characters we were spoofing. This book was utilized by all departments including art, props, hair/make-up, wardrobe and our cinematographer. It probably cost me a few hundred to get this made up and it wasn’t cheap to reproduce as it costs about $1 for a color copy. This guidebook kept all departments on the same page during production since there would be no arguments about the look of Amelie’s hair. This proved a useful tool in selling how organized I was to the investors. We weren’t just going to make a spoof, we were going to get every detail perfect.

If you add up the money there, it’s maybe $400 or so, but all in I probably spent about $1,000. The reason is that there were a lot of social meetings that involved drinks which are expensive in Los Angeles. I always go for cheap domestic beer myself.

Do talent attachments help?
Absolutely. I had one actress attached in our lead female role – Paget Brewster from FOX TV’s “Andy Richter Controls the Universe.” I’d been a huge fan of hers for sometime. I wrote this part for her. I just e-mailed her the script, she read it, loved it and promised to be in it. I collected some very good, yet unknown actors for some parts, and recruited a casting friend of mine (who worked deferred) to send out a breakdown. Soon we were being pitched talent like Clint Howard and Ernie Hudson. Okay, not huge names, but actors want to work and you’d be surprised how willing they are to work for free if it’s something they like. The cast really didn’t have much impact on securing funding for this project, but it did have a cumulative effect with all my other materials – script, Web site, logo, title song, etc…

How does the deal work?
We set up an LLC just for the film. It cost about $800 for the filing fee about about $500 to the attorney. I’m not 100% sure since I didn’t pay for it obviously. The deal that is fair should be that the investor gets the first money in to recoup the budget and all moneys spent, then the profits are split 50/50 between investor and producer after the screenwriter, director and actors get their cut. At least, that’s the way I like to do it. If you can make that work, it really is the best deal.

How do you avoid bad deals?
Add this word to your vocabulary – “no.” Be willing to say “no” and be willing to walk away. Don’t force yourself into a bad situation so you make a bad deal. You only have to make one good deal, so take the time necessary. Even if it takes decades, you’ll sleep better for it. Trust me. I have heard about people who find money and take finder’s fees. In fact, I had a meeting with one once. Nothing happened from that meeting and I found them to be completely full of shit. I try to stay away from anything in the business that just looks like another leech trying to get a producer credit for doing no work or get credit for finding money. I hate that crap and all those types of people. I don’t need them anywhere near me.

Deals can be so different; it’s pointless to set up anything official until the first investor is willing to write a check. You can waste a lot of money on fees and lawyers if you set something up in advance. And often the investor will want to use their own attorney when setting things up to save money. Just be sure you have your own attorney to check that the deal is fair.

Is there a better genre of film to get started with?
On a low budget level, genre films (i.e. sci-fi, horror, exploitation) tend to always sell. Horror is very hot right now, but as soon as something is hot, it gets old fast as the market tends to get flooded very quickly. I always look for something that has never been done, so I am not competing against another movie or doing a low budget version of a studio picture. I see doing a low budget indie as a strength. As far as genres, my preference is for comedies since those always tend to sell. Luckily, there’s nothing tasteful about My Big Fat Independent Movie since we have jokes about butt plugs, midgets and a hot orgy scene with Julie Strain and the Toxic Avenger. So in a sense, it’s a very commercial gross out comedy. Also, I forgot, fart jokes. Farts – always funny.

For many filmmakers, money is used an excuse to fail. “Well, I was unable to raise the money, therefore, my film will never get made.” Don’t fall into this trap. The most important lesson to keep in mind is to choose the level of funding for your project that fits the vision whether it’s a million dollars or ten dollars. At the end of the day, it’s not about the contract it’s about the people you make the deal with and maintaining a good relationship with them.

And, above all, do not to allow the money to get in the way of the vision.

Gore gone.

Chris_Gore is an author, a filmmaker, the creator of Film Threat, and is in the midst of closing a deal on funding for his second feature.