"critical success factors" for indie films??

A

ATP

I have been observing the development of a project from one first time film, first time feature independent filmmaker (writer-producer-director). Besides the usual problems, he has had a constant problem finding suitable production staff; more recently, he admitted that he was overly ambitious trying to secure the involvement of over 100 people all within a very short period of time. The result??-he’s now having to schedule filming on a scene-by-scene basis eg. only one scene/day. He’s had to extend scheduling from a proposed initial 10 days to now 5 weeks.

Intrigued by this turn of events, I undertook some research of the independent film ‘industry’, and came up with this historical development from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_film


BUT my question is based on these two situations, and addressed to all the “successful” indie filmmakers here, namely:

what do you think are the ‘critical success factors’ that go a very long way toward ensuring, or directly contribute to, an indie film’s success, however this may be measured?? What has been your experience?

Perhaps answer in a list form, with some explanation accompanying each point??

Thanks.
 
* As your issue suggests, scheduling is a huge issue, as well as biting off more than you can chew. These two issues plague many indie films. The first thing you want to do is produce something you not only can do, but something you can do well. If you've not handled a large cast and crew before, I suggest you start with a smaller team--a smaller project to show you the ropes and pitfalls.

* Scheduling is huge. Create a strong, detailed breakdown of days, location, shot list, who's needed and when, what scenes they are in, the wardrobe needed...all of that. Give your cast and crew as much time as you can to clear-up their schedule.

* Don't try and blow your wad with your first film. You don't need to jump into the biz with a 100K production...you don't need to shoot on RED with Redrock adapters and wicked DOF. Start small. Write a script that doesn't require a hefty budget. Be mindful from the start to what your budget is.

* You can never have too much pre-pro. Find your wardrobe, props, and location before you start shooting. And always have backup locations...some will always fall through.


Don't hire shady talent.

* Ensuring that you have professional crew and talent goes a long way. Don't just hire on skill...hire on personality and ethic as well. Nothing brings a production to a halt more quickly than an actor that quits halfway through, or never knows their lines, doesn't come prepared...or is late all the time.

Make sure your editing suite is ready to take on your project.

* research which NLE program you want to use. What are people saying about it? Do you have enough harddrive space? Enough Ram?

Always make sure you properly take the time to log your footage properly.

* keeping track, logging, and labeling your footage properly saves massive headaches and time...maybe even money.


Anyway. I'm by far a veteran filmmaker...I'm mainly an actor, but I've been mixed up on both ends of the camera long enough to know a few things that save time and money.

Good luck. I'm sure some of the more strictly filmmakers can help you out more.
 
Wow, good stuff Michael. I'll add some.

1. Know your limitations, and they are many. Most important is budget. The rule of thumb I follow is if you can't do it well on your budget don't do it. You can make a 17th century period piece, but it won't be well received if you had $300 to spend on wardrobe. You can't make a space opera for $3000. Well you can, but it's going to fall into a genre you may not like when it contains weapons made of cardboard and super soakers, and the bridge of the ship is your uncle's garage dressed with some plywood. If you're making a low budget film it has to be character/story driven, all films SHOULD be character/story driven to a great degree, but it's critical here. You can't afford eye candy, whether that eye candy is an train explosion or something as simple as a shootout (which requires realistic weapons, squibs, an effects guy, etc...).

2. Find people you trust, and delegate tasks. You CAN'T do it all, you have to find a prop person you trust, and and let them do their job, same for makeup, wardrobe, craft services, etc... HOWEVER, you have to keep track of their progress with checklists, etc... and drive them to stay on schedule. "Lisa, don't wait until 4 days before the shoot to buy those. You have the money in your budget, get them now, then we can mark them off the list". You also have to have the drive to fill the void when it opens up. If the craft services person is falling down on the job, YOU have to be the one to take care of the food or whatever. take that 4 hours of sleep down to 3... If you found good people, this will be a minimal concern, but has to be watched.

3. Lists. Know them, love them, they are your friend.

4. Echoing Michael. Technical expertise and or experience are wonderful, but they less important than a committment to your project (are they gonna hang with you when day 4 runs 18 hours because of whatever), and an ability to get along with people.. Your DP may be brilliant, but if he makes 75% of the crew walk off set what good is he then? People will put up with a lot when they are getting paid well. When they are working for free or making indie slave wages, they will say screw you, take their gear and go home.

5. Pick your compromises. You can't make the movie you want to on the budget and schedule you have, 99.9% chance it's not possible. Know when to bite the bullet and do yet ANOTHER take of scene 37 when the actor still isn't delivering the line you way you want because it's a pivotal moment. Also know when to bite the bullet and move on because you have a schedule to meet and the take is "good enough".

6. The entire project on some level rests on your sheer force of will. There will be times when you will have to put the entire film on your back and carry it for a minute or an hour, when people will want to quit and YOU will be the force that makes them go forward. be ready for it, if you crumble, it will be bad.
 
Great advice given, above! I'll share what I have personally observed.

Name Actor (if your budget is that high), otherwise:


1. Genre that is in demand

2. Story/Concept

3. Production Value

4. Own it

5. Make it cheap enough to profit




M1chae1 said:
The first thing you want to do is produce something you not only can do, but something you can do well. If you've not handled a large cast and crew before, I suggest you start with a smaller team
Click to expand...

This is key. A lot of people have finished features, but most of those will never see distribution.

I can tell you that at film markets, like AFM, a lot of distributors watch movies in fast forward. While they can't follow story, they can instantly tell the quality. They are shopping and can't watch everything in its entirety. First off, they are looking for a name actor, then genre, then concept (something that a box cover can communicate - perhaps you have artwork), then production value, which can be noticed at a glance - quality lighting, sound, composition and sets, not something that looks like a home movie.

The secret to getting bought is to make a good movie (story, quality, etc.) and for it to be in a desired genre. If horror is a hot genre, a poorly produced movie might sell just for having a Chupacabra or werewolf in it. On the flip side, you may have made a very good drama or comedy and not be able to sell it. Fast paced action, sci-fi and horror are usually more sellable over seas. Of course, I'm generalizing about no name, no budget indies, not Hollywood fare. A sellable cast or breakout concept can change all the rules.

The world economy is in a sad state. I'm getting some offers that are half of what they were two or three years ago. Don't go blowing a wad of cash on talky flick about people stuck in an elevator, unless they are someone like Jessica Alba and Shia LaBeouf. Keep the budget down. Call in favors or use low cost resources that look great - an abandoned factory, unusual landscape, perhaps some impressive formations or buildings.


Don't take collaborations lightly. I coproduced one movie with 3 other people and we are basically bound for life. Sometimes things get heated and decisions come down to a vote. Workout a deal and contract who gets what percentage. If possible, pay off the actors and crew, so you own the movie outright, as opposed to a deferment deal. I did this with my newest flick, which I wrote, produced and scored. I own all the creative licenses, so whatever happens rests with the producers - my wife and I. For everyone else involved - honestly, "some" pay is better than a deferred deal that will rarely materialize. I paid my actors $100 per day and they were happy. Everybody signed a release and the movie is being shopped around with no strings attached.

Thinking back to the "A soundman sounds off" thread, a good movie is as rare as a good soundtrack on a no budget flick. When I say "no budget", I'm talking about movies that a lot of regular folks make for 4, 5 or 6 figures, that wouldn't be considered a budget in the industry. (I think Hollywood's "low budget" starts at 7 figures.) Certainly, a 6 figure indie will actually have a crew, so things like sound and lighting get specific attention. Generally, the higher the budget, the better, technically, the movie will be, but the bigger the financial risk. It's quite the trick to suck in people with a 30K feature, but it is possible to get good results, if well planned.

Lastly, if you are in this for the long haul, you can create a catalogue of work. Good work is a recommendation to viewers to see your other work. If you rent 2 indie movies - one good and one bad, which filmmaker will you follow up on and check out?

Distribution is in your hands. Is the production good enough? Is the story and concept exciting? If so, you can sell your movie. I recommend getting a rep who can help you sell to multiple territories, for multiple payments. Don't sell your world rights and all mediums to a single distributor paying 5 grand. TV, Video and downloads are separate animals.
 
Last edited:
Excellent advice...I'll continue with a few more tips. Yes, I like to talk, and I have a lot of time on my hands at work. And I'm a film geek...sue me. :)

* Not everyone is a COLIN.

-You want your production to look good. Whether you want to call me (or others) HD snobs...fine, but it goes a long way. And DOF is not a gimmick. Neither is quality lighting, slick camera moves, level clear sound, or interestingly composed shots. I don't know how many low/no/micro budget films out their either shoot on SD, or they don't care about lighting and sound. Make sure you're film looks good. Nobody is going to want to distribute (or pay to see) an overexposed, pixelated movie they can barely hear. I'll be honest...I consider myself to have a pretty open mind, and I admire and respect anyone that finishes a project (especially a feature), but if in the first two minutes the quality is 'backyard'...I'm not going to watch much more. And if I'm not going to watch much more, why would a potential distributor? I'm not saying everyone needs to be at the quality of WAYNE (recent film posted on IT), but it certainly does make a huge difference if you can afford to get a hold of a talented DP, actors, and good equipment. And you can bet WAYNE didn't cost that much...but look what they did with that budget--you can do that too! Recently I was watching a string of film clips with a friend of mine online...shooting the breeze, both of us film geeks...well...every time he clicked on a clip, he never chose to watch it in HQ or HD...I was blown away by this. He didn't even care. He called me an HD snob...and he's a bloody filmmaker himself. I couldn't believe it. He was happy watching these films in low, pixelated quality...not me! It makes a huge difference to me. And I'm willing to guess it makes a difference to you guys as well.

* What's the point of a good story if you don't have good actors.

- Be sure you find good talent. They will sell your film and story. I can't tell you how important it is to find quality actors. This should be a given. Yes, not everyone in your film needs to be Daniel Day-Lewis...but at least make sure your leads look natural, and don't suffer from obvious amateur technique.

* Vampires or Zombies

- Find out what's hot. And shoot a feature about it. Usually there is an ebb and flow with what's hot...plan accordingly. There is no sense in shooting a Vampire film if it's going to take you three years to finish. Because by the time your screening at your premiere, Zombies are probably in now, and people are probably already sick of Vampire films. I'm using these two genres as an example, because they tend to see-saw...use this method with all genres. And don't just make a generic version of what's hot...have a unique spin on it. Something no one has thought of before.

* Photoshop Moms need not apply

- Don't slap together your design packet in Photoshop, just because you think it's fun and Photoshop is easy to use. Hire a graphic designer (or a talented friend) that knows a thing or two about design. Your poster, lobby cards, EPK are all going to be the first impression of your film. If you can't take the time to find a good designer, why should I invest in your movie? You probably haven't taken the time in a lot of aspects of your film, and I have no desire to waste time on watching a film of this nature. We chose to hire a bad-ass noted illustrator for our last two features, and boy was it worth it. The poster alone has caused countless hits to our trailer, numerous forum threads, and DVD purchases. Our poster ran for $1000, and it was well worth it. But I'm sure you can find a cheaper option...we just couldn't say no.

And another thing along these lines are slick credits. I'm all about slick credits...I really am, but what's the point of having slick credits when as soon as the first shot of your movie comes up, it looks like a $70 film. I'm not saying don't make a cool credit sequence or logo intro...just don't focus all your 'wow' moments on the opening titles. The point is to make your movie just as slick as your credits. If there is a huge break in quality between credits and opening shot...you're doing something wrong.

* Let's Make a Pilot!

- I don't know how many filmmakers I've seen shoot a pilot to look for distribution. I'm not saying this is always a bad thing...if you have potential interest already, and they want to see what you can do...shoot a pilot. But don't use this method unless you have some interest already buzzing. More often than not, your pilot short will collect dust, and you'll never get to the feature. You don't need that 100K for your first feature...just shoot it. Creativity goes a long way, as does sweat equity with friends and colleagues. If you want to be a filmmaker...features are really the only way to fly. I'm not saying shorts aren't great to gain experience, find a crew, test the waters, or have some resume pieces...but if you want to truly make movies...make one. Don't sit around talking about it, and don't shoot short after short waiting for a bag of money to fall into your lap. With the proper skill and creativity, you'd be surprised how high quality you can shoot a feature for under 20K. Hell, our last feature was shot for under 8K, and it's in limited theatrical release, has interest from two distributors thus far, and we've already paid-out or budget even before the DVD has been released. And of course, you may think I talk a lot...I admit I do...but I'm one of those folks that's brought it to this level. I use a lot of my time promoting and networking--it really does help.

* Your Movie Isn't Going to Sell Itself

- Marketing your film should take just as much time and money as making your film (at least the time portion at least). Far too many people don't beat enough streets, or hit enough social websites. Going to major cities with slick lobby cards, and painting the town red can lead to more interest than you think. And taking the time to become a member of forum communities that fit your film's crowd is priceless. As indie filmmakers, it's our job to market our movie...it's so important, and people forget this. There are so many options out there nowa'days that lend themselves to marketing indie film. Use them. You're movie isn't going to sell itself. Get interviews on podcast shows, send EPK's and screeners to trusted sites that review movies. Spread the word, because unless you can afford an ad agency or marketing firm...it's up to you to move those discs.

Well. I've said enough. I like to talk, if you couldn't tell. Thanks for listening.
 
Last edited:
M1chae1 said:
* What's the point of a good story if you don't have good actors.

- Be sure you find good talent. They will sell your film and story. I can't tell you how important it is to find quality actors. This should be a given.
Click to expand...


You know, I learned the hard way that this is the truth. I had a cocky filmmaker attitude. I used to be of the Hitchcock mindset that my storyboards are the final word and that "actors are cattle." Well, the difference on an indie film is that the cattle might be friends or people with no talent. On a Hollywood film, even the cattle can act! I have changed my tune. My saying of late is: "A good actor is your best special effect." They can sell a bad gun shot, bad dialogue, etc. Of course, you want good dialogue, but the power of good acting is that it elevates everything - the script, the realism, the drama.

When the acting is good, viewers are less likely to notice the less than stellar lighting, editing or camera work. They will notice bad sound, when they can't hear the lines though! Even then, most good actors are superior at projecting their voice. :lol:

On a humorous note - a finite style can carry a role and come off as better acting than it is. Give your leading man some sunglasses and have him watch these David Caruso ONE LINERS!

EDIT: After you watch that, check out Jim Carrey's IMPRESSION of Caruso!
 
Last edited:
I agree on actors, gonna devote more pre-production time to finding good ones next time. My two principals are good, but a lot of the small roles are done JUST barely passable. I worked on a very compressed pre-production schedule, which led me to accept some actors I wouldn't have if I had more time to hold additional auditions.
 
ATP said:
what do you think are the ‘critical success factors’ that go a very long way toward ensuring, or directly contribute to, an indie film’s success, however this may be measured?? What has been your experience?
Click to expand...


Critical, meaning important, not film critics, I assume.

A good script that connects with people, and all the elements that make the technical standards good in a film are the start.

In the current "indie film" climate, a name star is somewhat crucial to the fiscal success of a film.

Luck. Being in the right place at the right time is just as important now. Having the right movie for the right audience and the stars aligning cosmically to get someone who is a decision maker to believe this will be a success and putting it in front of audiences with the financial marketing campaign to convince them they need to see it, then having the movie to back up the hype.

This is such a broad question there is no single definitive answer. It's also somewhat esoteric and unanswerable with any level of accuracy.
 
sonnyboo said:
This is such a broad question there is no single definitive answer. It's also somewhat esoteric and unanswerable with any level of accuracy.
Click to expand...

Which is why I'm allowed to ramble on for ever. :) Many aspects lead to the success of a film, or at least help with its potential--and certainly two of them being LUCK and TIMING.

Well said Sonny, although I feel it's all important to the success of a film. I'm assuming you mean lots of this fodder isn't critical?
 
Last edited:
Lots of good stuff here. From my own experience (with feature/tv credits as an actor, and directed short films and a feature) and mistakes I've made:

1. TEAM, TEAM, TEAM
Get rid of the "auteur" mentality. If you're a writer-director, find a producer. Avoid being the sole producer-director-writer.
Actors are even more critical. You may not have access to the expensive toys, but great acting can be an equalizer. Treat them as your collaborators.
Crew: as mentioned before, skill/experience matters, but what matters even more in my opinion is their enthusiasm, personality and team dynamics. No amount of skill can make up for a dysfunctional set. Avoid a**holes at all costs. They are not worth it.
Having a production that works as a team goes a LONG way to getting the film complete and in the best shape it can be.

2. LEADERSHIP FROM THE DIRECTOR
If you're the director, everyone looks to you. Not as "auteur" but as someone who steers the ship. It's a tricky balance being the leader while getting folks to collaborate and contribute their ideas without stepping on each other's toes. You set the vision, but you have to listen to others. Not easy.

The director's job is to make sure everyone is making the same movie, that everyone has the same vision for what the movie should be. And as director, that comes down to a combination of your ability to hire the right people, as well as managing them once they're on board.

And leading isn't some General Patton, give a rousing speech sort of thing. Different people do it differently. Some folks are low key and soft spoken (Ang Lee). But if there's one thing that is common, is decisiveness (make clear decisions and choices) but still being willing to take it as it comes. Some of the most brilliant ideas may come from a PA, actor - and then as director it's your job to riff off that brilliance and incorporate it. Or having the balls to say no to some dumb idea without insulting the person who suggested it.

This becomes much harder to do if you the director take on too many roles (writer, lead actor, producer, etc).


In my mind it boils down to these two things, at least from the production side. Whom you bring on as a team, and how you lead that team. Everything else should be a byproduct of that (production values, budget, etc because on a collaborative project you will have producers, DP, production designers, etc as well as actors collectively like a real-life Wiki figure out what works best for the project - that is, if you the director brought on the right people with the right attitude, and you manage them properly). For example, whether to use a RED cam or not isn't some universal maxim: if your DP owns one and happens to be the right guy for the project, great! Use it! But again it still comes down to finding the right DP.

As for artistic/critical success, it comes down to two things:

1. THE SCRIPT
This goes without saying. An excellent script doesn't always mean an excellent (or even a good) movie, but it starts with the story.

And "excellent" can mean different things to different genres. For drama and comedy, it's all about characters: the audience has to feel drawn to the characters (not necessarily "liked" as the traditional hero but that you can't turn away, even if they are truly evil).

For horror or action, it can come down to some unusual, original concept: an unusual location, situation, or some clever way of subverting the genre that gives the audience a sense of delight because it's so clever and original.

2. ACTING PERFORMANCES
You may not have access to the latest gear, crane shots, and other fancy toys to make set pieces, but one thing that can be a great equalizer are strong acting performances.

And strong acting performances is not just about finding skilled actors, but finding skilled actors that are RIGHT for the part. It's ACTING + CASTING. You can find that a great actor may still not work out if he/she is miscast.

Casting is always key in any movie, but with indies it's even more crucial because it's the one asset (other than writing) which can get an audience to want to see your movie over some Hollywood blockbuster.

And because of that you don't always need to go with SAG actors, especially if you're in a big market like LA or NY where there's a lot of non-union actors that are great, especially if you're casting those in their 20s and early 30s: I found that on the whole there isn't much difference in acting chops overall between union and non-union in this age group, regardless of background.


Now, if you're focused on "commercial" success as the critical factor, then go code software or work on Wall Street. Because commercial success usually only comes if your production and artistic components are good enough for it to be even discuss commercial viability. Now, you may say that "well, there's a lot of sh*tty bottom-of-the-barrel movies out there" but that's what's called "survivor bias" - i.e. you don't see all the even *worse* movies that never got distribution. Even when it comes to getting a name actor, a lot of the above still applies for even the name actor to consider it in the first place: they need to believe in your script and cast (for them to justify slumming it for your indie), and they need to believe that your production has its sh*t together.

Simply put, it's incredibly HARD to make a good movie, even with the best of intentions. Whether an indie or studio pic. So many things have to go right for it, and even then, they don't always work out.
 
Last edited:
Gonzo_Entertainment said:
You can't make a space opera for $3000. Well you can, but it's going to fall into a genre you may not like when it contains weapons made of cardboard and super soakers, and the bridge of the ship is your uncle's garage dressed with some plywood.
Click to expand...

But for a comedy web-series, that would be awesome.
 
I should have read this post a year ago... would have helped me tremendously.

These things have been said before, but I second them:
1/ A good leader with vision.
2/ The smallest team possible! The more people, the more blood, sweat and tears you'll shed to synchronise. We did a feature film with a three man crew, and we still had team trouble.
3/ As a follow-up on 2/: don't be afraid to ditch people. Follow your intuition and don't let someone in your team with possible issues... or who you might not want to work with.
4/ Persevere and finish your work, even if you don't achieve exactly what you want. If you don't finish, all the work is for nothing.
5/ Don't get stuck on something you can't get, but find a way around it. If none gives you budget, find a way to do it without. If you don't have a car, find a sponsor with a car. If you don't have a camera, shoot with your cellphone.
 
On the issue of crew/size, I'll say this.

Get as many highly experienced people as you can. You need the right amount of crew for what you are doing, and you need some experience in there. If you have all inexperience, you're probably better with a smaller crew, so that there isn't too many people standing around doing nothing all day. Conversely, if you have all experience, you want a larger crew so thinks can happen quicker.

At the end of the day, I'd rather 10 experienced people than 50 people who have never set foot on set before, but ideally I'd want 50 highly experienced people.

Also, when it comes to attitudes, if you're compensating people, even a little bit, they're going to be much more pleasant to work with. At the very least, re-imburse fuel, parking, travel, expendables costs etc. People shouldn't have to pay to crew on your film. They should at least come out at the end of the shoot no worse off than at the start.
And appreciate your crew, especially if they're doing it for free. If you're a sadistic, unappreciative a-hole Director, I'll still bring a happy face and pleasant demeanour to set, but if you're not paying me that's going to run out pretty quick - why should I subject myself to certain treatment for no benefit..?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top