First feature, a little worried about money

M

mnestevao

Hey guys,

I am making my first feature film. All things are ok but the money. I have the perfect volunteer crew, good screenplay, even a teaser.

I have done press releases, facebook and twitter promotion, have a website, but 2 months since I started the journey and the only financial supporter is me with far from good money to make the $16,000 "ideal" budget movie (The worst scenario is a $7,000 for food and equip rental, very far from ideal, but the movie get made).

I have offered levels of donations with different rewards that I think are good, but doesn't seem to be attractive.

Any advice for this filmmaker?

My film is "Dores Comuns" ("Joint Pains"), http://www.dorescomuns.com.br

Thanks in advance!
 
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It is likely you will have to make the movie
for far less money than you would like. Getting
strangers to donate money for you to make a
movie is very, very difficult. Friends and family
may support you because they believe in you.

All of us here have made our movies under less
than ideal conditions. Sorry I can't offer the
answer. But if I knew how to get people to give
me money to make my movies I would be doing
it.
 
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Im just thinking out loud here.. please take it or leave it..

cut costs

No offense, but your promo video looks awful. I would be turned off right there. If thats the quality and look your going for in your film, save $3500 and just use an iphone :)

Your trying to hype up the "volunteer" effort doesn't mean much.. every directors first feature probably used many volunteers...


Try a new tack. Instead of trying to make the amateur nature of your project a "selling point" make the web site vistor believe that there is a great story about to be told, not only in the telling of the movie, but in the creation of the movie itself.

You can sell this project, or else you would not have any volunteers. I think that vision and energy you must have used to get the project started is NOT coming through that web page. Im not talking web design or anything like that...

how about you sit down in front of a camera, make it look great, and interesting out door location, and look me in the eye and tell me WHY this project is so great that I should give you $10! Speak in your native language, the passion and the truth of it will translate just fine in subtitled English.


Marketing wisdom for you: People don't buy products, they buy narrative. True for Levis, true for Terminator, true for Calvin Klein.
 
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I have to say i agree with Wheatgrinder, that promo is awful. I don't know where you're planning on spending $16,000 dollars because all that you're showing there is shots of peoples legs filmed on someones mobile phone.

I would take down that video, for a start, because that will put off potential investors. I presume that is not indicative of the quality of film that you are going for in the whole feature, so don't mislead people by showing it. On the other hand if that is the quality, then problem solved- there's certainly no need for $16,000.
 
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I've already told you the weight of a loss is 3 lbs. 7 oz. But seriously, if you want that budget,

maybe you should redo your promo, and wait. If youre getting donations, just slower than you

expected, then wait, more. Eventually you will have the money you want.
 
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wheatgrinder said:
Im just thinking out loud here.. please take it or leave it..

cut costs

No offense, but your promo video looks awful. I would be turned off right there. If thats the quality and look your going for in your film, save $3500 and just use an iphone :)

Your trying to hype up the "volunteer" effort doesn't mean much.. every directors first feature probably used many volunteers...


Try a new tack. Instead of trying to make the amateur nature of your project a "selling point" make the web site vistor believe that there is a great story about to be told, not only in the telling of the movie, but in the creation of the movie itself.

You can sell this project, or else you would not have any volunteers. I think that vision and energy you must have used to get the project started is NOT coming through that web page. Im not talking web design or anything like that...

how about you sit down in front of a camera, make it look great, and interesting out door location, and look me in the eye and tell me WHY this project is so great that I should give you $10! Speak in your native language, the passion and the truth of it will translate just fine in subtitled English.


Marketing wisdom for you: People don't buy products, they buy narrative. True for Levis, true for Terminator, true for Calvin Klein.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your time.

About the teaser, it was not made by cellphone, I swear, lol. Maybe your look as a filmmaker see it as awful, but 90% of people that seem it, friend or not, liked it. So, if the public liked it until now I am staying with.

The idea of making a video explaining about the film is a very good point.

As I said, this is an ideal budget, if I got less money I will do it, if I don't get any money, I will go to hell looking for the equip and food, but I will make this movie.

But I really liked the video idea.

Thanks!
 
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on what data do you base this analysis..

"So, if the public liked it until now I am staying with."

I thought you weren't getting donations.. ???

Well, clearly this little slice of public doesn't care for it, but heck its your movie.. your king...
 
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Something I've just realised - the translation of the title into English really doesn't work. "Joint Pains" - to me, at least - means having problems with your knees or elbows or knuckles. Sounds like it should be a documentary about an orthopaedic surgery. The more literal translation "Common Pains" is a little better, but still not quite there…
 
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Cracker Funk said:
So, is the rental budget for a 5-ton cinematography truck?
Click to expand...

Richmond is USA right?

Well, I am making this movie in Brazil, rental prices are a higher.

5d Mark II without accessories/lenses = $170/day * 12 days = $2,040

Tripod with head = $58/day * 12 days = $696

4 Arri lights 650w kit = $175/day * 12 days = $2,100

sound kit (heads, mic, boom pole, windshield) = $146/day * 12 days = $1752

So, until now we got $6,588.00 and we have not everything we need.

The $5,800.00 budget is a very tight budget to the equipment with an adjusted schedule and a big discount I got by a friend that know the rental shop owner.
 
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mnestevao said:
Richmond is USA right?

Well, I am making this movie in Brazil, rental prices are a higher.

5d Mark II without accessories/lenses = $170/day * 12 days = $2,040

Tripod with head = $58/day * 12 days = $696

4 Arri lights 650w kit = $175/day * 12 days = $2,100

sound kit (heads, mic, boom pole, windshield) = $146/day * 12 days = $1752

So, until now we got $6,588.00 and we have not everything we need.

The $5,800.00 budget is a very tight budget to the equipment with an adjusted schedule and a big discount I got by a friend that know the rental shop owner.
Click to expand...

Yes, Richmond is in Virginia, on the East Coast.

First of all, you're gonna shoot a feature in 12 days? Wow. That would be lightning fast.

Secondly, and more importantly, I think you should re-assess your spending. So, you're starting to realize that you'll be shooting this on a very tight budget -- do you really need everything you've listed?

Do you really need full-frame? If not, you might consider the 7D. And if you're going to consider the 7D, might as well consider the T2i.

Do you really need that super-awesome tripod? Or, can you get by with one that can be purchased for $200?

Ditto for that sound kit -- are you sure you couldn't get the job done with equipment that can be purchased for less than $1,000?

And dude, for $2,000, if you're okay with used, you can build yourself a nice light-kit, especially if you compliment your used equipment with some DIY lights.

Here's why I mention this -- there are going to be incidental expenses. Stuff you can't plan for. Random stuff. You're going to need money to reimburse this guy for gas, and there's gonna be a day when you really need someone to go buy some water balloons and large trash bags. Of course, I'm just making stuff up, but my point is, I don't think it wise to exhaust your budget with equipment rentals, especially when you can purchase some quality equipment for much less.

Last thing I wanna say is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rAHnwWfsaY
 
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The "Teaser". It has to change.

If-going from what you've told us- your friend works in the rental shop, borrow the 5D for a day, put together something that portrays your movie in a way that would interest us, your audience. Or your "Public". It has to be a reflection of what you're capable of, what you'll create with the investors money.

I did however, upon seeing your chosen title "Joint Pains", believe that it was perhaps a metaphor. Yet, now, I'm starting to believe it's literal, that it is infact about the aching of the joints?

P.S I'm exhausted, too exhausted to be even moderately verbose. Sorry, Britain.
 
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mnestevao said:
Thanks for your time.

About the teaser, it was not made by cellphone, I swear, lol. Maybe your look as a filmmaker see it as awful, but 90% of people that seem it, friend or not, liked it. So, if the public liked it until now I am staying with.

The idea of making a video explaining about the film is a very good point.

As I said, this is an ideal budget, if I got less money I will do it, if I don't get any money, I will go to hell looking for the equip and food, but I will make this movie.

But I really liked the video idea.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Good attitude but I am with the others on this one.

Here is my 2 cents - take it or leave it:

Your teaser isn't much of a teaser to me because it doesn't tell a story at all. I have absolutely no idea what that movie is going to be about. And that's the first thing you need to go after: Telling a story to the audience.

I also don't get the 6 fps shooting?

Maybe people didn't say they disliked it but anyone surfing the web at videos like this one in contrast to other ones will definitely notice a quality difference. This looks way too amateurish - whether it's the lighting or camera or whatever - and that needs to be kicked up a notch as well. But first, it's all about the story.

Sorry to give it to you like that but it's better now than later when you've spent that 16,000$ and you can't make a penny back because no-one wants to watch it.
 
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Ok, I will stop defending my teaser and start talking with you about the film.

The story is really amazing, wheat, this synopsis was carefully written to tell some information but not some surprises.

Well, the teaser "6 fps" is really an effect I wanted to make it look like a dizzy vision, take the cell phone scene for example with the shaky camera, it's how the character feels after knowing his wife is dead. I had a 2 people crew (me and the actor) with a not so good camera, giving the conditions...

I have really difficult in translating the title, "Dores Comuns", I am thinking about changing it to "Shared Pains". because of that I don't officialize an international title.

Why shared pains? Every character in the story have the same pain: they lost someone/thing very important to then and think they can have it again, so they spend their lives on it.

And no, Marcos don't think he can ressurrect his wife, if someone thought, his pain is related to her, but not her.

Well, I am passionated by drama, so expect a movie like (restraining proportions) "Million Dollay Baby", "Eternal Sunshine..." and a new spanish one "Pájaros de Papel" that is a very good one.

Maybe if I explain all that to possible donors they will become interested, lol.

Edit: that prices of equipment are the cheapest I found. I think this film is a very good story and deserves it, so I can take my food out of the budget, but not the equip.
 
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The point I am trying to make is when you post your teaser you aren't going to be able to explain away the unprofessional presentation of it to every single person who views it like you just did in your last post and say "Well all I had is myself and the actor and a cheap camera"...

The audience sees the final product - the teaser. They get the impression from that. I'd ditch it, if I were you. You might as well post that post you just posted on your website, which would be DOUBLY unprofessional.

I like your passion on it and I'm sure I and the rest of us will give you the help you need to pull it off.

Good luck!
 
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