Funding for A newbie?

[Sam Hawkins]

Hello, I’m new to this Filmmaking business. Well it’s hard not to be knew at things when your 16. I’m a trained actor who’s been in 50ish armature plays and is in county youth theatres and the like. But I wanted to try my hand at this film making, I have written a script (well a first draft) and I actually think it is ok. Its 7 pages and is a mockumentory of after they were famous.

I have read the guerrilla film makers hand book and I have learnt a lot but I wanted some other opinions. I want to make this into a film, I really don’t know much. I’m not expecting to get it into festivals or anything but I would like to submit it. I know little about filming. I’m not sure what camera but I thought if I filmed it digitally I could edit it myself minimising the budget.

I have been tolled you can make a feature for 10,000 but my film would be around 7 minuets, so I was think £2000 – £3000. A problem would be is that I have no experience and I doubt the script is good enough for anyone else to take on. There are a few parts that I thought that people could pay to play in a way that is suggested by a few that seemed quite cool.

But should I try making this short or maybe mess about making some sketches on my sony handycam to try to show that I can be funny on film. Or maybe go for the American way of choosing a play and turning that into a film. Any help would help. ( I realise that this is very vague but like I said any help and I really mean any)

 

[directorik]

Welcome to indietalk!

You should be able to make a 7 minute short for less
than £2000 – £3000.

Click on this link and you'll see a film I made when I was 16. It cost $800
(about £550) and I was shooting on film so most of the money went into
buying and processing the film. You won't have that expence. You should
be able to shoot a 7 minute short for less than £200.

Since you have no experience, now is the time to start
learning.

Write a script, grab your handycam, your friends and
shoot.

Then do that again and again.

 

[Inhumancode]

Who says your movie has to cost anything? If you don't have access to a lot of funds, you could come up with a clever way to make a good short film without using much money at all. Like directorik said, these days, with digital video cameras, there's really no need to spend any money. Buy a few props, get some of your friends to star in the flick, etc.. The way I see it, it's all about getting noticed first: tackle an idea that would rely less on money and more on writing, acting and directing just to get your stuff out there. I don't know about where you live, but in New Zealand there are companies who provide good funding to people who have had a few short films acknowledged, and that's really what an indie filmmaker wants, right?

 

[rattailfilms]

be creative

don't think like a big Hollywood production. Look at Monty Python as an example, You can do that with your Sony camera. keep it short 3 minutes, film festivals like short films, with 3 minutes running time, the shorter the film, the more films they can show. send it to as many festivals as you can, look for student submissions, use things around you in every day life for props, check out parents and grand parents for stuff, they have tons of things lying around that are treasures to a filmmaker.. the last thing, shoot, shoot shoot, that's how you get good at it, keep shooting.

 

[H.Z.]

I strongly second NOT spending much/(any) money on your first short... The more you can make funding stretch, the more movies you're going to be able to make.

My current way of raising VERY SMALL amounts of money is asking people for their spare change. Tell people you are making a short film, and ask them for some very inconsequential amount of money. Repeat with everyone you know/meet/see on the street because you are pretending to be a homeless person. You absolutely won't raise 2000 this way, but you may be able to scrape up the cost of tapes.

Also, being 16 can be helpful. Hit up parents and grandparents, convince them you desperately need the money to fully realize your artistic potential, and that your adolescence will be stunted without it. Emphasize that it's a constructive use of your time, and that it will count as an extracurricular when you are applying to college.

Also, check out your school and see if they have any equipment they would loan you. Look for local production companies and see if they will do any kind of trades with you.

I would avoid hiring actors until you are completely sure that you're a good enough director to really know how to use them right. In the meantime, friends, drama kids, local theater etc. Work with what you have, and every restriction you hit and have to resolve will make you a better filmmaker.

 

[Gonzo_Entertainment]

If you own a camera, you should be able to make a 7 minute short for between $0 and $500. If you have to pay a guy with a camera to film it, then it goes up from there, but IMO the amount of money you are talking about you could make a 7 minute Ten Commandments.

Also, IMO in the micro budget world (where most of us operate) budget decides film, not the other way around. Period costumes cost money, maybe should rethink period costumes, lots of FX and FX makeup (to look good) cost money, maybe shouldn't make a movie with lots of FX, Even if actors are free you have to at least feed them, that costs money, maybe make a film with 4 roles not 14 roles, etc...