Need help with ideas on funding

[Theauteur14]

So my producing partner and I have just started looking for investors for my directorial feature film debut. We are looking to raise anywhere from $500,000 to $2.5 million. It's a romantic thriller (think Match Point meeting The Ice Storm).

So far we have been contacting real estate agents and dentists. We just started three days ago so we hope as we contact more we get a lot of interests. A few real estate agents did say that they will get back to me.

Outside of crowdfunding ( I am just not popular enough) what else can I do? I had my agent submit my script to a production company for me. I have reached out to some stars (one of which actually seems interested). And I have video auditions for all of the roles. What is a good plan of action right now?

I tried to get another producer and line producer on board. But they have kinda flaked on me. But I figure with my producing partner that I don't really need another producer. Maybe a line producer once we get money.

I am probably going to look up some indie film production companies and send over the script as well. We are looking to shoot as early as April.

My last short has been submitted to Sundance, SXSW, Slamdance, and TriBeCa, and it will be submitted to several others. So when it gets into some of these festivals that will surely help.

Any ideas? Anyone interested in coming on board?

 

[Theauteur14]

Mles: You can judge all you want but it is a fact. Think of it this way, you know that if you act a certain way you will get a response. If I hire someone and I am always nice to them telling them how great they are I know that this will work. Power play. We do this all the time. Nothing wrong with it.

This is concerning. If you continue with film making, you'll eventually find out why it's all important.

Back off man. I'm only 23 years old.

You're having troubles understanding people. It's partially why you're having troubles reading people. It also trails into why your leadership isn't quite working as smoothly as you'd like. With all that being suspect, how can your decision making be fine? You're lacking a big chunk of the information required to make good decisions.

In the end of the day I am all about the film. Every decision I made on set was about how I could create the best film possible. That's why my decision making was good. I only thought about how I could move the production along in my way.

I have a tao of leadership style:I always manage to get what I want for the most part.

Limiting beliefs eh? You're already envisioning you're going to fail. Snap out of it. I prefer option C). Do what it takes to succeed. If that means I need to conform to what investors require to give me money, I'll do it.

Please ditch the limiting beliefs pop psychology crap if you're going to get all downs syndrome with the loser talk, "I'm gonna fail so I'm gonna fail my way" on us.

I don't know what you are talking about. How am I envisioning myself failing? All I said was if I failed I rather fail on my own terms. That's goes for everything. That isn't me saying that I am going to fail at at all.

WTF? You haven't already done it yet? It's been days? When are you going to get serious and stop being a wannabe???

Again what are you talking about?

My producing partner and I have been contacting investors. I am still auditioning talent. Once I get through this last round I am going to hold interviews and hire an actress on who is willing to become a producer. I've been working on this actively for a few weeks now.

 

[AudioPostExpert]

1. You create your own reality. 2. You choose what you want to believe and not believe. 3. I am speaking of your world view and how you life yourself.

1. Only in your private life (on your own dime).
2. Yes you do, but how you act on those beliefs and behave is not your choice when at work.
3. I am not speaking of your world view and how you live your private life, I am speaking of the professional views, actions and behaviour you need to adopt if you want to attract commercial film funding and make a decent feature!

Your opinion ... You know that there are people who will show up if they feel that the paycheck is worth it no matter what.

1. You think that you can offer a paycheck that's worth more than looking after a suddenly sick child, that's worth more than grieving and making arrangements for the sudden death of a close relative? You think that someone is going to turn up for work who herniated a disk the night before and can't even stand up? You think that you, your film or your paycheck is going to inspire someone to turn up for that day's filming even if they were killed in a car accident just a few hours previously? With a substantial budget, comes the requirement to hire a larger crew to meet the expectations of a substantially budgeted film and a larger crew increases the chances of something serious occurring to one of them.

2. Sure, there are people who will turn up and finish the job (almost) "no matter what" and I count myself one of these people but this is usually due to professional pride more than you or your paycheck. But, how do you identify people like me from those who only believe they are? How do you manage people like me to make sure you don't destroy that professional pride you're relying on? And, how do you manage those who are obviously a bit "flaky" to start with but whose talent or draw makes them a risk worth taking?

1. I hired very talented people and we made something special. 2. But I didn't hire anyone that I loved to work with.

1. Extremely relevant to investors and making a decent feature, provided of course that your definition of "special" aligns with investors, distributors and consumers or critics definition of "special"!

2. Completely irrelevant to investors, distributors and consumers or critics!

1. Again limiting beliefs. ... 2. A good business plan, good talent attached, and perhaps hiring the actress to also come on as a producer (which is what I am looking to do) to aide with funding can work.

1. So, you're taking it negatively and putting your own ego above what's required to make your feature a reality. Thanks again for answering the question.

2. No, a good business plan and attached talent are pre-requisites for just getting to the table with investors, certainly not a guarantee that you'll actually get seven figure funding. If by "good talent attached" you mean someone like say Meryl Streep in the starring role, then her experience, talent, expertly managed reputation and box office draw will greatly offset investors' risk and along with a good business plan, give you a good chance of acquiring the investment you're after. If you're talking about a B or C list actress, then that and a good business plan are certainly steps in the right direction but would be very unlikely by themselves to offset investors' risk by enough.

3. Getting the actress to also be a producer may or may not be an aid. A producer has more opportunity to screw up a film than just about any other single member of the filmmaking team. Effectively hiring yet another novice producer could just as easily put investors off.

I guess I am just going to do things my way. If I fail, at least I failed on my own terms. And that is better than failing on someone else's terms.

Failure is failure, it doesn't really matter whose terms it's on. Far more importantly though, succeeding on someone else's terms is infinitely better than failing on your own! Although, it may only be "infinitely better" for your film rather than for your short term ego, and you've already made it abundantly clear which is more important to you.

G

 

[elemental]

Don't take Actor/producer it is bad combination because he/she can't do her job when he is acting. When group is on the location producer is doing other works at the office or bringing food or etc. So it don't work so well. Often actors are very artistic people so they don't fit so well on producers role of course there is exceptions. You need 1 producer who is systematic person and like to make time tables and contracts. Open person who don't scare to call places to ask location or sponsor etc. She/he can have assistant who can be any one. Just for running things. Pick up the food, cars, printing copies, Basic stuff what every one can do without education.

 

[Sweetie]

Back off man. I'm only 23 years old.

What has age got to do with this conversation? I hope this isn't your way of saying you're too young to do this.

 

[davidevans10]

What has age got to do with this conversation? I hope this isn't your way of saying you're too young to do this.

Well since a 23 year old never made a good film i'd say it is. Everyone has dreams today. Everyone is 5 mins away from ditching them. Such loyalty and passion

 

[Theauteur14]

1. Only in your private life (on your own dime).
2. Yes you do, but how you act on those beliefs and behave is not your choice when at work.
3. I am not speaking of your world view and how you live your private life, I am speaking of the professional views, actions and behaviour you need to adopt if you want to attract commercial film funding and make a decent feature!

Isn't that why we should work in environments that are in line with the beliefs that we hold?
But I can't argue that there is a certain way to play the game as far as getting filming funding. That is true. I guess a better way to put it is I can control my attitude about it. Olivia Wilde had a hard time getting funding for meadowland and she is a star, the rest of the cast are established actors, and the director was a great DP. But it's just about what you say to yourself to keep yourself going. You can reframe anything the way you want it. All we can control is what we think.

1. You think that you can offer a paycheck that's worth more than looking after a suddenly sick child, that's worth more than grieving and making arrangements for the sudden death of a close relative? You think that someone is going to turn up for work who herniated a disk the night before and can't even stand up? You think that you, your film or your paycheck is going to inspire someone to turn up for that day's filming even if they were killed in a car accident just a few hours previously? With a substantial budget, comes the requirement to hire a larger crew to meet the expectations of a substantially budgeted film and a larger crew increases the chances of something serious occurring to one of them.

2. Sure, there are people who will turn up and finish the job (almost) "no matter what" and I count myself one of these people but this is usually due to professional pride more than you or your paycheck. But, how do you identify people like me from those who only believe they are? How do you manage people like me to make sure you don't destroy that professional pride you're relying on? And, how do you manage those who are obviously a bit "flaky" to start with but whose talent or draw makes them a risk worth taking?

1. I'm not saying that is the case and those are good points. But let's be honest, most of us don't have emergencies like that happen often.

2. I would say that I am that way too (I sprained my ankle once and limped to my day job at the time that same day). That is a good point, perhaps I need to just find more professional people.

As for managing flakes that are talented, they are not worth it IMO. After what I went through on this last short even though I got through it, it wasn't very fun. I rather have someone who is the second choice, but a pro versus someone who is the first choice and you don't know if she will show up and she dips on doing a sex scene the day of shooting.

1. Extremely relevant to investors and making a decent feature, provided of course that your definition of "special" aligns with investors, distributors and consumers or critics definition of "special"!

2. Completely irrelevant to investors, distributors and consumers or critics!

Yes investors, distributors, and critics don't care if I got along with my cast or crew. That's why in those terms you can work with people that you don't like and still make something special. But I don't see the point of creating a feature film if I don't along with my cast and crew to a great extent. It's already a war to direct, I'd want people that I know have my back and they know that I have their back.

1. So, you're taking it negatively and putting your own ego above what's required to make your feature a reality. Thanks again for answering the question.

2. No, a good business plan and attached talent are pre-requisites for just getting to the table with investors, certainly not a guarantee that you'll actually get seven figure funding. If by "good talent attached" you mean someone like say Meryl Streep in the starring role, then her experience, talent, expertly managed reputation and box office draw will greatly offset investors' risk and along with a good business plan, give you a good chance of acquiring the investment you're after. If you're talking about a B or C list actress, then that and a good business plan are certainly steps in the right direction but would be very unlikely by themselves to offset investors' risk by enough.

3. Getting the actress to also be a producer may or may not be an aid. A producer has more opportunity to screw up a film than just about any other single member of the filmmaking team. Effectively hiring yet another novice producer could just as easily put investors off.

In the end of the day I guess it's all about finding the right people. Obviously I can't get a Meryl Streep. But it looks like I can get a C list actress. I just want to be surrounded by people that I like and trust. It starts from there. If I can do that then everything else will fall into place.

Failure is failure, it doesn't really matter whose terms it's on. Far more importantly though, succeeding on someone else's terms is infinitely better than failing on your own! Although, it may only be "infinitely better" for your film rather than for your short term ego, and you've already made it abundantly clear which is more important to you.

G

Take this story, so before the t.v series there was a Buffy the vampire slayer movie. Joss Wheedon didn't direct, but he wrote it. The movie did decent business and helped his career big time. But he hates the movie because of what the studio did to it. He said it's something that he will never get over. He succeeded. But not on his own terms.

A little compromise is one thing (that's apart of directing). But if you do something someone else's way and it doesn't work with you, then you will hate yourself. Part of the reason that I do this is for self fulfillment.

Don't take Actor/producer it is bad combination because he/she can't do her job when he is acting. When group is on the location producer is doing other works at the office or bringing food or etc. So it don't work so well. Often actors are very artistic people so they don't fit so well on producers role of course there is exceptions. You need 1 producer who is systematic person and like to make time tables and contracts. Open person who don't scare to call places to ask location or sponsor etc. She/he can have assistant who can be any one. Just for running things. Pick up the food, cars, printing copies, Basic stuff what every one can do without education.

My producing partner is the systematic guy (was a civil engineer and now makes cellphone apps). I want to bring on actress as a producer just as a partner in the sense that we are doing this together. It never hurts.

What has age got to do with this conversation? I hope this isn't your way of saying you're too young to do this.

I am saying that I still learning how to deal with people. Maybe you were great with people at 23. But everyone has different lives. I was a social misfit most of mine.

 

[Sweetie]

Obviously I can't get a Meryl Streep.

Why do you say that? Did you ask and she said, "Never with you." If your short is as good as you think it is and your script is just right for her, there's a chance.

Isn't that why we should work in environments that are in line with the beliefs that we hold?

Are you at a point in your career where you have enough clout to be able to make that restriction? I'm not. I doubt anyone on this site has that kind of clout yet.

But I can't argue that there is a certain way to play the game as far as getting filming funding.

I'm going to suggest that you remove the "game" word/mentality from your vocabulary. It only applies to dumb money. It will ensure you will never make a film with either a substantial budget or control over your film.

To get a decent budget, you're going to need decent film finance, and that isn't a game. It's basic accounting, sales, marketing, packaging and mitigation.

A little compromise is one thing (that's apart of directing). But if you do something someone else's way and it doesn't work with you, then you will hate yourself. Part of the reason that I do this is for self fulfillment.

There's a saying. "Ye who is most rigid has the least options" There are hundreds, if not thousands of paths to get a movie made. The more rigid you are, the less options will be available to you. You need to ask yourself. What's more important to you. The goal/destination or the path? You'll only have to walk the path once. Once your film is made, it lasts a lifetime (good or bad). Just another way to look at it.

As for managing flakes that are talented, they are not worth it IMO. After what I went through on this last short even though I got through it, it wasn't very fun. I rather have someone who is the second choice, but a pro versus someone who is the first choice and you don't know if she will show up and she dips on doing a sex scene the day of shooting.

This is once again another one of those 'shut them out and it reduces your options'. Take for instance Lindsay Lohan. From all accounts that I've read, she's flakey. She's also a name that can get your film greenlit with some financiers at particular budget levels. If all other options are unavailable except with her, would you still say no to your dream? It comes down to a personal decision. Myself, I don't work very well when instability is added to an environment as chaotic as film making, so I'd have to be sure there was a plan in place to manage what I don't personally deal with well.

It helps to know who you are. To know your weaknesses. To acknowledge them. Embrace them. Don't try and hide them. You are you, for better or worse. Rich investors are smart. They can see through that crap in a New York second. They're often more interested in your mitigation plan for your weaknesses than the weaknesses themselves. A little off topic...

Yes investors, distributors, and critics don't care if I got along with my cast or crew. That's why in those terms you can work with people that you don't like and still make something special. But I don't see the point of creating a feature film if I don't along with my cast and crew to a great extent. It's already a war to direct, I'd want people that I know have my back and they know that I have their back.

This is something you'll learn over time. It's a balancing act. Part of being an adult is to learn to work effectively and professionally with people you don't personally like.

It never hurts.

Wrong. Bring in the wrong person and it hurts big time.

I am saying that I still learning how to deal with people.

I'll tell you a secret. You never stop learning. There's always someone who makes you think, "WTF!? I never saw that coming." Sometimes for the better, but more often than not, a new level of stupid has been discovered.

 

[AudioPostExpert]

But let's be honest, most of us don't have emergencies like that happen often.

Agreed. With a cast and crew of say 10 people there is a slim chance of an emergency like that occurring but with a cast and crew of say 100, the chance of an emergency like that happening are obviously 10 times greater.

1. I would say that I am that way too (I sprained my ankle once and limped to my day job at the time that same day). 2. That is a good point, perhaps I need to just find more professional people.

1. I can beat your example by quite some margin but that's rather missing the point because at that particular stage in the project I could be carried to my chair, stay there and still perform my role efficiently enough. However, if this had occurred at an earlier stage, when my role required me to be mobile, I would have had no choice but to "flake".

2. I'm already talking about "more professional" people! In my personal example, the vast majority of even the most professional people would have flaked and, no one would have blamed them for doing so.

1. But I don't see the point of creating a feature film if I don't [get] along with my cast and crew to a great extent. ... 2. In the end of the day I guess it's all about finding the right people ... I just want to be surrounded by people that I like and trust. 3. If I can do that then everything else will fall into place.

1. The "point" is, professional pride in making a successful film! You seem to be putting your personal fun and enjoyment above professional pride but expecting all those you hire to do the opposite?!

2. It's going to be a VERY long day because the people who are "right" by your apparent definition, either don't exist or are extremely rare and finding an entire cast and crew of such people is not realistic.

2a. Yes, who wouldn't ideally like to be surrounded by people we like and trust? However the reality is, that the film industry is an industry, it's not a charity based on altruism or a hippie commune based on love. It's an industry ultimately built on self interest and the acquisition of power and money. Having a bigger budget and therefore more money and power at stake obviously doesn't make this fact go away, it makes it worse! The film industry is at least as bitchy and back stabbing as any other industry and is in fact famous for being more so than most! Wishing it were otherwise and refusing to work under those "terms" is not going to change the industry, it's just going to stop you from becoming a member of it! The skill and success of professional producers and directors is not in finding a team of perfect human beings but in taking a bunch of imperfect (professional) and often bitchy, self centred and/or untrustworthy human beings and managing them in order to create an effective filmmaking team.

3. If a team of perfect professionals were feasible then maybe everything else would "fall into place". As it's not feasible then "everything else" has to be made to fall into place, it won't happen by itself! Worse still, how far from a team of perfect professionals are you? So far, two novices taking the two most critical filmmaking roles and who have never even attempted a commercial feature before. Not even proven talented amateurs, let alone professionals, experienced professionals or perfect professionals! It's a safe bet that everything else will not "fall into place" and as you're currently about as far away from a team of perfect professionals as it's possible to get, the safest bet is that your film will do the exact opposite and fall to pieces. That's why you are and will continue to struggle for commercial funding, until you change your approach and these circumstances.

The movie did decent business and helped his career big time. But he hates the movie because of what the studio did to it. He said it's something that he will never get over. He succeeded. But not on his own terms.

Welcome to the reality of the film industry or rather, welcome to just the very slim possibility of being as successful as Joss Wheedon. If he'd done Buffy on his own terms, IE. Insisted on a contract which didn't give the studio the freedom to do what they did, then they wouldn't have bought it in the first place! I wonder if he'd have found failure on his own terms easier to "get over" than "big time" success on someone else's?

All your responses demonstrate an idealised view of the industry, a view divorced from the reality and based your personal desires. Of course, your views and desires are yours to choose but likewise, it's investors' choice where they choose to invest their money. You appear oblivious to the fact that in practice you are NOT currently looking for a film investor to invest in your film, you are looking for a seven figure gift! By definition, investors don't just gift their money away, they invest it, so you are looking in the wrong place!

We seem to now be going round in circles and you're obviously not going to be swayed by anything I have to say from your fantasy view of a film industry which exists to make your dreams come true. So I'll wish you good luck and leave it there.

G

 

[Aspiring Mogul]

I'll tell you a secret. You never stop learning. There's always someone who makes you think, "WTF!? I never saw that coming." Sometimes for the better, but more often than not, a new level of stupid has been discovered.

You're totally right, Sweetie.

 

[Theauteur14]

Why do you say that? Did you ask and she said, "Never with you." If your short is as good as you think it is and your script is just right for her, there's a chance.

Well for starters there isn't a role for Ms. Streep in my film LOL. But I see what you are saying. Based off of feedback that I've gotten from my short and my script it is more than good enough to attract that kind of talent. I actually reached out to a few people and got a response back from a manager of an actress who is becoming quite big. They basically said come back when you have funding.

Are you at a point in your career where you have enough clout to be able to make that restriction? I'm not. I doubt anyone on this site has that kind of clout yet.

We should all have standards for myself. That is a standard that I have. If it costs me it costs me.

I'm going to suggest that you remove the "game" word/mentality from your vocabulary. It only applies to dumb money. It will ensure you will never make a film with either a substantial budget or control over your film.

To get a decent budget, you're going to need decent film finance, and that isn't a game. It's basic accounting, sales, marketing, packaging and mitigation.

What I mean by "game" is there is a dance that we all play. Power games happen all the time in our industry. I don't play these games. But I can spot them and react.

There's a saying. "Ye who is most rigid has the least options" There are hundreds, if not thousands of paths to get a movie made. The more rigid you are, the less options will be available to you. You need to ask yourself. What's more important to you. The goal/destination or the path? You'll only have to walk the path once. Once your film is made, it lasts a lifetime (good or bad). Just another way to look at it.

This is true and I am pretty open for the most part and I am open to compromising. But what is more important to me is the path. I've only watched one thing in it's entirety that I've only acted in (no writing or directing). After I've watched something that I've written and directed I will never watch it again. I want to have a life that leads to me dying peacefully. Film to me isn't about the end result, it's about what we learn for the next film. I am not one of those "it's all about the process" kind of guys. I want to put out work that I know is good. But at the same time I do not look back.

This is once again another one of those 'shut them out and it reduces your options'. Take for instance Lindsay Lohan. From all accounts that I've read, she's flakey. She's also a name that can get your film greenlit with some financiers at particular budget levels. If all other options are unavailable except with her, would you still say no to your dream? It comes down to a personal decision. Myself, I don't work very well when instability is added to an environment as chaotic as film making, so I'd have to be sure there was a plan in place to manage what I don't personally deal with well.

It helps to know who you are. To know your weaknesses. To acknowledge them. Embrace them. Don't try and hide them. You are you, for better or worse. Rich investors are smart. They can see through that crap in a New York second. They're often more interested in your mitigation plan for your weaknesses than the weaknesses themselves. A little off topic...

I actually contacted Lindsay Lohan's people and got a positive response. I'd work with her because #1 I grew up watching her movies be in theaters (the parent trap, freaky friday, teenage drama queen) or her t.v movies. She holds a place in my heart similar to how Tarantino feels about Pam Grier.

#2 She is such a star that it would be worth it.

I don't work well when I don't trust the people around me. If I feel uncomfortable I tend to either shut down or get really aggressive. I need an environment where I feel safe, I trust the people I am around, and no doucheyness.

I've also noticed that people who are truly successful don't flake and are not late. That's how they got successful. I looked at Lindsay's IMDB page and her last credit was a short film.

This is something you'll learn over time. It's a balancing act. Part of being an adult is to learn to work effectively and professionally with people you don't personally like.

I disagree with that. Listen to great leaders like Joe Gibbs, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Tony Stewart, and etc the common factor is that they had great people around them that they loved and cared for. Check out a book called leaders eat last.

You should never have to work with people that you don't like if you are the one in charge. And if you are not in charge and put in a bad situation: run.

Wrong. Bring in the wrong person and it hurts big time.

True.

I'll tell you a secret. You never stop learning. There's always someone who makes you think, "WTF!? I never saw that coming." Sometimes for the better, but more often than not, a new level of stupid has been discovered.

I agree with that.

1. The "point" is, professional pride in making a successful film! You seem to be putting your personal fun and enjoyment above professional pride but expecting all those you hire to do the opposite?!

2. It's going to be a VERY long day because the people who are "right" by your apparent definition, either don't exist or are extremely rare and finding an entire cast and crew of such people is not realistic.

2a. Yes, who wouldn't ideally like to be surrounded by people we like and trust? However the reality is, that the film industry is an industry, it's not a charity based on altruism or a hippie commune based on love. It's an industry ultimately built on self interest and the acquisition of power and money. Having a bigger budget and therefore more money and power at stake obviously doesn't make this fact go away, it makes it worse! The film industry is at least as bitchy and back stabbing as any other industry and is in fact famous for being more so than most! Wishing it were otherwise and refusing to work under those "terms" is not going to change the industry, it's just going to stop you from becoming a member of it! The skill and success of professional producers and directors is not in finding a team of perfect human beings but in taking a bunch of imperfect (professional) and often bitchy, self centred and/or untrustworthy human beings and managing them in order to create an effective filmmaking team.

3. If a team of perfect professionals were feasible then maybe everything else would "fall into place". As it's not feasible then "everything else" has to be made to fall into place, it won't happen by itself! Worse still, how far from a team of perfect professionals are you? So far, two novices taking the two most critical filmmaking roles and who have never even attempted a commercial feature before. Not even proven talented amateurs, let alone professionals, experienced professionals or perfect professionals! It's a safe bet that everything else will not "fall into place" and as you're currently about as far away from a team of perfect professionals as it's possible to get, the safest bet is that your film will do the exact opposite and fall to pieces. That's why you are and will continue to struggle for commercial funding, until you change your approach and these circumstances.

1. What is the point of doing this if you are not having fun? I do believe that there needs to be a balance and I do that well. But the day that I find this a real chore (like a job) is the day that I will do something else. I will just have to find people who agree with this (and they are out there).

2. I disagree. There are for sure actors, actresses, and DPs who want to gain personal fulfillment and have fun while getting work done. I've worked with people like that. And I will only work with people like that from now on if I can help it.

2a. A lot of that is true. But again, I have a choice of who I work with. I learned from my last short that I want to work with people who are good to me, fun to work with, and I like as human beings. I am just going to be very selective.

3. What is this "perfect" thing that you are harping on? How do you know my talent is proven? My short before this just played at the Vsionara film festival, my last short is being submitted to big festivals. What a disrespectful response.

Welcome to the reality of the film industry or rather, welcome to just the very slim possibility of being as successful as Joss Wheedon. If he'd done Buffy on his own terms, IE. Insisted on a contract which didn't give the studio the freedom to do what they did, then they wouldn't have bought it in the first place! I wonder if he'd have found failure on his own terms easier to "get over" than "big time" success on someone else's?

All your responses demonstrate an idealised view of the industry, a view divorced from the reality and based your personal desires. Of course, your views and desires are yours to choose but likewise, it's investors' choice where they choose to invest their money. You appear oblivious to the fact that in practice you are NOT currently looking for a film investor to invest in your film, you are looking for a seven figure gift! By definition, investors don't just gift their money away, they invest it, so you are looking in the wrong place!

We seem to now be going round in circles and you're obviously not going to be swayed by anything I have to say from your fantasy view of a film industry which exists to make your dreams come true. So I'll wish you good luck and leave it there.

G

You have totally missed the point of that story. Wheedon wishes that he never did that. He got redemption with the t.v series. But he still has a hole in his heart from that.

If seems to me that you have allowed the industry to kinda beat you down man. And you want me to see things the way that you see. I will not accept this invitation to your hallucination.

And you should probably stop responding because I hope I never see things the way that you see them.

 

[AudioPostExpert]

1. If seems to me that you have allowed the industry to kinda beat you down man. 2. And you want me to see things the way that you see. 3. I will not accept this invitation to your hallucination.

1. That's because you take everything which disagrees with your hallucination/delusions negatively! The industry has not "beat me down", despite it's many imperfections I still love my job. I've seen countless people come and go over the years, almost always because the reality of the industry is so different from the hype and their expectations of it. And, I've seen countless more who never got to experience the reality in the first place, because their "hallucination" of the industry precluded them from getting the opportunity.

1a. How anyone chooses to respond to the reality is up to them. My response, (where and how I find my personal fulfilment) is what allows me to still love my work. This is of course how it needs to be, reality is the way it is, if we allow it to beat us down then the issue is not with reality but with our personal response to it. To survive and find fulfilment, we have to adapt to and attempt to thrive in that reality because the alternative, denying reality, is an option which virtually never has a happy ending!

2. No, I'm just telling you some of the realities of the industry. How you choose to respond to those realities is entirely up to you (see #1a). Do you choose to adapt to reality and give your film a chance of success or do you choose to deny reality, put your "hallucinations" above the needs of your film and give it virtually no chance?

3. My "hallucination" is living in the commercial TV/Film industry for about the same amount of time as you've lived on this planet. Your hallucination on the other hand appears based on a combination of what you think you've "seen through the window" and wishful thinking. I'm not inviting you to become a member of my hallucination, I'm just telling you some of the realities of being a member and some of the application requirements. You apparently don't want to meet the application requirements or be a member of my hallucination though, you just want it to gift you a million dollars. Unfortunately for you, the rules of my hallucination don't allow it to gift millions of dollars to people who can't or won't meet the application requirements, sorry.

I hope I never see things the way that you see them.

That unambiguously answers point #2!!

And you should probably stop responding ...

True, I probably should.

G

 

[Sweetie]

Well for starters there isn't a role for Ms. Streep in my film LOL.

Yep, that's a no

what is more important to me is the path.

I want to put out work that I know is good.

If that is the case, there's a real large chance that what you're trying to achieve won't acquire the financing you require. There's nothing wrong with your decision, so long as you know the consequence of that decision. You're chasing dumb money. There's also nothing wrong with that. Knowing that fact will help you work out what you need to do.

I disagree with that. Listen to great leaders like Joe Gibbs, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Tony Stewart, and etc the common factor is that they had great people around them that they loved and cared for. Check out a book called leaders eat last.

You can disagree. There are many leadership methods. Many ways to achieve the result. Steve Jobs had a really early success with the Apple IIe. After his success he took up a position of "It's his way or the highway" - (Coincidentally I see you taking a similar stance, without the preceding success) He had many really smart people around him who advised him against it and he still built the Lisa. That and his belligerent nature were all contributing factors to why he was fired from his own company.

After he wrangled himself back into Apple, I understand he conformed his leadership style to a more traditional method.

Keep absorbing leadership material. Don't take any one source as gospel. You'll eventually develop your own style that works for you.

How do you know my talent is proven?

I believe he means unproven. You have no coveted awards from tier 1 festivals. No box office earnings behind you. That gives you no track record, hence unproven. Just so you're clear what that means. It's not a sign of disrespect, just the current state of affairs. Like a light switch. On (Proven) of Off (Unproven).

A lot of that is true. But again, I have a choice of who I work with. I am just going to be very selective.

I'm going to leave you with one last thought. You're just like me. You're a nobody. You're expecting the world to accept your rather odd modus operandi. You say you'll be picky with who (and how) you work with. What makes you think that investors don't think the same way? What makes you a better investment than the other 5 pitches today that are also requesting an investment? When you're talking investors, that's the world we live in.

Pro Tip: If you're looking for dumb money, go to the casino/racetrack. There's crap tonnes of it there.

 

[Theauteur14]

You know what? I am sure that the great people that I mentioned didn't waste their time on an internet forum. So I won't either. I will continue doing what I need to do to make my film.

I will say that I like how you guys are selectively responding, especially Sweetie. You gave me a soft jab with the Meryl Streep comment (if you read my script you'd see that the oldest character is in their 20s, Meryl is a great actress, but there ain't t nothing in there for her and I wouldn't create a project just to have a star in there), But you didn't say anything about the manager of an actress on the rise getting back to me or me talking to Lindsay Lohan's people.

Haters are motivators! See you guys and gals at the movies!

 

[WalterB]

You know what? I am sure that the great people that I mentioned didn't waste their time on an internet forum.........

At least not when they started, because it didn't exist in the form it exists today

I hope you'll come back to share your experiences
And it would be cool to see you succeed.

Make sure Lindsay is clean when you work with her; addicts are power play champions...

 

[davidevans10]

Yep, that's a no




If that is the case, there's a real large chance that what you're trying to achieve won't acquire the financing you require. There's nothing wrong with your decision, so long as you know the consequence of that decision. You're chasing dumb money. There's also nothing wrong with that. Knowing that fact will help you work out what you need to do.



You can disagree. There are many leadership methods. Many ways to achieve the result. Steve Jobs had a really early success with the Apple IIe. After his success he took up a position of "It's his way or the highway" - (Coincidentally I see you taking a similar stance, without the preceding success) He had many really smart people around him who advised him against it and he still built the Lisa. That and his belligerent nature were all contributing factors to why he was fired from his own company.

After he wrangled himself back into Apple, I understand he conformed his leadership style to a more traditional method.

Keep absorbing leadership material. Don't take any one source as gospel. You'll eventually develop your own style that works for you.



I believe he means unproven. You have no coveted awards from tier 1 festivals. No box office earnings behind you. That gives you no track record, hence unproven. Just so you're clear what that means. It's not a sign of disrespect, just the current state of affairs. Like a light switch. On (Proven) of Off (Unproven).



I'm going to leave you with one last thought. You're just like me. You're a nobody. You're expecting the world to accept your rather odd modus operandi. You say you'll be picky with who (and how) you work with. What makes you think that investors don't think the same way? What makes you a better investment than the other 5 pitches today that are also requesting an investment? When you're talking investors, that's the world we live in.

Pro Tip: If you're looking for dumb money, go to the casino/racetrack. There's crap tonnes of it there.

Nobody's dont really expect success tho. Like i said pipe dreams.

 

[directorik]

You know what? I am sure that the great people that I mentioned didn't waste their time on an internet forum. So I won't either.

You keep saying this but you keep coming back.

 

[Morris]

People have given a lot of good advice based on their own experiences. There are always exceptions to all rules, but the odds are very slim. Most people have producing partners with experience in the industry. They have the experience and connections to help get the financing.

 

[davidevans10]

You know what? I am sure that the great people that I mentioned didn't waste their time on an internet forum. So I won't either. I will continue doing what I need to do to make my film.

I will say that I like how you guys are selectively responding, especially Sweetie. You gave me a soft jab with the Meryl Streep comment (if you read my script you'd see that the oldest character is in their 20s, Meryl is a great actress, but there ain't t nothing in there for her and I wouldn't create a project just to have a star in there), But you didn't say anything about the manager of an actress on the rise getting back to me or me talking to Lindsay Lohan's people.

Haters are motivators! See you guys and gals at the movies!

your an ignorant kid. . and its obvious you're not great.

 

[SkyCopeland]

I have to say this is most likely in my top five favorite threads. You guys are all so wonderful.

Sweetie, for his sake I hope he pulls a jrusso on you and finds his funding despite the obvious flaws.

Theauteur, you're a few years older than me, but we've been in the world solo for the same amount of time. Your ideology on life is a bit more positive than mine. I certainly would bail on a project if the money didn't seem promising or if a better pay came along. Hell, if a better sounding project came along (like a named director working it) I'd bail for less pay.

Also at Full Sail I've learned that the people you get along with most... might just suck at filmmaking... or suck at doing what they like... The people you don't get along with might be great at it. I'd rather work with my classmates that are good and we hate enough other the whole time... Film crews don't have to have chemistry, it's why we have the hierarchy.

These are my two cents bro... I've enjoyed reading this thread and wish you the best. The chances are near impossible, prove the odds wrong.

 

[Sweetie]

I hope he pulls a jrusso on you and finds his funding despite the obvious flaws.

While it might not sound like it, I do too.

I still follow jrusso. I haven't chatted with him for a little while. He's got himself some high paying programming job from the looks of it. Good for him. Not sure what that'll mean for the film.