Presales and cast

[dlevanchuk]

Here is what I'm trying to understand.

When a small production company has a screenplay, one way to obtain finance is through pre sales.
Presale depend of three things:
Cast
Key crew
Screenplay

In order to get any influential cast or crew, that would cost a coin.
Where this initial coin would come from? Savings from previous projects? A friend exec producer? Or is there some other magical coin path?

It looks like to me that first financial bump for a no-lo budget filmmaker is either a luck or some connection with an actor who likes the project and will gamble to sign up..

Am I getting this right, or am I missing something?

 

[Sweetie]

In order to get any influential cast or crew, that would cost a coin.
Where this initial coin would come from? Savings from previous projects? A friend exec producer? Or is there some other magical coin path?

It's all about the deal making. Until you've been proven, you're unlikely to get this coin which is usually called Development funds unless you have some magic wand for people to know you.

As a filmmaker, you're usually going to have to prove yourself, which brings you to the chicken or the egg problem.

There is always a chance that an investor may invest in you, though it's unlikely.

Most people do pre-sales with foreign territories. From everything I've heard, seen, read, the first question a foreign distributor asks is, "Who's in it?"

 

[directorik]

Pre-sales, as Sweetie mentions, are usually to non-US territories.
Distributors pay up front for the rights based on the track record
of the prodCo. Cast is very important, key crew not so much,
screenplay even less.

Or is there some other magical coin path?

There is no magical path to financing a movie. Luck has very little
to do with getting financing – it's always a combination of hard work,
talent and connections.

 

[Cracker Funk]

Step 1: Steal underpants
Step 2: ???????
Step 3: Movie funded