Romantic Dramas / Romcoms : market potential?

[Joe999]

What do you think is the market potential for an indie romance / romcom? If a good story, and done well, and for a budget of under $500,000 do you think it could recoup the budget and payback for investors (Principle plus interest)? I am justing thinking into the future, if I were to write, direct, produce a romantic drama / romcom would it be likely to at least break even (again with the premise of a great script and good cinemetog and music, etc)? I know that genre is generally not at the top of the list, compared to say action and horror, so I am just wondering about even breaking even-- it would be fun to make even if no profit was made.

 

[Will Vincent]

Romantic Comedies typically don't have the pull that an action film or a regular comedy would.. and without any known actors in it the film probably wouldn't do very well. It's sad, as that's my favorite genre, but for the most part, people don't pay to see a bunch of unknowns in a film with as predictable a formula as a romantic comedy. The catch 22 is that for a romantic comedy to really be effective and to work, it has to follow the formula.

BUT.. you could use some of that budget and the low budget sag agreements to get yourself one or two names.. Even small names, like maybe a couple actors from TV, or older actors that haven't worked in a while and as such would be easier to convince to work for scale, etc..

 

[Joe999]

I kind of figured the market was slim-- unless one is lucky enough to get Jennifer Lopez or someone like that as a star. Like I said I would be happy to just break even; what if I could produce it on a budget of $150k, do you think that would make it back with no profit? It would fun just to write and produce. Otherwise I guess I would just be looking at writing a 20-30 minute rom/romcom short and doing that low budget more for the fun. Or like you said write a great script and convince a second tier star to work really really cheap on it as an ultra low budget indie.

Romantic Comedies typically don't have the pull that an action film or a regular comedy would.. and without any known actors in it the film probably wouldn't do very well. It's sad, as that's my favorite genre, but for the most part, people don't pay to see a bunch of unknowns in a film with as predictable a formula as a romantic comedy. The catch 22 is that for a romantic comedy to really be effective and to work, it has to follow the formula.

BUT.. you could use some of that budget and the low budget sag agreements to get yourself one or two names.. Even small names, like maybe a couple actors from TV, or older actors that haven't worked in a while and as such would be easier to convince to work for scale, etc..

 

[Beeblebrox]

I pretty much echo everything Will says. There are RARE exceptions, with Swingers being the best example ($250K budget), but for the most part rom-coms require names. Amy's O is another, although that film had a bigger budget.

That said, it might be possible to recoup an investment with a $150K film IF the script was absolutely frickin' brilliant. You could play festivals and hope to pick up a buyer that way for a limited platform release or even direct-to-DVD.

 

[Joe999]

Well of course my scripts will be absolutely frickin' billiant, that goes without saying. But since even that might not be good enough, without a name, I guess maybe the next best thing might be to sneak in the romance or rom com with action/horror, make a mixed genre, keep the romance or romcom as a B story, leave the A story as the main draw and have it be action / horror / suspense. Mixed genres are a better strategy to go with anyhow from what I read.

I pretty much echo everything Will says. There are RARE exceptions, with Swingers being the best example ($250K budget), but for the most part rom-coms require names. Amy's O is another, although that film had a bigger budget.

That said, it might be possible to recoup an investment with a $150K film IF the script was absolutely frickin' brilliant. You could play festivals and hope to pick up a buyer that way for a limited platform release or even direct-to-DVD.

 

[spinner]

Romantic Comedies typically don't have the pull that an action film or a regular comedy would.. and without any known actors in it the film probably wouldn't do very well. It's sad, as that's my favorite genre, but for the most part, people don't pay to see a bunch of unknowns in a film with as predictable a formula as a romantic comedy. The catch 22 is that for a romantic comedy to really be effective and to work, it has to follow the formula.

...well, I agree...and I don't agree....

Action films are very different from the way they used to be. I just saw a trailer for the movie Rambo. Now, I remember First Blood. I think that it was the first of the genre of the action films. And considering that it was for the most part, the first, it worked. Plus it was a good film.

But here's the thing: the idea of an action movie is very different from what it used to be. Sure, Hollywood still tries to churn out the same formula, but the fact of the matter is that the coolest of the new genre action movie took place in a warehouse...and a cop got his ear cut off. The over the top action films, but still cool, like the original Matrix, they still work, but they have been re-thought. And I remember seeing a movie called Phone Booth.

There are more examples, but I bring these up to say this: the idea of action movies have changed. And so can Romantic Comedies. So, okay, you have to follow the formula. But that doesn't mean you can't make the formula look different. When Harry Met Sally was fine for the time it was shot. But then again, so was Casablanca. And even though one is a beautiful classic, it doesn't change the fact that eventually things evolve.

So, in my opinion, a Romantic Comedy still has the potential, as all films do, to work. I think that it just will need to be updated, re-thought, to make it fresher and cooler.

-- spinner

 

[spinner]

Well of course my scripts will be absolutely frickin' billiant, that goes without saying.

But since even that might not be good enough, without a name, I guess maybe the next best thing might be to sneak in the romance or rom com with action/horror, make a mixed genre, keep the romance or romcom as a B story, leave the A story as the main draw and have it be action / horror / suspense. Mixed genres are a better strategy to go with anyhow from what I read.

...not necessarily. Again I'll bring up the movie Once. There are no stars in that. And the leads ain't exactly Hollywood pretty... So for all we know, anything goes. If I was doing a romatic comedy with no names, I think it would make sense to try to find very talented amateurs with a certain amount of pretty. Some things never change, people want to see pretty people (shrug)...

-- spinner

 

[Joe999]

Yeah I think casting would be critical, find great up and coming and even noob actors that have talent and are extremely easy on the eyes. Combine that with a great script and who knows what might be possible. I just really want to write a romantic drama/comedy, but that could be a few years away.

...not necessarily. Again I'll bring up the movie Once. There are no stars in that. And the leads ain't exactly Hollywood pretty... So for all we know, anything goes. If I was doing a romatic comedy with no names, I think it would make sense to try to find very talented amateurs with a certain amount of pretty. Some things never change, people want to see pretty people (shrug)...-- spinner

 

[Will Vincent]

I don't think Romantic Comedy lends itself very well to mixing with horror or action.. well action maybe if it was done right, but don't know that I've ever seen any romantic comedy I liked that wasn't just a romantic comedy..

 

[Joe999]

I could list others, but the classic example (successful) of a romantic comedy + action-adventure is Romancing the Stone; if you have not seen it go rent it, very good mix of the two genres. Also e.g. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (high action mixed with the romcom romance between Harrison Ford and the blonde co-star).

But I think I agree mostly with your point-- romcom is often best left more pure, however I think romantic drama can be easily added as a B or A story mixed with action or horror.

... don't know that I've ever seen any romantic comedy I liked that wasn't just a romantic comedy..

 

[Will Vincent]

I could list others, but the classic example (successful) of a romantic comedy + action-adventure is Romancing the Stone; if you have not seen it go rent it, very good mix of the two genres. Also e.g. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (high action mixed with the romcom romance between Harrison Ford and the blonde co-star).

But I think I agree mostly with your point-- romcom is often best left more pure, however I think romantic drama can be easily added as a B or A story mixed with action or horror.

But then it's not really a romantic comedy, it's a drama or action film with a romantic element. And while I agree that Romancing the Stone (and the sequel, Jewel of the Nile) are great movies, they're really not romantic comedies.

 

[Joe999]

If you go back in this thread and look at my posts midway you will see that I was discussing writing/filming a mixed genre, e.g. romantic comedy + action, such as Romancing the Stone, given that rom/romcom has a slimmer market.

So you are of course correct that films like RTS and IJATTOD are not romantic comedy, they would be mixed genre. Everything I read in screenwriting books says that mixed genres generally do better than a straight genre. Since romcom might have a slimmer market than say horror or action, it might be prudent to combine rom with action/horror as has been the case with many successful films.

But then it's not really a romantic comedy, it's a drama or action film with a romantic element. And while I agree that Romancing the Stone (and the sequel, Jewel of the Nile) are great movies, they're really not romantic comedies.

 

[Will Vincent]

Yes, I know you started talking about mixed genre films.. Just correcting your description of the genre of films your mentioning.

Romantic Comedy is its own thing, and kind of is in itself a mixed genre (romance and comedy). Temple of Doom, Romancing the Stone, et al.. these are Adventure Films that have a Romance element. Of course there is a slight amount of humor too, but not the kind or amount that would justify calling it romantic comedy.

The sad truth behind it all though I think is that most films with unknown actors and directors face a big challenge in trying to make money. But, if it's written well, a solid story, cast, acted, and directed well -- then it should do decent on the festival circuit, which will help -- and a potential sale, even just straight to DVD or for TV wouldn't be unheard of.

Another avenue to look at would be creating a film intended for television, like one of those Lifetime channel movies. I'm not sure how one goes about that, but it's a market worth researching.

 

[starchie]

There once was a romcom made as a final year project at a film school in Melbourne, Australia, that was shot on short ends, limited to three to one ratio and starred no-one of note.

It cost $50,000 Aus to make, and Fox picked it up for a Million Aus. the filmmakers spent half of that on a regrade of sorts and a remix of the sound and still came out a half mill in the black before it had ever played a screen.

So the legend goes.

It launched the careers of Frances O'Connor as an actor and Emma-Kate Groghan as a director.

So it is possible to make a romcom with nothing and nobody and make money and careers. Although I think that it is rare.

I am hoping it isn't that rare that it doesn't happen for me

 

[Joe999]

Ditto

...So it is possible to make a romcom with nothing and nobody and make money and careers. Although I think that it is rare.... I am hoping it isn't that rare that it doesn't happen for me

 

[jjfortin]

Good romantic comedies are so rare, I applaud anyone who has the courage and will to even consider it, and my opinion is to go ahead. I think you sound very enthusiastic about your project and that alone usually leads to a good film. If it means anything, I am involved with a production called "Notes from the New World," which is based on Dostoyevsky's "Notes from the Underground." It's not a romcom, but there is of course, the potential off-putting element of it being based on a work of serious literature--and you know how few of those sort do well. Still, the film is only loosely based on the book and has all the elements of a thriller. But, how to market this? We are currently using every available means via the internet to promote it, including web sites and what not, in order to promote the film, and possibly, generate interest and actual revenue. I would like to see you do the film, then mercilessly use this great tool of the internet to get the word out. Good luck to you!