Short Film vs TV Pilot
- Thread starter sfoster
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I'm sure they'd rather have someone else direct my feature.
But if they love my script they will have to reconsider.
They will have to reconsider what, the fundamental economic principles of being an investor?! The fundamental investment principle (in any product type) is that the higher the profit, the higher the risk. What attracts investors is therefore a product concept with high profit potential and minimal risk. What you are trying to sell is an investment opportunity which has some undefined potential for profit with the added condition that investors maximise their risk. Does this sound in anyway realistic to you?
Also: There are no script consumers, there is no market for scripts and no one buys or invests in scripts!! What investors invest in (and might "love") is not a script itself but a script's potential to be turned into a successful film but you seem to want to reduce that potential and therefore avoid any "love"?!
I said before that what you need is specific goals and realistic plans for achieving them. So far you've only presented a vague goal and plans which could hardly be any less realistic! You seem to have set your heart on your current course of action though and there's obviously nothing I can say to modify your approach or chances of success. So there's no point in me contributing anymore to this thread.
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What is the alternative? To sell a spec script?
That sounds pretty unrealistic - not to mention unappealing. Writing is my least favorite part of film making. I don't want to just be a writer alone in my room. I want to work with people.
You think it's unrealistic but isn't that what happened with tarintino? isn't that what happened with boondocks saints? Isn't there a trail of people that are writers and got to direct their script because it had so much potential?
I'm unsure how much more specific the goal of networking can be? I want to get a specific script created! With a pitch that everyone loves. If I can meet a famous actor that likes it suddenly I've got a great chance of getting funding. Or if I can get someone wealthy to be a huge fan of my short then maybe they would want to work with me too.
I don't see this sort of thing as 'could not be any less realistic'. I'm doing the ground work, making short films, getting experience, etc. Sure I'm not working with professionals but I can't afford to hire professionals! And I'm a story teller - Not a audio professional or a lighting specialist - what would I do on someone else's set ? What possible place would someone like an unknown tarintino have on the set of the avengers? Somehow I don't think the role of PA is going to be a game changer when it comes to boosting investor confidence.
I realize getting someone else to invest in my film probably isn't in the cards. But I have a terrible quality of life, I'm in pain every day, this dream is the only thing keeping me going. And worst case I will have a masterpiece short film to live on after I die.
That sounds pretty unrealistic - not to mention unappealing. Writing is my least favorite part of film making. I don't want to just be a writer alone in my room. I want to work with people.
You think it's unrealistic but isn't that what happened with tarintino? isn't that what happened with boondocks saints? Isn't there a trail of people that are writers and got to direct their script because it had so much potential?
I'm unsure how much more specific the goal of networking can be? I want to get a specific script created! With a pitch that everyone loves. If I can meet a famous actor that likes it suddenly I've got a great chance of getting funding. Or if I can get someone wealthy to be a huge fan of my short then maybe they would want to work with me too.
I don't see this sort of thing as 'could not be any less realistic'. I'm doing the ground work, making short films, getting experience, etc. Sure I'm not working with professionals but I can't afford to hire professionals! And I'm a story teller - Not a audio professional or a lighting specialist - what would I do on someone else's set ? What possible place would someone like an unknown tarintino have on the set of the avengers? Somehow I don't think the role of PA is going to be a game changer when it comes to boosting investor confidence.
I realize getting someone else to invest in my film probably isn't in the cards. But I have a terrible quality of life, I'm in pain every day, this dream is the only thing keeping me going. And worst case I will have a masterpiece short film to live on after I die.
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You do the best you can to get what you want! Plenty of experience getting good results directing professionals would be best but as that's out of the question what's the next best thing you CAN do? I would (and have already!) suggest that experience directing amateurs and getting good results is the next best thing. However you look at it though, I can't see how avoiding gaining any experience of directing a crew is anything but the worst thing you can do!
You're joking? Of course it's unrealistic! How many aspiring filmmakers have there been in the last 30 years and how many Tarantinos? You know of a tiny handful of exceptions to the rule precisely because they are exceptions, because they succeeded against unrealistic odds. However, Tarantino did have some experience directing and working with others before his big break. So it seems to me you're trying to achieve something even more difficult than Tarantino achieved and in an era when there are many more filmmakers to compete against. Do yourself a favour and at least try to improve your odds! We're going round in circles, so I really am going to bow out now. Good luck.
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You'll get no argument out of me there.. that's why I am still actively working on projects. Just today I've worked on the script for my web series finale and held my final audition for episode 3. I must be missing what you're saying - but it's not intentional so maybe I am just dense.
How else can I improve my odds?
I am working on projects, including a truly ambitious short film before I move on to attempting a feature.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvFy9uHSjH4
Yes I believe that I am special. The stuff that I've written for episode 3 is fantastic.
How to steal a car, how to get a gun without a background check, how to optimize your laundry process.
Things that absolutely anyone would be able to do after I show them how in my film.
I keep getting better. I don't even have a day job now, film is the only thing I'm focusing on.
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I think you'll find that APE is saying, you need to have a more specific plan of action. Meeting "Tom Hanks" vs meeting a famous actor, Meeting Weinstein vs meeting a random rich person and so on. The more specific your plans, the better the chances you'll have of formulating how it'll happen. On top of that, the more chances you'll know when it actually happened.
The next part of what I interpret what APE is saying, you may be well off learning what it takes to get projects financed. A killer script is only part of the journey. A killer script in the hands of the wrong team will burn through investors money without a decent expectation of return.
Just figure out the answer to this question: What does an investor want?
The next part of what I interpret what APE is saying, you may be well off learning what it takes to get projects financed. A killer script is only part of the journey. A killer script in the hands of the wrong team will burn through investors money without a decent expectation of return.
Just figure out the answer to this question: What does an investor want?
It's not quite that. Think of it like this. My aim for today is to "Change the world", at the end of the day, I'm unlikely to know whether I succeeded or not. If my aim is to "make at least one person smile, which will make the world a better place" you'll have something to aim for. The size of the aim is inconsequential.
I also noticed something in your language of focusing on what you don't want eg. You don't want to spend your time alone writing is also what I've told is problematic. You get what you focus on. If you focus on what you don't want, you still levitate towards it. It gets more complicated depending on your personality type and so on. It's not an exact science and doesn't work for everyone.
You don't need to have only 1 name on your list. It was simply an example. It's to show there is a difference between looking to meet Tom Hanks or President Obama. They're both famous, though Obama won't have a snowballs chance in hell in getting your film greenlit.
Having a plan is important. Sticking to a plan that isn't working, not so smart. Just food for thought.
I also noticed something in your language of focusing on what you don't want eg. You don't want to spend your time alone writing is also what I've told is problematic. You get what you focus on. If you focus on what you don't want, you still levitate towards it. It gets more complicated depending on your personality type and so on. It's not an exact science and doesn't work for everyone.
You don't need to have only 1 name on your list. It was simply an example. It's to show there is a difference between looking to meet Tom Hanks or President Obama. They're both famous, though Obama won't have a snowballs chance in hell in getting your film greenlit.
Having a plan is important. Sticking to a plan that isn't working, not so smart. Just food for thought.
I was hoping people would come to me after seeing my film. But sure, a plan of how to approach specific people sounds like a good idea. I can get down with that.
So I need some sort of guide who is familiar with the social landscape when I unveil my masterpiece. An agent?
So I need some sort of guide who is familiar with the social landscape when I unveil my masterpiece. An agent?
Again it'll depend. I'm sure you'll get actors (whether they are of the stature you care about) coming to you wanting to be cast in your next film. Again, specificity of what you're after. Are we talking a feature film now or are we still on the topic of a TV pilot?
I'm really not sure. I'd assume a manager over an agent, though how you'd get a good one before you've made it... That's another story.
If this was an easy thing, there'd be millions of Tarantinos out there.
When it comes down to the specifics of what your plan should be, that's really up to you. You need to take stock of where you're at, where you want to be and what you need to do to get to there. When taking stock, brutal honesty and clarity is needed. Otherwise, you're relying upon luck.
No one else cares more than you. No one knows you more than you (at least as well as you should). You have to design your own path. No one can do it for you.
To put it in perspective. Of the 10000 films made each year, how many do you think get people beating a path to their doorstep?
I'd suggest working out what makes people beat a path to your door. You'll need to find a way that makes you stand out from the crowd, otherwise, you're you're playing a 10000:1 game.
that's why i've been saving this idea until I felt I was good enough to execute it.
and yeah this would be my last short - feature films afterward.
Never say never. Removing your options may be right, it may be wrong.
You may be missing out on the opportunity to make more films and to learn along the way. Missing out on the opportunity to meet that right person you need to team up with.
Look. We're always learning. One point of view, continue to wait until you're good enough to execute what you want to make. Another point of view: Hire the right people who can bring your vision to the light of day.
Which one is right? That depends on you.
On one hand, you may be blowing your one and only shot before you're ready. (how many one and only shots do you really get?) On the other hand, how long are you going to wait for everything to be just perfect? What happens if it's never the perfect time?
If you're talking about making one last short that is so amazing that people come to you throwing millions of dollars at you to make a film... I assume you have a gist of the chances of that happening.
Happens all the time if you have an a-list actor on board for the project. thats the real trick.. it's stars that sell tickets.
If it's that simple, I have to wonder why every independent producer don't simply attach A-listers to their project and have gobs of money thrown at them?
A). How easy is it to get an A-list actor attached to your project?
B). Are you sure this is actually still the case?
I imagine is not easy, you'll have to impress them first!
B) it's not a guarantee but yeah I'm positive it helps a boatload if you have someone like will smith interested in starring in your film.
there are films like 'we own the night' that took the director many years before the pieces came together. even with talent attached. I've done a fair amount of research and it's a long shot but I'm taking the shot.
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=52686
It's been an ongoing process but i'm up 90lbs now and my mustache kicking more ass than I could have hoped for.
But unfortunately I still need to rewrite the script. I'm replacing the american piesh raunchy sex comedy with heartfelt sentiment instead. Working as hard as I can to finish my crime thriller finale so I can get to that rewrite.
Don't get me wrong. I hope you succeed. I see a lot of people with easy to execute plans. If there was an easy way to make it happen, I'm sure the professionals would have been all over it.
There's another saying. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. At least taking a shot, you do have a chance to succeed.
There's another saying. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. At least taking a shot, you do have a chance to succeed.
