The Woes of Finding Investors.

It seemed so easy, listening to "testimonials" and reading articles, but I'm having a devil of a time finding any legitimate sources to approach to fund my project. I know they exist, that there are people out there funding films (I.e. the insane amount of B-movies on Netflix is testament enough), but all I've found are scams. What's a producer to do? Any advice out there? Help me, Indietalk, you're my only hope!
 
I raised some money for a feature in the early 1990's. It was all from friends and family of the cast and crew. Investing in a film is not really a smart business decision in most case (there are exceptions) People usually put money into a project to support the people involved and the project itself. I think all the companies asking you for money to find investors are scams. You are better off researching what others are doing and following that path. That's just my GUESS. I'm no expert on film financing ;)
 
Before others will invest in you, you must first invest in yourself. You need a resume and a demo reel to show investors, just like actors do.

You have to start off small, just like a first time writer trying to sell their first script.

I have a good laugh reading posts from some of my friend actors just starting out in the business who puts up posts about trying out for commercials that pay $15,000 and thinking they would get that job over a Jessica Alba or a Laura Vandervoot, if they tried out for the same commercial. As someone I know in Hollywood asks at times, "What have they done?" No credits with something they starred in that makes money means they will get passed over. They need to start out small to build a resume. Even an agent for the big three said to tell people starting out, build your resume to prove to agents you can make them money. No credits means they will not be interested in you. You need to do more work than your agents.

You need to prove to investors you can get their money back with personal success stories on productions you've made that makes money.
 
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Film financing even for B-movies isn't anywhere near as easy as a normal person would think.

First, INVESTING and DONATING are two completely different financial terms.
Investing implies an expectation of return, whereas a donation does not.
I do not "invest" in homeless people. I "donate" to them.
I do not "donate" to my education. I "invest" in it.


Second, open up a email to save as a draft, hunt down five of the (likely wretched) B-movies on Netflix, (we did something similar to this just the other month with the film INK, and myself with ANGEL OF DEATH), research the writer/director/producer/studio/distributor, find a budget, document how they were made.


Odds are that anything with a budget over $500k has some serious legal help well beyond the scope of anyone regularly hanging out around IT (so far), and any budget well under that has a whole lotta private equity (your own money and that of family and friends).

Putting up a KickStarter or IndyGoGo page requires a great deal of effort to successfully haul in significant amounts of money for a project likely to end up on NetFlix.



Good Luck & Best Wishes!
 
Most indie movies are made by people remortgaging their homes. Don't ever do that by the way. If you can't find someone else's money then the movie doesn't get shot.
I think it's also a case of over supply of movies (due to cheap technology and Internet distribution for everyone) and lesser supply of people with money to invest (recession). The whole indie business has become fragmented.
 
I think it's really unwise to compare ourselves to Sam Raimi and the Coen Brothers or maybe even Kevin Smith. That was the 1980's and 1990's. That was a whole different world before internet and video stores actually existed. You could say "Our movie will sell in video stores or small theaters .." The world we live in is like ANOTHER PLANET. The crowdfunding model seems to make more sense to me. Assuming it works and you can raise enough money to produce a movie. I know people still get investors for indie projects today. It seems like you are really losing investor's money if you don't raise enough for name actors. Just my thoughts.
 
Usually works the same way it always did. Friends, family, your network. Getting a random stranger to invest in something that has about a 95% chance of failing to turn a profit (a very optimistic view of a film project) is really really tough.

It's probably even tougher now that it used to be. When everything was still shot on film, there were so many fewer movies in the market you probably had a BETTER chance of getting distributed than you do now.
 
Thanks for the input everyone. It looks like funding may become easier with the passage of the Small Business act. My main hurdle was not having a large enough network to pitch to. I have this great prospectus, but a very limited pool of potential investors within friends and family. Now, and depending on when it kicks in, according to the act small businesses can advertise to investors via the internet, a tactic that, up until now, was deemed an infraction of SEC regulations. This will end up being HUGE for filmmakers such as myself and my colleagues. Sure, there will be scammers, like many opponents of the act are saying, but they already exist in the form of finders and broker/dealers who take advantage of start-ups. Rest assured that, if I don't have funding by the time this comes to fruition (I'm pitching this weekend to a wealthy acquaintance, wish me luck!), I'll be soliciting on the internet.
 
Pitching to investors won't work. There is a reason they have money to invest and it's NOT from prior investment in films.

You need to pitch to suckers. Not to scam them, but to sell them the idea they're in the Movie Business. Who wouldn't want to be rubbing elbows with Harvey?

Go after dentists and other people living ordinary lives and offer an escape.

Good luck.
 
Read Louise Levison's book, "Filmmakers and financing: Business Plans for Independants". I get the impression it's a reliable guide. For what it's worth, I've corresponded with her, and she knows what she's doing.
 
Bitcoin!!!!!

It blows my mind that all of you experienced people, arent talking about piratemyfilm.com
its crowdfunding for pepole who want to escape the hollywood debt machine.
we all know how the pentagon and hollywood are tight look at act of valor

Pirate my film lets investors crowdfund you in dollars or bitcoin. all your projects should be listed on there. a parralell economy is rising from the ash of the casino gulag, and the day the dollar dies cryptocurrency will be there for the world to fall back on as a reseve currency. youre behind the curve guys!! get with the future.. today!
:grumpy:
 
Okay, you have five posts here. All of them about piratemyfilm.com
or bitcoin.

How about telling us about this amazing future. What films have been
funded using piratemyfilm.com? I'm very willing to "get with the future".
How are you connected to piratemyfilm.com? How many of your films
have been financed through piratemyfilm.com.

I ready and willing to listen and learn.
 
Went ot the piratemyfilm.com site. I must confess I'm totally confused on what it does and what funders get for investing $5 shares.
Can you explain it in 1-2 simple sentences, please?

It blows my mind that all of you experienced people, arent talking about piratemyfilm.com
its crowdfunding for pepole who want to escape the hollywood debt machine.
we all know how the pentagon and hollywood are tight look at act of valor

Pirate my film lets investors crowdfund you in dollars or bitcoin. all your projects should be listed on there. a parralell economy is rising from the ash of the casino gulag, and the day the dollar dies cryptocurrency will be there for the world to fall back on as a reseve currency. youre behind the curve guys!! get with the future.. today!
:grumpy:
 
It blows my mind that all of you experienced people, arent talking about piratemyfilm.com
its crowdfunding for pepole who want to escape the hollywood debt machine.
we all know how the pentagon and hollywood are tight look at act of valor

I found my answer.

Although its been around for a while, pirate my film is still in its experimental phase.
Because as yet, no dividends have been paid out to shareholders in successfully funded movies.
That's why all of us experienced people aren't talking about this
source of funding. So far no film has been funded.
 
films have been funded, but no filmmakers have paid out any dividends, yet.
go to bitcoin.org as well.
sorry if i was a bit over zealous, im enamoured with the open sourceness of it all
The guy who came up with pirate my film - max keiser has a show on russia today, you should check it out, and see why the change from a conventional fiat money economy to a p2p digi conomy is so important
 
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