How do independent filmmakers get funding?

The company producing the film is usually tasked with doing the legwork to gather enough investors to fund the film. Independently. Independent filmmakers use their personal networks, tax credits, and grants to patch together funding to make their film.

How can I raise funding for a film?

9 Ways to Fundraise for a Film Production

1. Family, Friends, and Their Networks. The very first place where a lot of filmmakers start looking for funding is their immediate circle of family and friends.
2. Cast & Crew.
3. Events.
4. Contests & Competitions.
5. Grants & Tax Incentives.
6. Investors.
7. Crowdfunding.
8. Credit Cards & Business Loans.

How do you sell an independent film?

If you wind up selling your own film, here are a dozen things to keep in mind.

1. Don’t buy into your own hype.
2. Develop a strategy and stick to it.
3. Know the terrain.
4. Know the calendar.
5. Know the players.
6. Keep the heat down until you are ready to screen.
7. Enhance your film’s value.
8. Seek outside validation.

How do independent filmmakers make a living?

To get you started, here’s a list of 35 different ways you can make money as a filmmaker.

1. Get a distribution deal for your film.
2. Self-distribute your films.
3. Shoot corporate training videos.
4. Make commercials.
5. Shoot weddings and/or events.
6. Teach filmmaking.
7. Edit someone else’s film.
8. Become a content creator on YouTube.

How do I invest in independent films?

How to Invest in Indie Films Steps

1. Consider why you’re doing this.
2. Consider investing in indie moves as a non correlated asset class.
3. Diversify your portfolio.
4. Be in this for the long term.
5. See the silver lining in the entertainment industry in both the good times and the bad.
6. Be prepared for naysayers.

What qualifies as an independent film?

An indie film is any feature-length or short film that is made without a major studio or big production company attached. Indie filmmaking is often low-budget, which in the film industry can mean anywhere from a few thousand dollars (“micro-budget”) to a few million.

How do you write a proposal for a film project?

How to Write a Powerful Film Proposal

1. Know your Script by Heart. We’ve mentioned that a film proposal is not unlike a resume you submit for a job application.
2. Develop a Logline.
3. Structure your Script.
4. Storyboard your Plot.
5. Create your Casting Wish List.
6. Outline your Resource Needs.

What is a film grant?

Film grants are usually unrestricted funds, services, or equipment that can be used for the development, production, or distribution of a project. They do not have to be repaid. Film grants give independent filmmakers the most freedom.

How do I raise the money to produce an independent film?

If you’ve never produced an independent film, it is almost impossible to raise the money for it outside of a friends/family round or by being fortunate enough to obtain intellectual property with a following (i.e., book rights, life story rights, etc.).

What are the chances of an independent film being profitable?

If we were to randomly select an independent film made in the US over the past twenty years, there is a 3.4\% chance it was a profitable investment for its backers. Just slightly better than one in thirty. However, this is an artificial situation as that assumes true random selection.

Is it worth it to back independent movies?

Of those which did reach cinemas, the majority did not earn enough to recoup the costs of making, marketing and distributing the movie. If we were to randomly select an independent film made in the US over the past twenty years, there is a 3.4\% chance it was a profitable investment for its backers.

What is the most difficult part of producing an independent film?

Anyone who has produced an independent film will tell you the most difficult task is raising money to pay for the production (although the rest is not easy either).