Finding independent film investors and getting them to invest in your film is one of the biggest challenges you'll face. With that said, you can save yourself a lot of headaches by prepping your project in a way that proves working with you will be potentially low risk, with the high probability for reward.
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7 Killer Resources For Filmmakers Seeking Independent Film Investors
Before you seek out independent film investors to help you realize your filmmaking goals, you need to do your homework. The following resources may help you.
1. Break Down Your Screenplay
Break down your movie script into a schedule. Use the information from your schedule to create your initial production budget. You could hire someone to do this for you, or you could grab a copy of Peter Marshall's Online Course, Movie Script Breakdown.
2. Create A Business Plan
Utilize the information from your movie budget to write your movie business plan. Your business plan will detail how your movie money will be spent – but more importantly, your film business plan will also detail how you will market and sell your movie.
3. Create a Marketing Plan
Your business plan will also contain a your film marketing plan. Creating a marketing plan is a relatively new step for filmmakers, but having an idea for how you will market and sell your film (without a distributor) is essential. As a hint, getting your movie into Sundance should not be part of your business or marketing plan, unless you can guarantee acceptance to Sundance.
4. Budget Your Marketing in a Plan
In order to succeed, you must not only create a marketing plan, but you must budget the cost of your marketing. Again, allocating funds to your marketing is a new step for us filmmakers. In the past, your marketing was handled by movie distributors.
5. Update Your Budget
In the past, your initial budget only included your production costs. Now that you have your marketing plan, you will have to pay for your marketing. You will need to decide if these monies will come from your production budget… Or will you go out and raise more money?
6. Crowdfunding To Cover Movie Project Legal
Once you are satisfied with your business plan, then you will need to find a lawyer – especially if you plan on approaching prospective investors. But doing this correctly can be expensive. So to raise the legal fees, consider testing your concept and marketing hook by creating a crowdfunding campaign. From this practice, you can possibly raise money to cover your legal costs.
7. Find Prospective Investors
Once you get the OK from your lawyer, you will need to reach out to rich people. If you're from a small town, you probably already know who the rich people are. Pick up the phone and call them. Ask for a meeting to chat about your “business venture.” Keep in mind that boldness is rewarded and if you don't ask you don't get. And in the event you need more information on how to build relationships with rich people so they can finance your movie, check you the indie producer's guide to getting movie money.
