Getting Financed by Dummy movie!

Hi friends. I was just thinking about to write something on my blog when a question came in my mind. I thoght to share it first with you. As you people are more experinced and will realy contribute alot to the the topic.

Coming towards the topic as we all know the major difference between indie movies (when i use the word indie please also include low budget movies) and big Named movies is finance. Infact majority of the indie filmmakers fail to get finance at earlier stage. And they are also unable to shoot the movie.

On the other hand even if they get able to shoot, majority of the times they dont have good equipments which are certainly an important aspect of filmmaking. Interestingly all this happen even if we have a sellable script (i think not even all sellable script gets sailed.)

So why cant we do one thing after finishing the final script if we make dummy of the movie on simple handy cam? i mean the simplest one? and then we can ask people to finance. Will it not be more easy to get finance.
Obviously when a movie is just on papers many people feel hard to invest but when they will atleast see a dummy they might be interested?

I know a very simple handy cam will have poor voice and poor picture quality. But atleast people (financers) will be able to see the creativity of the filmmakers (WE filmmakers) and they might invest. Because we all know its not the technical perfection which makes a movie HIT or Flop . It is the treatment and creativity which works.(example of Blair wich project and Clerk is an example). ANd obvioulsy these are the thing which we can show to financers even with a simple handy CAM. Above all even our expenses will be nearly 0. we will only have to look out for a Handy cam. and with help of friends (as crew and actors) we can show the financers a dummy. ATleast the chances to get finance will rise (i think chances will get double). And our movie this how might get presold


I just want to know what the experts and GURUS of indietalk say? I hope they can contribute a lot to this topic .



Regards


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Just a trailor...well i thought adummy movie will create more interest for the Financers. Anyways thanks for your comments. I just wanted to ask one thing suppose if i want to attract the financers from any other country like US or UK then can i shoot the trailor with local people only? just for the sake of trailor

Regards


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www.indie-filmmaking.blogspot.com
 
This is a terrible idea (no offense), if you have a great script, let the script work for you. The reader will have the scenes in his/her head as it is read, don't show them a turd and ruin the chances. If you're gonna shoot it, shoot it.
 
Poor quality and sound might distracted investors. Some investors don't know much about filmmaking and if they see this "dummy" movie, they might think this is all you can do. I agree with Spatula. Making a quality trailer is a better option.
 
A trailer would take multiple set-ups and if you're going to do multiple set-ups you may as well shoot the film, I would say, if you want to show something, shoot a compelling scene, or as much as the film as you can finance, and then seek completion funds. With a trailer you're just basically shooting stuff you probably can't use later and wasting money.
 
Indietalk
if you want to show something, shoot a compelling scene, or as much as the film as you can finance, and then seek completion funds.

can you explain this in little more detail please so the things can become more clear to me. You mean i should straight away start shooting the movie and shoot the best and the most interesting scenes First then seek for Finance?


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If you want to sell a screenplay, don't shoot anything, let the screenplay do the work. If you want to shoot this film yourself, if you have some funds, you can create a budget to see how much of the film you can shoot, and decide if you want to shoot those scenes, and then seek completion funds.
 
No actually i want to make a movie but not In pakistan because the movie which i thought has a little western touch. so i obviously cant go to US or UK just to shoot the Trailor. I just thought by taking actors from here i can shoot the trailor (or a dummi movie) and ask the financer to invest in it....so that i can make that movie in US or UK.........


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When I watch a trailer, I want it to be scenes from the actual film, the mock trailer doesn't work for me. Then you have to explain that the film isn't completed (or even shot at all), and the scenes in the trailer aren't even from the film, or for the film. Too much explaining. I'd go with a script only, or actual scenes.
 
Sometimes filmmakers (who write AND shoot their own script) will do what Indietalk said above -- shoot either a strong scene from the movie, OR make a short film to showcase the writing and filmmaking ability. The first example of this that comes to mind is Sam Raimi, who made a short film "Within The Woods" as a way to attract investors to fund what he had in mind for a larger production -- what eventually became "The Evil Dead." The point is, though, that he put everything he had into making the short movie as GOOD as it could be. You're more likely to attract attention with 15 minutes of quality than two hours of mediocrity and promises.
 
I agree that this is a terrible idea. I suggest never, EVER show anyone
anything less that your very best. Very few people can sit through
something with poor audio and video quality and bad acting and
understand that if they give you a lot of money these things will get
better. Very few people IN the business can do that.

I see no reason to schedule actors and crew and locations for two
weeks to shoot a dummy movie with poor audio and video quality.
You still have to feed them and pay for transportation and all sorts
of other things - might as well do it right the first time.

I, too, think making a trailer makes no sense. I know a lot of
people do it but I know of no success stories. However there are
many success stories from filmmakers making a great short film
that gets them money to make a feature.
 
Thanks a lot directorik. Please tell me one thing as you said that

However there are
many success stories from filmmakers making a great short film
that gets them money to make a feature.

so if we are making a short film to attract Financers what should be the length of the movie? I mean on few different forums too i have read people saying that they are making a short film of 10 mins or 20 mins.......so in your opinion (and being experienced too) how long the short film should be so that the Financers can see it all with interest without thinking that the short movie is too long or short movie is too short?


One more thing that Will it not be a risk to show the complete script in form of a short film? How can we protect this?

Thanks and Regards


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www.indie-filmmaking.blogspot.com
 
Shorts or Trailers

Let's face it, there's an audience for everything. A teacher once told me, "You're only as good as you next film",
so I think as a film maker, you've got to decide how you want to tell your story, and if it's acceptable to do it at
whatever budget you decide to pick up your camera at.

But don't do it half way. If you have $100, then put every cent of it on the screen. It's a grueling, non stop siege to get anyone - period - to look at your movie when it's done, so you owe it to your story, your cast and your crew to use your resources to the best of your ability the first time.

As far as shooting a trailer or a single scene, don't bother in my opinion. If your script is strong and you can articulate your plan, you'll get the financing, and if you don't and you decide to shoot it yourself, then jump in head first and make your movie.

Realistically, very few films made outside of the studio system will ever make any money. Most films coming out of hollywood don't make any money, but it's very possible to make a living as a film maker if you hone your stories and you find your niche audience and you - listen up - keep your costs down.

Listen, in the next several years, I believe Digital Delivery is going to become the primary way our audiences will view our films. That means the playing field is going to level out. Your film will be available at Amazon UnBox and iTunes just like Michael Bay's film and Ron Howard's film. It's going to come down to advertising budgets and availability.

Right now, every emerging Digital Aggregate is looking to get content for their digital delivery stores. Cinema Now, Amazon Unboxed, IndieFlix... the list goes on and on. IPT (Internet Protocal Television) is signing deals left and right for content. Tivo, Vudu, ZillionTV... they are all looking for content to add to their own proprietary systems and right now they are willing to talk to you and I, when in five years it's going to be like trying to talk Paramount into distributing your film.

My best advice is this - shoot your film the best way you can afford - make it good and make it compelling and you'll have the entire world to market to. Certainly out of a hundred billion people on the planet, there is a few hundred thousand interested in specifically whatever you're doing.

Control your costs, and control your rights. Get your finished film on every digital platform you can find, so it's available for download, IPTV, Video On Demand. Begin these relationships now, so that in 3 or 4 years when all of Hollywood decides they now have to get their films in downloadable form, you'll already be there, and you'll have established a relationship with the distributors so you'll have an open line for your new projects.

My third feature film "House of Bedlam" is being released this week on DVD, Download and Video On Demand. My last film "Virgin Pockets" is already on Amazon UnBoxed, Tivo, IndieFlix and we just put together a licensing deal with ZillionTV to have the movie on their system when they launch with 1 million set top boxes at Christmas.

It's possible to make a living off your films, but you have got to control costs and realize that there's a price tag on your rights. I see many young film makers sign over their films to 50 / 50 deals that ties up their rights for 5 - 7 years and they wonder why they can't afford to make their next movie.

For whatever it's worth...

- Paul Gorman
GMD Films
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