What are some ways to raise money for a ultra low budget feature?? Just curious of what people have tried in the past that have worked?
funding
- Thread starter bloodandgutsProduction
- Start date
I have paid for everything out of my own pocket.
I have put together financing with friends and family.
I have made a short film that won awards and was seen by
a guy with money who said, "Can you turn that into a feature
if i give you $25,000?"
I have done a business plan and solicited investors.
I have put together financing with friends and family.
I have made a short film that won awards and was seen by
a guy with money who said, "Can you turn that into a feature
if i give you $25,000?"
I have done a business plan and solicited investors.
Write the script to match the money you have on hand right now, not on what you hope to raise.
ive mostly done everything out of pocket as well. Just wondering what other film makers have done to raise money for their films.
I got that. That's why I told you what I have done to raise money for my films.
How much to you need?
Have you done a full, complete, line item budget?
"I have made a short film that won awards and was seen by
a guy with money who said, "Can you turn that into a feature
if i give you $25,000?"
That's the one I keep hoping drops in my lap.
a guy with money who said, "Can you turn that into a feature
if i give you $25,000?"
That's the one I keep hoping drops in my lap.
well we have two scripts that are ready one is a big budget and I have a script I really want to shoot for around 15-25k
Anybody investing real money (not $25 kickstarter money, but serious thousands of dollars investors) are going to want to see a real budget. A every expense down to the paper towels for craft services and the cost of getting the audio post finished and the film marketed kind of budget.
To all experienced IT members -
Excluding a "art for art's sake" POV and expenses for educational purposes only, from a business perspective is a reasonable amount to spend on a short less than what you'd (essentially) pi$$ away on a vacation and for a feature nothing less than what would attract a legit distributor?
Rare exceptions aside, it just seems like there's a no man's land between $2k and $250k.
Who cares if you blow <$2k on a short?
What's the point of spending <$250k on a feature? (Likely need $2M just to play).
Sound about right?
Excluding a "art for art's sake" POV and expenses for educational purposes only, from a business perspective is a reasonable amount to spend on a short less than what you'd (essentially) pi$$ away on a vacation and for a feature nothing less than what would attract a legit distributor?
Rare exceptions aside, it just seems like there's a no man's land between $2k and $250k.
Who cares if you blow <$2k on a short?
What's the point of spending <$250k on a feature? (Likely need $2M just to play).
Sound about right?
hum, as we all know I have no experience in making real movies, but that said.
seems to me margin is the key.
A small budget feature in which you only invest $25K could have a good rate of return if it has a good niche market. I think slasher flicks are a good example. Turning $25K into $50K is a GREAT return.
What I dont know is does that ever happen?
seems to me margin is the key.
A small budget feature in which you only invest $25K could have a good rate of return if it has a good niche market. I think slasher flicks are a good example. Turning $25K into $50K is a GREAT return.
What I dont know is does that ever happen?
One thing we're going to take a shot at for our next production is to get some 'name actors" to sign on with SAG ultra low budget agreements that will help get distributors attached. A letter of intent from a cable TV network, a DVD distributor, or other means is the way an investor will get their money back from your production. You can take that letter of intent to a bank and get a loan for the money to make your production.
Every person on this thread is from the US - including the OP.
You have stated that you do not fund projects based in the States.
How will looking at your post on funding help bloodandgutsProduction
who are based in Ohio?
You have stated that you do not fund projects based in the States.
How will looking at your post on funding help bloodandgutsProduction
who are based in Ohio?
http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=paranormalactivity.htm
http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=tinyfurniture.htm
(according to imdb, budget is estimated at 50K)
These are only two examples, of which there are many more. Also, these are the more extreme examples -- the ones that go on to see a box office life. Remember that profit can be made in DVD distribution, alone.
Ever since Blockbuster and Hollywood Video closed and stores like Best Buy no longer carry anything other than "the hits", everything over $5,000 spent is like throwing away money. You are not gong to make your money back. I don't know how you shoot a movie for that cheap that can compete with big budget Hollywood films. Virtually impossible. Better to just shoot something reality based that can be shot for cheap.
Did you not see my post, above? "Tiny Furniture" is making bank!
Yeah, here's some more:
http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/records/budgets.php
And down at the bottom of this list (which takes a minute to fully load on my POS 'puter):
http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/records/allbudgets.php
Note the dates.
Or their sparseness, to be exact.
Then consider how many low-budget features were likely made in any given year.
Then divide the numbers of distributed films that were box office profitable (unquantifiable DVD sales and VOD contracts aside, even though you are 100% correct on that point) by that number of made features to render a "success" ratio.
That's a pretty little number.
It's almost a fraction of a fraction pretty little number.
The Human Centipede is a perfect example of box office disaster that has made big bux in DVD sales.
I mean... who wouldn't wanna give that DVD to their brother for Christmas!
And now they have The Full Sequence coming out THIS FRIDAY!!!!!
BOX SET!!!!
Ka-ching!
However, again, exception rather than general rule.
Wa.
Yeah, here's some more:
http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/records/budgets.php
And down at the bottom of this list (which takes a minute to fully load on my POS 'puter):
http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/records/allbudgets.php
Note the dates.
Or their sparseness, to be exact.
Then consider how many low-budget features were likely made in any given year.
Then divide the numbers of distributed films that were box office profitable (unquantifiable DVD sales and VOD contracts aside, even though you are 100% correct on that point) by that number of made features to render a "success" ratio.
That's a pretty little number.
It's almost a fraction of a fraction pretty little number.
....
However, again, exception rather than general rule.
Wa.
This isn't directed at you, Ray... but, you know what I don't like about this? Aside from the fact that everyone says it?
It assumes that all of those movies are actually WORTH payin for, and they aren't. Just go to a film festival and try to sit through most of the features. Let me know how many babies you imagined punching in the span of.
Even a host festival winners typically aren't up to snuff with major motion picture theatrical standards.
That just irks me, because most of those movies/films are NOT that good, or even half decent from any certain standpoint, technical or story-wise. Likelyhood? Unwatchable.
Fair enough and appreciate the soft strike.
Oh, I whole heartedly agree with your statement.
Plenty of movies p!ss off moviegoers who leave horrible reviews (The Green Hornet) but banked more cash than the budget.
The trick is to develop a story or premise that not only the audience will want to see but the theater owners/purchasing agents THINK the audience wants to see.
- A lotta interest from a few theaters doesn't bank much cash.
- Some interest at some theaters banks even less.
- But a some interest at a lotta theaters might bank some break even or better.
P!ssin' viewers off AFTER they've already paid at the box office almost doesn't even matter.
Getting their $8 a head is all that really matters. And a lot of them at that.
Now, what you're talking about is QUALITY of the features themselves, and again I'll concede a lot of these are pure puke.
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