How to seek funding

[GenieChow]

I read here or another film site that if you go to pitch your project as a filmmaker who wants to act and direct in her own movie, the investors will laugh at you or not consider you as an investment, since it may be too risky of a venture. My budget is $250,000. I do indeed intend to act and direct, and I've finished writing the screenplay, as well. I'm hoping to attend AFM in Santa Monica but don't know whether or not I should have copies of the movie trailer on CD and headshots/resumes of principal actors like myself. Any thoughts from experienced filmmakers?

[rayw]

I'm not an experienced filmmaker, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn and have done quite a bit of reading about this whole filmmaking process.

AFM in Santa Monica isn't going to be good for you.
Expect a member here DirectorRik to confirm that.

Your budget doesn't matter at all to anybody. (And please don't spend $250k on this. If you're asking these kinds of questions then that's a lot of money to shoot down the toilet.)
Your distribution route is what will matter to anyone with serious financing capabilities (and sub-$1 or 2million is just the beginning of industry low-budget qualifications.)

Financing depends upon marketability.
Who do you have attached that distributors can market the names of?
Foreign pre-sales is where any film financing process begins - and that requires a marketable name in front of or behind the camera.
You can act and direct all you want, even pay for it.
But if a distributor cant sell you then... you're bringing them nothing useful.

GL


PS:

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

What is your track record for success and what have you done befor

These are questions you will be asked.

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

I agree with Ray that your budget is too big for someone just starting out.

See what you can do with your script to cut down the budget a lot. Depending on how bad you want to make your film, the financing will be coming out of your pocket in part or entirely until you establish a track record.

[WalterB]

Or write something simpler to make as a first short.

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

Originally Posted by WalterB

Or write something simpler to make as a first short.

+1

[Shanked]

GenieChow,

You're aiming for the double-hyphenation! Writer-Director-Actor! Nice. I don't think you will get laughed at for this. What the distributors are looking for is something they can sell. They generally are looking for a name actor and a super marketable logline. Just because you're the lead doesn't mean you can't still cast a name-actor for another role, right?

Even at events as big as AFM, there are projects that are bought and sold for the $250,000 level. It's not often, but it does happen. Horror, Found Footage, Teen Comedy, Reality -- these genres lend themselves to being shot ultra low budget. It requires that the concept be amazing.

I'm just sayin' you haven't declared any info yet that automatically disqualifies you from getting financed.

However, I'm gonna speculate a bit and say that you're setting yourself up for a tough pitch. There are four job titles that can attract an asset. They are Producer, Director, Writer, and most importantly Actor. If you occupy THREE of those jobs, then there isn't much room left to bring in other assets. A distributor needs SOME kind of asset for a pre-sale. A financier needs SOME kind of asset to throw money at. What you're doing by double-hyphenating is putting a TON of pressure on your logline. You better have the world's most amazing logline.

AFM is expensive. You may want to test your package out on a few investors and sales agents before you spend the money on AFM entrance fees. You can also consider enlisting a Finder who will charge you a finder's fee to find financing. Usually 4% of the budget.

If you're looking for $250,000, you should consider starting yourself off by raising $10,000 to $50,000. Let's call this "first in" money. Just an idea.

Things that help a pitch when you don't have attachments:
a sizzle reel
a really nice business plan
a poster
artwork
a sample scene already filmed
evidence that your story has a built-in audience somewhere in the world


By the way, lemme officially say that none of this is legal advice. You will definitely need to consult an attorney when dealing with budgets at your level.

Good luck!
Shanked