Indie film financing and movie distribution reminds of what it’d feel just like dancing nude on stage (much respect for exotic dancers at Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club!). You show as much as pitch your movie project and have to manage to dance to a film investor’s music. It’s their stage and not yours as an indie filmmaker seeking film funding. They need you to produce a sellable movie which interests movie distributors so the production will make money.
Most investors I’ve met with aren’t thinking about putting hard money into indie art house films because those are tough sells to movie distributors and overseas film buyers aren’t usually thinking about seeing them. The dialogue and scenes of certain art house type films don’t translate well to foreign buyers and movie viewers. Action, horror and skin does not require subtitles for individuals to check out the story is what I’ve been told by distributors. Talking head movies will make no sense to viewers that don’t understand subtle lines spoken in a foreign language.
Independent film financing continues to improve as indie movie distribution gets more financially shaky. The place it’s hitting indie movie producers hardest is right at the origin – film financing. Film investors right now aren’t feeling stoked up about putting money into movies that do not have bankable name actors. This is simply not like so-called indie movies which have A-list actors or are produced for an incredible number of dollars. Those type of indie film passion projects you possibly can make once you’ve caused it to be in the entertainment business at the studio level.
Indie film investors and movie distributors won’t expect you to have A-list actor, however they do want producers to own actors (B-list or C-list or D-list) with some name recognition or celebrity. The initial question film investors and movie distributors ask is who the cast is. This really is where most indie movie producers are blown out from the water because they have an unknown cast of actors. Plus there is a glut of indie movies being made because technology has caused it to be less expensive to make movies.
The bright side is that entertaining indie movies are increasingly being made which may not otherwise ever have experienced light of day before. The downside is meaningful movie distribution (getting paid) for indie produced films continues to shrink as indie films being made rises (supply and demand 101). I talked to at least one movie distributor that caters to releasing independent films and they said they receive new film submissions daily.
They were honest saying they get very sellable movies and ones which can be less than appealing, but with so many movies on the market they no more offer a majority of producers advance money against film royalties or pay a lump cash “buy-out” to secure distribution rights. Their business viewpoint is most indie filmmakers are just happy seeing their movie released. The definition of they used was “glorified showreel” for an indie filmmaker to show they could produce a feature film. So, they acquire many of their movie releases without paying an advance or offering a “buy-out” agreement.
Not making a make money from a video does not make financial sense for film investors that expect to see money made. When people set up money to generate a movie they desire a return on their investment. Otherwise it’s no more a video investment. It becomes a film donation of money they’re giving out without expectations. I’ve been on the “dog and pony show” circuit meeting with potential film investors and learning invaluable lessons.
I’m in the habit now of conversing with indie movie distributors before writing a screenplay to see what forms of films are selling and what actors or celebrity names attached with a possible project interest them. This is simply not like chasing trends, but it provides producers a sharper picture of the sales climate for indie films. Sometimes distributors can give me a short list of actors or celebrities to consider that fit an unbiased movie budget. Movie sales outside of the U.S. are the place where a almost all the money is made for indie filmmakers.
Movie distributors and film sales agents can inform you what actors and celebrity talent is translating to movie sales overseas at the indie level. These won’t be A-list names, but having someone with some type of name is a good selling point to help your movie standout from others. Brief cameos of known actors or celebrities was previously an effective way to help keep talent cost down and add a bankable name to your cast.
That has changed lately from my conversations with distribution companies. Movie distributors now expect any name talent attached to have a meaningful part in the movie as opposed to a few momemts in a cameo role. Cameo scenes can still work when there is an aesthetic hook that grabs the attention of viewers in certain way. But having name talent say a few lines without special hook won’t fly anymore.
Another way to make an indie film needing funding more attractive to investors is to add talent that has been in a video or TV show of note. ดูหนัง 8k Their name as an actor might not be that well-known yet, but rising stars which have appeared in a well known movie or TV show can give your movie broader appeal. In the event that you cast them in a supporting role keep working days on the set down seriously to the absolute minimum to save your budget. Make an effort to write their scenes so they can be shot in one or two days.
When you’re pitching to serious film investors they will want to be provided with an in depth movie budget and distribution plan on what you plan on making money from the film’s release. The Catch-22 that occurs a whole lot is that most movie distributors that focus on releasing indie films won’t commit to any deal until they’ve screened the movie.
There is not built-in distribution like with studio budget films. Film investors that are not traditionally area of the entertainment business could possibly get switched off each time a producer does not have a distribution deal already in place. They don’t understand the Catch-22 of indie filmmaking and distribution. This really is the place where a movie producer really will need a good pitch that explains the financial dynamics of indie film distribution.
Most film investors will pass on an indie movie producer’s financing pitch that mentions self-distribution in it. From a video investor’s business perspective it will take entirely too long for an indie movie to generate money going the self-distribution route. It’s like the old school method of selling your movie out from the trunk of your car or truck at places, however now it’s done online using digital distribution and direct sales with a blog. That’s a lengthy grind that most investors won’t be thinking about holding out for. Moving one unit of a video at any given time is too slow of trickle for investors.
A possible way across the Catch-22 would be to reach out to movie distributors when you are pitching to film investors. With a firm budget number and possible cast attached you are able to gauge to see when there is any meaningful distribution curiosity about the movie. It’s always possible a distributor will show you that they would offer an advance or “buy-out” deal. They usually won’t provide you with a hard number, but a good ballpark figure of what they might offer can tell you if your financial allowance makes financial sense to approach movie investors with.
I know one savvy indie movie producer that makes 4-6 movies a year on very reasonable budgets and knows they’re already making a make money from the advance money alone. The film royalty payments certainly are a bonus. The producer keeps budgets extremely affordable and streamlined at every phase of production. Once you’ve a background with a distribution company guess what happens you are able to expect to be paid. Then you can offer film investors a percent on their money invested to the production that makes sense.
Social networking with other indie filmmakers lets you hear what’s happening with movie distribution from other people’s real life experiences. A very good thing I’ve been hearing about is that there are film investors that won’t set up money to make movie that will probably be self-distributed, but they’ll roll the dice on a feature that will probably specific film festivals. Not the art house film festivals. Those who are extremely genre specific like for horror or action films. Like Screamfest Horror Film Festival or Action on Film (AOF). Film buyers attend these events and meaningful distribution deals are made.
Independent film financing and movie distribution are regions of the entertainment business all filmmakers will have to deal with and learn from each experience. I was in the hot seat today pitching to a film investor. I’ve streamlined the budget around I could without making the plot lose steam.
The jam I’m in as a company is you will find hard costs that can’t be avoided that include plenty of gun play including two rigging shots where baddies get shot and are blown backwards off their feet. Badass action films need experienced and seasoned film crews to pull-off hardcore action shots off clean and safe. The cast I want to hire has the right appeal and name recognition for this indie action movie to rock viewers. There is nothing that can get lost in the translation in this film for foreign film buyers and movie viewers.
What I do believe got lost in the translation with the potential film investor today is if I keep taking out below-the-line crew to save money I’m planning to want to do rewrites to the screenplay to get action scenes. They are selling points which will hurt sales if they are written out. But it’s my job as an indie filmmaker to balance a budget that interests film investors. We’ll observe how this goes. This really is indie filmmaker Sid Kali typing fade out.
