Of Budgets and Big Dreams

Listen UP, ALL you budding filmmakers: Nobody said this was going to be easy. You can invest in all the how-to books you want, but the only way to complete a movie and get it seen in today’s fleeting indie landscape is simply to keep trying and think fast. No one is suggesting that a filmmaker should ever abandon the craft of filmmaking for the sake of marketing. But to make a mark in today’s tricky movie industry, you need a game plan that makes sense. We asked a few industry players for advice and here’s what they told us.

SLAVA RUBIN, CO-FOUNDER OF ONLINE FUNDRAISING SITE INDIEGOGO.COM:

In the current independent filmmaking industry, online fundraising is accelerating, production and distribution costs are declining and social media is connecting filmmakers and fans. With the proliferation of social media and online video, there is more content than ever, making it more important for filmmakers to focus on promotion, building their fanbase and rising above the noise.

For an aspiring filmmaker, “big studio money” is rarely attainable, especially for someone trying to break into the industry. Filmmakers know that they have to start small and tap their colleagues, friends and influencers for financial and creative resources. In today’s online world, there are more possibilities available beyond just a filmmaker’s inner social circle. Consequently, “Do-It-Yourself” (DIY) is no longer the average filmmaker’s mantra. It has evolved into “Do-It-With-Others” (DIWO).

ARIANNA BOCCO, VP OF ACQUISITIONS AND PRODUCTION AT IFC FILMS:

Filmmakers should look at other films comparable to their own that have gone through a similar process and were successful. I think there are a lot more opportunities now with the ability not only to premiere at a festival but to take advantage of the publicity and marketing of a festival to actually exploit the film. We look for filmmakers who will have staying power as an artist and with whom we would want to work with again. Any filmmaker who shows individuality—and, of course, talent—is someone we would want to promote. One other important factor is the ability to collaborate—if you are a first-time filmmaker, then this would be your first experience with a distributor. We look for filmmakers who are open-minded.

DAN NUXOLL, PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR ROOFTOP FILMS:

A lot of filmmakers don’t believe this, but, as far as festival programmers are concerned, the most important thing of all is that the film speaks for itself. I am not going to claim that there aren’t festivals that will gravitate towards a film that has some hot new actor in it—of course that happens, and if you do have some budding superstar in your cast, by all means make sure that the word gets out and that this detail is made clear in your cover letter to the festival, etc. But also note that casting a C-list actor or sitcom secondary character will not likely help to get your film into one of the better festivals. In fact, it might hurt if their presence is a distraction. And don’t spend a fortune on packaging and glossy press kits: All this stuff goes into the garbage as soon as the film is received. Think about it: Festival programmers are going to watch hundreds—perhaps thousands—of films in a few months. All of the publicity materials are dead weight. Nobody but the intern is going to see those materials, so save your money and save the trees and don’t go nuts with the packaging and press materials. Also, research the festivals and pay attention to what sort of films they program. Some festivals program lots of genre films, others don’t program any. Send your sci-fi gangster film to Fantastic Fest, but don’t send it to Human Rights Watch. That might seem like an obvious point to make, but you would probably be surprised by what gets sent our way.

JESSICA EDWARDS, FOUNDER OF PRODUCTION/PUBLICITY COMPANY FILM FIRST:

This is the Internet age, so use it to your advantage. Get on it early and update it often: photos from shooting, merchandise that can be sold, small local press stories where you filmed. Target the audience you are going after. Is it a music-related film? Let the music blogs know. Is it a design film? Give those blogs an early photo or a clip to build excitement for your eventual release. Does the film have an actor with a lot of fans? Provide fan sites with photos from the set. Put the film on people’s radar as early as possible. Nothing in life is free: You are hiring a publicist to act as your advocate and represent you and your film in the way you want the press and audience to view it. And it’s not an easy job. You should expect to pay at least $3,000 a month for a documentary that doesn’t have a lot of talent attached and up to $6,000 for a narrative film with many actors and a planned premiere and press days. And enquiries should be made to your publicist about their current slate.

BRIAN NEWMAN, CONSULTANT, SPRINGBOARD MEDIA: In today’s marketplace, it is the rare film—the extremely rare film—that makes back more than $500,000 in profit, and it’s probably more like $300,000. That’s not an exaggeration. Talk to producers who have played Sundance and won awards about what they sold their film for, and how much they received on the back end. The best strategy is to spend less than this amount on your film. If costs go above that, you won’t make the money back in today’s market. If you raise more than that, spend it on the marketing and distribution of your film, or on the next film because, no matter what you think or what anyone tells you, that is the real ceiling for profits today. Keep your costs down the old-fashioned way: beg, borrow and even steal to keep costs as low as possible. Spend money where it matters— good lighting and sound. You can’t afford any actor who will make any difference to the bottom line on sales, so don’t spend money there. Follow the tax incentive money closely. Use your social networks for favors, from equipment to expendables. Keep your dream budget a dream until this nightmare economy changes.