FINANCING FOR INDEPENDENT FILMS
Finding financing for independent films can be difficult, though there are certain steps that can be taken and some tips on how a new director can find potential investors for a film project. Traditionally, filmmakers worked with major studios to help provide the necessary investment of money for the equipment, crew, and everything else needed in creating a motion picture. There have been some filmmakers, however, who have found ways to work outside the somewhat rigid confines of the film industry, and have made movies independently by finding funding for their work in places other than the studios.
If you are looking to find funding for a project you are working on, you should consider a few things before you go into a business or approach a person for an investment in your film. First, know your project, know the strengths and weaknesses of your film and focus on the aspects of your movie that will make it a commercial success. While you as a filmmaker may be willing to take risks and create art that will require an audience to come to it instead of approaching an established audience, an investor is looking for a feature that will make money on his or her investment.
As you look for financing for independent films, you should try to lead your pitch to investors with the strengths of your film project. Look for successful or popular films with similar themes or ideas as your own work, and use them to make your abstract ideas more concrete in the mind of an investor. While you may not need to pitch your project quite as effectively to an independent investor as you would to a major studio, you are still trying to sell your product before it has been made. Consider meetings with a potential investor to be a sales pitch, and think of it as the first attempts you make to get someone interested in your ideas and film.
While you look for investors, you may consider trying to find successful professionals or other types of people who may have extra income they are looking to invest. Educated professionals such as lawyers, doctors, or dentists may all be willing to invest in a new project. You might also consider other ways to make the process less expensive. Consider joining guilds or professional associations for filmmakers that offer members reduced prices on film, cameras, or other equipment. Finding financing for independent films can be difficult and time consuming, but if you have a great idea and the passion to see it through, it can also be incredibly rewarding.
