Starting a Movie

So now is the season of starting-- I've got a script (that will always be in the process of fine-tuning) for "72".  I've got to do an official breakdown and budget for it and will do that in the next week or so.  But as we're still in the stage I call "Development", the biggest chore is the one that's the second hardest thing to do in indie filmmaking: Fundraising.

I've raised a little bit right now-- to get started.  But in order to get going, I have to hit a certain mark in funds raised or I will have to push back the shoot date.  How do I figure this math?  Well, it's actually pretty easy if you follow this formula.  How long is the shoot?  For me, it can be 18 days, done by 6 day weeks for three weeks.

So how long do I need for Pre-Production?  My formula is 1.5x where x=weeks of shooting.  So basically 4 and a half or round up to five weeks for prep.  So if I got a check for the budget today, the earliest we could be shooting would be late August.

Now I know that one of the name actors I'm talking to has October free, which suits me just fine.  So I back up five weeks and late August is the time to start prep.  And prep can't begin unless the money is solidly raised, contract with investor signed, and funds in the bank.  So I give myself until mid-August to get to that point.  That's one month away.  Four weeks.

::big breath::  So now I saddle up the ponies and get busy.  I've done this ride successfully four other times (and a couple not successful).  If I don't have the funds raised by mid August, then I push the schedule back to November.  I don't want to... but whatever happens, happens.

As a Disciple, I want to make sure I'm in His will-- this means His purpose.  What if I'm wrong about chasing this movie?  Well, God's purpose can't really be thwarted by me.  I'm pretty sure at some point I'll get that message through my thick skull.  And if it is His purpose, then nothing will stop Him from getting His movie made.  Not even me.

BTW-- if you want to make your own movie and find this kind of info helpful, I do have a 3plus hour DVD on all this and more called "Greenlight Yourself" and you can order it for $99 at http://www.s-films.com/store.htm .

My First Business Plan

The year was 1999. I knew that I was getting closer to launching out on my own to make my first feature film "The Keyman." I was at 40,000 feet over the Atlantic headed for Spain.

The guy I was seated next to looked like a businessman type. I had a very rough draft of my first business plan and I asked him if he wanted to read it and give notes. He looked through it and gave me some of the best concise advice I'd ever had.

"First," he started, "I invest based on what the idea is and on the people who are to make the idea work." He went on to tell me that the rest was fluff, mostly necessary but fluff nonetheless. He wanted to know clearly what the idea was and who was doing it.

On that flight I came up with what I began to call the three "R's." And these have led off every business plan I've done.

Right Idea
Right Team
Return on Investment

My Executive Summary begins here. Now as I pitched investors over the years, I've added, adjusted and changed some of the info. Probably the biggest addition to the guy on the plane-- comparable picture reports and financial projections. And for that information, FilmProfit has been a great source.

I'll go into all this, including providing you samples from my business plan in the workbook for the "Greenlight Yourself: course. Were prepping workbooks now for Saturday's class in Fort Worth, so if you plan on attending and haven't registered, please hurry and do so. www.s-films.com/pov

Screenwriting

It was a good night at the Dallas Screenwriter's Association meeting last evening. A large group assembled to hear from the panel which included Director of Photography Ron Gonzalez, Producers Sally Helppie and Chad Gundersen, and myself.

The questions were good, pointed and focused. The questions that drew the biggest interest concerned getting a script produced. And there's two distinct ways this happens. Somebody produces your script, or you produce your script.

Obviously, I'm of the latter camp. Getting a script produced is a very hard endeavor. But even more so when you depend on other people to get it done. Let's examine method A, getting someone to produce your script.

Everything begins with a finished script, so make sure that's ready to go. And Sally made an excellent point last night-- don't just have one, but have several. More than once, she said, she's meet with a screenwriter, liked their style, but not that particular script.

Then, you need an agent or someone to represent you. This is a must. Due to tort, no one wants to read an unsolicited script. We return them unopened. We delete the email. So if you want someone to make your script into a movie, it begins with someone pushing it to the producers.

The next successful step usually involves a producer optioning your script. What this means is that they'll give you a little bit of money now, so that they can have the rights to the script for whatever option period, and the option spells out the purchase price if it were to go into production.

As the deal moves along, the script enters production and you get the purchase price check in the mail. And the IMDB credit. Fame and Fortune.

Then there's method B-- DIY. The key to success (success defined as just getting your movie made) in this method centers on your ability to secure the funding for the movie. You need to know how to raise money. There's a lot of legal stuff for securities and you do this wrong and you could end up in a federal prison, so don't take it lightly. For me, I hired a knowledgeable attorney and got the entities setup and he taught me how to do the paperwork and what the investors needed to sign, etc.

The hard part here is finding the investors. In the "Greenlight Yourself" seminar (Jan 30, www.s-films.com/pov for info/registration), I not only cover this, I have you practice pitching to investors. You do need to learn some sales skills. Once you have raised the money, then you hire people that can help you in every step-- be it other producers, production manager, even a director if you don't plan on doing that part yourself.

The it's off to the races and you're making your movie. Now for distribution, it's a whole 'nuther story, and yes, we cover that as well in the seminar.

Mountain Climbing Comparissons

For those who have read this blog on any kind of a regular basis, know that I often equate filmmaking with climbing a mountain. Not that I would ever really climb a mountain-- but something about Everest intrigues me. The last few years I've read lots of books and surfed lots of information, and watched all the documentaries and reality shows on climbing the worlds tallest mountain.

But the analogy is apt. Here's a list of why Climbing Everest is like making a Movie:
* The climb is made in the preparation, just like a film is made in prep.
* Tools are very important, but nothing matches pure determination and passion.
* Without the proper tools, you can fall to your death.
* You need climbing guides and partners who know their stuff, or they may get you killed as well.
* Most crashes/fatalities occur on the way down (post production/distribution/deliverables surprise people)
* A good route gives you the best chance to succeed-- a bad route often cannot be done.
* Sometimes, when the storm is blowing, you're snowblind, you've got to dig deep just to take step after step.
* When you get to the top, it's a beautiful site, but also you'll be surprised at all the garbage left there.
* When you're climbing, especially in the latter stages, you think "I'll never do this again." Only to find later, in the comfort of your house, you're planning that next climb.
* You can be a jerk to all those climbing with you, and it may even get you to the top, but it usually comes back to get you and it's a miserable way to live.
* Training is crucial... before you ever set foot on the mountain, you need to have climbed lesser mountains and trained with gear and people you'll be using.
* Sometimes, the sky clears, and the path opens up and you have a magical ascent. Other times, the conditions are horrible and it takes everything you've got just to take another step. Sometimes, those two polar opposite conditions happen on the same climb.
* A lot of Egos are bigger than Everest.
* Some people climb without clear purpose or mission.
* Some people climb with ego-driven purpose or mission and the bodies lay in their paths.
* Some people climb because they think it's all so cool.
* You have to raise the money for the climb.
* Sometimes, even total idiots make it to the top.
* Setting up Base Camp is the same as setting up the Production Office during prep.

I'm sure I can keep adding more and more, but I think you begin to get the point. For you filmmakers, there will be times that it's hard to get your breath, every step is painful and difficult, and you wonder why in the world you're doing this. It's at this point that you need your passion. If you don't have it, you'll fail here. If you have passion, it will be the juice that keeps your feet moving, one painful step after another.

If you'd like to learn more about this, I'm giving a seminar on how to get climbing in a movie on Saturday Jan 30. Go to www.s-films.com/pov for more info.

Greenlighting Yourself

Several years ago, after speaking to different groups, I figured out that a majority of the questions asked by filmmakers and beginning filmmakers had to do with getting started—greenlighting their own film themselves.

In this do-it-yourself society, I think this is great. It’s the path I’ve taken. When I was getting started, I knew that it would be easier to make the movie myself than to get a Hollywood studio to not only greenlight, but keep me at the helm. Just wasn’t going to happen. So Greenlight Yourself was born.

Since then, I have written/produced/directed four feature films with varying degrees of success (and I’ve written/directed a fifth that other producers hired me for). I’ve learned a ton of things—pitfalls to avoid, shortcuts, helpful hints and factors that can minimize risk while giving you the best chance to succeed.

I played around with the idea of doing a seminar after my second film way back when, but decided to wait. Now, I have a lot more info to share. I’ve done the first class back in December and had some people tell me they wanted to come but couldn’t make that particular Saturday. So I’m going to offer the class again, Saturday January 30, 9am in Fort Worth at Serendipitous Films. Cost will be the same-- $99 for the day, which includes a workbook containing samples of budgets, breakdowns, and business plans, plus much more.

Here’s what students said the first time around:

"Well organized, loved the workbook."
"I would absolutely recommend this seminar to any aspiring, first time filmmaker who's looking to kickstart their career."
"Excellent. Very informative and detailed."
“Loved the small size of the group, great to see other people’s models.”
“Dan gives a complete picture of filmmaking.”

To register, go to www.s-films.com/pov. We need a minimum of 8 for the class to make. If we don’t get that, you’ll get a full refund.

We’ll cover setting up the legal entities, fundraising, business plans, the script, the 6 phases of filmmaking, distribution and deliverables, plus a whole lot more.

Greenlighting Yourself

One of the things I get asked a lot by beginning filmmakers is how to get started. First you need an Idea. Then a Script. Then Money. With Money and a Script, you have greenlit yourself.

Some people will work on writing the killer script and ship it for the money to make it. The problem there is that most epople in the film business, if your script is actually as hot as that, will want to purchase it from you and make it themselves. But alas, you want to attach yourself to direct.

The Ben Younger route is a lottery chance. He's the one who wrote a killer script and turned down six figure offers for a purchase because he wanted to direct. Finally he did get the chance to direct and Boiler Room is the result. And his career is off and running.

Another route is to raise the money from private investors. Still very difficult, you will need to spend money to raise money. First, setup an entity, like an Limited Partnership or LLC. Second, you will need all the legal documents. As always, consult an attorney for this part (thus, the spending money to raise money).

Draw up a Business Plan that is well thought through. Think about what your potential investors want. Research.

Then, be prepared for a lot of no's. But hopefully, you'll get your yes's sprinkled in.