Filmmaking Articles - Filmmakers Tips & Tricks
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Filmmaking - The Magic Film Financing Ratio
by Sam Longoria
Making films costs money. Get over it.
You wouldn't think so, to read filmmakers on filmmaking
forums. They usually don't write about raising money.
Here is what they write:
"Where can I buy the best camera?"
"What is the best camera?"
"What is a camera?"
"Which end of the camera do I look in?"
That's about it.
There's also a lot of scribble about how to save money, by
somehow not spending any money. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
It takes money to make money.
What does it take, to raise money?
Blank look. This is all news to them.
Here is the news today. Top stories:
Film costs money. Cameras and equipment cost money.
Hiring Actors costs money. Renting Costumes and Props
and Stage space costs money.
Scrimping is not the answer.
Raising money is the answer.
Even if your Cast and Crew work for free, your craft
service comes from Pizza Hut, and your lights come from
the Home Depot, you still need money.
If you raise money, you can make films.
If you don't, you can't.
Here is the good news:
Raising Money for your movie is not particularly hard,
once you've made up your mind that it's important.
You just need a system, which starts by recognizing
there is an ideal proportion of "money-raising time"
to "filmmaking time."
If you are going to spend your time filmmaking, (and by that
I mean effectively making films and selling them, so you can
make more of them), here is the magic film financing ratio.
You need to spend 80% of your time raising money.
You need to spend 20% of your time making films.
That is the truth. You may not want to hear it, but it is true.
I am giving it to you as straight and honestly as I can.
80% film financing, 20% film making.
That is not some arbitrary number. I watched successful
filmmakers a long while, before I started doing it. 80/20
is the magic ratio, so your movies get made and sold,
and so you can make more of them.
Maybe you think you "should" be able to make your films
all day, every day. That is like saying you "should" be able
to drive your car all day, without putting gas in the tank.
It can't work.
If you do what most people do, you'll spend all your
available time making your films, with not-enough time and
not-enough money, and your films' quality will suffer.
Don't do that.
If you work the magic ratio, the 20% of time you spend making
films will be a joy. The 80% of time you spend raising money
will feel worthwhile and purposeful. Hey, if you raise
enough money, you don't need a day job!
Later, when your films are making money, and you have name
recognition, you can spend all day making your films, but only
after many days of setting up your money-raising system.
Raising money doesn't just magically happen. You must
make it happen. Start by managing your time according to
the Magic Film Financing Ratio.
Resources:
Film Financing
"10 Biggest Mistakes Filmmakers Make Raising Money"
http://sormfym.com/sorep.htm
Sam Longoria's Digital Filmmaking handbook
http://digitalfilmmakinghandbook.com
Sam Longoria is a Hollywood producer, working in film since 1970, in a variety of jobs.
His work graces several Oscar-nominated films, and one Oscar winner.
Sam teaches Independent Producing at http://hollywoodseminars.com and
writes his Filmmaking Blog. http://samlongoria.blogspot.com
© 2011 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved. You may forward this in its entirety
to anyone you wish. Hollywood Seminars, Box 2449, Hollywood CA 90078 USA
This article is available for reprint in your ezine, website or ebook. You MUST agree
not to make any changes to the article. Links and resource box MUST be included.
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Hollywood Seminars list of filmmaking articles, books, and videos (DVD and VHS)
cover topics relating to independent film, scriptwriting, screenwriting, mainstream
movies, directing, producing, writing, acting, film investing, and film finance.
It is the Filmmakers Library.
If you read the right books and articles, and apply what you learn, you can
make hit movies, or make smaller, personal motion pictures, as film makers
have done since the beginning of movie-making. You can do this on your own,
or in a group, if you attend a film school or institute.
The Filmmaker's Library is what you need if you are into indie film production, or
if you watch movies, attend film festivals, or are otherwise a lover of the cinema.
The Hollywood Seminars Filmmakers Library "recommended reading" list of
filmmaking books, articles and videos (DVD and VHS) will help whether you
are an artist (with money or without), or enjoy photography, cameras, actors,
actresses, sets, costumes, props, visual effects, or even film finance!
(We have some articles on raising money for your movie that you just won't find
anywhere else.) Learn to raise capital, look for cash, raise money from studios
or distributors, apply for free government or foundation grant money, find investors,
or get loans that let you make your movie on borrowed money. Whatever your
experience level or business structure, you can find what you need here.
Remember, you can read these articles online for free! These are filmmaking
articles, written by working filmmakers, from your friends at Hollywood Seminars.
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