Financing / Crowdfunding : Film Financing by Melissa Butler

Slated is great if you can afford the cost to use them as a service. You can make connections on your own, but the system they use is pretty monetary based. That being said, this monetary base keeps "fake" projects out of the market on the site. The best thing you can have for your project portfolio is name talent. You do not necessarily need the most recognizable talent, but someone that a producer, distributor, and audience can identify and say, "yeah, I've seen them in other stuff", helps. I would also research tax incentives in various states. Financials will get you ahead a lot further if you can break down potential filming locations where tax breaks and/or incentives are beneficial to a production. Also, make sure the talent behind the scenes has a couple of projects under their belt. Generally, a director that has directed a feature will get a lot further than a first-timer. If you can have your script read by a reliable reader (known writer, producer, manager, etc.), this will also help your project's standing and attract more interest. The last thing I would do is set up a release plan. Are you going to submit to festivals? If so, you can often work your budget for music and promotion to fit that. Put all of that information in your package. Long-term release plans are also needed (all ancillary markets), and do some research to check how your project stacks up in foreign markets. Hope this helps. Best.

Hello John, Thanks that was very helpful. I see I have a lot more to do. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I guess my next step will be getting an actor attached.

You're welcome. One path you might want to take is to just reach out to an actor's agent and/or manager. You can generally find the representative for any talent on IMDB or the Hollywood Directory (if you are lucky enough to have that, lol). Just call them. You will more than likely speak with their assistant only, but, if they like what you have to say, you may very well get a call back. For "Drinskgiving", I contacted Marc Maron and Henry Rollins', agents. Neither of them was available or were interested, but, because the pitch I gave was intriguing, their agents called me back. That is winning at least 3/4 of the battle right there. Now, I have a bit of a relationship with these folks and feel that with the right project, I know I can go back to them. Also, if you have a great casting director; someone that really has an eye for talent, use them to help you find up and coming talent. Most of our cast for "Drinskgiving" have a pretty good bio, having worked in series, films, and commercials. Although none of them had "broken big" when we filmed, one of our leads, Jacob A. Ware, was up for a SAG Award when he was a member of "Boardwalk Empire". Also, we just found out that another one of our leads, Juan Antonio, was just cast a series regular in "Empire". If you can find the talent and have a good eye for it, this will help the longevity of your project and assist you in continuing forward with future relationships and projects. Best to you. I look forward to hearing how things work out.

Thanks John....I appreciate it.

Talent, an awesome director and DP, a top notch editor, a clear end game, a well defined set of comps.