The Top Four Elements for Film Finance, in my experience, are:
1. Impeccably Amazing Screenplay
2. Quality Cast
3. A Professional Film Budget for Investors to (Greenlight &) Fund
4. An Outstanding Team for Financiers to Support (and feel great confidence in.)
I have never made a film without these elements in place in 25 years as an on the lot producer for Disney, Columbia Pictures, Lionsgate, New Line Cinema (Warner Bros.), HBO, etc., and many others.
"Plan your work, work your plan." [Vince Lombardi, Margaret Thatcher, Victor Hugo]
Good luck in filmmaking in '22 Fellows @Stage32
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I would also say some kind of distribution. Although the cast can some times get you the distribution, is not always guaranteed. The cast unless the project is a super solid project with a or b actors can get a distribution, but sometimes, especially now in day. Might not be enough.
Not to mention that most actors don’t want to sign on, unless you can guarantee their fees which is understandable.
Catch 22 always come down to either an investor or distributor, or if someone has a friend who is an actor who loves the script. Before they even they even see the distribution guarantee or capital from investors or studios. Which is rare.
And then the dreaded gap financing and 129-140% roi for angel investors, I work in this area, myself. So I understand what your talking about.
My focus is helping filmmakers make a simple, yet professional plan they show investors, A to Z how they will make and launch
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Great points, Jack and Richard. All of these factors are essential for an independent production company to get to the point that it can rely on fully-funded development. Every indie producer should understand that development is sophisticated, expensive, and not at all just about creativity.
Fantastic post- thank you so much for sharing!