Financing / Crowdfunding : Looking for Potential Investors by Jeff W. Horton

Congrats on your film, Jeff W. Horton! I have a few thoughts:

1) It might seem more attractive to investors that you were able to attract others more so than you were willing to spend your own money. Most people in the industry would tell you that the golden rule is "don't spend your own money", but you can get away with being first money in so long as that money is aimed at the development (script services, contests, pitch decks, securing attachment agreements, etc.) and getting others involved. If you put it towards production, it will look like you're funding a party that you're calling "set", but for footage that may never see the light of day.

2) Have you put together a pitch yet? If not, I would highly recommend it. Feel free to use Stage 32's free Pitching Guidebook to help you structure the pitch, whether a 2-page pitch document, a 5-minute verbal pitch, and/or a 15-30page pitch deck: https://www.stage32.com/sites/stage32.com/themes/two/pdfs/happy-writers/...

3) If you're ready to start pitching, definitely sign up for pitch sessions here: https://www.stage32.com/scriptservices/pitch-sessions If you'd like suggestions on who to pitch to, definitely reach out to our Director of Script Services, Jason Mirch, who is excellent at matching projects with potential executives (or managers, in your case): J.Mirch@stage32.com

Keep at it, and keep us posted on your progress!

Hi Karen.

Thanks for the feedback, I'll ponder what you've said. I've worked with Jason a little on pitches before but unfortunately, nothing ever came out of them for me other than advice on this or that which, while helpful, doesn't get the film made.

Hey Jeff W. Horton! Thanks for the post. I hope to keep working with you for sure. I agree with Kay's first point for sure. It might be worth using that $100k to try and leverage a deal with a piece of talent who can start to attract investors or sales agents. Feel free to email me again - j.mirch@stage32.com and let me know some more.

Definitely good advice - if you're going to use your own funds put it towards attracting name cast.

Check out Stage 32 resources and network where needed.

I’d halve that amount and use it to start to get a casting agent involved, make a proper budget and employ a script developer plus make a pitch pack. Keep the other half in reserve.

You don’t say what your total budget is or how much more you think you need. The easiest way to bring some money into the budget is to find and source locations - ones you would normally pay 1-2,000 a day for and you get for peanuts or free. I recently got a Castle for £100 a day normal cost £1,500. In exchange they wanted photos from my well known stills photographer I brought to the location. So you multiply this by your no of shoot days. Let’s imagine 24 days and hey presto you tell potential investors you have 28,000 already in, because if you get this location deal in writing yes you have. It can be loads of things, like making a deal with a caterer, set etc, it will all add up.

So the amount off your budget you need to find reduces down to cast and crew mostly. Where to find investors? So hard but pitching to people through Stage32 might bring joy or a production company willing to do so. But if you go it alone you visit film festivals and try to engage potential investors. But everything above should be in place. Have a pitch ready, initially 2 mins long and pitch to anyone who will listen if you dare. Short sweet with a follow up by email later.

However initially just chatting and listening to others is also best, makes you look less desperate and then as the convo closes mention your project and can you send them more info by email later.

Another trick is to get your group of friends together and say look I’d love your help I’m going to a film festival to try to find investors for my film x, budget x, I’ve already got x . Would you all be kind enough to hear my 2 min pitch and make any constructive comments. If you were an investor would it attract you? That way they all hear it and you practice to an audience and get feedback. A bonus might be one says hey I’ll put 25,000 in or I know someone etc.

Always mention what they might get back for their investment. For this you need a friendly sales agent who has made you a sales estimate- you can show to friends . This has a minimum snd max estimated return in your film, depending and worked out from their experience, your cast, crew and who wrote the script, the genre etc. It’s like an estate agent it’s an estimate but gives serious investors some hope!

So you see there’s tons of prep to do before approaching anyone.

Thanks, Jason, Jack, Tasha, and Jane! The feedback is much appreciated!

Your welcome Jeff W. Horton. For help with investors, I could provide counsel in conjunction with my publication Funding for Internship and Scholarship Programs and you could join the focus group for it.