10 Business Steps To Get Your Film Financed & In Production
Webinar hosted by: Simon Graham-Clare
Production and Development Executive at Future Films
In his current position Simon Graham-Clare assesses film and television projects that Future Films might board to finance or produce. Simon then works with producers and filmmakers to build a viable package and finance plan, attach a sales agent and raise any remaining finance. Recent examples include Walter starring Virginia Madsen, William H. Macy and Jim Gaffigan, directed by Anna Mastro, and the Dougray Scott thriller Last Passenger, which was shot in the UK and directed by Omid Nooshin. Simon began his professional career at Cinema Completions International, an American completion bond firm, based at Pinewood Studios in England. He soon segued into physical production, working up to becoming a 2nd assistant director on feature film projects. Broadening his experience to include marketing and public relations, he transitioned into a unit publicity position for Warner Bros. Pictures’ productions of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Simon relocated to Los Angeles in 2003 for a post in the LA office of the UK Film Council. In that role, he helped US-based studios and producers navigate the British tax incentive system and worked closely with emerging and established British filmmaking and acting talent, to raise their profiles within the Hollywood community. Currently packaging a diverse slate of projects for Future Films, Simon is a proud member of BAFTA/LA, Film Independent and Australians in Film, and is often asked to speak on film finance panels. Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
In this Stage 32 Next Level webinar, Simon Graham-Clare will discuss 10 business steps for giving your project momentum and creating a viable package that feels right to investors. Having been involved in the production and/or financing of over 200 projects, Simon will discuss how a filmmaker can benefit by teaming up with a producer who understands this world, and he looks at all projects from an international point of view to give you a full spectrum idea of film financing. The last two films The Future Film Group produced were both first time directors, so Simon knows exactly what it takes to get your project in production, no matter if it is your first film or one of many.
Simon Graham-Clare is a Producer at The Future Film Group, established in London in 2000 as a film financier, utilizing the expertise of its principles in both the entertainment and business worlds. It quickly established itself on the UK scene through its involvement in films such as Bend It Like Beckham (starring Keira Knightley), The Queen (starring Dame Helen Mirren) and Mrs. Henderson Presents (starring Dame Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins).
The company quickly formed a production division to work alongside its financing arm and, through an ever-expanding structure, has since been involved in the production and/or financing of nearly 200 films and television shows. Some of The Future Film Group’s notable productions include Transsiberian (starring Woody Harrelson and Sir Ben Kingsley), 50 Dead Men Walking (starring Jim Sturgess and Sir Ben Kingsley) and Flawless (starring Sir Michael Caine and Demi Moore).
What You'll Learn
- Identifying the right partners (producers and/or financiers)
- Approaching the right partners
- Understanding the appetite for different genres (in other words: what is ‘commercial’)
- Understanding international independent film finance
- Creating a finance plan that looks realistic and viable
- Building a look book/mood board
- Building a business plan/presentation
- Being realistic about your project package
- Pitching your project (and yourself) including the right ‘sound bites’ to get executives excited
- Working with your team in the most effective way
- Recorded, in-depth Q&A with Simon!
About Your Instructor
Simon Graham-Clare
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