Where can I find Investors for this project idea?

[PCM1984]

I was seeking film investors but since I'm a new but experienced filmmaker, I suppose that disqualifies me from ever being able to get a feature film funded and made.

 

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[Parks]

I'm a NEW filmmaker....NEW, that means NO track record but does that mean I have no experience? No it does not. Look, just forget it. I'm starting to see now it's going to be damn near impossible for me to get funding from anyone because it's very difficult for female filmmakers who are NEW. So just forget it....

We are just trying to give constructive criticism here since in real life you likely will not be able to hear the same words.

If you have faith in your project obviously don't give up so easy, none of us criticisers likely have as much experience in your field as you do.

Although we cannot solve all of your problems for you, look at it this way. What would you rather accredit your success too; someone showing you how to attract investors and showing you how as a girl can make it OR you being a girl having a harder than normal commandment of entry in the industry and figuring it all out yourself.

Perhaps not the best example.... Lol

Be creative with the way you solve your problems to get into your desired business; like I said maybe a YouTube Channel with proven market interest (lots of reoccurring viewers) of your horror films. Then at that point search for investors or partners via LinkedIn for example.

You got 13 years in the industry, I'm sure you can find some connections of someone who knows someone who might be looking for something like this from previous work. I don't think you'll find them here though and I don't know where you would.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Have you read Unscripted?

*sigh* forget it, never mind....

Narrow mindedness, yea, that's gonna get you far...

Short tempered, yea, that's gonna get you far...

Whining like a petulant child, yea, that's gonna get you far...

Repeatedly mentioning your color, your gender, your preference for baking bread, as if this makes a difference to an investment and changes mathematical realities.

LOL, if anyone needed to desperately read a book to crack open their narrow mind and their biases, its you. In fact, this book has the answer your problem, but I doubt you'll read it, much less implement it because it involves a lot more work than greasing someone to write you a check.

and I tell them, i have done shorts,

Awesome, post them on YouTube and continue doing so until you get a massive following. Your work will speak for itself and the money will flow.

Here's an amateur filmmaker who got his start on the forum.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT0dmfFCLWuVKPWZ6wcdKyg

600,000 subscribers. How many do you have?

How HARD do you think it would be for this guy to get funding for a project with a visible track record and 600,000 ready made viewers ready to consume his creative contribution? I'm betting at this point, he's having to REFUSE money.

Sure, it's not as easy as having someone write you a big check.

so ignore the thread all you want, go piss off.

Using the forum to solicit for investors is against the forum rules ... and YOU have demonstrated exactly why.

Good luck on your project.

Don't worry, I'll delete your account shortly seeing you have no interest in learning anything here but what you can get from us, not to mention the hostility and the attitude.

 

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[Johnny boy]

Pitch me the film.

 

[biophase]

I'm a NEW filmmaker....NEW, that means NO track record but does that mean I have no experience? No it does not. Look, just forget it. I'm starting to see now it's going to be damn near impossible for me to get funding from anyone because it's very difficult for female filmmakers who are NEW. So just forget it....

LOL, yes it was all because you are a NEW female filmmaker. Nobody brought any of that up.

We were all just asking questions. You aren't looking at it from someone who is going to be investing $200,000 in you. What questions would you ask that person if you were going to give her $200,000 of your own money?

I see that you edited your original post.

You had offered 100% ROI and 90% interest on $200,000. You see, based on your data, 75% or movies breakeven. 60% make 2X, 45% make around 3x and 40% make 4x to 10x. So if I'm investing, I have a 75% chance of getting my money back, 60% chance of getting the 100% ROI and 45%ish chance of getting the 90% interest.

Of the 15% of movies that make 10x, do I get to participate in that?

But I think a big flaw in the pitch is that this data is talking about box-office movies. What about all the other independent horror movies made that never made it to the big screen. What is the return on those?

What about the movies that you've directed for 13 years. How many of them got somewhere where they brought in some income?

 

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[Rabby]

Ok let's get to the brutal honesty.

Secondly, I have the experience. As far as a track record, I know a guy who has a ten year track record of working on film sets as a PA, and other crew jobs, and he's directed and produced over one hundred shorts. His dream is to be a filmmaker, yet even with his track record, he still can't get funding for his film, a great story of which he wants to turn into a film, and he's gone to his "connections" and those within the industry, but according to them all, no matter his track record, he's still being rejected, because according to them, he's still considered "new."

No. If he has 10 years of experience, "they" whoever they are might tell him he's "new." But what they really mean is they don't think what he makes will be marketable. They don't want it. If he had 100 years experience doing whatever it is he's doing, they still wouldn't want it. So he's either doing the wrong thing or talking to the wrong people, or both.

I think what I've managed to do as a director so far is amazing, because the communtiy stageplays I directed, the short films I directed, I did it all while my mother and I were homeless, sleeping on streets, in bus shelters and etc. It was rough and tiring but I did it because I knew I had to start from the bottom to get to the top, and now that I have done it, I'm constantly being told, no, no, no, no, and I do feel that no one is giving me a chance to prove to them and myself that I CAN succeed at making a feature film, that I can succed at this.

That's great, and I can respect overcoming hardship. It might even make for a cool story to market the film. But more than likely, an investor will think "what the hell does this have to do with my money increasing?" And they are absolutely right. Look at it from their perspective. People in a very precarious financial situation made some plays. Now they want $100,000 (or whatever) to make a film. What?! Have you made an actual film? Using a phone camera or something?

And I KNOW the film project that I have can succeed, I know this for a fact, people have read the script and said, "wow, this is damn good," and to be honest, it's not just a horror story, it's a horror story with a dramatic message that will educate and inform people while entertaining at the same time, but someone needs to give it a chance.

No. When you know things for a fact yet you have never done those things, that is just called bullshit. Sorry, but you need to hear this. You can't know for sure that something works, as a fact, when you haven't done it. You can have confidence, sure. But your confidence can be misplaced, you can be wrong, you can overestimate your knowledge and abilities, all of which means you bullshitted your way into turning someone else's cash into nothing. And that is exactly what an investor thinks, reading the statement above. My recommendation: think about it from their perspective. Why would your project be less risky and more profitable than the thousands of other projects from people who tell them about their "dream" of making films every week? What can you do to make it less risky, more likely to be profitable, from their perspective? You're not asking for permission, you're proving, with evidence, that there is no better place to invest money.

 

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[Sandy Dives]

I was seeking film investors but since I'm a new but experienced filmmaker, I suppose that disqualifies me from ever being able to get a feature film funded and made.

I see a lot of people here are giving "constructive criticism", all though no one is focused on a solution to what you actually asked for, they are just finding reasons as to why this is a bad idea. I think this is a great idea, if you put in the work.

I think that in order to even get something like this known and off the ground you have to really believe you can do it. And yes, it is fully possible, even if you have ZERO experience (I know you have some though, but for reference) and ZERO to show for.

If you know deep down you can do this, you HAVE to prove and convince people that you can do it.

How do you do that you might ask?
Well, I know this can't be compared, but I'm a self taught 21 year old programmer that is currently working at one of the top companies in Norway, like the hotshots of programming. I know I know, 9-5, working on it, but my point is, when I started out, even after years of hobby-experience, I had nothing to show for and was new to the field workwise.

What did I do to convince people to hire me? I needed 2 things. First, I needed to believe in myself. Like really believe. If not even you believe in yourself, people will see that (like being insecure, saying I don't know if I can do that etc) and NO ONE will believe you can do it.

Second, if you have nothing to show for, you absolutely need to have something to show for. So in my case that meant creating a couple of projects, even contacting companies and saying that I'll do some programming for them for free just to get som portfolio projects going. Applying for my first job went super easy as they saw my previous work and were really impressed, all though I had heard everyone around me say that I needed a full education.

Here is a great opportunity to build a small team. Get some people together and do what you can with the equipment you have at hand. Also, if you find some commercials or people wanting a job done, offer them your services for free one time to show that you are the shit.

When you believe in yourself, and you have something to show for, then the sky is the limit.
Read about Kevin O'Learys first business or how Sylvester Stallone was super broke while trying to get his first movie role. Several people before you have done this and become successful, so why shouldn't you be able to?

Contacts in a field like this is really important, reach out to people saying that you are starting and ask questions. Once you have a track record you should start scaling and getting investors in if you want to make something completely on your own. Perhaps you can also collab in the start.

If you think you can do it, you can do it.
Go get it!

 

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[BizyDad]

So interesting seeing how the new girl manages to ignore and/or piss off people capable of giving funding.

You came to get investors. But 3 times were asked to pitch and nothing came out.

You were also asked about the numbers and you didn't respond like a business person.

You changed the original post from numbers to a petulant diatribe.

And yes, you did present some guy's research as your own. That what the word "I" on your copy and paste means.

This is what "no track record" means. This is short hand for "you don't understand how hard it is to make a successful film and I see no reason to take a chance on you."

You speak in ways that only lead to dead ends. You lash out at people trying to help you. You do not seem to have what it takes to lead a project of the scope you are suggesting. You don't have a clue about how to actually raise the capital. And with your attitude, why should anyone feel comfortable putting you in a room with financers?

The forum wanted to help you. Instead of pitching, you turned to bitching.

Yes, yes, twitter is full of wannabes who agree with you. So what?

Let me ask you this. Who is attached to star in this script of yours? Anybody we know? Is there a bankable name that would make the people with money on this thread feel like this is a real opportunity?

$450k doesn't sound like it allows much room for advertising the film. How much of your budget is alloted to getting the word out? What is the go to market strategy for this?

You don't have good answers for these question, Ms No Track Record.

But you have spunk. I'll give you that.

I mean seriously, you got as far as speaking to industry types who told you the kinds of projects that get funded.

So give them what they want!

Oh, I know, you aren't interested in making a rehash of 50 shades.

But you're capable of writing. So sell them a script. Do that 4 times and you'll have the original $450k you are seeking.

There's a ton of ways to make your dream a reality.

But nobody ever makes it by sitting around arguing about how hard it is to make it.

Get to work.

 

[Sandy Dives]

I don't think people are I have tried this, believe me, I have, I "used" to believe in the law of attraction and I used it to really believe I could get this film funded. I reached out to investors, entrepreneurs, doctors, dentists, Mackenzie Scott, I reached out to owners of car dealerships, I reached out to my own film connections, I reached out to people who were investors, loan agents, it's like no one is responding to me and my project.

Short films? I've done em', next?

Films that people want to watch? I tried pitching that, I wrote an incredible low, budget drama film, people said the story was great and it was based on a topic of which EVERYONE can relate to, do you know what I was told? "No, we're looking more for films like Fifty Shades of Grey or The Purge or Transformers, your story is too serious."

I have tried every way to get ANY GOOD film of mine funded and NOTHING I have tried has worked - NOTHING. NO ONE wants to fund anyone who isn't Ava DuVernay, Tyler Perry, Quentin Tarantino, or some a-list director like that. Go on Twitter and check out the tweets from NUMEROUS, female filmmakers, especially those who are of color, like myself, and you will see, they have my same problem. It's almost impossible for us to get funding for ANY project we want to do.

I think you have the wrong mindset my friend. First of all, you have to understand that these people, the people you are contacting, probably get this quite often. Everyone has great ideas, and they tell a friend about it or get rejected once or twice and they give up and convince themselves that it wouldn't work out.

Now, you have tried a couple of times you say and no one is responding. Okay, now is that your fault or their fault? It might be both, but it is ONLY your fault that you don't change your approach an re-approach once it's rejected.

These people have absolutely no obligation at all to even answer you, but if they do, there might be some interest there. You have to make them respond. Show them why they should respond to you. If they don't like it analyze your approach and see if you can find something you can improve or do differently. Then contact them again later.

As I mentioned before, one thing is to approach people and say "Okay so I have this idea will you invest?" and another thing is to already have a working prototype, reputation and a full plan of the project, and then say "Alright, so we are at this point now, we are putting in all the work working 24/7, but we are now at a point that we need investors so that we can take this project to the theaters and make mad cash together".

I have to admit that when random people or people I know tell me "I have this idea and I'm going to commit to it", I don't believe them right off the bat. This is not because I don't believe in people in general, but because these are things I hear all the time from friends and other people, and after a month they give up. Like with hitting the gym, loosing weight etc.

Also, don't make excuses like you did there. I can guarantee you with 99% certainty that you are NOT getting rejected because of being someone of color. Even if so, you are just not approaching enough people.



It doesn't work? Try again.
It doesn't work 50 times in a row? Change something and try again.
Failing is the best way of learning.

Figure out what you need to do this and then do it. Keep showing up. I believe in you

- Sandy

 

[biophase]

I’m not interested in investing. But I would love to hear how a movie like yours would make money. How do you plan to bring in $400,000+?

Are you trying to sell it to a streaming service? Doing a 24 hour rental? Pay-per-view?

What does that portion of the business plan look like? I am genuinely curious.

 

[PCM1984]

I’m not interested in investing. But I would love to hear how a movie like yours would make money. How do you plan to bring in $400,000+?

Are you trying to sell it to a streaming service? Doing a 24 hour rental? Pay-per-view?

What does that portion of the business plan look like? I am genuinely curious.

Well...

I’m not interested in investing. But I would love to hear how a movie like yours would make money. How do you plan to bring in $400,000+?

Are you trying to sell it to a streaming service? Doing a 24 hour rental? Pay-per-view?

What does that portion of the business plan look like? I am genuinely curious.

How I would plan to bring that in is by shopping the film around to film festivals, like Sundance, Cannes and etc, and greatly made horror films are often successfully picked by big distribution companies like Blumhouse, Lionsgate and etc. Also, I plan to seek out VOD routes like Netflix and Amazon and etc, which would bring in the desired profit from the sales of the film.

Furthermore, horror movies are extremely profitable, if done right. The return-on-investment potential for horror movies is absurd. For example, Paranormal Activity was made for $450,000 and pulled in $194 million — 431 times the original budget. Even more so, I looked at data for 202 horror movies that were released between 1999 and 2014 and that were listed on websites such as, The Numbers and OpusData. For comparison, I also pulled 180 films in the romantic comedy genre and 338 action films.

Then I figured out how many times a movie made back its budget over again. So any film that made money had a multiple higher than zero, and a movie that made back its budget and not a dollar more would get a 1. A movie that doubled its budget would have a 2 and so on.



One in 5 horror movies in our set made its budget back, six times over or more. One in 10 made its budget back seventeen times over or more. And it keeps going! While 1 in 20 action movies made six times its budget or more, 1 in 20 horror movies made back thirty-eight times its budget or more. In short: There were 28 horror movies out of the 202 I analyzed from the past 15 years that made back more than 10 times their budget. There were only six romantic comedies out of 180 and only four action movies that pulled off the same return on investment. Namely, horror movies are relatively cheap to make — the genre doesn’t demand that a big-name star get hacked to pieces and will accept any replacement-level ingenue as a lead — and they have the opportunity to explode in popularity.

 

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[PCM1984]

Without a track record, or just in general this sounds like a fever dream. Might want to readjust your goals.

Um, I suggest you read this and re-think your "track record" theory. THANK you.

Beginner’s Luck?

 

[Guest-5ty5s4]

Dude, nobody knows if you’ve ever made a movie or even written a script or held a camera. If you want people to give you money, you need to PROVE to them that you are offering more value than they are risking.

Your post sounds like you have very little plan, just “take money” then “go try and figure everything out.”

You don’t get investors before you’ve done any work or had any success. They normally come when you’ve already proven something. Anything!

Also, the return you’re promising is absolutely ludicrous. And you’re comparing this to one of the most successful movies in your genre? Huh?

Maybe you’re the next George Lucas. But say I’m a potential investor (I’m not) - what have you shown any of us to lead me to believe you can pull this off?

 

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[PCM1984]

Money eludes those who chase it. I'll check out your article but have a good value differential for your movie otherwise your no different than anyone else.

Personally I'd be more impressed by a YouTube Channel producing horror mini movies. Chances are probably better earning connections that way too, but then again let me read your beginners luck article.

Well...You are right. Perhaps I'm just some dizzy broad with no experience at all, despite being in this field of directing for THIRTEEN YEARS....and despite the fact that I do have a solid investment plan....

 

[PCM1984]

Dude, nobody knows if you’ve ever made a movie or even written a script or held a camera. If you want people to give you money, you need to PROVE to them that you are offering more value than they are risking.

Your post sounds like you have very little plan, just “take money” then “go try and figure everything out.”

You don’t get investors before you’ve done any work or had any success. They normally come when you’ve already proven something. Anything!

Also, the return you’re promising is absolutely ludicrous. And you’re comparing this to one of the most successful movies in your genre? Huh?

Maybe you’re the next George Lucas. But say I’m a potential investor (I’m not) - what have you shown any of us to lead me to believe you can pull this off?

Um, you haven't even seen my investment prospectus to know if I HAVE any experience. You're prejudging based off of a single POST. I have written and directed THREE short films and directed SEVERAL community stage plays. I'm no George Lucas or Quentin Tarantino but I am a female filmmaker with experience. I have a director's reel of work. My plan is solid and it's proven that horror films ARE the most profitable genre out there. Jesus, whatever, forget it...

 

[Guest-5ty5s4]

Ok so a lot of this info was not in your first post. That’s fine, just needs to be known if you want advice.

How many profitable movies have you made? What were the financials on those? Can you show investors that?

If yes, that’s what you need to do.

 

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[BizyDad]

For example, Paranormal Activity was made for $450,000 and pulled in $194 million — 431 times the original budget. Even more so, I looked at data for 202 horror movies that were released between 1999 and 2014 and that were listed on websites such as, The Numbers and OpusData. For comparison, I also pulled 180 films in the romantic comedy genre and 338 action films.

Then I figured out how many times a movie made back its budget over again. So any film that made money had a multiple higher than zero, and a movie that made back its budget and not a dollar more would get a 1. A movie that doubled its budget would have a 2 and so on.

One in 5 horror movies in our set made its budget back, six times over or more. One in 10 made its budget back seventeen times over or more. And it keeps going! While 1 in 20 action movies made six times its budget or more, 1 in 20 horror movies made back thirty-eight times its budget or more. In short: There were 28 horror movies out of the 202 I analyzed from the past 15 years that made back more than 10 times their budget. There were only six romantic comedies out of 180 and only four action movies that pulled off the same return on investment. Namely, horror movies are relatively cheap to make — the genre doesn’t demand that a big-name star get hacked to pieces and will accept any replacement-level ingenue as a lead — and they have the opportunity to explode in popularity

This is funny to me because I first thought you were Walt Hickey changing careers but now I see these are his words being passed off as yours.

Walt Hickey would understand the dataset is inherently biased because it only includes the subset of scripts which are funded and ultimately releases with proper studio backing.

And an investor might wonder if you are going to plagiarize his content how original is your work. Maybe not a big deal, most horror is derivative, but the attitude and ethics on display by the original poster speak to questionable practices.

Especially in the areas of entertainment and in raising capital, maintain quality relationships is essential to success.

That said, maybe try selling a script before you go whole hog on getting an entire movie funded. Build a rep for producing quality stories and work your way into your own vehicle that way. It is easier to sell a script (I know people who've done it) or three than raising $450k to fund your first picture (I know no one who did that).

At the rates my friends made, you could sell a few scripts and you could at least partially fund your own movie.

Alternatively, I have a friend who made her first horror film for 10k, second for 25k. After her third, she got jobs working on bigger productions. She hasn't landed her own directing gig, yet, but she is excited about all the facets she is learning about the industry.

You're right, it is near impossible to get your ideas taken seriously with no track record. But instead of complaining, yelling, and ranting about that fact, you could actually try and take steps to gain that track record.

 

[PCM1984]

This is funny to me because I first thought you were Walt Hickey changing careers but now I see these are his words being passed off as yours.

Walt Hickey would understand the dataset is inherently biased because it only includes the subset of scripts which are funded and ultimately releases with proper studio backing.

And an investor might wonder if you are going to plagiarize his content how original is your work. Maybe not a big deal, most horror is derivative, but the attitude and ethics on display by the original poster speak to questionable practices.

Especially in the areas of entertainment and in raising capital, maintain quality relationships is essential to success.

That said, maybe try selling a script before you go whole hog on getting an entire movie funded. Build a rep for producing quality stories and work your way into your own vehicle that way. It is easier to sell a script (I know people who've done it) or three than raising $450k to fund your first picture (I know no one who did that).

At the rates my friends made, you could sell a few scripts and you could at least partially fund your own movie.

Alternatively, I have a friend who made her first horror film for 10k, second for 25k. After her third, she got jobs working on bigger productions. She hasn't landed her own directing gig, yet, but she is excited about all the facets she is learning about the industry.

You're right, it is near impossible to get your ideas taken seriously with no track record. But instead of complaining, yelling, and ranting about that fact, you could actually try and take steps to gain that track record.

Look, let me put it like this, first, it's not plagiarism because I didn't say the facts that I shared and listed above, about the horror film genre were from me, and written and created by me. However the horror film genre facts I shared above are indeed truth, which is why I shared them.

Secondly, I have the experience. As far as a track record, I know a guy who has a ten year track record of working on film sets as a PA, and other crew jobs, and he's directed and produced over one hundred shorts. His dream is to be a filmmaker, yet even with his track record, he still can't get funding for his film, a great story of which he wants to turn into a film, and he's gone to his "connections" and those within the industry, but according to them all, no matter his track record, he's still being rejected, because according to them, he's still considered "new."

I think what I've managed to do as a director so far is amazing, because the communtiy stageplays I directed, the short films I directed, I did it all while my mother and I were homeless, sleeping on streets, in bus shelters and etc. It was rough and tiring but I did it because I knew I had to start from the bottom to get to the top, and now that I have done it, I'm constantly being told, no, no, no, no, and I do feel that no one is giving me a chance to prove to them and myself that I CAN succeed at making a feature film, that I can succed at this.

And I KNOW the film project that I have can succeed, I know this for a fact, people have read the script and said, "wow, this is damn good," and to be honest, it's not just a horror story, it's a horror story with a dramatic message that will educate and inform people while entertaining at the same time, but someone needs to give it a chance.

I don't want to be a George Lucas or a Quentin Tarantino because that's not my goal. I'm not interested in awards, being a celebrity and/or being rich or wealthy. In fact, I don't want any of that, at all. If given to me, I'd run from it.

I just want to make one film, one film that will make a big enough profit that will allow me to pay off the investor or investors and then with the rest of the profits, I can get my mother and I off the streets and then have enough to make the next indie film and the next. I just want to make movies, movies that wi help the world through the pain and hurt that a lot of them are going through, the way the movies I watched helped me through my pain, hurt and depression over my mother and I's problems.

But I guess none of that makes sense but I'm just trying to go from being a nobody to being a somebody with this goal/ dream that I have.

 

[Rabby]

I was seeking film investors but since I'm a new but experienced filmmaker, I suppose that disqualifies me from ever being able to get a feature film funded and made.

This is a self-defeating statement. Try not to think this way, and definitely don't pose questions this way. Sounding defeated from the beginning will not make an investor think you have the grit to complete a project

The discussion above is great, but I thought someone should answer the titular question, which was "where" to find film investors. I am no expert, but personally, I would look in the cities where a lot of films are produced and made. Doesn't it make sense to go where the industry is? They probably want to talk to producers, agents, writers, studio owners, etc., from time to time right? After all, they know enough about films to want to invest in them.

It's also worth knowing that like any finance anywhere, there are people who serve as aggregators and subject matter experts. You might find "the private investor," but in many cases the person you need to talk to is an expert on films and their marketing, who is trusted by a dozen or so investors to put their money into good films, as opposed to terrible ones. This person may or may not put their own money into films, but the important thing is that they control where some quantum of money goes. And they're experts in the industry, so guess who they hang out with?

So far, where have you looked? Which states, or which cities? How many people in the film industry have you talked to?

 

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[Raja]

YOU SPONSOR A SAMPLE OF A MOVIE.

if it's good as you say it's gonna be, then Crowdfund it. use your sample movie for it.

 

[Private Witt]

Money eludes those who chase it. I'll check out your article but have a good value differential for your movie otherwise your no different than anyone else.

Personally I'd be more impressed by a YouTube Channel producing horror mini movies. Chances are probably better earning connections that way too, but then again let me read your beginners luck article.

I loath all horror movies, but ended up watching this YT short horror and loved it. Seems like great route for a low budget director wanting to make a resume.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8w3MA1WXC0

 

[Odysseus M Jones]

Pitch me the film.

Lawnmower Man 2
You could fund it & star in it

 

[BizyDad]

YOU SPONSOR A SAMPLE OF A MOVIE.

if it's good as you say it's gonna be, then Crowdfund it. use your sample movie for it.

Good idea. The friend I mentioned crowdsourced her 2nd and 3rd films.

Deadpool got made because of a sample. It took Ryan Reynolds 7 years to get Deadpool made. And he has contacts etc.

But unless the powers that be believe there is a market for it, they aren't going to fund it.

I CAN succeed at making a feature film

Sure,maybe you can succeed at making the film. But will they come see it?

We live in an era where kids with youtube channels get Netflix deals. It has never been easier to "break in" to Hollywood.

But even Ryan Reynolds kept getting told no no no.

Can you prove that you market your movie? Sure, you've made shorts films. How many eyes have seen them? Community theater is a personal love of mine. You directed. I know some of the challenges you faced. But how many people came and saw it?

I don't want to be a George Lucas or a Quentin Tarantino because that's not my goal. I'm not interested in awards, being a celebrity and/or being rich or wealthy. In fact, I don't want, at all. If given to me, I'd run from it.

Echoing @Rabby 's points above, comments like these make it sound like you don't want to be the best at what you do and you don't care enough about the money side of this.

You're not looking at this through the eyes of an investor. Don't you think they'd prefer to at least feel like they are funding the next Lucas or Tarantino?

Look, let me put it like this, first, it's not plagiarism because I didn't say the facts that I shared and listed above, about the horror film genre were from me, and written and created by me. However the horror film genre facts I shared above are indeed truth, which is why I shared them.

Secondly, I have the experience. As far as a track record, I know a guy who has a ten year track record of working on film sets as a PA, and other crew jobs, and he's directed and produced over one hundred shorts. His dream is to be a filmmaker, yet even with his track record, he still can't get funding for his film, a great story of which he wants to turn into a film, and he's gone to his "connections" and those within the industry, but according to them all, no matter his track record, he's still being rejected, because according to them, he's still considered "new."

I think what I've managed to do as a director so far is amazing, because the communtiy stageplays I directed, the short films I directed, I did it all while my mother and I were homeless, sleeping on streets, in bus shelters and etc. It was rough and tiring but I did it because I knew I had to start from the bottom to get to the top, and now that I have done it, I'm constantly being told, no, no, no, no, and I do feel that no one is giving me a chance to prove to them and myself that I CAN succeed at making a feature film, that I can succed at this.

And I KNOW the film project that I have can succeed, I know this for a fact, people have read the script and said, "wow, this is damn good," and to be honest, it's not just a horror story, it's a horror story with a dramatic message that will educate and inform people while entertaining at the same time, but someone needs to give it a chance.

I don't want to be a George Lucas or a Quentin Tarantino because that's not my goal. I'm not interested in awards, being a celebrity and/or being rich or wealthy. In fact, I don't want any of that, at all. If given to me, I'd run from it.

I just want to make one film, one film that will make a big enough profit that will allow me to pay off the investor or investors and then with the rest of the profits, I can get my mother and I off the streets and then have enough to make the next indie film and the next. I just want to make movies, movies that wi help the world through the pain and hurt that a lot of them are going through, the way the movies I watched helped me through my pain, hurt and depression over my mother and I's problems.

But I guess none of that makes sense but I'm just trying to go from being a nobody to being a somebody with this goal/ dream that I have.

It sounds like you have a fire burning in you. Maybe that's where the anger earlier was coming from.

Hold onto that fire (but maybe learn to channel the anger more productively). Every great person has their "why" and it sounds like you have yours.

You've chosen an industry where people lose credibility over the seemingly littlest things. Kevin Smith tells the story about not knowing his lenses, and losing credibility with his cast as a result. He'd had several successes to that point, but even he struggles to get ideas funded and suffered from imposter syndrome.

My point is, this industry quickly tears down that which it built up. Those who get the opportunity to continue to make movie after movie are those who have the fire to perservere in the face of adversity.

I wish you the best, and hope you take some of the advice here to heart. (I second @Johnny boy 's request for a pitch. If you want to get funded, you've got be ready with that pitch.)

 

[PCM1984]

I said pitch me the film, stupid.

And you think calling me stupid is going to get me to do so? No, thank you, I don't respond to insults.

 

[Deleted78083]

Speaking with an experience of 12 years writing, acting, and directing.

The big problem with artists is that they make movies based on what they want to make. They rarely think about the public (which is why most artists are broke btw).

As such, most movies bomb because they're lame (about a thousand movies are produced in the USA each year, how many of them break even?)

In fact the people that made the best movies from a financial standpoint are not artists and never went to film school. They're businessmen or storytellers.

If you want someone to invest in your project, you need a movie people will watch. It starts with a solid story. Then a script. Then you can contact producers and producing companies and see if they're interested in your story.

Many directors started doing shorts to show what they were capable of. A short costs nothing to make. I have made a bunch of them. Why don't you make a short and start from there? That's how Damien Chazelle got the money to direct Whiplash.

He had a solid script, made an outstanding short, and off he was.

You were speaking about your friend who's made plenty of shorts and still can't get financed. Well....do people like his movies? You can make a thousand of shorts, but if all of them suck, it does not matter.

 

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[Guest-5ty5s4]

You can make a thousand of shorts, but if all of them suck, it does not matter.

Even if they're fantastic, they might make $0 or negative dollars.

Business requires that you make more than you spend. My favorite example of a great movie that was a fiery turd of financial failure is The Thief & The Cobbler:

The Thief and the Cobbler - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

They spent nearly 30 years making this movie as well as $28 million, and the box office was less than $700,000.

And this guy had a track record! This was Miramax studios!

Investors want proof that this particular movie will make money.

EDIT: have you even read the books this forum revolves around? Because they would have made this whole conversation go a lot smoother (oh this was to OP not to @mon_fi )

 

[PCM1984]

I see a lot of people here are giving "constructive criticism", all though no one is focused on a solution to what you actually asked for, they are just finding reasons as to why this is a bad idea. I think this is a great idea, if you put in the work.

I think that in order to even get something like this known and off the ground you have to really believe you can do it. And yes, it is fully possible, even if you have ZERO experience (I know you have some though, but for reference) and ZERO to show for.

If you know deep down you can do this, you HAVE to prove and convince people that you can do it.

How do you do that you might ask?
Well, I know this can't be compared, but I'm a self taught 21 year old programmer that is currently working at one of the top companies in Norway, like the hotshots of programming. I know I know, 9-5, working on it, but my point is, when I started out, even after years of hobby-experience, I had nothing to show for and was new to the field workwise.

What did I do to convince people to hire me? I needed 2 things. First, I needed to believe in myself. Like really believe. If not even you believe in yourself, people will see that (like being insecure, saying I don't know if I can do that etc) and NO ONE will believe you can do it.

Second, if you have nothing to show for, you absolutely need to have something to show for. So in my case that meant creating a couple of projects, even contacting companies and saying that I'll do some programming for them for free just to get som portfolio projects going. Applying for my first job went super easy as they saw my previous work and were really impressed, all though I had heard everyone around me say that I needed a full education.

Here is a great opportunity to build a small team. Get some people together and do what you can with the equipment you have at hand. Also, if you find some commercials or people wanting a job done, offer them your services for free one time to show that you are the shit.

When you believe in yourself, and you have something to show for, then the sky is the limit.
Read about Kevin O'Learys first business or how Sylvester Stallone was super broke while trying to get his first movie role. Several people before you have done this and become successful, so why shouldn't you be able to?

Contacts in a field like this is really important, reach out to people saying that you are starting and ask questions. Once you have a track record you should start scaling and getting investors in if you want to make something completely on your own. Perhaps you can also collab in the start.

If you think you can do it, you can do it.
Go get it!

I don't think people are I have tried this, believe me, I have, I "used" to believe in the law of attraction and I used it to really believe I could get this film funded. I reached out to investors, entrepreneurs, doctors, dentists, Mackenzie Scott, I reached out to owners of car dealerships, I reached out to my own film connections, I reached out to people who were investors, loan agents, it's like no one is responding to me and my project.

Speaking with an experience of 12 years writing, acting, and directing.

The big problem with artists is that they make movies based on what they want to make. They rarely think about the public (which is why most artists are broke btw).

As such, most movies bomb because they're lame (about a thousand movies are produced in the USA each year, how many of them break even?)

In fact the people that made the best movies from a financial standpoint are not artists and never went to film school. They're businessmen or storytellers.

If you want someone to invest in your project, you need a movie people will watch. It starts with a solid story. Then a script. Then you can contact producers and producing companies and see if they're interested in your story.

Many directors started doing shorts to show what they were capable of. A short costs nothing to make. I have made a bunch of them. Why don't you make a short and start from there? That's how Damien Chazelle got the money to direct Whiplash.

He had a solid script, made an outstanding short, and off he was.

You were speaking about your friend who's made plenty of shorts and still can't get financed. Well....do people like his movies? You can make a thousand of shorts, but if all of them suck, it does not matter.

Short films? I've done em', next?

Films that people want to watch? I tried pitching that, I wrote an incredible low, budget drama film, people said the story was great and it was based on a topic of which EVERYONE can relate to, do you know what I was told? "No, we're looking more for films like Fifty Shades of Grey or The Purge or Transformers, your story is too serious."

I have tried every way to get ANY GOOD film of mine funded and NOTHING I have tried has worked - NOTHING. NO ONE wants to fund anyone who isn't Ava DuVernay, Tyler Perry, Quentin Tarantino, or some a-list director like that. Go on Twitter and check out the tweets from NUMEROUS, female filmmakers, especially those who are of color, like myself, and you will see, they have my same problem. It's almost impossible for us to get funding for ANY project we want to do.

Speaking with an experience of 12 years writing, acting, and directing.

The big problem with artists is that they make movies based on what they want to make. They rarely think about the public (which is why most artists are broke btw).

As such, most movies bomb because they're lame (about a thousand movies are produced in the USA each year, how many of them break even?)

In fact the people that made the best movies from a financial standpoint are not artists and never went to film school. They're businessmen or storytellers.

If you want someone to invest in your project, you need a movie people will watch. It starts with a solid story. Then a script. Then you can contact producers and producing companies and see if they're interested in your story.

Many directors started doing shorts to show what they were capable of. A short costs nothing to make. I have made a bunch of them. Why don't you make a short and start from there? That's how Damien Chazelle got the money to direct Whiplash.

He had a solid script, made an outstanding short, and off he was.

You were speaking about your friend who's made plenty of shorts and still can't get financed. Well....do people like his movies? You can make a thousand of shorts, but if all of them suck, it does not matter.

 

[PCM1984]

Even if they're fantastic, they might make $0 or negative dollars.

Business requires that you make more than you spend. My favorite example of a great movie that was a fiery turd of financial failure is The Thief & The Cobbler:

The Thief and the Cobbler - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

They spent nearly 30 years making this movie as well as $28 million, and the box office was less than $700,000.

And this guy had a track record! This was Miramax studios!

Investors want proof that this particular movie will make money.

The bottom line is, a good solid story WILL make money, but those good solid stories NEVER get funded and made because investors like the ones on here and everywhere else and others with money, they never give the writers and directors of these good, solid stories a CHANCE. This is why Hollywood keeps making reboots and the masses are complaining about it. The masses want FRESH content and fresh content is out there but no one is giving the fresh content a chance because of the ridiculous, "there's no track record", "no this person is new" bullshit. And the ones WITH track records and who ARE established, are making films that the masses are getting tired of seeing and thus these films don't do well profit wise. FRESH films do, do well, however, like Queen & Slim, Judas & The Black Messiah, and Nomadland, but these films that are by these track record, established people, the masses are tired of that junk. We have a LOT of good filmmakers out there like myself, with really good stories that the masses want to see, stories that would indeed be profitable because THE MASSES WANT TO SEE IT, but no one with MONEY wants to give us a chance because they're going off of dumb industry rules, which is why the masses are TIRED of the same big-wig Hollywood junk that keeps being pushed out.

 

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[Guest-5ty5s4]

The bottom line is, a good solid story WILL make money, but those good solid stories NEVER get funded and made because investors like the ones on here and everywhere else and others with money, they never give the writers and directors of these good, solid stories a CHANCE. This is why Hollywood keeps making reboots and the masses are complaining about it. The masses want FRESH content and fresh content is out there but no one is giving the fresh content a chance because of the ridiculous, "there's no track record", "no this person is new" bullshit. And the ones WITH track records and who ARE established, are making films that the masses are getting tired of seeing and thus these films don't do well profit wise. FRESH films do, do well, however, like Queen & Slim, Judas & The Black Messiah, and Nomadland, but these films that are by these track record, established people, the masses are tired of that junk. We have a LOT of good filmmakers out there like myself, with really good stories that the masses want to see, stories that would indeed be profitable because THE MASSES WANT TO SEE IT, but no one with MONEY wants to give us a chance because they're going off of dumb industry rules, which is why the masses are TIRED of the same big-wig Hollywood junk that keeps being pushed out.

Have you read Unscripted?

Because 99% of what you're saying are logical fallacies that are debunked in the books that led to this forum being created ...

 

[PCM1984]

Have you read Unscripted?

*sigh* forget it, never mind....