Financing / Crowdfunding

Hi, Maxim Iodice, Stage 32 has Financing Blogs (www.stage32.com/blog/tags/financing-85) and Financing Education (www.stage32.com/education/search?term=Financing) I suggest checking out.

Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you connect with creatives and industry professionals all over the world. Executives, producers, directors, writers, actors, and more. www.stage32.com/blog/the-importance-of-community-and-collaboration-in-th...

And Stage 32’s Community Open House will help you navigate Stage 32 and make connections (www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-s-august-community-open-house). The recording is free to watch.

Hi Maxim, Congratulations on working on your indie film project. I've found the key to film financing is professionalism in all manners. This includes a professional film budget, top notch film finance plan, and attractive pitch deck. Treating filmmaking like a business is critical. Investors certainly do. Good luck with your raise!

Maxim Iodice There’s currently an Ask Me Anything event happening in the Stage 32 Filmmaking Lounge, where director Kirstin Karlhuber is answering members questions about indie filmmaking. This may be a great topic to ask her about. You can comment your questions here:

https://www.stage32.com/lounge/directing/Ask-Me-Anything-AMA-10-21-to-10...

Michael Fitzer, MFA There’s currently an Ask Me Anything event happening in the Stage 32 Filmmaking Lounge, where director Kirstin Karlhuber is answering members questions about indie filmmaking. This may be a great topic to ask her about. You can comment your questions here:

https://www.stage32.com/lounge/directing/Ask-Me-Anything-AMA-10-21-to-10...

Hi, Kevin Osewe. Stage 32 has Financing Blogs (www.stage32.com/blog/tags/financing-85) and Financing Education (www.stage32.com/education/search?term=Financing) I suggest checking out.

Kevin Osewe There’s currently an Ask Me Anything event happening in the Stage 32 Filmmaking Lounge, where director Kirstin Karlhuber is answering members questions about indie filmmaking. This may be a great topic to ask her about. You can comment your questions here:

https://www.stage32.com/lounge/directing/Ask-Me-Anything-AMA-10-21-to-10...

Scott Morse Congrats on getting your proof of concepts in hand. Are they for a short film or a feature? I've found these helpful for both and there are numerous industry success stories on features being launched by a POC. Likewise, shooting a short as a director is helpful for a first time feature director as proof of their work. To accompany your work, a quality pitch deck, professional film budget, and film finance business plan are likewise good and essential elements to prepare for investment. Good luck with your project!

There’s currently an Ask Me Anything event happening in the Stage 32 Filmmaking Lounge, where director Kirstin Karlhuber is answering members questions about indie filmmaking. This may be a great topic to ask her about. You can comment your questions here:

https://www.stage32.com/lounge/directing/Ask-Me-Anything-AMA-10-21-to-10...

Hi everyone, excited to begin the class with you all this afternoon! Please feel free to reach out to myself or Peter if you have any questions, and it would be helpful to have a completed questionnaire so we can best tailor this experience to your individual needs.

Thanks so much, Max! Excited for the rest of the class and really appreciate you and Peter helping us make this class tailored and impactful!!

https://raindance.org/festival/

Fantastic tips, Jack Binder! I bookmarked your post so I can share it with members who are looking for funding. Thanks.

I tried to make two feature films way back, Ashley Renee Smith. I didn't know what I needed to get funding for the movies. I was just trying to find investors. I didn't have a business plan, pitch deck, nothing. I suggest filmmakers learn about these things and have them ready.

Amanda Toney Switzerland certainly has the financial sophistication to handle complex financial structures, although its main strength lies in wealth management and private banking, where it arguably leads the world. With the Swiss, you never really know who's got "boring old money" they don't want traced stashed in a vault in the basement somewhere.

Michael Fitzer, MFA I read your post about using a fiscal sponsorship for your film project and see a few red flags...

Charitable Purpose

The nonprofit’s mission is described as to: “promote and grow the local film ecosystem.” How does that qualify as a recognized charitable purpose under IRS rules? Local where?

Specifically, how does this mission ensure a public benefit, rather than primarily supporting private filmmakers or investors?

Public Benefit in Practice

Can you give examples of specific activities or outputs that demonstrate this mission actually benefits the public?

Donor Transparency / Expectations

How are donors informed about what types of projects their contributions might support?

How do you ensure donors understand that funds could theoretically be used for any type of film project, given the broad mission statement?

Tax Implications for the LLC

You mention that the LLC pays taxes on funds received. While that addresses income tax concerns, how does this arrangement still satisfy the IRS requirement that the nonprofit advance a charitable purpose?

Essentially, paying taxes does not automatically make the activity charitable — how is that being addressed?

Kenneth George, thanks for your note.

People much smarter than I am set up this program in my area and it has been in operation for more than a decade. I'm sure they have ironed out all the kinks.

Because I am not running the non-profit, most of these are questions I cannot answer. If you have concerns, you could probably contact your local film office to see if there is an org in your area offering a fiscal sponsorship program to answer what I cannot.

I can tell you that, as far as donor transparency and expectations are concerned, every donor chooses which project they want to support. They are given the necessary tax paperwork by the non-profit, but again, my knowledge of their inner workings only goes so far. Lawyers and accountants all vetted this long before I got involved with my project.

If you don't believe this is an avenue you want to explore for your upcoming projects I certainly understand. I'm just sharing my nominal success with this method.

Michael Fitzer, MFA It’s not something I was considering; I just noticed several issues with what you described. By the way, what’s the name of the nonprofit? Any of the questions I asked could easily be conveyed to them if you genuinely wanted to get to the bottom of things.

I’m fairly familiar with how nonprofits operate — or at least how they’re supposed to. In the context of a fiscal sponsorship, the structure is typically a re-granting model, which doesn’t quite match what you described.

If the nonprofit you mentioned is actually acting just as a medium the funnel donations to for-profit LLCs for commercial filmmaking, that could seriously jeopardize its nonprofit status - and that is at the very least. So let’s start with the name of the organization in question, and we can figure out the rest from there.

Hey Arthur Needham - congrats on all the work you've out in so far. Here's a free resource you can start with about pitching a series: under the Stage32 Education tab, search for Webinars and, specifically for "CLOSED CAPTIONED: Stage 32 + Netflix Present: Television Pitch Workshop" - I think that will get you started well on your way, and after you've got something, you should jump in and test by pitching to the actual execs on this platform. Good luck!

Congratulations on your accomplishments. But the scene needs to be moving and showing action. A great way to start a Drama or a Thriller is with a Cold Opening: ( 1-10)pages. This is one of the most important parts of the script, the first or a pages. It should takeoff right away, Unlike when we are writing a novel that focuses on everything that is in the scene. For example, writing a description of the prison is unnecessary. Perhaps when It is time to describe the prison. It should be inside the prison and the Inmate population. Prisons are never quiet.

When you are describing the prison bus, it would not be quiet. What kind of conversations are transpiring or is there a dead silence and a heaviness of fear for the prisoners who are being incarcerated for the very first time. If that’s the case, you could show the expression on their faces and focus on what the guards are saying and how they treat the prisoners as well. The next question is the main character regretting his crimes, Because if he is, you can show that in something he says or some kind of emotion. Or is he a three time offender, and rebel, who just constantly breaks the law, Or A career criminal?

Inside the prison, there is a whole inmate community and a lot of moving parts of people who work within the prison. It is a world in itself and it’s very important to build that world. What kind of gangs are in the prison? What groups are really running the prison as it pertains to the hierarchy. Are there any crooked correctional officers? Is the warden moral or is he immoral? etc.

Have you ever watched the movie Shawshank Redemption? It was brilliantly written, and it was an adaptation of a book. Do you remember that Morgan Freeman played the character Red, But he was also the Voiceover In the movie. But when you think about it, he was just as powerful as the main character. Also, you see this whole world inside of the prison and how although they had these different groups and gangs. The

Red” Character was quite powerful, more than any other character in the whole prison, because he could get you anything that you need. He ran this secret enterprise and store for decades. He was an important man to the prison population. I say all of this just to throw out some ideas for you to make your script more active and moving. I say this also because in that movie, there were other characters who were key to the whole story who were just as important as the main character Andy. Some people think to save the best part of their writing script for the middle of the script or the end and that is not a good way to do it. In that Cold Opening you must bring it. Set up things such as who is the Protagonist, The key players, What is the world?, What is The character wound of the protagonist and the Inciting Incident. Remember to show and not tell in your script. We always want to show the audience why they should care about your story and your protagonist. Get into the scene as late as possible and out of the scene as early as possible. I hope this helps a little.

I like idea

The Log Line and then the Synopsis are crucial to actually getting your pilot script read in the first place. The bulk of rejections come at Log Line stage. Then a ONE PAGER is very useful.

If it's a series, you'd be pitching to streamers and broadcasters, financiers don''t generally get involved at this stage if at all, unless it's truly independent.

As David Taylor says, they will read a logline and a synopsis, if they like the idea, they'll ask to see a pilot script and possibly a bible - short paras of the other episodes.. They need this to get an idea of the characters, the story development and how good the writing is. If they like all these, they may commission. If they do they will likely fully finance.

I've never had luck with crowdsourcing a movie. People just couldn't care, and the finished movie as a reward just isn't enough to entice backers. The only successes I've ever had is on small-scale limited run things where funding results in getting goods in hand. Something tangible is an easy sell. A movie that you want to make isn't. I wish you all the luck in the world, some people have cracked it and know how to make it work; I couldn't.

I hear you Brian Nguyen. The most I've ever raised is $11K and it was non-stop work for a solid month. I'm not entirely sure it is worth it, but who knows... Maybe this one will resonate.

I also find its very helpful to be very specific on what you want to fund... i.e. funding a movie is too big for donors to feel they have an impact on and nobody cares about the cost of doing business like insurance or camera packages. Think about the elements that go into a specific scene or what you would do with that $10k that is not just for general expenses that makes the supporter feel like they are a part of the process and can visually see the results of their donation when you complete the film.

I also agree crowdfunding is a TON of work so think about what other benefits come from this kind of funding strategy to determine if its worth the work

I've never considered crowdfunding for films. But have any of you ever tried it for a music video? I've got a song I'll record with a group of voices and the lyrics tell a story which will require a dramatization. Budget will run in the $10-$15,000 range. I'm a greenhorn in this situation.