Let’s face it, money is essential in making films. Even the most amateurish filmmakers face that impending complication of how they are going to feed their cast who has just given them 14 hours of their life to make your vision come true. So how do you find someone who’s willing to cough up a $1000, or even $100K to finance your perfectly flawless concept and make the next best film to hit theaters?
First, let’s aim our focus primarily on the low budget scene... now let’s just focus on the Midwest, taking out a myriad of factors. Our scenario is to raise a total of $100,000 for your next feature film, utilizing your limited network of friends, family, and colleagues to find that one investor who will make that leap of faith. While that task seems daunting enough, let’s factor in the cold hard reality that eight out of every ten films lose money. Good luck because you’re going to need it.
Here is a reality you have to be prepared for in your quest...
No Midwest investor wants to put his or her money in something as impractical as a “movie”. Manufacturing or distribution, then you’re a shoe in. But for financing an actual film production is as foreign to them as the Greek language, and something that is unfamiliar to investors is greatly feared. So now you have to battle the “fear” factor in your pursuit.
“But wait!” you say. “My Uncle knows this guy who is loaded.”
Let’s look at the realities of that particular idea. First and foremost, as most intelligent people can attest to, saying something and actually doing something are two different things. The old proverb that “Man is quicker in thought than deed.” is so very true. Odds are that if you did approach your Uncle, he would tell you that he’d love to help, BUT... (And here it comes.) he doesn’t want to jeopardize his twenty year friendship with his rich friend over his niece or nephew’s frivolous dream, which as most adults know, dreams eventually pass in time.
So now you’re first goal is useless. So you regroup and Google “How to find investors” and hope that there will be a magical site that explains how it all works. By the way, I’m still looking for that site.
Lesson Number One: If raising money for a movie was as easy as we think it is, then everyone would be doing it.
Yep, you read it right. There is no easy way in doing it. There is no ‘Raising Money For Dummies” book on the shelves. One thing you have to be willing and prepared to face is the harsh reality that money makes everyone different. Case in point: Talking to your Uncle about football and cars, and you’ll likely have an amicable and lasting conversation. But then ask him for $20 for gas, and you will literally see his smile ebb away. Now you’re looking at a gnawing frown, a crinkled brow with a long deep sigh of uncertainty. And that’s just for stinking twenty dollars! Now imagine that skepticism an investor would feel, asking for $100K! Money makes people weird, folks. Face it.
So now we’re back to Googling for that magical investor... you spend every waking minute on how to find that one person with money. Do you place random ads in the classifieds? Do you send e-mails to wealthy people you read about in your newspaper? Yeah, you could, but I can tell you that you will be wasting your time. Unless you know someone, and I mean really and truly know someone with a lot of cash, then that just might get them to buzz the gates at their mansion to let you in, and that’s IF they’re having a good day.
The bottom line is that the process of finding investor(s) is a game you have to learn all by yourself. I wish I had the one true answer for you, but sadly, these are just the facts. You can try certain ways… experiment, get creative… but be prepared before you go diving in. Get a detailed budget together; learn how to write a Business Plan and an Investment Memorandum. Get to know certain people in particular social circles. Read the ‘Business’ section of your local paper, and find out what the pulse is of your surroundings. A well-informed Producer is a GOOD Producer.
But before I wrap this essay up, I’d like to illustrate a particular theory on finding cash for a film to be made here in the Midwest.
Look at the amazing amount of cash being raised now that the 08’ election cycle is in full swing. It’s simply astonishing the vast amounts being raised for a mere regional election, let alone the colossal amounts on the national level... what are these affluent people looking for when writing their Party a $10,000 check? What goes through a person’s mind when giving a candidate (whom they’ll probably never meet) literally a blank check? Do they want to be a part of something bigger? Do they feel as if they are contributing to the greater good of humanity… making a difference in society? Who’s to say… but these arguments can also be used to sway an investor “on the fence” about a film too.
Does an investor reach a point in their lives when they ask themselves “What do I want to leave behind?” or “What do I want to be known for?” If they do, then to be involved in something that brings the world a vast amount of joy, delight, a tear, or maybe, just maybe, an important life lesson. Motion Pictures can provide just that… IF it’s a concept and a story the investor RELATES to.
Does the investor you want to talk to like hunting?
“Well you know, I just so happen to have a script about hunting right here.”
See? Shared interests are often bridging points in establishing any relationship, personal or professional. Yet even in the best case scenario you do find that investor, it doesn’t necessarily mean the rest is a cakewalk from that point. You have to be a people person first and foremost. Develop your interpersonal skills and be willing to spend a good portion of your life and earnings on finding that one investor. Learns the craft of communicating, AND listening. Be interested in what a person has to say, and let them know you appreciate their advice and/or suggestions.
But keep one thing in mind when raising cash in the Midwest, particularly here in Indiana: Investors are frightened of motion pictures. To them, its Hollywood’s job to create the content, not theirs. LA is an entirely different world to them, and unfortunately, if you’re from Indiana (or wherever), and you tag a project with the words “movie” or “film”, then be prepared to answer for all of Hollywood’s sins. Even though you’re a normal, responsible taxpaying citizen with a clean record, you’ll inadvertently be tagged as a wacky liberal for wanting to make a movie. Investors here go by what can bring a quick return on their investment. Trust me folks, I speak from fifteen years experience on that one.
Above all else, have a story that is deserving of your efforts and hard work. Don’t just go out and try to make a cheap knock off robot movie… Have a story that actually says something, a concept that contributes to the good of humanity. What often compels people are stories of heart and soul… of human consequence and sacrifice… not of technology or self-serving greed. Investors here could care less about all the glitz and glamour, so have a unique “human element” perspective to offer them.
But hey, I could be wrong.
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