Some advice when raising money for movies, etc.

Victor Burdiladze · February 9th, 2006, 09:47 PM

The thing is that, lot of people involved in FILM BUSINESS have very limited!!! knowledge of FILM and more knowledge of business, as usual. The result is evident in movie theaters showing mainstream cinema and even in independent film screenings(every screening I attended lately in NY was a disaster).
For me... I know, I suck as a businessman so all I have left is to bet on my creative side and hope to win.
Best luck to all of you who's trying to get their movie made.

Heath McKnight · February 9th, 2006, 10:17 PM

Best thing I can say is, get out there and sell yourself. Make people notice you. Otherwise, you're making expensive gifts for friends and family.

heath

Victor Burdiladze · February 9th, 2006, 10:33 PM

...or, make a grate film(short or not) and attract a seroius attention from the potential investors. I mean who's gonna invest in my $500 00+ project that I have on paper, if I have not proved myself in small, lets say
$1000 - $10 000, film.
Of course, I could sell screenplays, but that's anoter topic all together.

Daniel Abbey · June 12th, 2006, 12:29 PM

hi,

i found this link particularly helpful regarding the issue of raising money:

http://www.moviemaker.com/issues/50/nobudget.html

dan

Heath McKnight · June 12th, 2006, 12:35 PM

Thanks, dan!

heath

Stan Rimer · June 28th, 2006, 08:28 AM

Don't jump the gun to take on investors - see my next post.

Stan Rimer · June 28th, 2006, 09:15 AM

Several years ago, I formed a corporation and started on a movie package of six short films. I contacted an entertainment attorney in Vegas and started the process of a private offering for filing with the SEC so I would be able to take on investors. My attorney suggested we get the feelers out by announcing the films and letting investors know we will soon be legal to take on investors. To my surprise, the SEC, what seemed like every television station in Las Vegas, and SAG were at my door for a story that ran 3 days on the morning and evening news. Welcome to the world of jumping the gun. After getting a cease and desist order served to me by the SEC, I contacted my attorney and to my surprise his office had moved out of state and no private placement, which by the way was $10K to have drafted and never recorded. I had already invested about $50K of my own money for a casting call to get the six feature films underway, giving away that money to television stations for TV commercials, and to a facility where Oceans Eleven had casted in Las Vegas. SAG (Screen Actors Guild) jumped into the picture and shook their fist at advertising for non-union talent to discourage the public from showing up to the casting call. After the dust settled, I spent the last several years recording music at a professional studio in Summerlin (see http://myspace.com/rosaleecarpenter and http://myspace.com/airwavz to get my mind off the losses and have been building a studio with 3 film production editing suites, several HVRZ1U Cameras, lights and equipment, as well purchasing a professional Pro-Tools HD II suite for sound now costing another $100K or so between recording and equipment. I have again started on a private placement offering with a firm in Florida that has specialized in the offerings for feature films. The offering should be drafted in several weeks and filed with the SEC so I can start taking on investors. At some point in the next month or so I hope to be in production on my first feature film, see Film Treatment at http://myspace.com/treehouseproduction called "Crossing Paths". Several posts in this section got me thinking that it's smart to keep the equipment in one company or separate entity, and the film it self in another company that investors are part of. With the post production company separated, I can competitively bid on post through the separate post company which produces ligit income, and at the same time keep the film in budget. I will post again on investment matters and the shoot. Stan Rimer

Victor Burdiladze · September 26th, 2006, 08:05 AM

Interesting post Stan,
That's why, at this point I'm mreluctant to dial with SAG yet... I'll do that in the future, when and if I'm dialing with higher production budget
Vic

Heath McKnight · September 26th, 2006, 10:17 AM

If your budget is low enough, SAG's new Ultra Low Budget agreement is friendly and won't paralyze you.

heath

Gary McClurg · September 26th, 2006, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heath McKnight

If your budget is low enough, SAG's new Ultra Low Budget agreement is friendly and won't paralyze you.

heath

If your budget is under $250,000 I believe its like $100 bucks a day... plus over time after 8 hours...

Plus you can bump up the budget by lets say not taking pay as a writer, director, etc... in other words you could defer costs like you own the equipment but won't get paid until the film is sold...

Heath McKnight · September 26th, 2006, 10:46 AM

Be careful with deferalls--they need to know about them.

hwm

Gary McClurg · September 26th, 2006, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heath McKnight

Be careful with deferalls--they need to know about them.

hwm

I know... but thanks anyway...

Ben Brainerd · September 26th, 2006, 11:41 AM

I haven't looked at it recently, but doesn't SAG's Ultra-Low contract REQUIRE deferred salaries?

Heath McKnight · September 26th, 2006, 11:44 AM

No. Go to www.sagindie.org for more.

hwm

Ben Brainerd · September 26th, 2006, 11:53 AM

Cool. Like I said, I hadn't read the contracts in a while. And the new SAG.org makes it kinda hard to find the alternate contracts.

That's definitely good to know.

February 9th, 2006, 10:17 PM	#17
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	Best thing I can say is, get out there and sell yourself. Make people notice you. Otherwise, you're making expensive gifts for friends and family. heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

June 12th, 2006, 12:29 PM	#19
Daniel Abbey New Boot Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Philippines Posts: 16	helpful link hi, i found this link particularly helpful regarding the issue of raising money: http://www.moviemaker.com/issues/50/nobudget.html dan

June 12th, 2006, 12:35 PM	#20
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	Thanks, dan! heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

June 28th, 2006, 08:28 AM	#21
Stan Rimer New Boot Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Posts: 7	6:00 O'Clock News Don't jump the gun to take on investors - see my next post. Last edited by Stan Rimer; June 28th, 2006 at 09:17 AM.

June 28th, 2006, 09:15 AM	#22
Stan Rimer New Boot Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Posts: 7	6:00 O'Clock News Several years ago, I formed a corporation and started on a movie package of six short films. I contacted an entertainment attorney in Vegas and started the process of a private offering for filing with the SEC so I would be able to take on investors. My attorney suggested we get the feelers out by announcing the films and letting investors know we will soon be legal to take on investors. To my surprise, the SEC, what seemed like every television station in Las Vegas, and SAG were at my door for a story that ran 3 days on the morning and evening news. Welcome to the world of jumping the gun. After getting a cease and desist order served to me by the SEC, I contacted my attorney and to my surprise his office had moved out of state and no private placement, which by the way was $10K to have drafted and never recorded. I had already invested about $50K of my own money for a casting call to get the six feature films underway, giving away that money to television stations for TV commercials, and to a facility where Oceans Eleven had casted in Las Vegas. SAG (Screen Actors Guild) jumped into the picture and shook their fist at advertising for non-union talent to discourage the public from showing up to the casting call. After the dust settled, I spent the last several years recording music at a professional studio in Summerlin (see http://myspace.com/rosaleecarpenter and http://myspace.com/airwavz to get my mind off the losses and have been building a studio with 3 film production editing suites, several HVRZ1U Cameras, lights and equipment, as well purchasing a professional Pro-Tools HD II suite for sound now costing another $100K or so between recording and equipment. I have again started on a private placement offering with a firm in Florida that has specialized in the offerings for feature films. The offering should be drafted in several weeks and filed with the SEC so I can start taking on investors. At some point in the next month or so I hope to be in production on my first feature film, see Film Treatment at http://myspace.com/treehouseproduction called "Crossing Paths". Several posts in this section got me thinking that it's smart to keep the equipment in one company or separate entity, and the film it self in another company that investors are part of. With the post production company separated, I can competitively bid on post through the separate post company which produces ligit income, and at the same time keep the film in budget. I will post again on investment matters and the shoot. Stan Rimer

February 9th, 2006, 09:47 PM	#16
Victor Burdiladze Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NY, US Posts: 102	The thing is that, lot of people involved in FILM BUSINESS have very limited!!! knowledge of FILM and more knowledge of business, as usual. The result is evident in movie theaters showing mainstream cinema and even in independent film screenings(every screening I attended lately in NY was a disaster). For me... I know, I suck as a businessman so all I have left is to bet on my creative side and hope to win. Best luck to all of you who's trying to get their movie made.

February 9th, 2006, 10:33 PM	#18
Victor Burdiladze Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NY, US Posts: 102	...or, make a grate film(short or not) and attract a seroius attention from the potential investors. I mean who's gonna invest in my $500 00+ project that I have on paper, if I have not proved myself in small, lets say $1000 - $10 000, film. Of course, I could sell screenplays, but that's anoter topic all together.

September 26th, 2006, 08:05 AM	#23
Victor Burdiladze Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NY, US Posts: 102	Interesting post Stan, That's why, at this point I'm mreluctant to dial with SAG yet... I'll do that in the future, when and if I'm dialing with higher production budget Vic

September 26th, 2006, 10:17 AM	#24
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	If your budget is low enough, SAG's new Ultra Low Budget agreement is friendly and won't paralyze you. heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

September 26th, 2006, 10:46 AM	#26
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	Be careful with deferalls--they need to know about them. hwm __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

September 26th, 2006, 11:41 AM	#28
Ben Brainerd Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 48	I haven't looked at it recently, but doesn't SAG's Ultra-Low contract REQUIRE deferred salaries?

September 26th, 2006, 11:44 AM	#29
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	No. Go to www.sagindie.org for more. hwm __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

September 26th, 2006, 11:53 AM	#30
Ben Brainerd Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 48	Cool. Like I said, I hadn't read the contracts in a while. And the new SAG.org makes it kinda hard to find the alternate contracts. That's definitely good to know.