PREPPING YOUR FILM FOR SUCCESS

This may be redundant for some since I posted this openly on LI, however this is the more refined version that I wanted to follow up in my Newsletter for anyone who may have missed it. ?

Prepping your film, the one you intend to make, with a proper budget, especially in the Indie market, when you have no idea where the funding will come from is…full of a lot of caveats…and

ESSENTIAL!

?? ? This year (2025), I have committed to making a feature that I wrote. Essentially this comes down to creating work and income for myself and my peers. There is a tax incentive program available where I live, I am now crossing my T's and dotting my I's to make the process and submission for us and them as smooth as possible. (This incentive is ONLY avail to residents in my zip code, check in your area for local opportunities.) I am working with two producers who work in this zip code. They are also very well educated in the Indie market and how to prepare an Indie budget. I let them know I wanted to be a PRO-ACTIVE participant, not just drop the script in their lap and wait for a budget.?

Last week we had our first meeting, it was super productive and informative from both sides. Things I thought would be easy, they thought might have challenges, such as a city/state park location or police cars.? While some things they suggested were easy, somewhat surprised me.? Also things to learn and consider that, in a smaller market you may run into challenges with a limited pool of talent and personalities you may have to accept. All in all I feel like these hurdles are easy enough to deal with.?I always like to know any and all pitfalls and potential speed bumps way ahead of time.?I like to fix things in real life and in pre-production but generally I like to avoid fixes on set that could have been easily prepared for. The way I see it, the more prepared we are, the more creative and productive we will ALL be. In other words, more takes, scenes and time on set. One place I find this is so useful is having that one extra person in a given department. Yes they will cost you in dollars, but they will save you in dollars too, load in and load out can quickly shorten a day when short handed, make-up may require an extra person on certain days, wardrobe and props too, don’t short change a department, it will only effect your day as the filmmaker in the end.? I pitch this to producers and AD’s all the time…’Do you want to tell the director they have an 8hr shoot day or a 9.5hr shoot day”, or some mathematical equivalent.? If you know what I mean by this, you know.? If you don’t, ask me.

Post vs In Camera:?

Filmmaking has so many nuances, one person may say a scene requires post FX or just assume it does, because you know, ‘fix it in post’. The reality to that is, try your darnedest to get it in camera. Post costs money and every effect, every clean up, every little thing you dump to post will cost the post-budget more and take away from things you need to do to enhance your film, make it better and more marketable. Such as: A better grade, a 7.1 mix, maybe better sound design or a dialogue editor, NEVER underestimate the value of great sound. Maybe an extra day of editing, maybe a test screening…maybe a wrap party??

PRODUCERS:

Often blamed and demonized, the focus of ire for many in production. However, I suggest if you want to be a filmmaker and make films, you turn that frown upside down and embrace the Producer. I have worked with many amazing and generous producers. Might I suggest learning what a producer actually does, walk in their shoes, produce a project no matter how small, learn to appreciate the role they can play in the success of your film.? BTW, most producers aren’t the ones who fund the film, producers more than not are boots on the ground facilitators especially in the Indie market.?They bring worlds together with the funds allotted, many times their day rate dwindles with each and every passing day of production. I do believe many Indie filmmakers believe that producers walk around with millions in their pocket producing EVERY FILM BUT THEIRS.? I am being hyperbolic, but I bet you laughed. ?

Furthermore on Producers in Indie:?

Consider you may know a skilled DP with a real camera package, one who has credits or maybe that DP has connections to gear, maybe the key grip owns a 5 ton or 10 ton, maybe your gaffer owns gear too, or like your marvelously talented and connected DP, maybe they have killer leads on gear because they have experience. These folks…they are producers too! I have done at least 3 shorts where I was given a producer credit, not because I owned any gear, but because I brought gear and connections and a lot of extra effort to the show.? Not bragging, just sharing. Solving the cost challenges of good equipment and personnel before and during budgeting is INVALUABLE.?

(Note: Anyone who offers you a deal, especially those who work for free are Producers, anyone who offers you their gear to make a project is a producer, because without that deal you'd be SOL or out of pocket, don't forget those who went out on a limb for you, credit them and remember them…Please.)(I’m often dismayed that even on bigger projects, a DP is expected to bring in camera deals, grip, lighting, crew, it is expected that this is just part of the job…maybe, but they are also acting as a producer does to help facilitate the job. There is a massive amount of connecting people and homework involved, that sadly, goes uncredited.)

Prepping the Budget:

If you are writing in Final Draft, you can export a Scene Report. In my opinion this was the most useful and easiest report to export and read. The first discovery you may have is…that maybe all of your scene headings need some tweaks, aka edits, not that mine did ;-). As the writer, we know what we mean, yet a third party has no clue what we envision. A certain scene could happen in Bob’s Yard, but your scene heading just says, EXT. YARD - DAY, because it was right after the scene INT. BOB’S HOUSE - DAY.? But in the report, you’ll just see it pop up as Scene 203. EXT. YARD - DAY. Funny when a budgeting producer or even, you the writer, see that in the report with no context, the collective question is…Which yard?? Especially if there is a scene in Lavern’s yard in scene 229, and you don’t define that one either.? So you end up with 6 scenes that need to be filmed in 3 different ‘YARDS’, yet according to the scene report they are all in the same ‘YARD’.? Get my point?

WE’RE MAKIN A SPREAD SHEET!?

From all of this, you can start a spread sheet, I started mine by defining real locations. Such as, Mom's Backyard, where you plan to shoot the scene with the alien in the shed with the crew and camera, but in the screenplay it’s not even at the same location as your hero’s home. For this location though, Mom said you can shoot there for free if you come visit more often. Once that location is established you list every scene number and scene description for that location.? Columns after should include which actors, action and day or night and so on.

?? I could go on explaining, maybe you get it? I must admit this has been a fun experience. I know ‘DORK ALERT'.? But seriously this process helps YOU, the auteur, envision your film even more. It allows you to intelligently share the game plan, so when that Producer sends you an email with a handful of questions you have the answers and then some. You can then interact with Producer/Budgeting Producer and share your vision, maybe you even get them excited to work with someone willing to do the work.? Adding info such as VFX, SFX, stunts, down to days of smaller parts and special props, wardrobe, vehicles, Sasquatch costume, drones, dollies, steadicam, Go-pro…things that would have to be sourced, things outside of modern day life filming. (I define modern day life filming as? 'people acting, in a place with a camera and lights”. (green screen doesn't count.) You may want to consider that anything outside 'the norm' will require an expense above and beyond ‘people acting in a place with a camera and lights.’?)

Well, I’ve dragged this on for a bit too long, so in closing:? If anyone is interested in this process, let me know. I’m happy to share. I'm open to consult and possibly help find a producer to create your 'proper' budget, both of these services generally have fees though, but unlike so many other services offered the aspiring filmmaker these are tangible and actionable.?

MAKING THE MOVIE:?

Here is an update on my plan moving forward. I will be submitting for the tax incentive program in my zip code. If approved, a percentage of my budget will be earmarked for said tax incentive. As part of this process, I will be launching my investor drive. Kind of like kickstarter, but without the middle man. I will be contacting a lot of people who have been earmarked as possible investors. I will be sharing the stages here (I will not be sharing the potential investors, don’t ask.)?

But stay tuned!