Getting Your Film Made

It's an incredibly difficult process but at least it's a simple one on paper. And, most importantly it's within the grasp of any persistent filmmaker.

1. Write or find a screenplay. Not everyone has to love it but a few have to. It has to be special enough to draw some allies.

2. Build your team. At least one producer, probably two or three. And, a director who's capable of carrying the film into production and through post-production.

3. Find money. It's the most important step and it's ultimately the producer's job to find it. Your budget might come from a production company or a hedge fund. A talent agency could package your project and find money for you. One wealthy individual might come along and put up $$. Perhaps a hundred investors will contribute to the budget. If you do decide to sell shares of your film you'll need an entertainment attorney to set up a private placement in order to be legal in the eyes of the SEC.

4. Set your start date and make your first hires; an ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER, a LINE PRODUCER and a CASTING DIRECTOR -- generally in that order. A lawyer makes the process legal and covers your bases going forward. A line producer does an initial budget so you know you can complete the film with the money you're raising. A casting director will help you find the right leads by interfacing with talent agencies.

5. Hire your initial KEYS; the DP, PRODUCTION DESIGNER, 1st AD and EDITOR are especially important at this stage. Maybe even your COMPOSER. There is so much creative work that needs to happen to make a good film, you must begin collaborating with your KEYS immediately. The work will effect the budget and schedule which must get settled early in the game.

All that's left is to find the locations and hire the rest of your cast and crew before pre-production begins. On a low budget film pre-production is about 6 weeks. If the budget is really low, you will need even more prep.

Keep in mind steps 2, 3, 4 and 5 can happen simultaneously over a LONG period of time. And sometimes the steps will happen out of order. For instance step 4 will often happen before you have all your money -- even though it's critical you act like it's already in the bank.