Three Ways to De-Risk Your Film Finance
By Elliot Grove
With the long winter nights closing in coupled with daily news of impending
economic doom, it's easy for independent filmmakers to consider throwing in
the towel and seek alternative paid work.
A meeting with a potential equity investor these days is rarer than the
proverbial needle in the haystack. And the first concern of any investor is
surely going to be: "What's my downside".
Despair not. Forward-looking filmmakers can easily answer that question.
There are 3 key ways a filmmakers can de-risk a project:
1. The Power of Genre
Picking a script that contains a strong identifiable genre makes a film more
interesting to distributors immediately. Learn how genre works. Learn how film
distributors around the world use genre as a hook to market movies. Learn
how audiences choose their movies by genre. Get a sales agent to estimate
the income stream that your movie can generate. Then present your derisked project to investors.
2. The Power of Talent
People don't pay to see films. They pay to see movies. The quickest way to
turn a film into a movie is by using an actor with star power. The more visible
the actor, the quicker they turn your film into a movie.
Of course, that can raise the budget too. It also raises the potential income of
the movie. Do your research and hone your business plan. Present your
project to talent and get them excited about participating in your film.
Th [