If you are the director and producer YOU are the filmmaker.

You now need to find a crew. Someone with a camera can shoot
it, someone who know audio can do that aspect, actors can be
found where ever there is an acting class.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

My advice if your not sure, is to get an assitant producer who can advice you. How ever it would not be fair to expect that person to take on the role of full producer unless that is the position he / she takes on.

In any case theres always good advice to be given here, so feel free to ask away.

Cleary.

www.myspace.com/b31_film_productions

Is trying to submit the screenplay to the big movie producers fruitless? Do I first need an agent to represent the screenplay for them to even give it a look? Do film school students take on projects like this? I have a vision for the way I'd like this film to be directed, produced, including the music. It's like the film is already made inside my head, now I just need to make it tangible. Budget is another story. My ideas are rather grandios but not too bad. The film needs some mountain arial helicopter shots as well as a few other air views of a suburban neighborhood, the rest of the locations are relatively easy. No set building or anything like that. There's just two main characters, with seven other minor roles, the rest would be extras. I'd like to hit the lottery and just fund this whole project from A-Z and need to form a filmmaking mentor group to make it happen. If I had it all cohesively put together how likely is anyone going to be to look at a business plan and fund this if I don't hit the lotto. It's really not a big budget deal. Pretty cut and dry really. Whatever you've got I'd like to hear. Much appreciated.

Mark Dixon

quote:

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Is trying to submit the screenplay to the big movie producers fruitless?

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Yes

quote:

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Do I first need an agent to represent the screenplay for them to even give it a look?

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Yes.

quote:

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Do film school students take on projects like this?

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They sure do!

quote:

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I have a vision for the way I'd like this film to be directed, produced, including the music. It's like the film is already made inside my head, now I just need to make it tangible.

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Then it sounds like you need to be the producer and the director.

quote:

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Budget is another story. My ideas are rather grandios but not too bad. The film needs some mountain arial helicopter shots as well as a few other air views of a suburban neighborhood, the rest of the locations are relatively easy. No set building or anything like that. There's just two main characters, with seven other minor roles, the rest would be extras. I'd like to hit the lottery and just fund this whole project from A-Z and need to form a filmmaking mentor group to make it happen.

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Budget is always an issue. Making a movie can get very expensive.
But it sure would help to win the lottery. I bet a lot of filmmakers
would like to win it.

quote:

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If I had it all cohesively put together how likely is anyone going to be to look at a business plan and fund this if I don't hit the lotto. It's really not a big budget deal. Pretty cut and dry really. Whatever you've got I'd like to hear. Much appreciated.

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It's impossible to give you any realistic likelihood of anyone funding
your project. But the good news is, hundreds of film projects are
funded all the time. Maybe yours will be one of them.

Have a good business plan with all the essentials and meet the right
people (the hardest part) and have an excellent team together and
the likelihood of getting financing is better than if you don't have
everything you need when you approach investors.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

You know, Robert Redford lives right in the mountains of Northern Utah where I want to shoot this thing. If he ever read the script and envisioned this film I just know he'd jump on it. It's his type of project. The story, the characters, the locations. He's be my man if I was a "Genie." I guess I'm dreaming, uh?

Mark Dixon

If film school students might be interested in a project like this who, and where would you suggest I start trying to locate some of these individuals/groups? I want the best who would really join me in my vision. I've got big aspirations.

Mark Dixon

if you are related to Robert Redford you should certainly bust down doors to get him to read the screenplay. If you're not related you should plan another route becuase getting a star to even read something is notoriously difficult (and by notoriously I mean just a hair short of impossible). It's even worse if you don't have an agent already.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

rj is correct. A producer/director/actor like Redford cannot read
what is called an ?unsolicited? script no matter how good the
writer believes it is.

On the other hand, if the script is truly as good as you say and
and a producer/director/actor of his stature would ?jump on it?
then you need to get the script to an agent right away and start
the process. It is likely to take many months up to a few years
for a script to go through the very difficult and long process
before it gets into the hands of someone like Redford.

Don?t wait!

quote:

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If film school students might be interested in a project like this who, and where would you suggest I start trying to locate some of these individuals/groups?

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Well....

Film schools seems the logical place to find film students. Since
you want the best you should (again) start right away. Go to as
many film schools as you can and watch the finished films of as
many students as you can. This is another long, difficult process
and the sooner you get started the better.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

quote:

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Originally posted by mddixon712

You know, Robert Redford lives right in the mountains of Northern Utah where I want to shoot this thing. If he ever read the script and envisioned this film I just know he'd jump on it. It's his type of project. The story, the characters, the locations. He's be my man if I was a "Genie." I guess I'm dreaming, uh?

Mark Dixon

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Personally Mark I wouldn't delude myself too much, perhaps he would be 100% perfect for your film, how ever money is king, and with out enougth of it to entice him I wouldn't count on it. I dont mesan to take any thing away from your abilities, how ever its a common mistake that first time film producers make in that they expect to set the world on fire 1st time out.

Going back to your question with regards to appraoching professional production companies, you need to put together a professional looking sales pithc (This has a technical term but I cant recall it) which explains your idea, its target audience, designed posters, "Quotes made by famouse people with regards to the idea, signatures of any famouse people willing o lend them selves to your film, possible filming locations and any thingthat may support your case such as previouse history of selling to production companies or any thing like that. In any case if you are lucky enough to get heard by a professional production company, I gaurentee that you will get grilled by them with regards to questioning.

You seem confident in the production, but my advice is that if you do get heard by any financial backers or producers, to make sure that you are prepared to answer all their questions.

Cleary.

www.myspace.com/b31_film_productions

Ok, I've rendered that I have a few choices here...

1) Find an agent who loves the script/story and can sell it to a big house that will take care of everything from A-Z less my artistic control in casting, direction, and production unless they would include me in an advisory capacity.
2) Find the right cinematographer for the film, the casting, the locations, the music, the costs, write a business plan and hit the streets looking for investors. When I find one, make it ourselves. This option would allow me the greatest latitude of artistic control. I guess this would also include a marketing team as well.
3) Hit the lottery and forget the business plan, just get my company together and move forward.
4) Find somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody else to get me through the door to a Ron Howard or Robert Redford who would take it on.

I envision a cinematic event. Great casting. Great acting. Fantastic locations and shots. Moving music. And a story that will just absolutely blow the audience away. Providing it's marketed properly...that's another realm. Kind of a conundrum uh. I don't want a low budget looking "Blair Witch" looking film. Something like "A River Runs Through It" or "An Unfinished Life" would be more like what I envision. Figuring 2 main actors, and about 7 other supporting, 2 locations (a rich suburban neighborhood, and the mountains of northern Utah) both with numerous interior and exterior shooting what's the range of what this will realistically cost including music rights, marketing, production company, cinematographer, etc. (High to Low)? Any ideas? Just a guesstimate. The main actors don't need to be Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt. I need a normal teenage adolescent and an old Native American man. The rest are minimal. A few moms and dads, a few neighborhood chums, and bit parts for a gas station attendant and a co-worker of the father. I do need some arial film taken (the mountain area, and one of the opening scene of three boys riding their bikes through the neighborhood.) Let's say I wanted to use some music from Beethoven's Pastorale. Is this public property or does someone have rights to it? Is it better to find someone to make your music or use already produced music that will fit? I know I have a million questions but if anyone has the time, I'd appreciate your input. Thx. Mark

Mark Dixon

Beethoven's Pastorale should be in public domain. If you find a vesion played by someone you wouldn't have to pay (on another thread it was mentioned military band music is usable at no cost) you are in business.

The cinemtographic look is doable on very limited budget. You just have to decide what look you actually want. If you want crane shots and dolly shots and that sort of thing your budget has to handle a crane and a dolly. If you imagine the look of film. That's a budget issue. If the ability to tinker with digital, shoot fast and light and cheap is more what you want than that's a different story. Digital doesn't have to look digital if you plan well.

You should also ask yourself how many old native American big name actors there are in Hollywood. Of the ones you recognize how many are based out of Hollywood and would require flying out and putting up in a hotel during the duration. And if the guy is not a house-hold name what does he really bring to the table except experience. Most of the time big name actors bring a marketability. I can't name any native american actors that bring that. I could be wrong though.

The teen actor is another story. There are probably a lot that are hungry for a real role and *may* have name recognition. One thing you need to consider though is if the actor is known for a certain type or role, a role different than your role, they might jump at the chance but the marketability might disappear. After all nobody wanted to see Bill Murray in a serious movie. Nobody wanted to see Sly Stallone in a comedy. You would have to decide.

You might find a mix of your different strategies is in order. For example you retain control, you film it yourself, you bring in a single known actor, possibly for a smaller role that could be shot in a couple of days. This gives the look of a bigger film, puts a known on the box without breaking the budget. Then you don't need to beg, borrow, and steal as much money to make your budget.

You also might consider making an inexpensive, easy to make, film for your first outing. Having a cheap one to learn the ropes on as you make it yourself would certainly give you credibility to investors and actors and such. One way to do this is to make the short film version of your movie. Another way is to just link up with some student filmmakers and work with them learning and helping.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

quote:

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what's the range of what this will realistically cost including music rights, marketing, production company, cinematographer, etc. (High to Low)? Any ideas? Just a guesstimate.

---

Based on what you say here I would guess in the low range of
about $10,000,000 and the high range of around $120,000,000.
Something like this could be made for far less if the production
team is experienced or just plain daring. If you are willing to bend
a little in your control of every aspect the budget could also be
brought down. I would guess it could realistically be made for
under a million.

I appreciate your input. How important is a "Big Name" on the box anyway for the marketability? Or the possibility of finacing it through a group of investors? Is the name going to carry the film out of the "chute"? I personally don't care if it has a big name or not just as long as they accomplish what needs to be done, and have the look I envision for the story. I won't have a problem casting it. When I meet the right individuals for the roles I'll know it. There's a lot of Native Americans in Utah. I would be more than happy to hire someone locally to play the roles (old Native American, young Native American). The young one has 10 lines, all in Native tongue to be subtitled.

How much big Hollywood stuff is digital anyway? Can I really get that richness of panoramic cinematography so that the shots look like Ansel Adams photos with digital?

I imagine that if I look and talk to students that I could find a cohesive group to share the same vision of what I'm trying to accomplish. I'm not that deluded. In fact I think the sharing of ideas is good and someone will definitely have a better idea than mine concerning different aspects. That's a given. I look at it like conducting a symphony orchestra performing Copeland's Appalachian Spring.

Under 1 million to over 120 million is a lot of hay in between. Would you say that realistcally a total budget of 25 million could render a damn fine cinematographic event of this nature? I'm sure that the business plan would need to account for every last dime. I will definitely need help with that one. I don't have a clue how this will be apportioned. I know one thing however, if I stay away from big names I can avoid some of those big bucks...but do I cut my throat in the process? I would hope not. Last of the Mohicans was done without any really big names and that did well. It was of admirable quality in my book. Is that a 120 million dollar film? They had a ton of soldiers, and forts, and costumes. My film is a simple walk in the park compared to that, but I like the look.

Jeff Daniels is a homeboy not too far from here. He stays away from Hollywood. I wonder if he could help? I'm sure he'd be more approachable than Bob or Ron would. Just a thought. Thx again. Anything ya got...lay it on me. I appreciate it, believe me.

Mark Dixon

A name often means that a movie can be sold in foreign areas much easier. The name is a ticket to getting financing for the kind of budgets Certified Instigator is quoting. Without a name you have to have something really special to interest the money people. A track-record in making money, a genre that has a proven track-record. Most movies lose money, investors would want some kind of insurance.

Most newbies avoid the name actors and cut to the bone everything that might cost money so they can build up a track record of their own. Either that or sell the screenplay someone with that track record. Dazzle a producer with your vision and energy and brilliant screenplay. But to get to that producer you probably need an agent or a prize in a screenwriting competition or something.

Lots of movies are made digitally these days. A list of digital movies was posted recently. Try renting a decent digital camera and shooting some test footage.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA