Get the Movie Made

The most important thing is to get the movie made.  Too often hard work goes into creating a project and somehow it doesn’t make it onscreen.  

How do you get the movie made?  

• Sometimes you have to just go for it – pick a start date, throw everything at it. 
• Your script is done; the world and characters are there; the plot works; dialogue sparkles and it fits the genre.
• People are responding positively to the material.  
• All great news.

However, even though sales agents, distributors and investors are ‘interested’ – they want to make changes.  

• They have comments on the script.  
• The ‘money’ won’t support this director or cast. 
• They question “who’s this for – who’s the audience”?
• They definitely query your budget.  
  • Make sure you have answers to these questions.

Do you give up?

• It is highly unlikely one person will finance and support your perfect vision of the script.
• Listen to everyone and work out a way to adapt your vision to the reality and get the movie made.  

Make it for Less

• You are a creative – so be creative.  
• The script has several locations and a period setting – that makes it expensive.
• Could you tell the same story with fewer locations?
• Do you have relationships with crew who will work for lower upfront fees and a piece of the back end.
• Get a good line producer to help you tweak the budget. 
• Is there equipment you can do a deal on.
• If you have part of your budget from an investor, where can you shoot the movie to get other ‘soft’ monies.
• Tell the same story but adapt the script to fit the budget you can achieve.   

The movie may not be exactly the one you envisioned BUT you will be the filmmaker who gets things done and this will help your career.  

• I have met many producers at film markets with a script or slate in development. 
• The following year, the same script & slate are still in development. 
• This isn’t who you want to be.  

A finished film is better than development hell.

A $2m movie onscreen is better than an $8m movie on the page.  Get the movie made, learn about the process and move on to the next great idea.