Everyone always asks how to secure funding for their project and every filmmaker knows what it feels like to finish a film, only to wish they would have gotten more funding for it.
Whether you are currently funding a project from scratch or are trying to secure more money for your film there’s a secret that will not just get the film made but can also help you make profit from it.
This secret is not finding a lot of rich people to network with or know everyone at the BFI, it is simply having a plan for everything that comes after you call wrap.
There are three things you should be able to talk about: Audience, Marketing and Distribution. Without this, any investor is going to question your project and your credibility as a filmmaker.
So, let’s break down the things you need to know in order to fund a film that isn’t just going to sit on your hard drive after picture lock…
1 – Audience
Any investor or film fund will want to know that your film will be watched and enjoyed by people other than the crew’s friends and family, so they will want to hear about your target audience.
Knowing your audience starts with having a specific age group in mind. This should be a small group, no 18-45! The easiest way to find the right demographic for your film is by looking at shorts and features that have similar themes, characters, and stories and then checking who these films were most popular with via, for example, the BFI’s audience reports. Send your script or pitch to people within this demographic to get feedback on your idea.
This information will then continue to feed into the marketing plans for your film as it will guide you to the right platforms to promote it. Is your audience particularly active on Facebook or are they more likely to come across an Instagram post promoting the project? You should be aware of this in order to nail the next step…
2 – Marketing
Your marketing plans don’t have to be expensive but they should be lengthy and planned out in advance. After spending months in development, finally getting enough money (usually from your own bank account) to go into production and make a post or two about the shoot on social media, you are straight into the edit which becomes your sole focus and once the film is finished it gets one last shoutout on your social media. This doesn’t work. The secret here is to drip feed your audience with valuable content starting as early as the development phase.
A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that a person will need to see something about your film at least 30 times before they are going to take any action – so plan out at least 30 pieces of content. And although it might not be your main focus at the time, there’s no better time to promote your film than whilst you are shooting. Make people feel included in the process and avoid going silent for months.
3 – Distribution
The final thing that is going to help you ensure funding for your film is a plan for distribution and this has to be more than just a few festivals! A short film has a short shelf life and it’s up to you to make it last longer. In order to do this, you should plan out distribution properly over a period of 12 months. A standard distribution plan might include a festival run with subsequent online distribution.
However, the main guidance behind the distribution of your film should be a clear idea of what the film is going to do for you and your filmmaking career. This applies to films of all levels – shorts, features, low-budget, high-budget, and everything in between!
These three points are something you need to be able to talk about when you apply for any kind of funding. Put them in your pitch deck, mention them in your email and make it known that you are taking this film seriously and are thinking about what is going to happen to the film once you picture lock.
Although visuals and story are important, they are not going to make a difference to potential investors. Go beyond the idea and show them that you are a serious filmmaker by having a plan for the three things that are ultimately going to make the film worth the investor’s money: audience, marketing and distribution.
Read more: What’s it like being a film festival judge?
