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 Application Form Art of Funding Carole Dean Events in Your City Newsletter |
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Important Links Attorney's Corner Showing Your Film Join Our Mailing List Original Music for films What's New Interviews Press Releases Links Berns on Budgeting Dean Grant Facebook fastweb.com fordfound.org grantsmart.org lib.msu.edu Writing Prizes Writer Grant From the Heart Productions
Proposal Writing Help UPCOMING GRANT DEADLINES
Fortitude Editorial Grant
Writers Grant
New York Grant
LA Film Grant
LA Video Grant Complete Your Application Online Fund raising Tee Shirts. Wholesale through FTH.
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Table of Contents Preface, by Louise Levison, author of Filmmakers & Financing: Business Plans for Independents Introduction............................................................. Chapter 1 Commit or be Committed...................... A Conversation with Filmmaker Xackery Irving... Chapter 2 The Perfect Pitch ................................... Chapter 3 The Proposal..........................................
A Conversation with Writer/Filmmaker JanEva Chapter 4 Loading the Bases................................ Chapter 5 Foundations and Grants .......................
Chapter 6 Raising Funds from Individuals
Chapter 7 ITVS Grant winner Jilann Spitzmiller ITVS Winning Documentary Proposal
Chapter 8 Financing Independent Films By
A Conversation with Entertainment Attorney
Chapter 9 Building the Fund Raising Trailer
Chapter 10 Product Placement and Branding .... Chapter 11 Public Television Funding
Chapter 12 Mission, Vision & Values
Chapter 13 Sponsorship is Dead,
Chapter 14 Money Saving Production Tips
Chapter 15 Funding with Federal and State Tax Laws
Chapter 16 Lights, Camera, Action
Appendix
I have a confession to make. When I was running Studio Film I used to hide in a corner office so filmmakers couldn’t find me. Of course my wonderful dad (who was powerless to a filmmaker’s passionate pitch) would give me up every single time! Small businesses and corporations are tiny untapped goldmines for independent filmmakers. Local businesses and corporations always have managers (or dads) who are very accessible and easy to talk to. Be it my dad, or one of my employees, someone was always knocking on my door in the middle of the day with some filmmaker’s proposal. It was usually only a one-page proposal, which was a blessing since business seemed to grind to a halt whenever this occurred. Customers could be lined up at the counter but it didn’t matter. Everyone in the office got wrapped up in the drama that was unfolding. You could practically hear the drum roll in the background. Would she say yes or no? Looking back now I realize this was probably a conspiracy since everyone knew the buck stopped with me. People everywhere (yes, even people in Hollywood) want to be involved in a film. When I scanned these proposals I would look for the following things: The story synopsis (hopefully brief and to the point). Why the filmmaker was making the film. Exactly what the filmmaker needed and why. Who would benefit from the film. What the filmmaker was willing to do for me (an end-credit, product placement, etc.). How much the donation would mean to the filmmaker. If you have a fiscal sponsor, make sure to note this on all of your proposals. Your tax-deductible status will go a long way when looking for donations. Customize your proposal for each individual business you approach. When you make it personal the recipient feels special. Start by making a list of all the stores and restaurants near your location. Visit the managers of these businesses with your one page customized proposal in your hand and the best smile you can muster. Don’t forget to dress the part. Wear a Kodak Film cap and have a Sony bag slung around your shoulder. Make sure they see you and think Spielberg. Sometimes you have to leave your proposal with an employee. Pitch the employee the same way you would the manager. Be considerate to all of the employees. If they are anything like the wonderful people who worked with me at Studio Film, once they get caught up in your enthusiasm they are going to beg their manager to become involved in your film. Think of the employees as your support team. Mention how much your crew enjoys their pizza, or how impressed you were the last time they did some copy work for you. Talk about your film and give your pitch as though you are asking for a $10,000 grant. Most managers can make the decision right there on the spot without going to a corporate supervisor. I did business at Kinko’s for years before I asked who I could see about getting a discount. When the woman at the counter told me she could help me I was flabbergasted. I thought I would need to fill out reams of forms that would be sent off through the chain of command. All I had to do was explain that I represented a nonprofit organization that helped filmmakers and ask for a discount. It was that easy! Most independents forget that all of the little miscellaneous budget items add up. You are going to be into Kinko’s for about $800 and Office Depot for another $1200. The caterer is going to hit you up for about $2500 for lunches, and you are probably going to have to fork over about $800 a week for equipment rental. All of these little extras can easily add another $6000-$10,000 to your bottom line. Go through your shooting script and your budget and make a list of all the things that might be donated through local businesses and corporations. Are you going to need a rental car? What about office supplies? You know you’re going to have to feed your crew and your new cameraman can put away three pizzas in one sitting! Your list might include car rental agencies, cell phones, grocery stores, bagel shops, the local pizza parlor. List any business that advertises. Targeting small businesses like the little mom and pop coffee shop around the corner because it is often more productive than going to a large corporate business like Starbucks. Local business people want to support their community and they will be receptive to your needs. A business in a bustling neighborhood may have a lot of healthy competition. If this is the case, then mention the discount offered by their competitor and ask if they can beat it. The most popular labor-saving device is still money. —Phyllis George If you can’t get it for free, do your homework and know what you can get it for. Dov S-S Simons of the Hollywood Film Institute says you can get a discount on everything in your production budget. According to Dov, “no one who knows anything in the industry pays the rate card price.” Know what the going rate card is and ask for a discount. Studio Film’s three-tier price index was installed on every employee’s computer. Businesses do this. Every salesperson knows the lowest price they can quote. This is the rate you want, even if you just buy ten items. Once your name is linked in the computer with a special rate you will get that rate every time you make a purchase. I have made special arrangements with David Cohen of Edgewise. Filmmakers who enter my Roy W. Dean grants will receive a discount for all of Edgewise’s products, including film, tape, and digital supplies. If you apply for my grant or if you are an emerging filmmaker and you would like to receive this discount, call my sweetheart, Phillip Loving at 800-824-3130 and he will get you in the computer as a Roy W. Dean grant applicant or a student from this book. Bobby Mardis (one of my favorite producers) once told me that he never takes anything personal when he is producing a film. He gets the local production book, goes down it from A to Z, and starts asking. He explains how much he can spend and what he needs. If a business manager can’t accommodate him he thanks her, tells her he will try her again on a future production and he moves down the list and calls the next vendor. He keeps at it until he finds someone who will give him what he needs at the price he has budgeted. When you contact Kinko’s, Jim’s Car Rentals, or the local bagel shop, begin by asking for a donation in exchange for a mention in your film’s credits, a copy of the completed film on DVD or for product placement. If they can’t accommodate you and they are the only game in town, ask them if they would be willing to give you a 25% discount if you promote their business on your web site. Always ask for a donation first and save the request for a discounted price as your last resort. Remember, most companies work on a 25-40% profit so when you ask for a 25% discount you are asking the company to donate most of their profits to the film. Let them put a sign in the lobby that mentions they are donating to your film. Tell them you will pose for pictures, or let them shoot pictures of the cast and crew during production to use in an ad for the local paper. Turn it into a great PR opportunity for them. Sometimes just offering to give a local businessperson a copy of the finished videotape is all it takes to get a smile and a donation.
I suggest you go to Abel Cine and get their prices for camera rentals and while you are there ask if you can take a picture with their latest camera. Of course you want to have your camera person with you so you can be pointing to the shot. Once you have this picture you can scan it into your computer and now you have a production shot to use as a public relations trade for services. Just put the name of the targeted company like:
Nextel Supports Filmmakers You can create several of these for your intended donors and when you go to pitch Nextel, show them this donation advertisement and say give it to them for display in their lobby. Don’t forget to mention the credit at the end of the film. Visuals work every time. Once you go over your budget carefully and list all the printing, copying, beverages, food, bottled water, coffee & bagels, cell phones, cars, airline tickets, restaurant charges, and so on, you will be amazed at how much you can save by finding resources through local businesses. Be sure to read Patti Ganguzza’s chapter on branding for more information on free goods. You can also negotiate with your crew. Many producers look for a production assistant who has a truck or an RUV and they arrange a flat weekly salary that includes the use of their vehicle. Your P.A. should be one of your first employees as they can free you from time from consuming jobs, like local pickup and deliveries. They can even do your shopping, get the cleaning, or walk the dog. Your P.A. can do those time consuming jobs that take you away from the focus of your film, while you work on the art of funding your film! After producing 140 shows, working with countless filmmakers over the last 35 years, and raising close to $2 million in goods and services for my Roy W. Dean film grants, I have learned some valuable lessons. Never forget that the film business is a business. Before you approach a business or an individual, make a list of all of the benefits they will receive from your proposed venture. If their benefits do not equal or outweigh your benefits then you need to rethink your proposal. Your contacts will be more responsive when they know you are concerned with their image and their profits. This is how you create long term friends in our industry. Remember, this is just one of many films you will make and people stay in our industry. RAISING FUNDS FROM INDIVIDUALS You will get 60% of your money from individuals. That’s what the statistics show. So learning how to approach individuals is paramount to the art of funding. When filmmakers approach individuals, they are looking for either an investor or a donor. It is essential that you disclose exactly what you are looking for and that you are completely honest when you discuss your film’s investment potential. Have a good attorney on board before you approach an individual investor. Do not take one dime from an investor until you have presented the investor with an investment memorandum. Mark Litwak discusses the legal side of the producer/investor relationship later on in the chapter on Financing Independent Films. It is essential that you heed Mark’s words. There are laws that protect investors and these laws are very clear. Contributions do not require paperwork. Just send your donor a letter of thanks and the information they need for their taxes and you’re on your way to the bank! Of course approaching an individual donor will require a serious investment of your time. Please do not approach your family and friends and immediately ask them to donate toward your film. Remember, when you ask someone to donate or invest in your film they are essentially investing in you. Give them time to see your tenacity and they will be there when you need that extra bit to tide you over. Romancing individual funders requires as much skill as creating a great pitch or writing a strong proposal. You must sharpen your people skills and be prepared to spend some serious time dodging the moths that fly out their purses. “Doing time” sound like a line from The Sopranos, but that’s exactly what it takes. You need to put time into building a relationship with any potential donor. If you met someone at a party and proposed marriage over cocktails they would think you were crazy! You have to win their interest, their trust, and their confidence first. Potential donors need to know you and they need to know your film. They need to know why this film has to be made and why you are the only one who can make it. They need to see how dedicated you are to the project. Get them interested in your film before you ever ask them for a thing. Invite them to production meetings, script sessions, and fundraising parties. A filmmaker told me a wonderful story about a wealthy donor he was courting. The donor told the filmmaker that her husband had taken a small business and turned it into a multimillion-dollar corporation. She told the story with great pride, and it was obvious that she loved and admired her husband very much, so the filmmaker asked her if he could film an interview with her husband. He taped the interview, did a little editing, and presented her with an hour of her husband’s life story. She immediately attached herself to the filmmaker because the filmmaker knew what was important to her. Do you think he got his donation? Of course he did! But he built a relationship with her before he even thought about asking. So, where do you find these wealthy philanthropists? The society section of the paper is a good start for rich, grant giving philanthropists in your area. Remember those old address books you stored in your closet after you bought your palm pilot? Dust them off and start looking for names. Find people in there who could easily part with five grand or more and not miss it. You might be surprised at how many names you come up with. As the years go by people move up the ladder so don’t discount someone who was a sales manager back in 1993. She might be the head of the company today. I don’t care if you haven’t talked to her in years. Pull out that name, make that phone call and tell her about the film you’re making. Reestablish your relationship. Tell her you are producing a film about very important issue and you thought she would enjoy hearing about it. Perhaps she has good business sense. Ask her for some advice, but don’t mention money. People will donate time to help you when they see that you are on an important quest. Get her involved then send her a one or two page proposal. Call her up and invite her to a production meeting or a fundraising party. She may suspect that you are going to pop the money question and she may turn you down. That’s okay; you just saved yourself some time. Other contacts will take you up on your offer, especially if you have asked for advice in their area of expertise. The key is you must get to know these people. You must understand who they are and what their needs are before you can ask for money. Remember, you need a lot more than money; you need support, especially from people who know people with money. You need people to give you house parties to fund your film; you want people to open their phone books to you to invite their friends to parties to support you. You need legal advice and you need accounting advice and getting that free can be a great bonus to you and the film. Take some time and brainstorm. Think about people you have worked for over the past ten years. What about your spouse’s affiliations? Do you know someone who donates time to a public official? If so, ask if you can get an introduction. It may take weeks for you to come up with a list but that’s okay. Fundraising is an important part of the art of funding your film. Most of the producers you meet in Hollywood will tell you that they “have several projects in various stages of production,” which is a dead giveaway that they are out there looking for money. If you are doing a film about a woman who has survived cancer, seek funding from cancer survivors, from family members of cancer victims, and from nonprofit cancer organizations. If you are doing a film about the plight of our oceans whose name comes to mind? How about Ted Danson and the American Oceans Campaign? Contact Mr. Danson, tell him about your project and ask him for some advice. Go to the American Oceans Campaign web site and research their sponsors. Remember Form 990 from the chapter on Foundations & Grants? This form also lists individuals who have donated to the foundation. How do you get to know potential donors once you have found them? It may be as simple as picking up the phone and calling them. Give them your two-paragraph pitch but don’t ask for money. Tell them that you are researching your subject and ask them about their organization. Look for people who can help you with information on your subject matter. Concerned citizens who have money usually know other concerned citizens who have money. Take the time to get to know each individual and listen to what they have to say about your subject. Once you have established a relationship, find a role for this person somewhere on your project. Perhaps they could help throw a fundraising party, be the expert advisor on your subject, or act as your mentor. Investors and donors will pay special attention to your proposal if you have people like this on board. You must be persistent. When I first started out in the film business skeptics told me that no one in their right mind would buy short ends. I had to overcome some heavy opposition to get going, but I was determined. Capturing a market is like fishing with a net. If you work one market at a time it is much easier to capture the entire market when you land your first sale within that market. I started out by making cold calls to film schools. I had to keep at it for over a month before I got my first order, but as soon as I took that order I hung up and called the film school down the road and told them their competitor just placed an order. Suddenly they were interested. My cold call sales ratio went from a 5% return to a 30% return because I was working within a tight industry where people know each other. I stayed with my idea of selling to one market (film schools) until I captured one fish in that market. Businesses and corporations are more open to a new idea when they discover their peers are interested in the idea. Consider doing the same thing when you look for individuals to fund your film. If Mary Smith from Americans for Cleaner Oceans has agreed to act as your mentor, go to similar organizations within the community and make a list of their board members. Call each person and develop a relationship. Let them know that Mary Smith from Americans for Cleaner Oceans is working with you. These methods will provide you with advisors, mentors, and donors. The rule of the industry is: If you ask for money you get advice. If you ask for advice you get money. What if you can’t get them on the phone? What if your potential donor is as reclusive as Howard Hughes? Get to know his secretary or his personal assistant. This is how good sales people become successful sales people. Secretaries and personal assistants can get you through to the people you want to know, so take some time and create a rapport with these people. Get on a first name basis with a potential donor’s secretary. Chat with her about her vacation. Ask her about her children. If you are professional and personable, and if you have a good pitch, you will get through to the person you want. A secretary’s job is to protect her boss. If she believes that you will not embarrass her, and that you have something important to present, she will put your call through. It’s all in your approach. Sherrie Findhorn was one of my top sales people. Before Sherrie came to Studio Film she worked for the Yellow Pages. This is where she learned to smile on the phone. That’s right, Sherrie told me that sales shot up when some executive put mirrors on every sales person’s desk and asked them to smile when they made their cold calls. Try it! Especially on a day when you feel like biting the heads off nails. You will be treated better and it will lift your spirits. Don’t be afraid to go to the top of the ladder. I know these people are often hard to get to but that just makes success that much sweeter! Who do you think wrote my first ad for Studio Film and Tape NYC back in 1970? The late Ira Eaker, cofounder of Back Stage! The first time I went to see Ira he asked to see my copy. I was so green back in those days I didn’t even know what a copy was, but Ira took the time to work out a great ad for me. I ran that ad for years. Ira and I remained good friends right up to his recent death. Sometimes the nicest people are at the top. They may be hidden away by a protective secretary but if you believe in your project you can find a way in. “Okay Carole, so when do I get to ask the sixty-four thousand dollar question?” Be patient grasshopper. Don’t even think about asking for money until you have all your preproduction ducks in a row. Form your production company and put together a solid preproduction package while you’re getting close to these potential donors and investors. Popping the Big Question You have put together a strong preproduction package and you have taken the time to establish a good relationship with your potential donor. You know who they are and what their values are, what is important to them. This “ask” has to have their interest at heart, it has to benefit them in some way, could be a tax deduction or you may want to dedicate the film to their deceased mother or offer them an associate producer credit for a generous donation. Now you are ready to ask! It’s a good idea to take them out for dinner at a nice restaurant, look them right in the eye, and ask them if they will donate to your project. Say something like, “would you be willing to donate $10,000 to my film?” They have heard your pitch so many times they know it by heart so don’t pitch them again. Instead, give them a production update. Tell them about some of the grants you have applied for and talk about where you expect to get the rest of your financing. Be 100% honest in every statement that you make. They know all about the paperwork inside that preproduction package lying next to you on the table. You have discussed many of these things with them over the past year and they have given you advice along the way. Perhaps they even helped you with some of the paperwork inside that package. Don’t remind them that you have a nonprofit fiscal sponsor and that their donation will be tax deductible. They know that. This is not a why don’t you look it over and let me know later meeting, this is a look me in the eye and give me an answer meeting. Remember, you are asking this person to invest in you. You already know they trust and respect you. You know they want to help you complete your film. You have invested a great deal of time to bring this person into your film and you would not be sitting across from them now if they did not have the same passion for your project that you have. Your chances of walking away with a check are going to be ten thousand times better than if you had just sent them a package in the mail and followed up with a phone call. How much are you going to ask for? If you ask for too much you will probably walk away empty handed. Most donors do not like to admit that they can’t afford to donate $70,000, but they might be able to swing $10,000. Do your homework and know how much they have donated in the past to causes like yours and make sure you approach them with a figure they can afford. Don’t embarrass them by asking for too little, that’s even worse than asking for too much! Every one of us has a comfort zone and when we give donations we usually write checks for that same amount from the Red Cross to saving the oceans. Find out what that person usually donates and ask for that amount. Sometimes the richest people will always go back to the same amount. One wealthy socialite always wrote $4000.00 checks. By getting to know her, the filmmaker knew that was her comfort level so that’s what she asked for and that’s what she got. Had she asked for $10,000 she would have been turned down, if she asked for $2000 then she would have lost $2000.00. Know the magic number. The person who gives you this $4000 will often give it to you again. They just need to be kept current on the film and when you are coming down the home stretch they will be there with you for another donation. Every person who donates to your film must be considered equal. It’s like my dad who put in the same time with the $100.00 sale as he did with the $10,000.00 sale. Your many $50.00 donations can become $5000.00 when they know you are serious and determined to make that film. Keep every name of all the donors and put them on your email list. If you want to make that film, set a deadline and start working. I know that you work on your grant application right up to the deadline then Fed-Ex it overnight because I’m the one that gets bombarded with a ton of applications the day before the deadline! Filmmakers always work best under pressure. Barbara Trent told me that she always used to get her grant applications in just under the wire. One of the grants Barbara applied for finally eliminated their deadline policy and opened the door for submissions anytime during the calendar year. Barbara said she never applied for the grant again. We need deadlines, so set one and start getting results. I want you to open your mind to all of the creative ways to raise money. The money is out there and it is mostly in the hands of individuals. You just have to approach fundraising with the same level of creativity that you use throughout the entire filmmaking process. Think of fundraising as another art form. Funding Parties, Instant Cash Pasta party Mindy Pomper entered my grant for her film Save a Man to Fight. It is a great story of the women in WW 11 who took over men’s jobs so the men could go to the front lines. Her film includes women pilots who flew planes towing targets for the men to practice their shooting skills. Can you imagine? Yes, women were expendable and Mindy’s film is cut with government propaganda films where women were told they had to wear rubber girdles to hold in that little tummy. Marching in the hot Texas sun with a rubber girdle; it’s hard to believe what these women did for their country. Mindy won my grant from her heart-felt pitch where she along with four other finalists pitched their films at Raleigh Studios to a packed house of filmmakers eager to learn how to win grants. While Mindy was making her film she would get out her phone book, call all her friends and say, “I need some cash for production so I’m giving a dinner party. Please come and hear all about my film, many new things are happening and I have some footage you will really enjoy seeing.” She would also say, “Bring a friend, it’s a $40.00 donation for dinner.” She always had a full house and averaged $60.00 per guest. Mindy did this twice a year and took in a nice piece of change to keep her petty cash full. Plus she kept her friends up to date on the status of her film and she enlisted their ideas for funding. Mindy was smart to fill the room with filmmakers and non-filmmakers. This way the filmmakers could entertain single guests so no one felt left out. I recommend you always have filmmakers as “shills” at your parties. Their specific job is to latch on to some potential funders and keep them meeting people and learning about the film so they are more prone to feel comfortable, having someone answer questions gets them closer to the film. I believe that your initial $50.00 or $100.00 donation can turn into $300 or $500.00 or even more once your donors see you moving forward and this only works when your stay close to them and they know how hard you work to make this film happen. Just tell them the good stuff, if they knew all the pitfalls of a filmmaker it would freak them out. Staying in touch with every donor is paramount to the art of funding. Get everyone’s email and be sure to create a special mailing list of these names. You want to keep in touch at least every 2 months with a Rah! Rah! Email telling them the progress you have made. Give them the results of funding parties, grants you applied for, comments from anyone important in the filmmaking industry and let them know what has happened since the last Email. You don’t make “the ask” from this email list until you need something. Keep them up to date and then when your coffers are running low, ask for what you need in the Email telling them where you are and what process is next and let them know how much you need for this process. Seldom do you want to tell your potential funders your short will cost $30,000 or you doc $300,000. They can’t imagine where you will get all that funding. Handle it like you are feeding them an elephant, one bite at a time. If you haven’t already promised to put their names in the credits, do this when you need funds. The amounts you choose are up to you but many filmmakers say $100.00 is a rolling credit, $500.00 is 3 names on a screen and $3000 gives you a full screen credit, etc. For larger donations you want to talk to them in person. Faun Kime’s Successful party Faun spent time and effort on this party and it paid off with great PR and a net donation of $10,000.00 for her film, The Tomato Effect. Faun hired an assistant immediately because there is lots of work involved and your assistant’s salary will pay off with donors, potential donors and perhaps a second or third party. My list of 45 things to do for a funding party is really built around this type of party. Creating your web site so it will hold lots of logos is important. This is the quid pro quo that you trade for that weekend from Hilton or the organic winery for that free case of last year’s award winner. The donor’s logos will be on your first page so you want to hold logos on both sides to maximize the number of donors. Funding Extravaganza outline This and other funding ideas are continued in this chapter.
I’ve amassed quite a library of film and TV books over the past 30 years., however, most cover the 'same old' subjects, none come into the current, 'new age', of American documentaries. Carole's new book breaks that trend and provides both business keys and roadmap for successful documentary filmmaking in our post-modern age. I highly recommend both her book and her life's work in our field as a positive exemplar for others seeking to help the world via the truth of the documentary message.... Lee Lew-Lee, filmmaker, producer |
