Just over a decade ago, long before I made a movie… I was stuck in my small town, living with my parents. To make ends meet, I took a job selling dishwashers and garbage disposals.
I remember reading everything I could, hoping to find a step-by-step system that would show me how to get money, make a movie and make money.
The problem was, most of the other filmmaking material was limited to technical stuff, like how to schedule a shoot, budget and how to set up 3-point lighting.
Don’t get me wrong, all that how-to movie making stuff is very important! But if you’re looking to add YET another technical source to your overflowing collection STOP! My step-by-step movie making system isn’t one of them. And let’s be honest – chances are, you probably already have enough of that stuff collecting dust already.
For those who want a roadmap for breaking into Hollywood, Jason Brubaker’s Filmmaker Action Pack is a good start. His e-book guide and companion workbooks are stuffed with information, insights and tactics, to help you achieve this.
Back when I started, you needed to shoot in 16mm or 35mm film. To do that, you needed a gazillion dollars.
And when you went to find money, it seemed like the only way those “experts” knew how to get money, involved finding a willing dentist and asking him for some spare change. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a cavity drilled. And it ain’t fun. The last thing I wanted to do was spend more time with my dentist.
I knew the REAL answer had to be out there. So one day, with a few hundred dollars in my bank account, I quit my job and moved to New York City. It took some time, but I eventually found work as an assistant to an indie producer.
Working on the inside, I was finally able to uncover little-known secrets about how independent producers REALLY make a living making movies. I learned how producers find investors and get money, how they determine if screenplays get read or recycled… I learned how producers utilize media and publicity to market a movie and create buzz, how producers “work” the film festivals… And I learned how producers SELL movies.
With this knowledge, I started my own production company, produced my first feature film, got the movie selling in popular marketplaces and happily made my first money as a filmmaker! During the process, I met a lot of industry heavyweights and actually started working in film distribution, as the manager of film acquisitions for a few… Read more…