Financing independent projects has always been the hardest part of the job. Finding equity investors, applying for grants, joining industry groups and networks and attending “speed dating” events are all tried and true strategies. But there is another area that I think goes a bit under recognized – labs, institutes and fellowships. There are many of these, each with a distinct purpose, format and requirements that operate at particular times and places all around the world. It’s helpful to think about these programs as a smart way to finance the development (and sometimes the production and post production) of your film. Apply to them early and often and utilize them…
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Financing your project: In-Kind donations
This series focuses on ways to finance your projects. This one highlights how In-Kind donations can help to get your film made. What are In-Kind donations? A recent post in this series focused on Fiscal Sponsorship and how non-profit organizations are able to give tax-deduction letters to any donors that support your film monetarily through their org. Many of those same groups can give tax deduction letters to entities that donate services, rentals, locations and goods to a production as well. If a restaurant donates free food for a shoot day’s lunches or a costume rental company donates free costume rentals for your web series, those companies can receive a…
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Financing your project – Fiscal Sponsorship
This is the first in a series about how to fund your feature, video, web series or short. Funding an independent project is always a challenge. This time we will focus on fiscal sponsorship, how it works and how it might be the right fit for your project. What is fiscal sponsorship? A fiscal sponsorship is an arrangement in which a 501(c)(3) organization (the fiscal sponsor) offers its legal and tax-exempt status to another group for a project related to the mission of the nonprofit organization (thanks to the Cullinane Law Group for this concise definition). In the United States, nonprofit organizations must work under specific criteria (i.e. charitable, educational,…
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What the hell do they do? Producers
This is the first in a series of posts that will define and highlight different job positions in the film industry. We are starting this monthly series with the Producer job because a) it’s the focus of this whole website and b) it’s probably the job that the most people can’t really explain what the hell they do! The simple answer I often give is Producers make it all happen. Without a producer you really can’t get a project done. Have you ever tried to make a film without a producer? It doesn’t work. I guess I’m a little biased but I’ve watched directors try to direct and produce and…
