By Megan Gilbride and Rebecca Green
2023 is coming to a close at long last. We are finally done with this year’s tornado of media studio consolidations (emphasis on this year’s). The mega-box office of Barbenheimer flooded a theatrical drought. And it’s safe to come out from our storm shelters and celebrate the end of the longest actors’ and writers’ union strikes in history. Despite uncertain forecasts already being offered for 2024, we know a lot of you are going to try to make a movie anyway, and we want you to be ready.
While we can’t predict the atmospheric pressure of the year in front of us, there’s a lot about today’s filmmaking skies that will be familiar. Independent cinema has always been a risk. Financing has always seemed scarce. Creative stories have always been difficult to realize on screen. Distributors have always been tough to attract. And audience attention has always been hard to harness.
Producing an independent film, in any year, is about being honest and equipped. It’s about knowing yourself, your team, and your moment. It’s about being resilient in the face of extreme adversity. It’s about committing to telling a story that’s exhilarating to you, in a way that’s unique and electrifying to an audience, despite what foreign sales actuary tables and the VPs of Marketing might say. Today’s Hollywood studio system may be absent of bold leadership stewarding the form, but you’re not getting paid millions to fail like they are, so you cannot be rudderless. You need to be a brave and creative leader, so you need to be prepared.
The below 16 questions are meant to get you ready for this filmmaking moment, but also to stand the test of time. We could have written these 16 years ago, and (if we’re all still standing), these questions will serve you 16 years from now. Find some quiet moments for end of year reflection and challenge yourself to answer them honestly and fully. Your responses to these prompts will make you ready to bolt into action in 2024, but they’ll also be here for you throughout the year, if you find yourself in rough weather.
- What is your film about?
The answer to this question goes beyond your logline and into the themes of your film. It may seem like a silly question, but you’d be surprised how many people can’t answer it or lose sight of the answer in the process of making a film. The answer to this question guides you in every decision-making moment and is your North Star when you get lost. Everyone on your team – financiers, key creatives, distributors – should know what your film is about.
- Why this, why me, why now?
In an overcrowded and highly competitive market, you as the producer need to convince others to believe in your project as much as you do. To accomplish this, you must be able to articulate why your story is culturally relevant, demonstrate why your director and your team are the only people who can tell this specific story, and explain why audiences need your film now. The answer to this question is the second most important part of your pitch following the story itself. - Does another film like yours already exist?
Surprisingly, many filmmakers aren’t educated about the film ecosystem in the way they should be. (Don’t forget Dear Producer publishes digests of reading to keep you up to date.). However, everyone else around you is – agents, festival programmers, distributors, etc. Your odds of getting your film made and seen do relate to similar films that have come before yours. We’re not saying you can’t make a film that has a similar predecessor – how many versions of Hamlet are there? – but we are saying that you better know if one exists and be able to communicate why your film is necessary. - What do you need to learn to make this film?
Every film should be a challenge and a process of discovering how best to bring it to life. You’re not expected to know everything going in. By acknowledging you don’t know it all and taking inventory of your needs, you’ll know where your team’s gaps are, how to seek help, what experts to enlist, and what skills you need to develop in order to see a successful outcome. If you pretend to know more than you do, you will only find yourself in hot water. There’s strength in admitting what you don’t know. - What creative risks are you taking in making your film?
Creative risk taking is why audiences watch independent films. Whether you’re showcasing a performance by an unexpected talent, exposing us to a community that’s never been authentically represented on screen, innovating the use of technology in the service of storytelling, or creating your own cinematic grammar, you should be trying something new. It’s important to ask yourself what you’re doing to push the form and how it relates to your story and/or themes. Table reads, pre-visualization, test shoots, and proof of concept reels can all be helpful tools for risk-taking. To make your film vital to audiences, be audacious. - What are your core values?
Most producers may not ask themselves this before they make a film, but it can be as essential a question to answer as “What is my film about?” It’s really defining, as a producer, what you are about. Identifying your own core values will help you communicate why you’re drawn to a story, what you’re looking for in creative collaborators, and how you’ll navigate the challenges you face. If you haven’t already, select three to four core values and consider how your projects represent them. - What are your collaborators (actors, fellow creatives, financiers, distributors) getting out of working with you on this project?
When putting together a cast list, it’s common to shoot for the stars, literally, but what does Adam Driver get out of being in your low-budget movie, working for scale, and shooting in Minneapolis with a first time director? If you make a knockout film, your director will gain notoriety, but what are the rewards for everyone else? It’s important to know why people should show up for you, what their expectations are, and acknowledge that filmmaking is a team sport. Remember, a lot of people on your set are there for a paycheck, not because your director’s vision is so brilliant. Everyone should be safe and treated with respect and kindness. - Is the film you want to make undeniable?
In Sundance’s “Official Notification” email, Eugene Hernandez wrote, “With a record number of projects submitted to us this year (17,435 to be exact) and approximately 150 available slots within our program, we had to make many difficult choices throughout the selection process.” In a sea of films trying to get made and seen, how does yours stand out? When presenting your project to actors, financiers, festivals, and distributors, there should be no doubt in their minds that you are making an exceptional, must-see film. From the script, to the vision, to the financial and distribution plans, each element needs to shine. Build your project so they can’t say no. - What are your deal breakers?
Making your film means executing a bold vision, but it also means getting it in the can. We all make compromises to keep our projects moving (lots of movie magic has been born of compromise), but some creative changes alter the work so much that the vision itself fundamentally falls apart. If your financier insists on casting someone deeply unfunny in your comedy – that’s a dealbreaker. There are some changes or cuts that mean your film won’t be the thing you set out to make, and that means you have to cut the whole movie and walk away. Deal breakers come in all forms – they can be logistical and financial as well as creative. Backend deals that don’t honor the filmmakers’ sweat equity, financiers insisting on lead Producer credits, partners who insist on shooting schedules that jeopardize crew safety are all dealbreakers. It’s heartbreaking when a movie that’s ready to go falls apart, but it’s important to know what’s worth fighting for and when to walk away. - What is the right financing and distribution model for your film?
More and more indies are being made by (or pre-sold to) distributors and studios rather than the old school model of financing with equity and taking a film to a festival to obtain distribution. As a result, there is less room for studios to acquire and distribute completed festival films because their slates are already full of original and pre-sold titles. Investors will be wary to invest via traditional equity models if the market to buy those films is full of sellers with few buyers. If you can innovate your funding model to mitigate investors’ risk, you are much more likely to be attractive to equity partners, or be free to bypass equity fundraising altogether. The same holds true if you innovate your distribution plans. You will defy market forces if you can connect directly with your audience or eventify your release – this is not just true for Miss Swift and Queen Beyonce. - Do you have the ability to raise the funds needed to make your film?
Before embarking on a new project, it’s important to take stock of your relationships. If your script is budgeted at $5mil, do you have the agent relationships you’ll need to attach the kind of cast your financiers will require? If you don’t have relationships with agents, do you know other filmmakers working with your ideal cast who would make an introduction for you? Do you have connections with financiers who are funding at your budget level, or a workable plan to build those financier connections? If not, is there someone you can bring on board your project who does? If your plan is to raise so-called soft money through grants or crowdfunding, are you able to commit the time needed to secure those funds? Is your director willing to create campaign materials and reach out to everyone in their circle to ask for money? Fundraising requires luck and determination, but also planning, relationships, and time.
- Who is your audience and WHERE are they watching movies?
Knowing your audience should shape many of your creative decisions. Your shooting format should relate to where your audience watches movies. For example, don’t shoot IMAX if your audience only watches YouTube. Are you making a coming of age film for an audience currently coming of age, or is it riddled with nostalgic art, music, and casting choices that connect to Gen X? If it’s the latter, are you marketing on TikTok (Gen Z) or on Facebook (mortgageholders). Some distributors specialize in specific audiences, and following years of studio consolidation, there may be only one or two companies who would even consider acquiring your project. Are you making a family-friendly film that has no chance of landing at Disney or Universal? There are very few other options in the family market. This means there’s another important audience to know – the audience of distribution executives. Understanding what each company releases – critical indie darlings, horror-thrillers, cinematic documentaries – means knowing who’s in the market for your film and how big that market is. - How do you define success for your film?
Success can be defined by the market – top fests, big box office, fancy awards – or by your team – sharing the film with a specific community, returning your investors’ equity, or motivating your audience to take action inspired by your story. It’s important to internally define success in development so you’re able to execute on those goals no matter which festivals program your film. Your desired outcomes are more in your control than you think. For example, an impact campaign can be a compelling part of a fundraising pitch, because it means you film will have distribution regardless of an acquisition. Keep in mind the definitions of success for your creative team (like a theatrical run) and financiers (like the biggest returns they can get) may be different, and you have to openly and honestly manage both. Setting internal benchmarks for success prevents you from falling victim to a struggling market. - How are you paying your bills while making your films?
Independent filmmaking is unsustainable, especially for producers. Even on big budget films, there is no development money and no back pay for the years of work that goes into putting a film together. Producers don’t typically get paid until a film goes into official pre-production, which means your boots are on the ground working. Until that time comes, how are you supporting yourself financially? While having a “real” job in addition to producing sounds overwhelming, what’s more stressful is not having the money to pay your rent when your film inevitably pushes three months because your lead actor’s schedule changed. While you’re putting together the financial plan for your film, put together your personal financial plan as well. - Do you have the bandwidth to take on this project?
You read an amazing script you can’t believe hit your desk or watched footage from an early stage documentary on a topic you’re passionate about. The director is in need of a producer and wants you on their team. While your first instinct is to say yes, you should stop and assess your bandwidth. Before committing to a new project, consider how many projects you currently have on your slate and how much of your time and attention your existing projects require. Is there room for you to tackle what the new, amazing film will need? Also consider whether or not you currently have an income stream or if you’ll need to take on other paid work. Commiting to a project you don’t have the bandwidth for doesn’t do you or the film any good, and over time it can damage your reputation with collaborators. - How are you building community for yourself?
Making a film can be a lonely experience for a producer. As a leader of your team, there is no one to go to with your woes. If you are not already working with a producing partner, consider finding one, if only just for one project. If that’s not possible or ideal, join a producer group to build community with producers who can support you along your journey, in the making of the film, and in your personal growth. If you can’t find a group, start your own using this Dear Producer how-to. Lastly, look into joining an existing organization such as the Producers Union, Documentary Producers Alliance, or other filmmaker collectives. Being a member will give you access to a wealth of recommendations, knowledge sharing, current trends, or just mental health support. In a business that prizes proprietary information, transparency is a radical act of support for yourself and others. There is no reason you have to go it alone.