How To Begin Raising Money For Your Film?

How are you going to raise the money? What are you doing now to raise money?

Two of the most asked questions to any new independent filmmaker. I can’t tell you how many horror stories I’ve heard about unfinished projects due to lack of money right at the finish line. That thought + the nervousness made me want to vomit many times.

But I made a promise to myself that my project would get completed from beginning to end. The only way to ensure this was to:

• Keep my full-time job!
• Budget a portion of each paycheck to my film
• Take things incredibly slow
• Focus on completing one task at a time
• Get as much experience on film sets and make connections
• PLAN like my life depended on it
• Don’t compare myself to others! (No matter what)

So, script? (Check). Treatment? (Check). Synopsis? (Check). Mood Board? (Check). Movie Poster? (Check! But tentative). Rights? (Check). Budget Plan? (Check). Production Team? (Almost there).

Now, it’s time to semi-focus on generating capital. I began by asking myself, “what’s probably going to be the easiest way to raise money for any small film production?” My immediate thought was “grants”. So, I searched for film grants on google and was immediately led to the film site, FilmDaily.tv.

It listed dozens of grants, their deadlines, and what was required to apply. But I was disappointed when I saw that over 95% of the grants were for “documentaries”. My film was a short, narrative drama and I was getting more upset with each click.

So, I took a step back, recentered myself, and kept on looking. After 3 hours or so of researching I managed to generate a spreadsheet of 7 grants: The Green Room Filmmaker Fund, Filmmakers Without Boarders, the Ford Foundation (Just Films), Cine Reach Grants, the Roy W. Dean Grant, the Carolyn First Decade Fund, and the WIFV Fiscal Sponsorship.

I immediately went for the WIFV Fiscal Sponsorship since I’m already a member of their community. Then, I called the WIFV offices for more information and Melissa informed me that details for the sponsorship will be coming out in a few weeks.

So, I’m back to waiting again. I decided in the meantime to just continue working on getting more documents and film experience in place.

Luckily, in between that time, I managed to get hired as an “extra” on a film called, “The Laptop” by director Mike Kravinsky. This experience led me to another role referred to me by Mark Ricche, as a supporting actress on the short horror film Douen by Forbes 1000 list director Alyscia Cunningham. Lastly, I landed a Key Production Assistant gig with film director Adielenah Perez to cover the Women’s March in DC.

Then, the WIFV Fiscal Sponsorship announcement comes out. I pounce on it right away. It requires an application cover letter, the film resumes of the applicant and the production team, a distribution plan, shooting schedule, budget top sheet, target audience, synopsis, a list of donors and 3 letters of recommendation. (Hmmm).

It was 10:30pm on the night the fiscal sponsorship application was due when I finished submitting all my documents to Melissa. Then I read that a $50 application fee was supposed to be sent with my application. But, where’s the link? OMG, there’s no link!

I started freaking out. My heart was pumping. To improvise, I sent the fee via PayPal. I wake up the next morning to an email from Melissa saying they don’t use PayPal, I should instead send the fee via Zelle, and that I shouldn’t worry that my application will still be considered on time. (Whew!)

Lastly, I had another itch to have a backup plan. Since the turnaround time for the WIFV fiscal sponsorship was 9 weeks, I decided to look for another fiscal sponsorship to apply for. I landed on Carole Dean’s film website “From The Heart Productions”. Their turnaround time was 3-10 business days for an $80 fee. So, I applied. I only needed to provide a summary of my film, the length of it in minutes, and the social media pages.

Shockingly, within less than 24 hours, my application got approved. Less than a month later I received my first financial donation for an Executive Producer credit on my film. (The rush is unreal!).

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The author is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions of failure to act related to the content in this article. If you need specific legal advice, consult with an attorney who specializes in your subject matter and jurisdiction.