My name is Elliot Grove. It’s been 31 years since starting Raindance I’m still learning big lessons. And 2021 was no different. Did I learn some big ons since I started Raindance.
Let me try to get to the meat on this bone:
Five Things I learned in 2021
5. I’m not going to let myself get burned (again)
Unless I’m involved in a project from the get-go or at least have a hand in the entire process. I just can’t and won’t come into a project at the end to try and get it cast, financed and completed.
In 2021 I got burned quite a few times by introducing so-called ‘packages’ to my talent and financing contacts only to discover that there were big gaping holes.
Once named talent wasn’t attached when the package claimed it was. Ouch. How embarrassing. On two other occasions there were chain of title issues that hadn’t been resolved. Mainly, however, the people I meet have totally unrealistic ideas of how much money their sweat equity is worth. They crank in a number so high that potential financial partners get one sniff and run a mile. A subset of the big lesson I learned was: Get a veteran producer and financier to review your budget in great detail before you submit it.
4. Development time has to be cheap.
Here’s the crux of the problem. Suppose you are working with a small team for months, even years on a project. As it edges closer and closer towards finance and talent the originating team brings in an Executive Producer to clinch the finance. At their first meeting the original team members float a number for the hundreds and hundreds of hours they’ve spent on the project. These high fees now encumber the project making it unlikely the project will complete.
So near yet so far. The business plan and package you’ve created is now completely worthless.
3. Hindsight is golden.
That’s one big lesson I learned. I’m getting good at saying no to projects I look at with my producer hat on. I get offered a lot of projects. It takes a huge effort to check out potential land mines, I’ve walked away form a lot of ‘great opportunities’ which didn’t seem right to me. One develops a sixth sense and a nose for potential trouble. This past year has taught me to trust my instincts more.
2. Content is king, but audience is god
Another thing I learned the hard way in 2021. I should have been taking lessons from Donald Trump (seriously good marketeer although I despise what he stands for). You have to know your audience and sharply define your marketing plan. This should be the first thing a filmmaker does. If you’ve met me or taken one of my classes you’ll know my ‘Poster First a la Roger Corman’ stories. Get the marketing plan right even before you write the script!
1. The power of our Benefactors and members
We’ve had a membership programme for ages now. Raindance members have enabled Raindance to grow and flourish. It’s not enough to have a cool brand to get people to join, I’ve learned this year that our members expect more. And that’s what we plan to do in 2022. We have appointed a new Membership director to bolster our membership offerings and to provide new services.
In July this year we launched our Patrons programme, A dozen patrons shared a party with Terry Gilliam. The proceeds went to the registered charity we work with: The Independent Film Trust. The IFT teaches filmmaking skills to the homeless, disabled and disenfranchised children and teens in London.
A wholehearted thank you to our members and benefactors.
Fade Out
I’ve learned I’m not a filmmaker any more. I’m a multi-media content creator. I need to diversify my slate to include gaming and 360/VR.
Everyone is screaming for content: the websites, the TV channels, the multi media outlets. They all want content. They have the hardware. It relies on us as filmmakers to supply the software in whatever format their machines demand.
I will be focusing a significant part of my energy and focus on this in 2022. It’s a fantastic time to be a ‘content creator’.
I’m sharing this because I hope you can learn from my mistakes and my experience. With the year-end fast approaching and the pace slowing down it’s a great time to reflect and evaluate the highs and lows of the last twelve months. I like to think I can learn from my own mistakes and discover ways I can strengthen my weaknesses and play to my strengths.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday.
To your success,
Let’s make movies!
Elliot Grove
Founder, Raindance Film Festival & British Independent Film Awards
PS: I’ll be leading Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking masterclass at the end of February to guide you through the process of getting your creative and production team together on Day One, and how to avoid the landmines of financing, marketing and selling your film on Day Two.
Save 50% on tuition until Jan 4th.
Click Here To Learn More.
Did You Know?
- Raindance Film Festival is considered one of the top fifteen film festivals in the world?
- Our Higher Education programme offering HND, BA and MA in Filmmaking and Screenwriting?
- Raindance members support indie film, and enjoy a range of benefits
Photo Credit: Bertie Watson
I founded Raindance Film Festival in 1993 because the British film industry was closed, polite, and congratulating itself while shutting new filmmakers out.
I co-founded the British Independent Film Awards in 1998 because British indie film deserved more than a shrug, a pat on the head, and a Tuesday night screening.
Raindance didn’t start as a brand. It started as a rebellion: film training without gatekeepers, a festival without permission, and a community built by filmmakers who weren’t waiting to be invited in.
Later, we took it global: Toronto, Vancouver, New York, LA, Berlin, and Brussels, because independent film doesn’t belong to one city, one class, or one accent.
I’ve produced 700+ short films and seven features, including Deadly Virtues (2014) and ALICE, which won the SXSW Grand Jury Prize (2019) not because someone “discovered” us, but because the work earned its place.
I’ve written three books used by filmmakers worldwide because too many courses taught compliance instead of survival.
In 2009, I was awarded a PhD for services to film education, ironic, given that most of my career has been about tearing down the rules that education insisted you follow.
I don’t believe in waiting for permission.I believe in making work, building systems, and forcing the industry to catch up.
Specialties: Independent Film (the real kind) · Producing · Writing · Film Education · Festivals · Breaking Broken Systems
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