Surely you have an incredible idea that has the potential to become an excellent film, short film, or audiovisual documentary, but you think you don’t have the necessary resources to carry out your project… Don’t let that stop you!
You may not have the money in your bank account right now, but be sure that you are able to generate what you need for production. Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Exchange
It is important that you have a clear idea of ​​what you want to do and know how to communicate it. If you cannot express your idea attractively, how will others buy it? With that phase already overcome, you can start recruiting collaborators to accompany you along your path.
Seeking sponsorship from companies is an action that bears many fruits when you want to get a project off the ground. For example, when I made my university short films, I always went to venues, restaurants, and nightclubs that met the profile of what was stipulated in the script and offered to appear in the final credits and show the name of the place in the shot in the exchange.
In this way, we manage to rent locations, mover services, have catering, and even clothing without having to take money out of our pockets. When a product or service appears within an audiovisual production, it is considered advertising by placement and it is practically a way of advertising subliminally, which makes it attractive to advertisers.
Start by knocking on the doors of companies close to your circle of friends, family, and even neighbours. You can also request the collaboration of people and/or companies close to the locations where you plan to record. Don’t be shy about your goals. Aim high so you can see how with will you will reach them.
2. Through CrowdfundingÂ
With this technique, you can find financing for all the things you can imagine. From pleasure trips, research for the cure of diseases, and buying food for children in need, to making movies.
Currently, Crowdfunding is a strategy that has gained quite a lot of strength, and thanks to its popularity, what you must do is a good exposure of your project so that you can convince people interested in donating.
Keep in mind that you have a lot of competition. There are thousands of people also requesting sponsorship, so your proposal must be relevant and stand out among them. To encourage donations you can offer a number of things in return. From naming donors in the credits, sending copies of the film once it’s finished, appearing as extras in the project, or even small acting roles for the people whose donations were most generous.
3. Investors
These are people or companies with solid economic capital that are willing to finance your project in exchange for the return of an economic benefit greater than the amount of money they gave you.
Needless to say, it is not easy because you would already have to conceive the project as a business from which you expect to receive profits. That must be guaranteed to the investor who decides to give his money to support the work, it is clear that no one invests to lose but to receive higher dividends than those sown at the beginning.
It is also not an easy task to get such investors, since this requires many presentations of the proposal and also many rejections before you get what you are looking for. So firm willpower is required that does not lose heart in the face of obstacles that may arise.
4. Sales and events
To finance your idea you can also hold events to collect funds by inviting potentially interested people, where they can hear about your incredible project and also purchase products or merchandise related to it. You can have cups, caps, shirts, small souvenirs stamped whose income is destined to collaborate with the financing.
You can organise concerts with those in charge of the soundtrack of the film, conferences about cinema, parties and sell the tickets also to obtain funds that will go directly to cover production expenses.
There are many methods and some may work better for certain people than others, what cannot be denied is that if you have the drive to carry out your idea, you will see your project completed even sooner than you imagine.
Show what you are capable of doing
If you want to get to shoot projects with a budget, but you don’t have work done, you must first gain experience and gain credibility.
You should start by doing short and simple projects, but putting all your creativity into practice. Jobs that you can do without investment, with the means you already have.
Why short projects? you need quality, not quantity. It is difficult to do something long and of quality with few resources.
You can produce a small project that draws attention if you really commit and transmit your enthusiasm to family and friends so that they can help you in a selfless way. You have to start from your possibilities, with the means you have and use them with creativity and ingenuity. It may sound cliché, but if you really want to do it, you will find a way
To do this, conceive a project taking advantage of the strength of a great story and a solid narrative structure. Stay away from special effects and senseless violence. The heart of your project should always be the story you want to tell.
Read this entire guide and do your research. Although any production varies depending on the budget and the people involved, the principles are always the same and can be applied even to a production in which you are the only member of the team.
With the success and experience of a well-executed small project, it will be much easier for you to have the self-confidence and credibility in front of others to embark on a slightly more ambitious one.
There are no shortcuts. If you want extraordinary results, you are going to have to think extraordinary and first demonstrate what you are capable of doing with hardly any means.
Muhammad Saad is a professional guest blogger. He works as a guest blogger at Exytex software house and loves to write articles on valuable topics.
