This morning, walking into work, I realised there are 5 stages of a deal making process.
I am always working on ‘deals’ – trying to rustle up money for the film festival, or trying to attract new sponsors to Raindance.
1) The Flirt
A pitch to one’s network of the basic idea. You flirt, you try to get their attention, and when you do you try to get them to tell their network of friends and contacts about you. What you are hoping for is a reference to someone who might be able to help you.
Some of the best ‘deals’ at Raindance have started with a flirt with a friend or acquaintance in the most unlikely of circumstances.
2) The Tease
A formal pitch outlining specific deal points to one targeted individual. In this meeting you tease the target, and hope that they will take your proposal back to their company for serious consideration.
3) First Kiss
The first complete pitch – a one-shot meeting – where questions are answered or not!
She either loves the kiss – or not. No amount of technique can make her change her mind, either!
4) Jump Into Bed
Deal negotiation – it’s about the style and motion. You either get along or you don’t
5) The Wedding
Close the deal, seal it with a kiss or a bottle of champagne.
A friend of mine saw this and said, thinking of the analogy: “What about Stage 6 – The Annulment – when they take you for every cent you have?”
But that’s not very Raindance, is it? I’m sticking with the 5 stages of a deal.
Resources:
Closing the deal is all about creating a strategy for approaching potential sponsors and funders for your filmmaking projects. Here are two things I put together which I hope will help you:
1.Creating a Business Plan – helps you get the paperwork together you need to get your movie funded.
2.A short video with some advice on how to structure your film business.
Did You Know?
- Raindance Film Festival is considered one of the top fifteen film festivals in the world?
- Raindance has a 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
Check out my new Substack for in depth Free Articles:
