Today I am writing a small piece on the latest technological craze in film and asking your opinions on whether 3D is a good thing or not.

In the area of Film Financing, Pre-sales are the act of selling specific territorial rights prior to the completion of the film.

The single hardest task in producing films is financing them and, when it comes to financing them, you always need an element of private equity.  There are many ways to raise private equity, some involve friends and family, and others involve private placement offerings and even crowd funding—- with each method, the costs associated versus the rewards, also vary wildly.

The following may seem obvious to some, or for that matter a soap box, but then again it may not—the reality is whether your a producer, a director, a screen writer or any other fundamentally crucial craft in the business of film making, and you want to be in the top 5% of successful professionals, you need to know your craft and know it well.  In fact not only should you know your craft, you should go out of your way to at least understand the other fundamental roles key to bringing a film to fruition.

One of the most under-valued, and for that matter, under developed tools in film financing,  are business plans.  For the most part this is because independent film makers don’t have a corporate or business background, and they simply rely on what they read or the advice of an uninformed few in putting these important business documents together.

Finders are individuals who source finance for producers to get their film projects funded, but for the most part, they are rarely informed about the craft which they are being engaged.  By this, I mean that most finders are not “full-time finders”, but merely seizing on an opportunity that they consider may make them a quick buck.  Most finders usually have a full time job in finance, or are self employed in the film industry, and they happen to have made a few connections with some independent producers that need someone to find them money. 

There are a number of ways to get your film financed these days, but by far the most lucrative from a financial and career perspective is through a studio such as Sony, Paramount or Warner Bros who have the capital to fund independent films.  Unfortunately they rarely do unless you have a pre-existing and somewhat successful relationship with them or a cool and very high concept story.

Today is the start of a new year and the beginning of my new Blog Spot where I shall attempt to enlighten, thrill, excite, engage and educate as many of you as possible to the trials and tribulations of the world of film and more specifically from time to time, Film Financing.

I’m sure many of you reading this will know everything and more about what I will write about over the coming months but there will no doubt be an unfortunate few that will know little to nothing.  My tips are more of an education than anything, but will also endeavor to provide some pros and cons to the various financing vehicles that every film producer should know.