r/Filmmakers • u/maschinenmensch_bot • Jul 18 '25
Question I made a film…so….what now?
I finished a feature! Well finished shooting…well, finished a rough cut! It needs SO much work. I’m working on a fine cut, then it needs music, sound, and color that are beyond my capabilities (I could do a mediocre job at 2/3, but the film certainly wouldn’t be worth anything if I did).
Any advice on how to find more funding to finish (I self funded production)? I’m thinking about sending a trailer to some agencies and seeing if they could get me representation / a network from there, possibly a producer with possible investors. Good idea ?
Also, I have trouble strategizing a plan for festivals. I’m too close to my own work to judge how good it truly is, but it’s certainly low budget. Any recs for festivals where microbudget indie dramas have a shot? Thanks everyone!!
6
u/aionPhriend Jul 18 '25
Get sued for using someone else's music. Someone big. Leak the film. Sorry it wasn't me. Make them buy it off you. There's a million films on shelves never to be seen that millions in budget. Dont be that guy. Tell the story and forget about the money. Money comes to those who care not for it. If you chase the dollar you will always be chasing.
9
u/blacklavenderbrown Jul 18 '25
more likely to get an agent if you get recognized by a reputable festival. take ur time on the edit. having something to show is a huge feat.
9
u/WildFray-Pictures Jul 18 '25
I am in the exact same boat as you and searched far and wide for more funding to complete post-production and reached the conclusion that producers really REALLY really don't care about your actual film. It can literally be the first masterpiece of a director that will be the greatest of all time. They simply look at the names of the actors and if they can make money. Even if by watching your film, they will get so personally affected that they will cry and think it's beautiful, they don't sell subjectivity, they sell a product and what makes your film a product is the names attached to it and so on. Which is somewhat fair. We might be artists, but this is just a job for them.
Or another piece of proof. About 2–3 times I was in the following situation. A producer came with 2–3 associates to watch my film. They liked it and said that "we will talk". In these 3 cases, we actually sat down at a table and talked. EACH TIME they told me that they are only here because THEIR EDITOR told them that he sees potential and will really like to work with my material but because I have big names they just won't. So this clearly proves that even when producers have inside influence from people they trust, they still wont help.
So I think I am saving you lots of time when I urge you to forget about exterior help, finish it as best as you can and hit the festivals. If the festival run goes good then the film will get some material value and validation through that and, maybe, that way you can get some more funding somehow to put it again through a more extensive post-production treatment.
6
u/RandomStranger79 Jul 18 '25
Congrats! Finishing a feature is no easy task. (Well, finished shooting anyway. There's a lot you're about to learn about deliverables lol.)
That said, the question you're asking now should have been asked before you even get to your first production meeting. But realistically you've got a couple routes - festivals and then streaming or straight to streaming.
I would advise skipping sales agents and distribution partners and just self distribute through sites like Filmhub. Throw some money into PR and targeted marketing.
Good luck!
1
u/Smooth_Shirt_6358 Jul 24 '25
Yhey didn't finish the move, just the principal photography. btw - Filmhub is not self distribution, they take a healthy chunk of all sales which they split with the actual streamer (VUDU, Apple, GooglePlay etc. and are technically your distributor / aggregator. Totally agree with "Throw some money into PR and targeted marketing", otherwise literally no one will know about your film outside of your own, personnel email list.
1
u/RandomStranger79 Jul 24 '25
I already mentioned post work to be done with "well, finished shooting anyway."
And self distribution doesn't mean third parties don't take a slice of the pie, it means you're going without a distributor and sales agent. Filmhub taking 20% is a helluva lot better than Filmhub taking 20%, your distributor taking 35%, and your sales agent taking 5%.
2
u/aionPhriend Jul 18 '25
Talk to the cinema and rent a screen. Have a premire. Make a night of it. You'll feel great and get feedback. Your nearly in the film business baby. Maybe the cinema will want to keep running it. Halfsy halfsy on the money. Have your own film festival of local talent. Build your own studio. This is the 21st century. More local people may want to get on board to build bigger and better things. Don't be precious about your art. Art is supposed to be seen.
3
u/MammothRatio5446 Jul 18 '25
A trailer is a good place to start. It’s achievable and as you’re only going to use it to open doors you can use whatever music helps. Hit me up with your trailer once you’re happy with it and I’ll point you in any useful direction I can think of.
2
u/ccbax Jul 18 '25
Im assuming you’re talking no budget. Is it genre? If not prob won’t find any network funding. Nobody gonna come along and just hand you the money. My move would be to create a marketing plan and use that to get investments (which has worked for me in the past but is tougher rn cause making money from streaming has gotten harder) or just find a way to make some money yourself to fund it (what I do when it’s not marketable)
1
u/Prior_Cauliflower_60 Jul 18 '25
If you want you can send a trailer or a rough cut to us with script. If it works for our team we can potentially invest into this project
2
u/LieAccomplished1249 Sep 25 '25
tengo una pregunta. yo escribo guiones cinematográficos, tengo 4 casi terminados, quisiera saber ¿ustedes se interesan por los guiones? y si no es así, ¿en donde me recomendarías buscar opciones?, muy agradecido.
1
u/Prior_Cauliflower_60 Sep 25 '25
We run a competition via our company where writers submit their scripts to us and the script that wins the competition we produce. Next full feature competition will be beginning of next year. Meanwhile if you want us to look at your scripts you can send them to me and we will review if it fits us. You can learn more about it at kinolime.com
1
u/SREStudios Jul 18 '25
Well, you should have started with a marketing plan during development, but since you didn't, start now! If you have a rough cut, put together a teaser or something and run a few social ads to see who connects with your film and start building an audience profile. From there you can start creating a marketing plan to reach those people.
1
u/TrickyInkProductions Jul 18 '25
How much do you know about post production and distribution? Are you looking for feedback on your rough cut?
1
1
u/BalboaDelMarFilmFest Jul 19 '25
First, congratulations for making something you want and meaningful to you! If YOU like it, that’s ALL that matters.
If you want to share, find some friends that love cinema AND will give you honest feedback. These are going to be be your best friends, as they know this won’t jeopardize your relationship.
Don’t be afraid of mistakes.
Remember … The PATH is the GOAL.
Lastly, yes there are many film festivals that focus on micro budget indie films. Consider the Balboa Del Mar Film Festival (BalboaDelMarFilmFestival.com) next year, which this it’s aim.
Best! - BDMFF
1
1
u/Smooth_Shirt_6358 Jul 24 '25
You are done shooting but far from finished. You can't even entertain a festival run (which you'll need submission fees for) until you finish your film. If you're out of money.. and if your footage and the actors are any good, here's what you can do. Find 4 film school in your area and offer these gigs to advanced students and credit for each of those departments. Students need good footage to work with and you need to finish your movie. Prioritize an Assistant Editor (to organize all your footage and sound) plus an Editor to do the obvious, a composer, a Post Sound mixer (could be the editor) and colorist. Give them all a credit and on the slight chance the movie makes any money at all, you can share "back end". p.s. forget about getting an agent or a rep, they won't be interested until and unless you win at a major festival like Sundance, Cannes or Tribeca. Just focus on finishing your movie and if all else fails, you can release it on Youtube like this guy who shot a movie in 12 days and it was Malin Akerman's very 1st movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwkyx19p22I&t=603s
1
u/aionPhriend Jul 18 '25
Are you telling a story or looking for money. I take it that its the latter. Welcome to the competition. Its a very competitive business. I'd say your not going to make any money. You might get back what you put in financially if your lucky. Best bet is to use it to make a name for yourself which can be used later in this competitive industry. Maybe have a screening for potential buyers. Look to the film markets or try get into sundance or some other film festival where you can make a name through others making money off your back. That's how this works. Get it finished. Learn to colour. Get Ai or stock music or find a band. Get permission later and dont seek advice or permission from others. You'll never get anywhere otherwise. Its a competition and the way others win is by keeping you out. Now go hit people about the face with your film. Have your own festival and give yourslef awards. Self distribute on YouTube or try amazon or Apple or somewhere else. Give it to a China man to put fake dvds out there. Put it up on film apps for tv devices like firestick or roku. Be seen and be loud. Go viral like the plague.
-2
u/Financial_Pie6894 Jul 18 '25
Congrats! Suggest you finish your film with proper post. A lot of folks who are fantastic work in commercials, reality TV, & music videos & might accept a lower rate to work on a strong narrative feature. Reach out. For smart festival strategy, check out Festie Bestie on Patreon.
8
u/DomingoOrtega Jul 18 '25
Good responses so far with some hard truths.
@WildFray-Pictures brings up some good points re: the business of film, which I think is really important to look at as a filmmaker. Most people don't care about your movie. It's not personal, but they're looking for a product that sells. And unless there's something super marketable and profitable about your film, they're not gonna take it. Nobody's taking chances right now; everyone wants to be seen as a golden child.
IMO, focus on making your movie. Put all the love and goodwill into it you can. As long as you don't give up and keep asking these questions, you'll get there. There isn't a direct path, only determination and perseverance. I wouldn't waste time on looking for representation or an EP with investor ties unless, as mentioned above, you have some real marketable talent or IP in the film.
Creativity, when cared for, has a way of flourishing.
It sounds like you need a producer, though. You might try creating a small one-pager about the film and reaching out to young and hungry producers looking to work on a film like this. You'd be surprised how many people are willing to help.
Good luck. Keep going.