D.i.y.

[emily blake]

If anyone's answer to that is "no" I'd have to wonder why they're here.

[Southern_land]

Originally Posted by emily blake

If anyone's answer to that is "no" I'd have to wonder why they're here.

That's pretty much where I was going with this

[NikeeGoddess]

in addition to indiegogo -- kickstarter is huge now. tom hanks jr was even on there trying to get funding for a documentary... cause he didn't want to ask daddy for the money. poor thing...

[christopher jon]

D.I.Y.

It's called Independent Film. People have been doing it forever.

[Grandmaster]

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Chris.


Bill,
I'd be interested in those here who have succeeded in making their own film raising their hands...

[Lincoln Lass]

I’m involved with a local film group who fund their projects themselves. I wrote the screenplay for their current project which is now in post-production. The core members pay an amount each month by direct debit into an account, and every couple of years they spend the money on making a (very) low-budget movie. No-one gets paid for taking part, but lots of volunteers get involved for the fun of it and because these guys have established a good reputation. So the money is spent on stuff they can’t borrow or get for free. This time round they also managed to get some money from a local business organisation who give grants to community groups, so that was a bonus.

For me, I'm at a stage where I want to see my work getting produced, and it's a great learning opportunity, not just from the writing point of view but the whole filmmaking process.

[Juno Styles]

Originally Posted by Grandmaster

Frighteningly enough, researching Producer as a career shows that there are NO FORMAL REQUIREMENTS. That's right: no need to know how cameras work, actors' rights, distribution deal contracts or even a business background - it's literally: get the cash, make the film. A total hit-or-miss.

If you know a good amount about the business side and are a great bullshitter...or salesman...or both then you can make your own contacts and do well producing.

[hey you]

A friend and I wanted to make a short film, no matter how good or bad, just to get our creative juices flowing. I came on as the writer/producer and he was the director/producer. It was very much a DIY project. We didn't want to spend much money (our budget ended up being under $250), so we decided to shoot on the iPhone. I wrote a script knowing that it would be shot on a phone. So, there was basically no dialogue, no night shots, and only two characters. Being limited helped us become more creative and think out of the box. We put up an ad on mandy and craigslist for actors and shot it over a weekend with the help of another friend who was the AD and did an original score.

If you've never shot anything before, I suggest doing a short before going onto a feature. You don't necessary need a lot of money. Use whatever resources you can borrow and beg for and write a script built around what you can get. Being in New York, there are a ton of actors willing to work for free and people who are getting started in the business who are willing to help behind the scenes. But wherever you are, just get a bunch of friends together. The film may not win an Oscar, but you'll learn a lot and the next one will be better than the first. The best advice I've been given is just to go out there and start shooting.

[muckraker]

I financed, produced and directed my film despite having no equipment or technical skills whatsoever, so it certainly can be done.

www.touchstonethemovie.com

[Dock]

Originally Posted by Grandmaster

I'm just wondering if anyone has ever considered registering their own company and looking for funding to make their own film?

It seems that we spend a hell of a lot of time hoping that our queries will appeal to someone, whereas we could just spent this time taking our scripts out and getting sh1t done ourselves.

Frighteningly enough, researching Producer as a career shows that there are NO FORMAL REQUIREMENTS. That's right: no need to know how cameras work, actors' rights, distribution deal contracts or even a business background - it's literally: get the cash, make the film. A total hit-or-miss.

So, if you've faith in your best screenplay, why not Do It Yourself?

I'd appreciate non-flamers posting replies (but know it's not going to happen).

EDIT: The topic's supposed to be in capital letters; I guess I missed that.

It's something that can be done effectively if you plan it right, even with shoestring budgets. Whatever script you do and however you do it, make sure it has professional sounding audio, good lighting and at least decent cinematography. Half ass on those things and you'll waste everybody's time including your own. The market is already over saturated with the complete opposite ever since video camera's became so dirt cheap over the past decade.