Posted by abby singer at adsl-66-125-201-217.dsl.lsan03.pacbell.net on March 10, 2003 at 04:33:59:
In Reply to: Re: So if I can't... posted by Bob301 on March 10, 2003 at 04:06:20:
: : THis question is more for the producers and writes, but I read through a lot of movie sites and I've seen the same thing over and over, this site as well, "DO NOT submit movie scripts", "NOT intrested in ideas", etc. After a lot of searching, and dear GOD the Canadian Government website is useless on its own...so my question is a two part question, being:
: : 1) How DO you get a movie from a vision in your head to production?
: Check out this book:
: "Persistence of Vision" by John Gaspard and Dale Newton from your local library. It's free, and really helps to outline exactly how to go from idea to film.
: : 2) Where does the "Big Budget" come from?
: The "Big Budget" comes from proving yourself in one or more small-budget situations. You make a no-budget film or short to stir up cash for a low-budget or ultra-low-budget film from people you know or others you can convince that you are worthy of their money, by showing them the no-budget stuff. These films you take to all the festivals you can, and show to all the local critics you can get ahold of, to stir up buzz. Once a big time studio sees how well you've done on these small films, you'll have them convinced you are worth a bigger budget. But it took Kevin Smith until Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back to get up to $20 million, which is a small budget compared to the really big blockbluster movies like Spriderman.
: : I've been through some film school and I have some great ideas I just don't know where to go with them I know clerks was done for $28,000 or something but I don;t even have $2 to take the bus these days. How do all these big movies get made because there is no way that there is just an elite click of writers and nobody but them can make a movie...a REAL movie not some slap together highschool project on the family camcorder.
: There are lots of places to get money thses days. You can ask everyone you know for a little investment. If you can get an average of $1000 from everyone you know well, or their parents, you only need to know 30 people for 30 G's. You can start production with a little money, and use what you shoot with that to get money for the rest of shooting. The local independent film offices have info on grants and such. You can do like Kevin Smith and use credit cards, which is considered a bad idea generally. You can also apply for student loans and grants, and then use that money to make a film instead.
: : Someone help me out here, point me in the right direction, or at least tell me what hoops I have to jump through to get from here to there?
: I had a bunch of the same questions myself, until I read the above books, and a few others. Best advice I can give? Check out everything in the library you can find under the subject Independent Film and Screenwriting.
Robert Rodrigues sold his body to science to raise the $6000.00 for El Mariachi, but that was 1992, Today with the skills you can make a movie for nothing. I swear to god Abby Singer was made for less than $2000.00 and even though it is not in theaters yet it will be soon. If you have the balls to do it you can even get big stars to be in your movie, it may just be a Cameo but hey it's a start.