Since I haven’t won the lottery yet (I remain cautiously optimistic) figure I may have to research some other investors. I picked up a few books from my neighborhood Barnes and Noble and set out to do research.
The book I am reading right now, The Art of Film Funding by Carol Lee Dean, is so useful. One of the basic concepts I never really thought about is the more visual a proposal can be, the more likely the grant to be awarded. The first thing recommended is to create a trailer to include with the proposals. Makes sense I just haven’t done it before the filming really started. And to include the 10 strongest visuals or comments from your filming. To be honest, that makes the creation of a trailer extremely simple. Guess I never thought about it so far.
She dedicates a whole chapter to branding or how to make your film really stand out. It has been pretty rare that I buy a book and find about 75% of it useful (not done yet). I am also going to join the Chicago chapter of Women in Film. The more contacts I can make, the better it should be for the film. Plus the WIFC is hosting an event on Nov. 20 called The Backlot Series which combines a tour of selected Chicago production facilities with an educational overview of how these companies approach and support the creative process. Definately worth checking out.
I have also been researching potential grants. The more people I talk to and the more I am reading I realize I better get organized. This weekend (among other tasks) I am hoping to put together the more formal marketing plan and start working on the trailer.
So far I have filmed Zoe and Michelle; Summer and Tammy and I have 3 more planned in the next 3 weeks. If I can get a few more families done, I should be able to pull the trailer together. Seems that a lot of grant processes start in January so at least I have a head start.
