How To Overcome Your Indie Filmmaking Challenges

How To Overcome Your Indie Filmmaking Challenges

BRUBAKER, J. (2014, April 4). How To Overcome Your Indie Filmmaking Challenges. Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/biggest-filmmaking-challenge/

Independent productions face the very challenge that every task must be handled with no help from experienced corporations; no large company will be taking care of distribution or financing.  These are the two things that seem to be holding potential ‘indie’ films back. Working towards financing a film comes with multiple steps that need to be taken, including the creation of a very specific schedule and approaching investors to ask for money. Independent films are by no means quick. Figuring out the financial aspect could take well within a year. Independent productions require dedication and patience. It is important to pinpoint how investors will benefit from a production- this is what investors are truly focused on.

Film distribution today relies less on hard copies and much more on internet or app based distribution. Making sure an independent production somehow makes it on Amazon or iTunes is vital to its success. Earning a profit while distributing films is one of the primary challenges faced - this needs to remain a business, no one wants to lose money. Overall, even though independent films are produced on a much smaller scale, the professional aspect must always be present. Organization is key when presenting an idea created independently.

“You need to move enough units of your movie to show a profit. Otherwise, you will be operating at a loss.”

“But the basic thing to remember is that each prospective investor is looking for a different payoff.”

Independent film distribution is one of the largest issues that filmmakers face, aside from the creation of a budget.  I think this article is very clear in communicating the fact that making an independent film can sometimes be a tedious task. The entire process must be well organized in order to achieve some sort of success. This article also establishes the idea that not all independent films will become well-known. The distribution through sources that are commonly used is key, it is a matter of playing your cards just right. The overall tone of this article is very realistic, but with the realism comes great advice.