From Script to Screen: How To Raise Money For A Short Film

From Script to Screen: How To Raise Money For A Short Film

Truman Wheeler July 29, 2022

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Congratulations, your script is complete! Coming up with a story and writing the screenplay is the hardest part of the process for filmmakers at every skill level. With a script in-hand, you have the blueprint for every other step of the production process. Casting, selecting crew, finding props and locations; the script is your guide to everything.

There is, however, one important factor your screenplay should never dictate: your production costs. There are plenty of examples of ragtag film crews producing action-packed genre scripts on a microbudget. Similarly, I've seen far too many producers spend thousands of dollars on a short film I could shoot for $500.

When budgeting for low-budget films, my advice is always the same.

A quality cast and crew is the most valuable asset to a director. Photo credit: Judge L. Williams II.

Invest In People, Not Equipment Finding the right cast is one of the most important steps you'll take making your short film, and I don't recommend cheaping out. If you care about the story you're trying to tell, you won't settle for casting your family or friends. Luckily for us independent filmmakers, casting great actors doesn't always mean spending big budgets!

Most cities have Facebook groups full of talented amateur and professional actors that are open to working on budget films. Reach out to these groups, find a skilled actor that's right for your film, then work out the financial details after they've expressed interest in your project. Results may vary, but I've often found that many local actors don't require more payment than your respect, craft services, and a credit at the end of the film.

On multiple micro-budget productions, I've worked with my local SAG-AFTRA office to cast a union actor for less than the union rates. If a SAG-AFTRA actor is interested in working on your project, I recommend asking your local office about micro-budget film contracts.

High-res cameras are a luxury, not a necessity. Photo credit: Mitch Kraus

That Means Your Crew, Too Building a successful crew is one of the hardest things for budget filmmakers to learn. The instinct is to do one of two things: make your entire short film by yourself, or spend $400 per day on a cinematographer and ask your best friends to move lights.

There's nothing fundamentally wrong with either of these methods. Amazing films can and will be produced by film crews of all shapes and sizes. But as a first-time filmmaker looking to produce a short film on a budget, there are a handful of choices you can make that will save you time, money, and stress when you need it the most.

Films are an audiovisual medium, but too often we hyperfocus on cinematography. Poor audio is the authenticity killer for any low-budget film project, and it's the first thing that will stand out to your audience. Finding an audio specialist who is comfortable with the equipment, understands how to solve problems, and is willing to help the editor sweeten the film is worth every penny you can spend.

Even cheap rental lights-when used by a team that knows their stuff-can be extremely effective. Photo credit: Mitch Kraus

Finding Balance In Your Budget That principle really goes for everyone on your crew. The best indie film sets strike a beautiful balance between serviceable equipment and creative forethought. No matter how much your cinematographer claims they need an ALEXA Mini and a set of Cooke primes, they wouldn't be much of a cinematographer if they couldn't shoot well without it.

The truly important thing is to gather a group of passionate individuals who understand what they're doing with the equipment you can afford, can collaborate well, and can stay on schedule. This is why I sing the praises of the assistant director, an often-underutilized crew member who is guaranteed to save you the most money on your film production.

Time is money, especially when you're feeding your cast and crew a hot meal every day. By taking scheduling and logistics concerns off your shoulders, you are given more time to focus on the execution of your film. Cinematographers, audio mixers, and assistant directors should all be of equal value to a serious filmmaker.

An assistant director that manages your production and keeps a tight schedule can do wonders for your budget and creativity.

How To Raise Money For Independent Films Up to this point, I've focused on ways to spend your investment intelligently to get the most out of your indie film budget. I believe that's a very important topic to discuss because-as I'm sure you know-raising funds online can be a very difficult thing to do.

There is a colossal oversaturation of film projects on every major fundraising site, all vying for the same generosity of internet strangers. How can you possibly stand out?

Crowdfunding Tips Whether you're raising money for your short film on GoFundMe, your Facebook timeline, or any other crowdfunding site, the most important thing is to give your audience an idea of your vision. Test footage or on-set photography can go a long way in enticing someone to click that Donate Now button. Even hand-drawn storyboards or images from other movies can help a great deal in reaching your film financing goals.

If you've already agreed to work with a stellar cinematographer or gaffer, ask to share some photos of their previous work. People interested in your crowdfunding campaign want to see your movie right now, even if they just have to fill in the blanks with their imagination!

Social media and crowdfunding sites are great resources to raise money for a short film.

Social Fundraising For Film Production Your fundraising efforts will be more successfu

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