Image via Complex
Take a quick glance at the 10 highest-grossing films this year so far and two things immediately become clear. First, nine of them are based around established intellectual properties or are sequels. Second, Free Guy, the lone original piece of intellectual property on this list, was directed by Hollywood veteran Shawn Levy and stars A-list actor Ryan Reynolds. With the 10 listed all coming from major film distributors, from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures to Universal Pictures, the average film budget ranges between $100 million and $250 million. More “original” lower-budget films released this year, like Zola, The Green Knight, Nobody, and Judas and the Black Messiah, were all made for under $30 million. None cracked the top 20.
Meanwhile, the rise in popularity of streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime is leading to high demand for production despite conflict with more traditional film distribution mediums over first-runs. Last January, Netflix had even promised 70 films would be released on its platform before the year ended.
Somewhere amid the big battle between traditional Hollywood and various streaming giants are aspiring filmmakers looking to carve their own lane in Hollywood.
Independent filmmakers have had it especially rough since the production shutdown brought on by COVID-19. Speaking with Filmmaker Magazine, director/producer Miranda Bailey said investors “may not be interested in risky businesses” like independent films, even though these endeavors require a lower investment than feature-length films.
Even short films that many aspiring directors use to build a portfolio or generate interest around a longer film aren’t cheap. According to Newbie Film School, the average short film costs between $700 and $1,500 per minute, with the possibility of shooting up higher. Regardless of the length of a film, though, the reality is that filmmaking is an expensive business all around.
And another thing is certain: there’s no absolute route toward financing a film. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and aspiring and established filmmakers have learned how to get their art out to the masses. But unless an aspiring filmmaker’s network is big enough for them to call on the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Magic Johnson, Prince, and Janet Jackson for help financing a film (like Spike Lee was able to do for his 1992 biopic, Malcolm X), they’re probably going to have to think of alternatives. Here’s how a few young filmmakers are doing it.
Loans and A-List Talent
Shadae Lamar Smith knew he wanted to work in film ever since he was an extra in Trick Daddy’s “Take It to Da House” music video shoot at his Miami high school.
“It was my first time ever on a film set and it was completely Black, which was really cool to see,” Smith says.
Following some time at Fordham University’s theatre school, he realized that acting and theater experiences didn’t really emulate the fun and excitement he had on the music video set. Smith also wanted to blaze new trails for Black filmmakers from Miami.
“I kind of realized that the film world outside of the music video world in Miami was pretty white,” Smith explains. “So I kind of decided to go into directing because of that. I wanted to create stories from my community, from the places where I grew up, and help to develop and create that same experience that I had when I was in high school for myself, for other actors, for other filmmakers. Just telling stories for my own community.”
After enrolling in the University of California Los Angeles Film School, he began working on his first major project, The Resort. Smith financed the film—which deals with sex tourism in the Caribbean and the role race plays in it—with film school grants, bank loans, and money he earned from freelance videography and 9-to-5’s. The result ended up being a successful film festival circuit run and a slot on Issa Rae’s YouTube channel, in its #ShortFilmSundays series.
“It’s hard, but I think that in this industry, it kind of takes a lot from you into developing the stuff that you want to see,” says Smith.
Now, Smith is taking things to another level as he works on getting financial backing for his feature-length directorial debut, Throw It Back, co-written with Rochée Jeffrey (Woke, SMILF). Based on his high school years in Miami, the script took years to make it to notables interested in bringing his vision to the big screen.
Throw It Back is being produced by director Paul Feig’s Fiegco and Tiffany Haddish’s She Ready Productions. The film stars Shahadi Wright Joseph (Us), Haddish, and Young Thug (who also serves as executive producer) in a high school musical dramedy about a teen girl attempting to earn a spot on a local dance team slated to be featured in a popular rapper’s music video. According to Smith, financing a film isn’t a sprint to the finish line, but a marathon.
“I think that filmmakers should also understand that financing is going to take some time, so they should be prepared for both the short and the long haul,” he says. “They should pretty much just have all their ideas set, in case things move really, really quickly, or they should also just relax and get used to the fact that things might take longer than expected.”
Another Medium
Below Sycamore had a respectable theater run in San Francisco before writer Daniel Medina developed greater ambitions to create a feature-length film based on his play. Medina wanted to expand his story about battling his own demons of addiction through a fictional allegory with grotesque monsters.
“There are 40 million people battling addiction out there who don’t have any decent content,” says Medina. “They don’t have a show—not a good one, not one that talks about recovery. Something that gives them any kind of hope. So there are some economic things there as well.”
He linked up with polymath entertainment lawyer and film producer Brandon Dorsky for help in turning Beyond Sycamore into a film. They both had trouble securing financing for an adaptation.
“We had some frustrations in trying to get some sort of foot in the door on some initial meetings for him on this adapted play,’’ says Dorsky. “At the time, there was not a lot of budget being thrown around for a new development project.”
“You can have original content, but content that’s based on something that’s already been successful is proven to be more successful.” – Daniel Medina
Instead of waiting for those doors to open, Medina began not only working on a graphic novel, but writing episodes for a potential television series based on the play. They even got Danny Trejo to participate in the graphic novel adaptation of his play.
“You can have original content, but content that’s based on something that’s already been successful is proven to be more successful,” Dorsky says. “We think we have good building blocks to move forward with, and we have a successful play behind us.”
Beginning as a theatrical play with goals for a silver screen adaptation hasn’t worked out too well in terms of securing financing. But taking a multimedia project approach in a social media age, where attention is currency, is a plan both Medina and Dorsky are willing to invest in.
Change Spots, Gain Tax Incentives
Georgian-American filmmaker Nika Agiashvili enjoyed the advantages of wearing multiple hats in production, including writing, directing, and producing projects ranging from The Harsh Life of Veronica Lambert (2009) to A Green Story (2012).
“Because you control the material and you know the story so well, it’s easier,” says Agiashvili. “The thing is, I also understand budgeting and how to find locations, because when you do a bunch of indie films at the beginning or low budget, you do everything.”
For Daughter of the Wolf, which starred Gina Carano and Richard Dreyfuss, Agiashvili left the director role behind for David Hackl during production in 2018 to shoot in Canada. Because of Canada’s film and video production tax credit rules, the director had to be Canadian. Locations can save filmmakers thousands, if not millions, between sanctioned rebates alongside cheaper permits and production insurance costs.
“You go after financiers, you go after private investors, you go after friends and family that are interested in putting a little bit of money into a movie,” he says. “Now, because I’ve done a few features already, it’s gotten through proper distribution; it had a theatrical deal. It’s easier for me to go to big-time investors that are actually financing $4 million to $8 million films. But it took me years, and it took me steps and a lot of phone calls and meetings to get to that level.”
Lucretia Stinnette’s first student film at UCLA film school was Quyen, a story set in South Korea about the life of a woman forced into an arranged marriage. Initially, she used student loans to finance production and applied for grants. Then the unthinkable happened mid-shoot.
“There came a point while I was in Korea that I ran out of money, and was waiting on some grants to come through from UCLA,” says Stinnette. “I had to pay all the vendors in Korea before I left to come back to the States, so I had to hit up family members for a loan until that money came through and I was able to pay them back.”
The biggest financial lesson Stinnette says she learned was to always have a strong, experienced producer who can keep their eye on the bottom line. She also says that, because grants take a while to pay out quickly, it’s good to have a backup plan in case money doesn’t come through on time.
As a part of the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women Class of 2021, Stinnette is also learning other lessons about financing movies. Her film for the class, Redondo, tackles tensions between Black and Korean residents of Los Angeles. Stinnette’s time with AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women has been an eye-opening experience, as members of the class are responsible for raising up to $40,000 to get their shorts made.
“Through the program, they reframed the task and helped us think about this process not as ‘begging’ for money,” Stinnette explains. “Part of our job as filmmakers right now and for the rest of our careers is to sit down in front of people with the power to give us money and ensure confidence about our abilities and our projects to them. We have to be able to sell ourselves and our value as storytellers and make them feel comfortable trusting us with millions of dollars to go out and direct a feature or an episode of television.”
Paying for It Yourself
There are also those with the means to fund a film themselves. For example, Boosie Badazz financed his autobiographical My Struggle—which he wrote and starred in—by himself. According to Boosie, after initial investors didn’t understand his ideas for the project, he took matters into his own hands.
“I sat with potential investors, but I needed them to see my vision so they can be my partner a lil’ more than I needed their money!” he says in a statement. “I wasn’t surprised that I had to use all my money for my movie about my struggle.”
The gamble seems to have paid off. During a recent interview with VladTV, Boosie said that on the film’s day of release in late September, he made a little under $1 million from a budget of around $250,000. In the same interview, Boosie mentioned that filming in his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, allowed him to cut costs on a few filming locations as well. My Struggle was also released through his own website in order to avoid distribution issues. Fans could directly purchase the film for $20 and a behind-the-scenes documentary on the film’s making for an extra $10.
Seems like Boosie has caught the film bug, as he plans on releasing more movies, including a Christmas comedy. Taking things further, he eventually wants to launch his own streaming platform, BoosieMovie.com.
“I tried to talk to all the companies and big people, and they were trying to take my movie,” Boosie said to VladTV. “What they were trying to give me, I made in 24 hours.”