Films and Film Financing are back in a big way in 2022. Besides large companies like Peacock, Annapurna Pictures, there are many ways to invest in individual films. Crowdfunding allows large groups of investors to pool their money to back a film project. In return, investors can have a stake in the project. Investors can also partner with 1 or 2 others and cover the entire budget while getting their investment out first with interest.
We ask Alexandra Vino, who is working on an independent film “The Hollywood Movie” to answer some of our questions on what seems like a complicated process.
As a new and young filmmaker, how do you raise your funds?
This is a gray area for many! It is possible, and you do not need a big star to get your film made. This is a common misconception that you must have a big star, like Leonardo Decaprio to raise money. Talented, passionate people who are part of your vision are key.
But if you are looking to shoot a medium budget movie, don’t you need to have a star?
Financing of more than 5 million, a star would certainly help secure that kind of money.
Tell us what the biggest expenses are for movies?
Every part of a film can be expensive. From pre to post production. Cutting off-screen costs makes an indie more valuable, as more of the money is spent on-screen.
Tell us your tricks of the trade?
I try to write my films based on locations. If a friend is willing to lend me their location, that is A plus! No fees, huge production value. That is a starting point for me.
What is the next step?
The equipment I work on getting a package deal from local equipment houses. I also try to secure grants to cover the cost of the equipment. Aligning with friends and colleagues you have once worked with, who have their own equipment, can be a wonderful way to cut costs.
I know you are passionate about making “Anti-Algorithm” movies, which is something most studios employ nowadays. What is your ideal art movie?
I’m making my current film for 700k, which is a reasonable amount of money, and I hope to be that indie darling at Sundance two years from now. There have been very few breakout movies in the last decade or so. If I think of the films by Elia Kazan, or Sydney Lumet, I think they made STARS, rather than STARS making the movie! Absolutely amazing talent. There was no agenda besides ART! I want to bring this back, so we can all start enjoying the ART of filmmaking, rather than seeing the same faces in every other film. Oscars were built on this kind of movie making. We can make great cinema and sell them to prestigious distributors. We all want to be the next “Blair Witch Project” which took $300 million at the box office and cost only $400 thousand to make!
We wish Alexandra good luck and promise to see her at the movies.
