tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post5730757709775646714..comments2024-03-28T06:14:54.076-04:00Comments on And So It Begins...: How I Made a Microbudget Feature Film, Part 2: The MoneyAlex Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-89667162683281063402018-01-08T11:10:19.236-05:002018-01-08T11:10:19.236-05:00Oh no, you didn't overstep at all. In fact, wh...Oh no, you didn't overstep at all. In fact, when filmmakers ask me for movie finance advice today, my sentiments damn near mirror yours. You have to find outside money, it simply makes everything so much less confusing. And while I do think there is initial benefit in working for free (depending on the gig), you have to know when to cut that off, and hold firm with demanding some sort of compensation. <br /><br />Thanks for another great comment.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-656486685337516732017-12-27T15:36:06.043-05:002017-12-27T15:36:06.043-05:00I feel inspired after having read this. I admire y...I feel inspired after having read this. I admire your tenacity despite all of the setbacks and difficulties you faced along the way. <br />If I may, there's one thing I'd recommend: don't rely on family bonds or friends of friends simply because they have the money to fund your dreams. I understand that funding for a film may be next to impossible to come by, but if you compromise your finances to the point of bankruptcy, you may never be able to make another film. <br />I'd encourage you to select your financial sources in a professional manner, and not simply because you choose to trust someone. Lastly, do not work for free. I work as an architect and the best advice I can give anyone is to try NOT to commit substantial dollars ahead of time if there's no legal contract or obligation from a partner or a financier to pay you and/or to cover expenses. I realize this may seem like a daunting prospect, but financing must be approached in the same manner you approach any other part of getting a film made, even if it's the least enjoyable. <br />Congratulations again!<br /><br />PS. Sorry if I overstepped with my advice. It may be completely unrealistic.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-66063501220972621282017-10-26T17:13:28.282-04:002017-10-26T17:13:28.282-04:00It stressed me out to write it! Just reliving it f...It stressed me out to write it! Just reliving it for a few minutes made me all anxious. Ugh. But thank you so much for reading and commenting, it really means a lot to me. And thanks for the kind words! I certainly hope the next one is easier than this!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-58121664191928894732017-10-26T17:10:39.252-04:002017-10-26T17:10:39.252-04:00Yeah man, it certainly wasn't fun haha. The ha...Yeah man, it certainly wasn't fun haha. The hardest part was playing pretend on set, acting like everything was okay. But hey, we all saw it through and I like the film better now for it.<br /><br />I will never make a movie this way again. I wouldn't be opposed to using my own money, but I wouldn't start production unless I had the full budget to spend. Four years to pay this thing off... couldn't put myself through that again, you know?Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-75656982474855987222017-10-26T17:07:44.820-04:002017-10-26T17:07:44.820-04:00Thanks so much Chris, I really appreciate that. An...Thanks so much Chris, I really appreciate that. And man, I would've loved to NOT have a day job while I edited WAIT, but that just wasn't in the cards. It was a tough time for sure, but I'm glad the movie got made all the same!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-14212776838694702262017-10-26T17:05:40.179-04:002017-10-26T17:05:40.179-04:00Thanks so much my friend. I'm glad you are lik...Thanks so much my friend. I'm glad you are liking the posts. I liked that lesson in the Spielberg documentary as well. Having less really does force you to get more creative. A very valuable lesson to know there. And it's so true, because many of my favorite films from popular filmmakers are ones they made for modest budgets.<br /><br />I hope you enjoy the rest of the posts in this series as well!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-82411253272798590522017-10-26T08:50:22.671-04:002017-10-26T08:50:22.671-04:00This post stresses me out. Money is the one thing ...This post stresses me out. Money is the one thing that is almost guaranteed to make me lose sleep over. Like you, I don't come from it, I just try to save it as best I can. I'm not sure how I would've handled the situation you faced. Like you said, this is an important thing to talk about though. I hope everything goes smoother for you when you make your next film. You deserve it. Brittani Burnhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07975067259283007280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-43256254869522060982017-10-25T19:16:14.989-04:002017-10-25T19:16:14.989-04:00What an absolute nightmare, can only imagine the e...What an absolute nightmare, can only imagine the emotional and financial burden that must have been for you. Really pleased that it has paid off with the success of WAIT. This is a great insight into the kind of dedication, integrity, and commitment you have to have to see a project like this through. Do you think you would choose to make another microbudget feature if you had to fully finance it like you did with WAIT? Hopefully that's not a situation you ever find yourself in again.Tylerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14759761229945466986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-19565683107666330052017-10-25T17:06:44.846-04:002017-10-25T17:06:44.846-04:00That's brutal your co-funder ran out of money,...That's brutal your co-funder ran out of money, especially when already halfway through filming. Proud of you for finishing Wait with such an obstacle to overcome. <br />When you mention a day job and working on the movie at night, I'm reminded of David Lynch's paper route to finance Eraserhead. Sounds like you have the same never-say-die attitude!Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-22881086276158935372017-10-25T16:48:02.602-04:002017-10-25T16:48:02.602-04:00I recently watched a documentary on Steven Spielbe...I recently watched a documentary on Steven Spielberg as he talked about his experiences in dealing with budgets as it related to <i>Jaws</i>, <i>Close Encounters</i>, and <i>1941</i> and how it nearly made him a pariah with studios because those films went over-budget. He does reveal that making those films were learning experiences in how to spend money which he was able to do with <i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i> as he and George Lucas were given $20 million to make the film but they had to make sure they didn't go a dollar more.<br /><br />I think one of the scary things about filmmaking is money. You have to find out what you need and what you don't need. I think limitations in a budget can help as I remember Guillermo del Toro stated that having limitations can help you improvise and find something else. <br /><br />I like what you're doing as you're giving us an education into the highs & lows of low-budget filmmaking.thevoid99https://www.blogger.com/profile/03055459287396592446noreply@blogger.com