Chapter 150 of the main text volume is worth the investment

Next chapter

Ask for a subscription!

In fact, the actual cost calculation of a film is very troublesome, and the cost displayed by major Hollywood studios is often mixed with a lot of water, which is not consistent with reality, and different situations will also cause cost changes.

For example, if Murphy's film is completed, if the film company wants to participate in the film festival, the cost will definitely increase.

For example, to participate in a film festival in the United States, to complete the most basic preparation of relevant materials, almost another $100,000 will be added.

There is also online costs, which are more difficult to control.

The contractual costs of screenwriters, directors, producers, actors and directors, script copyrights, administrative management, labor benefits, etc., which are included in the online costs, can only be fixed after the actual negotiation is completed.

For the next week or so, Murphy spent most of his time in the studio, revising the first draft of the script and adjusting the project plan according to the needs of the script, while anticipating future challenges in preparation, filming and production.

This project is much more difficult than "Chainsaw", which is all funded by Stanton Studios, and Murphy is the only one, but this situation cannot continue, and the new project will require more investment, and the funds will come from other film companies, which will require him to make more preparation.

Movies are always unpredictable, but it's always right to be prepared.

The most typical is funding.

Murphy also considered what to do if the investor really didn't have enough budget to shoot if he encountered unexpected difficulties now.

If he has been running around for a long time and still has no results, should he spend more time trying to raise money, and then still be stuck in place due to cost constraints? Or should we think of some innovative way to make a movie anyway?

There is no doubt that he, the director, should be the latter.

It's time to rummage through the back of the closet to find the "anemic budget" that has been secretly hidden, instead of spending $250,000 on a private jet to meet with potential funders who haven't made up their minds yet.

The more money you have, the more you have to think of a way.

There is also the issue of actors, a director like Murphy who is in his infancy also wants to work with big-name actors, who bring not only attention, but also tangible box office appeal.

But it is very difficult to want big-name actors to cooperate with him.

In Hollywood, there are situations where it's not impossible for a director to attract big-name actors, especially those who have starred in independent films, if their projects are appealing enough.

For these actors, they know that independent films will never have the opportunities that Hollywood commercial films will ever have, and they are able to use these opportunities to show off their acting skills to the fullest.

However, Murphy is self-aware that there is no opportunity for actors to show their acting skills in the new project, and big-name stars will not be interested in such film noir.

So he was more practical, and James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Carey Mulligan, as well as Robert Downey Jr., who was about to be released from prison, were better suited for the project.

The most critical heroine can also try to send an invitation to the San Fernando Valley, the other party does not have the status of a queen in the future, and if she wants to have a formal film invitation, the possibility of rejection is not very high.

In terms of behind-the-scenes personnel, Murphy also communicated with Bill Rossis, and the main people who worked together last time were basically from C, who were also big beneficiaries of "Saw Horror", and also hoped to continue working with Murphy.

These can be talked about after the project is established, and Murphy is not in a hurry, and the most important thing to consider is the issue of funding.

Cinema is a very high art, but it takes a lot of money to realize the development of this art until now.

He himself does not plan to invest in the film, and Stanton Studios does not have enough money to invest, after all, there is a sequel to "Saw" with Fox Searchlight, which requires a lot of money, and even if the director is changed, the investment risk of such a sequel is lower.

The film does not come from his own investment, and Murphy must adjust his psychology, first, the power will inevitably become smaller, and second, the control of funds will be stricter.

The former is okay to say, as a director who has experienced a fairly formal education, Murphy knows that this is the producer responsibility system, and the latter is a little troublesome.

But it's not that there is no solution, which requires the director to shout poverty.

It's not a big deal, as a director you should be as transparent as possible and you have to always tell the truth, but the reality is that you're passionate and the crew is motivated, but you're shy.

A successful director should also use words, actions and plans before the film is completed, to give confidence in investment, as long as the investment is larger, the film will be better, and the future market return will be higher.

Convincing funders to invest money is never an easy task.

Essentially, it's about getting investors to invest in an idea in their minds.

The idea is very vague and conceptual, and some directors or people will often shoot a short film first in order to attract investment, and use the short film to attract funders.

But this also has drawbacks, if the short film is not amazing enough, it is difficult to attract investment.

There is a clear line between presenting a project to potential investors and promising potential financial returns, as this is a game that is under legal scrutiny, and it is important to be careful not to deliberately distort the facts when promising returns, otherwise you may be targeted by the judicial system for suspected fraud.

Of course, Murphy didn't plan to shoot a short film, and that approach didn't work for him.

From late September to early October, Murphy spent a lot of time and energy finally getting the script and the more important project business plan for the film.

Even now, Murphy wants someone to read his script and then write a check for enough for the film, a fantasy shared by all directors.

It's hard to achieve, and the key to turning it into reality is to hand over a business plan to potential investors and clients, a well-conceived, well-researched strategic plan for how to prepare, cast, shoot and film.

After completing this plan, Murphy asked Bill Rothes to submit it to C, not to mention that the film company will not start a film project rashly, even if C is the operator, it will conduct a preliminary review of the project itself.

Although not the head of Murphy, as C's senior in charge of film and television business, a copy of the script and plan was also sent to Brian Lauder.

Although this is not the expected sequel to "Chainsaw", Brian Lauder nodded with satisfaction after carefully reading the plan, not to mention the creativity of this project, the young director's rigorous attitude and careful planning will leave an excellent impression first.

Moreover, this project is his specialty black style, even if it is a little absurd, but it is also full of highlights.

And there are a lot of gimmicks in the script and plan, and for the film industry, there is no point without gimmicks, and there is no box office without points.

The script is the foundation, but a good business plan is the key to impressing the studio.

Originally, Brian Lauder didn't have much hope for this proposal, after all, Murphy is a director and not a professional, and intends to wait for the script and proposal to be submitted to C, so that the company's more professional people can work on it so that they can attract funding.

Even if C throws out an item, it will sometimes be rejected.

This is a very normal situation in business investment.

Compared to reading the script once, Brian Lauder focused more on the plan.

The proposal is not particularly thick, and it itself does not have specific rules on the content and number of pages, the key is whether the content shows professionalism, whether the expression is easy to understand, and contains all the necessary information without procrastination.

And in this plan, almost all the necessary aspects of a film from the preparation of the project to the later stage are available, and the planning is clear and clear, which shows that the whole project is extremely good.

Brian Lauder looked at them one by one.

"An overview of the objectives and overall objectives of the film's business plan, a brief description of the script and contents, a copy of the copyright certificate of the script, industry trends and trends, the film's market outlook and potential audience, box office comparisons of films of the same genre and budget......"

These are all clear, and people will feel that this is a reliable project when they see it, not those unreliable things that blow the sky, but only have a script, and don't even make the simplest plan.

And that's just part of it, there's more to come.

For example, the team of the film, from the leading actor to the director to the cinematographer to the producer, has a specific list, the candidates for the positions that have been determined, and the resume is attached to the plan; For positions where no candidate has been determined, there is a shortlist of four to seven candidates, along with their respective strengths.

There are also projected details, filming locations and standards; Cash flow statement, possible weekly underlying expenses; Filming and in-shoot management strategies; Schedule according to the dates for the different stages of preparation, filming and filming; Copies of all rights agreements and union filings; Artwork related to the project, such as a stick figure poster of a beautiful one-legged woman sitting on a motorcycle......

While there are bound to be minor flaws, it's a great plan in every way, and it feels like it's worth investing in.

After reading the proposal three times in a row, Brian Lauder deliberately marked the key points and shortcomings with different colored pens, called the assistant to send it back to the review department, did his best to get the rest of the work done, and then passed the project to the right film companies. (To be continued.) )