Jeanette Milio – Stage 32 – Your Step-by-Step Guide to Producing a $1 to $3 Million Movie

Session 1: Create a Project That Sells and Delivers on Screen

Not every genre and not every script works for distribution in the US and abroad. Knowing what kinds of stories sell is the essential first step. Securing and protecting the idea is as important as developing a strong script that can attract meaningful talent, distribution, and financing. It is critically important to know how to break down that script into a budget that delivers a high production quality as well as a commercial film.

• What sells where – Choose the right genre that sells in the US and abroad
• The Rights – Secure the rights to a project and apply the most optimal terms
• The Story – Develop a strong story and apply techniques that help sell it
• Packaging – Attract the right director and cast, and apply appropriate terms
• Budgeting – Important steps to consider when budgeting a low-budget script

Q&A with Jeannette

Session 2: Sales and Distribution

Low-budget films have the advantage in that they can make a huge profit from distribution. But they often also have the disadvantage of not getting any distribution at all. A large percentage of low-budget films never make it on the silver screen. In this week’s session, we’ll discuss the steps low-budget producers should know to make sure they get distribution and what options are available to optimize distribution revenues.

• Distribution – Understand your options for distribution, and avoid the most common pitfalls
• Distribution Value – Understand the value of your film in the marketplace today
• Sales Agents – Understand why you need one, where to find one, and optimize your terms in working with sales agents
• Streamers – Understand the reality of selling your film to a streamer in today’s marketplace
• Financing from Distribution – Understand how you can make money before your film is shot

Q&A with Jeannette

Session 3: Financing Low-Budget Films

While low-budget films have a huge upside, it is not easy to secure funding for them. Knowing what steps to take to identify the finance sources that work best for low-budget films and choosing a project and a distribution path that works for investors and other financing partners is essential in securing funding for a low-budget film. In this week’s session, we’ll identify the various finance sources that are available today, how they fit best together to optimize profits, and what steps to take to secure them for your low-budget project.

• Finance sources today- Learn about the sources to finance a low-budget film in today’s market
• Optimize profits – Understand the steps during the financing process that lead you to optimize profits.
• Attract investors – Learn what finance plans work with investors and how you establish them
• Protect revenues – Understand the steps you must take to protect revenues when your film is produced, and money comes in

Q&A with Jeannette

Session 4: Avoid Pitfalls & Mitigate Risks

When you go out with your film project and talk to investors, you often find yourself fighting against Hollywood’s generally negative reputation when it comes to film financing and making a profit. That conversation can change when investors realize you understand the risks and know how to mitigate them and make a profit with the project. This week you’ll learn about important terms and conditions that protect you from pitfalls, help establish profits, and enable you to answer tough questions from investors, so they feel good about investing in your film.

• Pitfalls – Learn how to identify and avoid pitfalls in production, distribution, and financing
• Risks – Identify the risks associated with every step — from the inception of an idea to development, packaging, financing, production, distribution, and revenue protection — and know how to mitigate them.
• Investor deals – Understand what deals investors prefer, what industry standards dictate, what’s best for you and
• your project, and how to balance it all to get the most optimal deal.
• Your project business plan – Understand what your project’s business plan needs to include to secure the funding for your project.

Q&A with Jeannette

Handouts:

• Adjustable finance plans for low-budget films, including the revenue waterfall and profit participation structure
• Sample “Option Agreement” to secure rights
• Sample “Pay or Play” offer to attach cast and director

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• This class is designed for beginner and intermediate students looking to learn the fundamentals of producing their own film in the $1-$3MM range. This is an in-depth, practical, and detailed class with significantly more content than a standard 90-minute webinar.
• This ON DEMAND class will consist of four sessions, each roughly two hours in duration. You can go through the class at your own speed.