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Independant Movie on Kickstarter


Abdullah AbuMahfouz

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Thank-you Freya, now we can have an intelligent conversation without the dingbats chiming in with their idiotic comments.

 

R,

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If you were doing the work in the states would you be liable for states taxes or still have to pay UK taxes on earnings as a UK citizen? Not sure how that would work. Also not sure how much I could just go to another country and shoot. Would I need to get myself a green card or something like that for it to be legal?

 

Freya

Well, remember state tax incentive and earnings are 2 different things, most likely, IF you were registered as a UK production, you would be subject to UK laws, HOWEVER, IF you were, registered as a US LLC, you might only be subject to taxes on your personal income BUT if you are an English citizen with a work permit in the US, you might be subject to paying taxes for both the US and UK, I KNOW there are legal work arounds for these problems BUT since I have been seeking locations, cast and crew pretty much ONLY in the US, though I have considered other countries for shooting and haven't dismissed them yet but also haven't addressed them as of yet, I'm not sure how these work in practical terms BUT I DO know, it's done all the time, ESPECIALLY in the movie industry. I'm sure it's a few mouse clicks to find out what you need to do. Remember EVERY country has their own laws so never assume ANYTHING! Check it out ad make sure you're right.. IF you want to shoot in the US and need someone to sponsor you, I'll do whatever I can to help you. Find out what you need and we'll see what we can do.

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Yes, too much to type! :blink:

 

Same for any project really, and I'm sure any filmmaker would say the same. No matter what the budget is.

 

R,

And you know what, my friend? I STILL tell people how much you impressed me with your Hutzpa and the balls it took to make it happen. IF you haven't read Richie's account of how he parlayed a low budget film, self financed feature film into a movie career, READ IT!!

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"Estimated" and it was a BAD estimate on their part. When are you gonna stop believing everything you read on IMDB?!! IMDB is like the Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus, there's a slight chance they COULD EXIST SOMEWHERE, but I wouldn't put a whole lot of faith in the idea that they're the ones who gave you all those quarters and toys!!

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"Estimated" and it was a BAD estimate on their part. When are you gonna stop believing everything you read on IMDB?!! IMDB is like the Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus, there's a slight chance they COULD EXIST SOMEWHERE, but I wouldn't put a whole lot of faith in the idea that they're the ones who gave you all those quarters and toys!!

 

Not to.. I dunno...

but even if it wasn't $1M, the figure must be at LEAST over $25,000 to have some kind of estimate at that. I'm sure I'm really low balling here. Which is clearly more than $1500 though.

 

I'd love to hear any even vague info on the funding process for your stuff Richard. True, this is a pretty pubic forum, but I think it's bad form to tout that you did something and kinda shame people for not being able to do it themselves, and then saying nothing about how to do it better.

 

"How do I light this kind of scene?"

'Oh I did that on a production once. You'll figure it out.'

 

That'd be pretty frustrating.

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but I think it's bad form to tout that you did something and kinda shame people for not being able to do it themselves, and then saying nothing about how to do it better.

 

Again, this isn't an on-line producing course. I am not shaming anyone. I am certainly not the only person in history to fund and make their own movie, there have been thousands of others. And people who have been 1000X more successful than me, i.e. Blair Witch, Open Water, and Paranormal Activity.

 

Seriously, you want me to sit here and type out the step-by-step process to producing a movie?

 

R,

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IMDB tells me that Dark Reprieve was budgeted at one million Canadian dollars, which sort of brings us back to where we started: first get a million dollars.

 

As James points out, IMDB often estimates these things. It was self funded entirely by me, and obviously I did not have 1 million to spend. I was smart when it came to buying and transferring the 35mm stock. Cut deals with the rental house on gear, etc. Again, I am far from being the first and only person to do this.

 

R,

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That fact was never hidden from any buyer Phil. I do not run IMDB, do not hold me responsible for what they post on the site. The site is filled with inaccuracies.

 

Once again....more accusatory falsehoods and lies being spewed from your mouth.

 

R,

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Hell, I'D let distributors THINK a small, self financed film cost a mil to make if IMDB decided that's what it cost and didn't disallow that figure when you're posting the announcement on their site. Why wouldn't you go with an "estimate"? This is BUSINESS and if someone perceives your product to be worth something, then it IS worth something. One thing one needs to learn, is in Hollywood, perception is EVERYTHING! It's a tool, one should learn how to use and use WELL when needed. The only time you WANT to admit a very low budget is when a film grows legs and blows up, THEN you let that fact out because you're perceived to be a genius because you made a fortune on a low 5 figure budget like "Paranormal Activity" or "Clerks".

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As James points out, IMDB often estimates these things. It was self funded entirely by me, and obviously I did not have 1 million to spend. I was smart when it came to buying and transferring the 35mm stock. Cut deals with the rental house on gear, etc. Again, I am far from being the first and only person to do this.

 

R,

ALL smart moves and basic information EVERY film maker should explore! But DON'T forget, though, the PINNACLE of your film making strategy which was your BRILLIANT distribution model. THAT'S where you REALLY sunk that 20 foot putt!! Honestly, that was shear GENIUS!! It's one thing to get a self financed movie made. It's QUITE ANOTHER to ORCHESTRATE a self-promoted, limited theatrical release for a self financed, low budget movie, AND be able to do THAT with a standard 50/50 split which led to US distribution!! AND THAT'S why people should listen to what you have to say!

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AND THAT'S why people should listen to what you have to say!

 

According to some others here....it's impossible for anyone else to do it, so why bother?

 

R,

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AND THAT'S why people should listen to what you have to say!

 

The problem with what Richard has had to say so far is that it's that we should all learn how to be movie producers but that the actual techniques involved are a secret.

 

The only person to actually list any specifics is you, James! He did what now?

 

P

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Actually Phil the script to screen process for Dark Reprieve was well documented on this site. You can use that search thingy on this site to review since you're so interested.

 

In the meantime Phil I'm pulling up all the home addresses, cell phone numbers, vacation home numbers, and emails, for all of the distributors, financiers, sales agents, & bank people, required to make a movie. I will publish them all on this site for everyone to see. Stand by......

 

R,

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Edit - couldn't resist it, had to put this in first.

 

 

 

Here's an idea for you...spend 1 million of your own money on a movie, and then watch as people watch it for free over the web.

 

R. Boddington, 18 May 2012. One million dollars. Again, make your mind up.

 

Anyway. In a real, concerted effort to make this conversation in any way worthwhile:

 

 

you want me to sit here and type out the step-by-step process to producing a movie?

 

Well, yes, absolutely, if you wouldn't mind. In a slightly more practical sense, some sort of precis might be useful, much as some of us do when a beginner turns up and says something like "how do I make my DSLR make nice pictures," which is a question of very similar breadth. People, including I hope me, are often quite forthcoming with advice on technical issues, right from the "okay, Binky, what's the particular area you're having problems with" level.

 

As to producing, I can only return to what I've said before. I can phone up film distributors all I like and tell them I've got a movie they might be interested, and ask them for an address for the screener. Obviously, I'll instantly be dismissed out of hand, and to get to that point I have to have already made the movie.

 

I can call regional and national filmmakers' organisations and ask them about funding options, and I'll be dismissed out of hand (I have done this. I know.)

 

Ditto more experienced producers. This very conversation is an example of a producer being impossibly difficult to deal with.

 

It all comes back to the idea that unless you have vast quantities of money, it is effectively impossible to sell independent film and thus, quite correctly, it is also impossible to fund it. Staging a series of theatrical screenings is of course not something that's affordable to normal people.

 

If you have some sort of solution to that problem, and you presumably do, I'm all ears. If you don't - and you must reasonably know that it's true, having done what you've done - I think you owe a few people an apology.

 

P

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OK, let's keep going:

 

 

 

No one else on this forum has raised 1.8M to make a movie entirely on their own. Sure it sounds easy, people think I could do that, fact is they couldn't.

 

You, on 15 July 2012. You said it yourself.

 

 

I mean I don't mean to be unnecessarily difficult, but you're directly contradicting yourself here. Some forum arguments are more stupid than others, but good grief, this is actually a written record of saying completely the opposite, and agreeing the point I've been trying to make for five pages now.

 

Will you please stop attacking me and address the question? I mean, I don't care, your opinion of me as a human being is a matter of supreme irrelevance, but it's getting tiresome.

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You really are thick Phil, 1.8M was in regard to The Dogfather, duh! Not Dark Reprieve.

 

 

As to the quote you pulled from, R. Boddington, 18 May 2012., do you have the full thread around? Dark Reprieve was made in 2008, this quote is from 2012. So I doubt this quote is from the Dark Reprieve production thread.

 

This sounds more like a quote from a discussion on web piracy? I was very well most likely talking in general terms about what can happen when people invest their own or other people's money in a movie, only to see it pirated on the web.

 

Can you link to the entire thread I can't seem to find it.

 

R,

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You really are thick Phil, 1.8M was in regard to The Dogfather, duh! Not Dark Reprieve.

 

Yes Richard. What you said there was to admit that producing is not something everyone can do, which is exactly what I've been saying. If it isn't something everyone can do, you shouldn't run people down for not doing it.

 

The first quote, which is here, was about you spending a million dollars of your own money on a film, in direct contradiction of your earlier statement that you "obviously" didn't have a million dollars (if you were speaking hypothetically, it does rather undermine your moral authority to get all pissed off about piracy, but fine, whatever).

 

Regardless of the amount, the point remains; the amount is in any case more money than normals will be able to come up with on a whim.

 

P

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You know Phil I went back over this thread, again. You have done nothing but twist my words to suit your own agenda this entire discussion. Fortunately others can read, and will see that I am not at all saying what you allege I am saying. So let's go back over this thread again:

 

Post #6

 

 

Producing is very tough, I know from first hand experience.

 

Post #22

 

I was talking long term as to how a person could move forward and make bigger projects. Actually have a career as a producer. That is what I'm talking about.

 

Post #37

 

My point is that you can start with the banks with a small deal, and work your way up to larger deals. The same as you would in ANY other industry. Pilots don't walk out of flight school and start flying the 747 the next day,

 

No where did I say that this is easy and that anyone can do it. In fact I said the opposite as you can see, which agrees with what I said on 15 July 2012.

 

R,

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