PRE-Production
Pre-production encompasses everything from story and script development, to location scouting, casting, securing funding, and more. Here’s the resources I’ve found useful for this stuff…
Here’s the most common question:
“How do I get a project started? / How do I get money to get a project started?”
This is the step by step (pre)pre-production process for some indie films I’ve made:
1) Write a script and Copyright it in the US Copyright Office online.
2) Find a Producer who loves the script and wants to collab with you on the movie.
3) Set dates on the calendar for about a year out to shoot the movie.
4) Make an LLC (easy on LegalZoom), and then open a bank checking account using that LLC.
5) Hire an Entertainment Lawyer. Pay them out of your own pocket (ie, the checking account you just opened).
6) Hire a Casting Director using a contract drawn up by your new lawyer. Also pay them out of your own pocket.
7) Hire a Line Producer to make a realistic budget for your movie. Pay them out of your own pocket. Yep.
8) Cast a couple roles in your movie via your casting director.
9) Send your project package out to financiers / production companies / producers / rich family members / kind friends / terrible enemies, to get $.
10) Once funded, pay yourself back for your expenses to Lawyer, Casting Director, and Line Producer.
11) Make the movie.
(a note: I’m not saying any of these steps are easy nor quick. In fact, they’re borderline impossible... but alas.)
Screenwriting
Feature Film Story Structures - From MLL. A helpful doc about the way in which 5 different screenwriters look at structure (if ya want to go that route).
Writing screenplays with Microsoft word - After trying out Final Draft, Movie Magic, and some of the other (costly) screenwriting programs out there I have come to find that Microsoft Word is actually a pretty good writing tool for screenplays. This contradicts most views, yes, but after doing a lot of fine tuning to my own Word Screenwriting Template I have come up with a system that works really well and is quite streamlined. You can download the templates below. ( *as a note, I actually use FadeIn for my writing now, but folks just starting out screenwriting seem to like my word template so I’m keeping it here. )
Here are the screenplay formatting basics:
pitching
Pitching Overview - Tips and guidelines for best practices when pitching
Pitch Template - A basic pitch structure to help you get started.
locations
Location Scout Checklist - print out a bunch of these as you check out locations for shooting…
Budgeting
A Sample $100K Feature Film Budget - This is a pretty realistic look at where your money might go on a $100,000 budget. (12 day shoot)
A Sample $1.5M Feature Film Budget - This came from Film Independent.
A Sample $6M Feature Film Budget - This came from Film Independent.
A Sample $350K Documentary Film Budget - This came from Film Independent.
A Sample $650K Documentary Film Budget - I did not make this, but it might be helpful for ya’ll documentary filmmakers out there. Docs need different things than narrative films…
casting
Casting Director Agreement template - use this (or something like it) to hire and commence services with a Casting Director
Casting Tips and Recommendations - some random thoughts about casting
Actor Offer Letter (email) - What to write in an email to an agent/manager after they say their actor is avail and will accept an offer to give them.
Insurance, legal, & equipment
*note: I’M NOT A LAWYER. USE THESE FORMS AT YOUR OWN RISK. They have worked for me in the past on low-budget indie productions, but please do your own due diligence.
Sample Certificate of Liability Insurance - You’ll pretty much always need insurance to rent gear. This is what your insurance document should look like.
Insurance FAQs - Some questions that often come up with insurance
Example Partnership Agreement - A (very) very simple partnership agreement I used for one of my first collaborations.
Equipment Companies List - List of good rental companies in LA
Investor Contract - I’ve not ever used this form, but could probably be used for simple investor fundraising on very low budget films.
Option Agreement Template - Here’s a quick and dirty template for optioning a book or article or graphic novel (etc) from an author.
Producing Agreement - A basic agreement for making proof of concept short films, guaranteeing that producer is also attached to feature.
Director Agreement - A basic Directing agreement / Deal memo
Screenplay Assignment Agreement - You must “sell” your screenplay to the LLC that is producing the movie. This is the form to do that.