STARTING YOUR OWN FILM COMPANY – 5 TIPS

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POSTED ON JUNE
York, Vancouver, 27, 2015AUGUST
Montreal, Berlin, Paris,14, 2015 (HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/STARTING-YOUR-OWN-FILM-COMPANY-5-
Brussels, Paris and Beijing
TIPS/) BY ELLIOT GROVE (HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/AUTHOR/ELLIOT-GROVE/)
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 So you want to make movies? I do. I've been involved with over 700 short ;lm projects and 8 feature ;lms -
either directly, or as an advisor. Along the way I have learned a lot of painful lessons. I woke up this morning
and decided to share the learnings from my mistakes.

5 Essential Steps To Starting A Film Company

It's pretty easy to make a ;lm. Get your cell phone out, fool around with a few of the ;lmmaking apps, get
some friends together, go down to the park (or pub) and make something. Do it again until you start getting
the hang of it. Financiers and potential sponsors call this "Proof of Concept".

Sooner or later the ;lm bug will really grab you. At this point, stop and rePect on the reasons you want to
make movies on a more serious level. Is it to make money? To inPuence people? Or to look cool? It really
doesn't matter which reason you choose, I believe you should just choose one. Why not step back and
formalise your eSorts with the hope of monetising your work?

5. Create a legal entity for your ;lm company

Making one movie, however modest the budget usually implies you need to set up a legal entity. We've done
that with Raindance Raw Talent Ltd, our production arm.

You are going to be running a business no diSerent from other businesses. There isn't a special legal
structure for a ;lm company is my point. There's several diSerent legal structures you can pick and choose
from. Best get some legal advice, and also consult with an accountant so you can maximise tax advantages.

In the UK it's blindingly simple to set up a company.

Choose a name: do a quick google and IMDB search to make sure no one else has already grabbed it.
If they have you need to change it.
Register and form the company at Companies House (https://www.gov.uk/topic/company-
registration-;ling/starting-company). It's so easy to do now, but if you need advice, why not choose
one of the short Raindance Basic Legal Contract
(http://www.raindance.org/london/course/producers-foundation-certi;cate/) courses. These are live
in London and Toronto (http://www.raindance.org/toronto/upcoming-courses/). You can also take
them online.
Get registered for local taxes.
Get a bank account.
Get a website - making sure you have the url of your name. You can search web names on Whois.com
(http://www.whois.com/).
Register your social media pro;les: Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Pinterest. Make sure these pro;les
are available in your company's name too. Start getting followers and likes.
Create your own YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7il-pFZ_Gw) and start
getting subscribers.

4. Create a business plan for your ;lm

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 Nothing guarantees success more than a good, solid business plan. Decide what it is you want to do and how
you are going to do it. Line up a team. Make a budget and schedule. Get an idea of who is going to fund it
and how the money is going to return to investors. Need help and advice? Raindance's Producer's
Foundation Certi;cate (http://www.raindance.org/london/course/producers-foundation-certi;cate/) will
help you get the paperwork together.

3, Raise some movie money

Armed with your business plan, hit the campaign trail to get the money to make your dream come true.

There are several diSerent ways to raise money depending on your business plan.

Take your business plan to one of the big production companies, or even a studio.
Apply for government funding like the UK's BFI.
Partner with a producer in another country who will bring local public funds to the table (co-
production).
Get money from a brand (product placement).
Find an angel investor.
Launch a crowdfunding campaign.

Raindance's Movie Money (http://www.raindance.org/london/course/producers-foundation-

certi;cate/)class.

2. Get a ;lmmaking team

Any production company of note has 4 key personnel. In your start-up phase you will deliver many if not all
of these key roles yourself. As you grow and develop, and as your social media pro;les kick into gear, you will
start getting swamped with work, and you will need help.

Head of development
- to ;nd and assess scripts.
Head of production
- to make sure the ;lms are created on time and on budget.
Head of post-production
- someone to navigate the technical thrills and spills of the edit, and make sure the long list of ;lm
deliverables (http://www.raindance.org/10-;lm-distribution-essentials/) are met.
Head of ;lm sales and distribution
- an increasingly key role. This person will supervise crowd-funding and self distribution in addition to
the traditional sales routes.

1. Film distribution

Embarking on a ;lmmaking career without a clear distribution strategy is a terribly bad decision. Digital
technology advances have democratised the ;lmmaking process - anyone with a very few bucks can make a
movie. This has Pooded the market with inferior products meaning traditional distribution routes are choked
with so-called product driving down prices.

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 In my current position at Raindance I am Pooded with requests for help and advice from ;lmmakers. Many
have fully developed packages with named talent attached and most of the ;nance in place - but with
absolutely no distribution secured. I've stopped advising projects such as this on moral grounds.

Therein lies the irony: making movies has never been easier and cheaper to make. Distribution has never
been more diSicult.

Fade Out
I hate ending pages on a bummer. It's really not diSicult to set up a ;lm production company WITH
distribution. It's jst hard work. Use the tools and skills we promote here at Raindance, build your social media
pro;les, develop a self distribution strategy and before long you'll be turning down work.

What have I missed? Please leave this in the comments box below:

Elliot Grove (http://www.raindance.org/author/elliot-grove/)

Elliot Grove founded Raindance as a thought experiment: Can you make a ;lm with
no money, no training and no experience, he asked? When people like his ;rst
intern Edgar Wright started making movies he started the Raindance Film Festival
to celebrate their work in 1993, the British Independent Film Awards
(http://www.bifa.;lm/) in 1998. Elliot has produced over 150 short ;lms, and 5
feature ;lms. He has written eight scripts, one of which is currently in pre-production. His ;rst feature
;lm, TABLE 5 (1997) was shot on 35mm and completed for a total of £278.38. He teaches writers and
producers in the UK, Europe, Japan and America. In 2006 he produced the multiple-award winning The
Living and the Dead.
In 2013 he relaunched the production arm: Raw Talent with the cult ;lm director Ate de Jong. Their ;rst
venture was the psychological thriller Deadly Virtues: Love.Honour.Obey.
(http://vimeo.com/85543584);nished late 2013.

Raindance Awards: Interview with Joanna Lumley

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 He has written three books which have become industry standards: RAINDANCE WRITERS LAB 2nd
Edition (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0240520793/ref=nosim?tag=wwwraindacouk-21) (Focal Press
2008), Raindance Producers' Lab: Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking
(http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0240522184/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?
ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0240522184&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwraindacou
k-21) (Focal Press 2013) and 130 PROJECTS TO GET YOU INTO FILMMAKING
(http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/140811397X/ref=nosim?tag=wwwraindacouk-21) (Barrons 2009). He
was awarded a PhD in 2009 for services to ;lm education. His ;rst novel THE BANDIT QUEEN is
scheduled for publication next year.

Elliot teaches several courses at Raindance including Lo To No Budget Filmmaking

(http://staging.raindance.org/course/lo-to-no-budget-;lmmaking/) and Writer's Foundation
Certi;cate (http://staging.raindance.org/course/writers-foundation-certi;cate/).

Read articles by Elliot Grove (/author/elliot-grove/).

Tweet

Related

(http://www.raindance.org/independent-
(http://www.raindance.org/7-
;lmmakers-toolkit/) essentials-;lmmakers-need-to-
Independent Filmmaker's Toolkit make-it/)
(http://www.raindance.org/independent-
7 Essentials Filmmakers Need To
;lmmakers-toolkit/) Make It
In "Directing Tips" (http://www.raindance.org/7-
essentials-;lmmakers-need-to-
make-it/)
(http://www.raindance.org/lets-
make-it-happen-in-2013/)
Let's Make It Happen In 2013
(http://www.raindance.org/lets-
make-it-happen-in-2013/)
In ";lm class"

In "Filmmaking Career"

(http://www.raindance.org/10- (http://www.raindance.org/;lmmaker-
(http://www.raindance.org/independent-
reasons-independent- maximise-your-;lm-festival/) ;lmmakers-easter-toolkit/)

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 reasons-independent- maximise-your-;lm-festival/) ;lmmakers-easter-toolkit/)
;lmmakers-are-cool/) Filmmaker: Maximise Your Film Independent Filmmaker's Easter
10 Reasons Independent Festival Toolkit
Filmmakers Are Cool (http://www.raindance.org/;lmmaker-
(http://www.raindance.org/independent-
(http://www.raindance.org/10- maximise-your-;lm-festival/) ;lmmakers-easter-toolkit/)
reasons-independent- In "Filmmaking Career" In "Filmmaking Career"
;lmmakers-are-cool/)
In "Filmmaking Career"

THIS ENTRY WAS POSTED IN FILM FACTS (HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/CATEGORY/FILM-FACTS/), FILMMAKING TIPS

(HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/CATEGORY/INDIE-TIPS/FILMMAKING-TIPS/), IN OUR OPINION
(HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/CATEGORY/IN-OUR-OPINION/), PROMOTION, MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION
(HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/CATEGORY/INDIE-TIPS/PROMOTION-MARKETING-DISTRIBUTION/) AND TAGGED
BUSINESS PLAN FOR YOUR FILM (HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/TAG/BUSINESS-PLAN-FOR-YOUR-FILM/), FILM
COMPANY (HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/TAG/FILM-COMPANY/), FILM COMPNAY
(HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/TAG/FILM-COMPNAY/), FILM DISTRIBUTION
(HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/TAG/FILM-DISTRIBUTION/), FILM SALES AND DISTRIBUTION
(HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/TAG/FILM-SALES-AND-DISTRIBUTION/), FILMMAKING TEAM
(HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/TAG/FILMMAKING-TEAM/), MOVIE MONEY
(HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/TAG/MOVIE-MONEY/). BOOKMARK THE PERMALINK
(HTTP://WWW.RAINDANCE.ORG/STARTING-YOUR-OWN-FILM-COMPANY-5-TIPS/).

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