Using the Internet to Find Funding for Your Film
by Ryan Vinson
If you’re an up-and-coming filmmaker, you don’t have the big
coffers of studio money at your disposal like most
filmmakers in Hollywood. You know that you have to fight and
scrap for every cent you can get just to get your films
made, and even then, your budget is tight. That’s why
finding the right investors can increase the success of your
film. One of the benefits of modern technology is the advent
of the internet, and it is proving to be helpful in more
ways every single day. Now, it’s simple for filmmakers and
investors to come together online.
Web 2.0
There are several ways you can use the internet to your film
funding advantage. First, you can set up a social network to
solicit funding and private investments from friends and
family who support your work. With the advent of Web 2.0,
you can literally create your imprint on a social media
site, publicize your work and what you are trying to
accomplish, and draw people to it, including investors. Many
social media sites provide great networking tools that work
just like word-of-mouth advertising, only virtual. Plus you
can keep your investors and friends updated on your
progress, marketing and release of the finished product!
Lend Me a Hand (or Dollar)
If you would prefer to find someone a little less close to
home to fund your project, there are investors that you can
find through the internet yet another way – social lending
sites. These are sprouting up all over the place, and they
put those who need money with those who have it to invest.
You may never meet them face to face, but you can borrow the
money you need from many of these sites thanks to many
members who are willing and savvy investors. Such sites
include: Lending Club, Prosper, or Zopa. You can use Circle
Lending to help gather money from family and friends, or use
ChipIn or Fundable in order to solicit donations from fans
through your film’s website!
Grant Me This Wish
Finally, depending on the type of film and subject matter
you are focusing on, you could use the internet to research
and find grants available to you. There are, of course, the
well-known grants that everyone knows about (National
Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the
Arts, the National Science Foundation, the Ford Foundation,
and the MacArthur Foundation). The problem is, everybody
knows about them!
Go for the smaller amounts of funding that are less sought
after. You can still put them together to create a large
amount if you approach this method wisely. There are also
organizations that offer sponsorships specifically for films
and documentaries, so there might be less competition with
these: International Documentary Association (IDA),
Independent Film Project (IFP), Film/Video Arts, Film Arts
Foundation, IMAGE Film and Video Center, Women Make Movies,
Film Forum, and Documentary Educational Resources.
Gaining funding for your filmmaking can be a tedious and
daunting task. But, thanks to the social networking and new
social integration brought about with Web 2.0 on the
internet, the task is getting a little easier each day!
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Ryan Vinson is the founder of VersusMedia, a marketplace
that links independent filmmakers with musicians with the
common goal of obtaining music for films. The company has a
strong following in the independent film industry, and has
assisted over 900 films to date. For more information, visit
http://www.versusmedia.com
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Copyright (c) 2008 Peter D. Marshall / All Rights Reserved
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