Creating your Proposal

Chapter 3

the proposAl

Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart… Who looks

outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.

–
Carl Jung

Reading proposals is a passion of mine, which is a good thing since I read

over five hundred proposals and view over a thousand DVDs a year for my

Roy W. Dean film grants. Filmmakers frequently ask me how they can

improve their applications.

First, remember, grantors or investors are usually under a deadline to read

and make a decision on something that should never be judged: your art. Your

potential funder is probably reviewing hundreds of proposals, one right after the

other, so find a way to make your proposal unique.

I consider the introduction or synopsis to be the most critical element

in the proposal. It is the first thing I read when I pick up a new film proposal

because it tells me how compelling the project is and reveals how passionate the

filmmaker is. It should tell me a visual story of the film. Sponsors use the

synopsis during the selection process as a way of categorizing and separating

one type of film from another. If your synopsis is dynamic and is strategically

placed on your application, it will remain active in the sponsor’s mind.

This is where your sticky story works for you. It’s important to have a concise

overview of the film that gives us that visual description and tells a story with

emotion, surprise, concrete information, credibility, etc. I can pitch you films that

entered my grants over 10 years ago because I can remember a sticky story.

This is a visual industry, yet only 10% of the applications I receive include

pictures, which always amazes me. Since the person reading your proposal is

probably very visual, consider dropping a few pictures or graphics into your

proposal.

How about submitting a picture of yourself with your application? Include

a photograph taken during your last film shoot – something that shows you in

action, behind the camera or giving direction. Even if it’s just your student ID,

put that shining smile on the page and let us see who you are! Passion, perseverance,

and personalization are what you need to win grants, so don’t be afraid to

put your heart on your sleeve to win that grant!

How many grants have you entered? Tell us about them so we can see how

determined you are to make this film. Do you really want this grant? Are you

willing to dedicate the next three years of your life to produce this film? Find a

way to communicate your dedication in your proposal. Include a personal film

statement. Tell us what is driving you to make this specific film. That tells us you

are in for the long haul. No matter if things get tough, this film is so important that

you will not give up. I must feel that in your words.

Remember:

Grantors want compelling films.

The first two paragraphs must
be dynamite, knock me off my seat!

Be impeccable with the truth.

Do not commit to things you cannot do. Sponsors can tell when you are

overstating.

Sponsors know if your budget is unreasonable.

A guaranteed audience, such as a commitment from a cable station, puts you on

top. Or 3000 fans on Facebook for your film is very good.

Do you have a fiscal sponsor? If so tell us who they are or that you are looking.

Demonstrate solid marketing, distribution plans, and outreach distribution.

List names of your partners or sponsors for the film. We want to see a nice long list.

Have you secured a distributor or will you do it yourself? Tell us.

Bringing a scholar or expert on board as a mentor will shift the scales to

your advantage.

Show how your film relates to the goals of your grantor.

Is your project one of a kind? If so explain and include support information.

If there are projects in the market place with a similar message or subject

matter to yours, make sure you demonstrate how yours is unique.

Give specific information about your audience and include the full demographics.

Tell us all the social media outlets you will use to create your following for the film.

We want to know you have found your audience and they are following the film.

Attach letters from major donors to your application as a form of support.

Music and picture rights must go in the budget; they are expensive and

donors look for this.

Put your name and the name of your film on submitted tapes and on the

outside of the DVD case. When donors are reviewing scores of tapes they

often get interrupted and it’s easy to confuse DVDs.

Please don’t use insulated bags that are lined with that horrid, gray, fluffy

stuff. Plastic boxes and bubble wrap are a much better choice.

More Suggestions

Mention any creative fundraising ideas you are using in your application.

For example, filmmakers often barter with other filmmakers to get their projects

completed. Donors like to see filmmakers who use creative funding techniques.

If you are making a documentary on food, do you offer to cook a healthy meal for a

$500.00 donation? Tell us your creative ideas for funding.

Tell us what you may be offering for large donations. We want to know.

I usually call my finalists and discuss their film application. When possible

I give them guidance and suggestions on how they can improve their proposal.

The most important thing I tell them is to submit again next year!

Cathryne Czubek, the producer for the wonderful film, A Girl & A Gun, applied three

times before she won. Something wonderful happens when you

win one grant, most people win another or get some important recognition. It’s

in the consciousness now and you are moving with the universal speed to finish

your film. You are in the “field of infinite possibilities” as Dr. Chopra says.

Winning one grant leads to success with future grants, so mention prior

grants that you have won in your cover letter and any awards anyone on the

crew has won.

Use a PR person to promote your accomplishments and you can easily

pave the way for even more funding and distribution.

Avoid using technical jargon in your application unless your proposal is to

a grantor who has specifically asked for technical information. The people reading

it will not know what a 20 to 1 zoom is nor will they recognize the latest

digital camera you want to use. This can be confusing and divert them from the

real issue of your film.

A funder who was speaking at a conference I attended told the audience

about an applicant who entered her grant seven times! Each time the filmmaker

asked the funder how he could improve his application and he incorporated

their ideas in his proposal when he applied the next year. The filmmaker finally

won on his seventh try. Many times the information given to filmmakers by

grantors can improve the film so entering ITVS, for example, can benefit you

with advice. I give a personal consultation to everyone who enters my grants.

It is the reason you are entering, you want to win, right, but you also want to

know why you did not win! That’s very important. Take everyone up on the

consultation and take good notes, it will benefit you for the next grant.

Once you start on your journey you are committed. Never give up. You

may have to apply several times but don’t despair. I tell filmmakers to stand by the

suffragettes’ motto, “Never Give Up!”

If you have made mistakes there is always another chance for you… you may have a fresh

start any moment you choose, for this thing we call “failure”
is not the falling down, but the

staying down.

Mary Pickford
Funding Outline
The following outline works well for funders. Use this guide as your standard
outline and add additional elements according to each sponsor’s requirements:
LOG LINE &
TITLE ( From Carole’s point of view)
The log line is a one sentence description of your film. I know you are
saying, “But this film is too complicated!” You might as well make it a
challenge to yourself because everyone has to do it. Finding the story
points and creating your one liner will put you in good stead when
you write your script.
It’s the full story in a nutshell. When you think,
“should I follow the main character’s wife?” read the log line. It’s there
to keep you on track; it’s the backbone of your film.
Richard Kaufman tells the story of the a writer who handed an envelope
with “Romeo &
Juliette on crack” sprawled across it. That sold his script.
The film was Panic in Needle Park.
It’s a process. Write what you think are the elements of the film. The “who,”
the person the film is about, the “what” that happens to him and the “how”
it’s solved. This is way too much information but it can be a start. Then find
the core of the film, keep removing words until you get down to one good
sentence. This is the best tool you have for marketing your film, it’s your
elevator pitch, it’s pure gold and totally worth the effort.
Blake Snyder, author of
Save the Cat!
says that irony is the key element in
your pitch. When you read Netflix’s outline on films you will agree that
irony is the main ingredient. We love irony. So find that irony in your
film and use it for your log line. Blake also says that on Saturday night
when your friends are deciding on a film and you choose “Gunfighter”
your friends will say, “What is it?” and if you can’t give them a good log
line they will normally say, “What else is on?” This film just lost four
customers because that log line wasn’t cleaver, ironic and engaging.
That’s how important this one sentence log line is. So please, write it
first and stay with it.
Once you have a paragraph or even a few lines, you are moving in the
right direction. Keep working to reduce what you have and make it shorter,
smarter and ironic. You may wake up in the middle of the night with a
great one liner, keep a pen and paper close to the bed, I do, and I get the
best ideas in the middle of the night. Wayne Dwyer says that 3AM is
the magic time and he gets up and uses that time to connect with the
universe and write.

Log Line Examples:

The top student becomes the school slut to boost her popularity. Easy A
A career bank robber hits a roadblock when he kidnaps the bank manager
and falls in love.
The Town
A backwoods Tennessee loaner plans his funeral while alive so he can attend! Get Low
You need to see the movie in your mind or part of it from the log line, that’s really what drives people to the movies and DVD rentals.
This works when you are pitching studios, grantors and investors. They can usually tell who the audience is from a good log line and that’s the most important element to them. Just make sure the log line says what the movie is and we get a visual of the film.
Next is a title that will stick. Usually great titles are one word, some two words.
Make it easy to remember. Word of mouth is your best marketing tool.
When Jane tells Dick to see Remember Me, he has to remember it! Make brevity a key for your title.
Introduction/Synopsis (from Carole’s point of view)
Your introduction is the most important part of the film proposal (after
your log line). Potential funders want to see two or three dynamite paragraphs
that visually describe the film you want to make. If your project is a documentary,
chances are you don’t know what the final product is until you’ve finished
your final edit. That’s okay; just tell the story. People fund engaging stories. Don’t
let them get lost in paragraph after paragraph about the history. Tell the story.
Creating this visual description of the film is an excellent exercise to help
you, as the filmmaker, visualize what your story really is about and how you plan
to tell the story. It is an exercise that will take your film to a new dimension.
Focus on these three paragraphs because they are what make funders stop, sit up
straight, and visualize the film with you. Once you’ve got our attention, we will
read every single word. Follow Eva’s outline below. If your film is engaging, and
you’ve put it into a concise outline, you will go to the top of the pile.
Background and Need
Acquaint the reader with essential information about the background of
your story and your main characters. Don’t bombard the reader with information.
Give them just enough detail to capture their attention and motivate them
to keep reading.
Next, explain why you want to do this film and why it will be of interest
to others. What specific concerns will be addressed and why? Who will benefit
and how? What will your film accomplish? And, most importantly, who is the market
for this film? Tell me that you know your audience. You have met them on FaceBook
and connected to them so they are now sponsors of your film. Never say
“everyone will love this film”. That seldom happens. Find your core audience.
Now you will insert the hook! You have already determined that your
film fits the sponsor’s guidelines for funding. Now carefully study the sponsor’s
mission statement and use it to create an original statement that demonstrates how
your film relates to the sponsor’s specific goals and priorities. This is a critical part of
your proposal and it is something that most of your competitors will overlook. I always
know when you have read the guidelines for my grant because most filmmakers say,
“my film is unique and makes a contribution to society because….”. These are my criteria
And they hang their film on my statement and tell me just how their film fits. This is very
important to funders.
Approach, Structure & Style
This is where you will describe how to approach your story as a filmmaker.
Structure is the framework that holds up each element of your story.
Describe how your story will unfold and how the subjects will move through
each of these elements from beginning to end. Is your story an intimate personal
journey or an exposé? Are you going to use narration? Is there a connective
thread that will tie all of the elements of the story together?
Sponsors want strong stories that have strong characters. How will your
subjects relate to each other and how will they impact the story? Will your
subjects experience personal growth? Will they help others grow? How will
they carry the story forward through the conflict, the climax, and the final
outcome? How will your audience react to the dramatic tension and what will
they learn by the end of the story? Describe how your film will stir viewers to
action and inspire them to make a difference.
Documentaries can be character driven or concept driven. In America we
love films that are character driven, whereas Europeans like concept-driven films
more than we do. If your film is concept driven, I suggest that you take some of
the characters and wrap your proposal around them for the American audiences.
We want to know who these people are. Are they fathers, religious,
caring, giving people? Tell us the essence of the person and give us some
visual description if you can’t put a picture in the proposal, let us see and
feel your characters through your words.
If you are shooting life as it unfolds you may not know the final outcome.
Explain this, then describe several possible outcomes and describe how you will
approach each of these scenarios. Remember, a story does not have to have a
clear-cut solution to have resolution. An open-ended film that leaves unresolved
issues can be even more compelling than a story that reveals how the lives of the
characters or events turn out.
Style includes all of the techniques that will give your film its own
unique quality or tone. This might include camera work, lighting techniques,
or your interview style. Include everything that will project your personal
imprint onto the story. Avoid getting lost in a lot of technical detail. Instead,
explain (show) how a certain technique or style will be used to carry the
story forward or illuminate a specific character.
Avoid describing one specific approach unless you have completed all
of your research and are convinced there is only one way you can tell the
story. Research can reveal twists and turns that can dramatically alter your
approach and changing approaches once a sponsor has already funded you
can be sticky. If you are not sure which way you will approach your story,
describe several approaches that you are exploring and explain how your
subjects might respond to each of these approaches.
Coming up with an idea for a film is easy; nailing down the best approach
is the hard part. If you have not decided on an approach, exploring and writing
about different methods and ideas will draw you closer to your project.
Theme
The theme is what your story is about. If it is difficult to pinpoint an exact
theme then your story is probably underdeveloped. Don’t worry, dig deeper and do
more research. Your theme will emerge as you continue to research and write.
When I first started researching the idea for Searcher for Souls I concentrated
on how the ongoing consequence of war affects a family for generations. It was
an important theme but I knew something was missing. It was only after I went
to Europe and spent two months researching my subject that another theme
began to unfold.
Philippe Castellano is a French explorer who has spent over 20 years
searching for lost American flyers who fell from the sky during the Second World
War. As I followed and observed my subject I began to notice remarkable
similarities between Philippe and the young American flyers he was looking for.
As you research your story, don’t forget to stand back and observe. Look for
hidden themes that connect the elements of your story.
Audience, Marketing, and Distribution
Your sponsors will want to know about your intended audience. Is your
film about a subject that has worldwide appeal? Do you plan to target a specific
community? Is it educational or commercial? How will the market support your
audience and how do you intend to distribute your film to this audience? Give
statistics that support the size of your audience and explain how your film will
appeal to these audiences. Never say “everyone” will love this film. You need to
know the demographics based on age, location, income, etc.
How have you approached distribution? Are you pursuing a specific
network or cable television market? Does your film have a rental market? Will it
be featured in public libraries, museums, or university collections? Will you enter
your film in festivals? Sponsors want to see that you have a distribution plan and
that you are exploring several options. Provide copies of letters of support from
key individuals, networks, and anyone that can help support the fact that your
film will be seen.
Budget
Your budget must be a reasonable projection of how much it will cost to
produce, distribute, and market your film. Make sure your budget is consistent
with the production ideas you have described. Explain where you plan to come
up with the rest of the funds to meet your budget. This is also where you will
describe how you will use the award if you should win.
Make sure you include a brief statement acknowledging the goals and
objectives of the foundation and make it clear that you will use the award accordingly.
Let the sponsor know how much you need this grant and that it will
be used to create a film that will help advance their cause.
A film budget can have many hidden elements that can come back to bite
you. If your budget is too big you might scare off a potential sponsor. On the
other hand, if your budget is not in line with your production ideas a potential
sponsor may feel you are too inexperienced or unrealistic. There are budget
templates and budget software programs out there to help you create a budget.
Entertainment Partners is a donor to the Roy Dean grants and we highly recommend
them. They have excellent budget programs. Check them out at www.entertainmentpartners.com
.
Filmmaker’s Statement and Biography
Include a short biographical sketch of each of the principal filmmakers, with
pictures if allowed. Describe any film grants that you have won and sponsors
that you have secured. Be sure you attach the appropriate documents in an appendix.
Include past awards and notable achievements as well. Attach letters of recommendation
from industry professionals, letters from key officials supporting your project,
and letters of support from industry mentors and advisors.
If you need to brush up on your writing skills Eva suggests William Strunk’s
The Elements of Style, now available online at http://www.bartleby.com/, and Purdue
University’s online writing lab located at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/.
Both of these resources feature search engines that allow you to easily find
answers to your writing and grammar questions. Just remember, if you hire a
professional writer to help you with your proposal you need to make sure your
passion is projected in the final proposal.
The most important thing is never give up! Keep applying for those grants
and keep your project in front of potential funders.