Exploring Wefunder: A Tool for Filmmakers to Raise Capital

Platform provides creators, including filmmakers, with the infrastructure to raise capital from a community of investors

 

by Carole Dean

Read Ezell, Director, Venture Partnerships and Fundraising at WeFunder, shared an insightful overview of his company during our most recent Everything You Wanted to Know About Film Funding Webinar

It’s clear that Wefunder is not just a platform for raising capital; it’s a tool that can help creators engage their communities and democratize the fundraising process.  That includes being used as a fantastic fundraising tool for filmmakers.

WeFunder

Understanding Wefunder’s Core Purpose

WeFunder was founded over a decade ago, and its inception was closely tied to the passage of the Jobs Act in 2012, which allowed for the crowdfunding of investments from unaccredited investors. Since then, Wefunder has worked with thousands of founders and funded a wide range of projects, including over a hundred film and entertainment projects.

At its core, Wefunder operates by enabling creators to accept small investments from a large number of individuals, breaking down the traditional barriers to capital access. This means that filmmakers no longer must rely solely on a few wealthy individuals or institutions to finance their projects. Instead, they can tap into a broader pool of potential investors.

Building and Engaging Your Community

One of the unique aspects of Wefunder is its emphasis on community engagement. Read mentioned that the first group of people filmmakers should approach is their existing community—friends, family, fans, or enthusiasts in their niche. Building and mobilizing this community is key to launching a successful fundraising campaign. Once you have your initial supporters, they can help spread the word about your project, significantly increasing its visibility and chances of success.

Another significant advantage of using Wefunder is the ability to publicly promote your fundraising campaign. This is a departure from the traditional fundraising model, where soliciting investors was limited to accredited investors in closed rooms. Wefunder allows creators to leverage social media and other platforms to reach a wider audience. Moreover, once you have some initial backers, you can enlist them to help promote your campaign, creating a grassroots marketing effort.

Investment Options and Syndicate Structure

The flexibility of fundraising structures on Wefunder is another noteworthy feature. Filmmakers can choose to offer revenue sharing, equity, or future equity in their film project, tailoring the investment terms to suit their specific needs. This flexibility allows creators to align the investment structure with the unique aspects of their project.

Wefunder also simplifies the process of handling numerous investors. Instead of dealing with individual investors, all the investors on Wefunder’s platform are part of a single syndicate. The project leader or founder selects a trusted person to lead this syndicate, streamlining communication and administration.

So, why should filmmakers consider using Wefunder? Firstly, it can help raise capital more quickly, especially if you already have a community of supporters. Secondly, by engaging a broad community of investors, including your fans and enthusiasts, you can potentially create a dedicated army of advocates for your project. These backers are not just providing financial support; they become emotionally invested in your success.

Benefits of Using Wefunder for Filmmakers

Moreover, Wefunder allows filmmakers to maintain greater control of their projects. By distributing ownership among a larger group of smaller investors, you avoid the risk of a single major investor exerting significant influence over your creative decisions.

However, Read emphasizes that using Wefunder for fundraising is not a passive process. It requires effective communication, storytelling, and the ability to persevere in the face of rejection. While having an existing community is advantageous, creators who hustle and pitch their projects passionately can still achieve success on the platform.

Wefunder is more than just a crowdfunding platform; it’s a powerful tool for filmmakers to engage their communities, democratize fundraising, and maintain creative control over their projects. It offers flexibility in fundraising structures, the ability to publicly promote campaigns, and access to a vast community of potential investors.

So, for filmmakers looking to finance their projects and connect with their audiences, Wefunder is a valuable resource to consider.

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

SEPARATING THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF

Don’t Let the Naysayers or Lack of Money Stop You From Pursuing Your Dream

The most important thing I can give you is a lesson I learned early.

Back in the 70’s, I created a multi-million-dollar a year sales company with an investment of $20.00 (from my grocery money) and a good idea.

intentional class separating the wheat from the chaffIf I had let money or the naysayers stop me, I would have never created a $70 million a year industry consisting of buying leftover, discarded, what everyone called waste “short ends” of film stock.

Those who insisted it would never work didn’t know that there were thousands of talented independent filmmakers, desperate to make their features and documentaries, that needed every penny available to get it on the screen. These budding producers and directors snapped up the “short ends” at a fraction of the cost of new Kodak stock, made their films, and started a revolution in filmmaking.

My greatest asset was the fact I knew I could do it.

I never doubted that I had a good idea. I found ways to make it work. I needed cash to buy film stock so I would find where film was available for sale. I’d buy it on a handshake, and then sell this same film using the money from the incoming sale to pay off the purchase. In the beginning, I can remember days when I had the seller in one room and the buyer waiting to pick it up in another room!

This idea developed into three productive sales offices in NYC Film Center Building, Hollywood and downtown Chicago. I managed all three of them. I ran this business for 33 years until I had almost 10 million dollars a year in sales.

Why only 10 million? Because I hired a VP from ABC Television News Division as an advisor and he said that “Getting over 10 million a year in sales was very hard.” I found that to be true. But, now I know that this information of hitting a wall at $10 million was his experience. Unfortunately, it became my belief and then the outcome.

Please be careful of what you hear and what you believe.

Remember, when listening to other people, that what they are telling you is not your experience, it is theirs. The universe could have something different in mind for you. You must know you can create a better outcome for yourself with your belief.

Discern what is fact and what is belief.

What do you believe you can do? Think about that. Can you make this film? If yes, then what’s the actual budget you need? Can you raise that much money?

Consider, are other films made with that budget? If the answer is “yes” then it’s a fact that this amount has been raised for other films, right? So, it must be your belief that says you can’t do it because it is a fact someone else has raised this money and made a film at this place in their career.

Work from this principal to separate belief from fact. Work from fact, not your own belief system. That’s something you created early in life probably from your parents or society. You may have unconscious programming to overcome and you can do this by separating fact from belief.

Your belief in yourself and your film are paramount to production and completion.

You must know that you can raise the money to make you film and then you will find a way. Turn your filmmaking creativity into funding creativity. All that talent you have you can use to find ways to fund your film.

That includes finding high net-worth Individuals or investors for features to using funding parties, grants and donations for docs. Have fun with it. Look for lateral ways to fund your film and your distribution.

You have the talent, it’s a matter of believing in yourself and the quality of your film.

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-profit that offers fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers. She hosts the weekly podcast, The Art of Film Funding, interviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.

From Torches to Theaters: Peter Broderick and Angel Studios Audience-Centric Filmmaking Revolution

by Carole Dean

 

The Rise of Angel Studios: An Audience-Driven Film Company

There is a similarity happening between what Angel Studios is doing and what Peter Broderick is teaching. Angel studios have four men who are all technically educated and are running a brilliant company online using all new innovative technology.

They created a filming studio, and they created their own online platform to raise money for their film. Then they created another branch called Angel Investors to give you money to make your five-minute torch film to enter the Angel Studios financing program.

They want you to create a five-minute video to apply. They call it a torch. They take this from the creator of the Statue of Liberty, Bartholdi. To raise funds to build the statue, he built the torch first. With this metal display of the partial statue, he was able to fund the Statue of Liberty, which they say is the first crowdfunding campaign.

Angel Studios are very smart in using the audience to choose the films that they want to see.

 

Peter Broderick’s Audience Focused Filmmaking Approach

Peter Broderick is teaching you to go find your audience. Does this sound familiar? He wants you to go to conventions covering the content of your film. He shares successful examples of filmmakers with films on whiskey, on forgiveness and on loneliness who successfully did this.

One film about loneliness found their audience while making the film. They kept them interested in the film by entertaining the audience. They created quizzes for how lonely are you? They found and engaged their audience and raised money from the audience & their strategic partners while they were in production.

That’s using your crowd to fund your film. Rather than using the crowd funding platform like Angel Studios is doing, you’re getting right to your audience and corporations at the convention who make money off this audience.

 

Successful Examples of Direct Audience Engagement

Your audience and potential corporate partners will be at conventions and when you start working with your audience these corporations will find you. Peter Broderick in a recent seminar for Keith Ochwat, shared information about a company who had a whiskey film and they talked to a film festival about screening their film on the streaming platform. The film festival offered the filmmakers a split of the income if they brought their film to the festival and screened it for the filmmaker’s audience and the festival’s audience. Since the filmmakers had worked hard to create their own audience they decided against this agreement.

Instead, they wrote a story about their whiskey documentary and sent it to Forbes knowing that Forbes advertisers were whiskey and cigars, and their market was wealthy people. Forbes liked the film and promoted it with an article and drove people to the filmmakers crowdfunding which helped them tremendously.

Because of this Remy Martin read the article and they got involved. They paid the film makers $25,000 for some screenings. This worked well and Remy Martin paid another 25,000 for screenings. This also worked well for Remy Martin, and they gave these film makers a contract to do their Super Bowl commercial. What a step up for the filmmakers! Since they signed an NDA, they could not tell Peter Broderick how much they made for this commercial. 

As it turned out, it really was a good move for the filmmakers not to take their work to the festival but to reach out directly to their own audience. This is what Peter Broderick calls, “the new world of documentary distribution.”

 

Greenlighting Films Based on Audience Participation

Here are my notes from Neil Harmon, co-owner of Angel Studios from a recent conference.

No one at Angel Studios can green light a film. Everything is done by the crowd.  The crowd chooses their favorite films and that’s how a film gets made. In other words, the audience is choosing which films get made. That’s a unique way to green light a film.

To submit a film to Angel studios you need to create a torch. That is a 5-minute trailer that tells you the story of the film. You need to put your own money into this and if you don’t have the funding you can go to www.angelacceleration.fund, and they will take a percentage of the film and loan you the money if they like your product.

 

The Power of Test Screenings and Audience Reviews

Once you have the torch, you submit that with $50 to Angel studios. They then let the crowd decide if they like it or not. If the crowd likes it and it is one of the top scoring films, then Angel studios will fund it by crowdfunding.

They will also release it by crowdfunding for the P&A through their list of people who want to see more Christian films. He said the people that invested in the film, The Chosen were paid back 120% and that they are getting ready to pay back the investors in Sound of Freedom 120%.

Angel reiterated what the distributor Udy Epstein told us just a month ago that it is all about test screenings. Once the film is finished, they ask their crowd to screen the film and get feedback. Then they make changes, they screen it again more feedback more changes until they get excellent reviews.

 

The Audience as the Ultimate Rotten Tomatoes Score

They say that the reviews they’re getting from their crowd are the same as you’re going to find when the film is released from Rotten Tomatoes. It’s the same people, it’s the audience who is choosing Rotten Tomatoes scores and Angel studios are smart enough to figure that out and use it as their form of knowing when the film is ready to release based on scores from the audience.

Doesn’t that sound like a simple way to find and fund films?  It’s the audience who chooses and funds them.

Angel studios say they have over 100,000 Angel investors and these are the ones who are choosing the 60 projects a month that come in. The audience is looking for and focused on finding good stories. Stories the audience likes. That’s how they green light a film. They get the audience to watch the “torch” and vote on it.

 

Green Lighting Films Based on Audience Decisions

They do not want to see the script.  They do not want to hear a pitch.  Films are funded only from torches. You need to pay to create a five-minute story of what your film will be.

You must put your money into a torch then submit it with $50.00. If it is rejected, you can rework the torch and resubmit it, they don’t care how many times.

They ask the crowd to watch the film and decide if they want to fund it. The question they ask is, is this a story that amplifies the light? Do you feel empowered when you see this story?

They want you to feel that the film you are watching is a story that is true, honest, noble, authentic, admirable. This is how you decide. They are working from the wisdom of the crowd. They chose the animated film Wingfeather and they raised the money by crowdfunding. They greenlit the film from a torch film.

They work by audience decision only. I think it is a magnificent way to run a company.

 

“Pay it Forward” Movement: Audience Contributions to Expand Film Access

The Shepherd was selected to become the series The Chosen which brought in over $100 million. Now the Sound of Freedom has brought in over $100 million. The theaters love this. This is a crowd pleasing film and it fill up the theaters.

Angel studios are trying something new which is called “pay it forward.” The Angel studios are working with the theaters so that when you see the film and you are touched by the content you can buy a ticket for someone in America or any country in the world. The theatre will give your ticket to someone who doesn’t have the money or might not see the film.

The audience is doing this. They are so touched by the film they want to give other people tickets. It is a pay it forward movement. Angel Studios set up an agreement with theatres in countries all around the world.

 

How Angel Investors Choose and Fund Projects

Angel asks the audience, “Do you want to be part of stories at amplify light?” That’s what they ask you. They rely on the wisdom of the crowd to make decisions. It’s a collective effort. The Angel Guild chooses the films, and you can join that through Angel.com.

They have built a community around filmmaking. This is a brilliant way to create films. They are totally separate from the studio system. They could end up making more money than the studios because they know they have a hit before they even greenlight the film.

 

Looking to the Future: The Audience as the Heart of Film Industry Success

Studios are still wondering if they will make money on a film.  Angel Studios knows they will make money and pay back their investors. They said that was a major goal. They know going into the theatres that the investors are the audience for the film. These are the same people who want to see the film.

Angel studios went to CinemaCon to pitch movies to theatres. They said theatres loved their Christian films. The theatre said it’s wonderful that you’re bringing us films that the audience loves.

This is filmmaking by the audience for the audience. You may want to read Peter Broderick’s brilliant bulletins or go to Angel.com and learn more about it. 

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

Insights with Corky Kessler on Film Funding and Tax Incentives

by Carole Dean

 

Corky Kessler on the Art of Film Funding Podcast with Carole Dean

Corky Kessler

Our award-winning podcast, The Art of Film Funding is dedicated to exploring the world of film financing and tax incentives for filmmakers. We recently interviewed the renowned entertainment lawyer Corky Kessler. He is directly responsible for shepherding the tax law 181 and helping to create the new tax law 168. The purpose of this interview was to determine how and when you use these lucrative tax laws created for features, theater, and documentary filmmaking.

Currently Corky Kessler works at Filmojy, whose mission is to support film makers by providing guidance and funding for movies in the United States under section 181 and 168.

 

Grandfathering under section 181 of the U S Tax Law

To use section 181, you need to qualify and you must meet specific requirements. Corky explains you need a screenplay, summary budget, one day of photography with dialogue, and investor’s documents. Once you have these you can be grandfathered under section 181 for life. That way you can shoot whenever you get the funding, there is no expiration date.

Corky says the best countries for film shoots with attractive incentives are England, France, Germany, and Canada. This is where Corky and FILMOJY can help filmmakers with presales and navigating the process of shooting in these countries.

The highest state rebates currently are New Jersey, New Mexico, Georgia, and Louisiana.

 

Understanding section 168 versus section 181

Corky informed us that section 168 and section 181 under the US tax law are both beneficial. Section 181 offers more advantages for filmmakers with budgets of 15 to 20 million. Section 168 has certain limitations and requires timely action for maximum benefits. Your benefits are reduced by 20% for each year you don’t screen your film. The law says that investor’s write off happens when you put your film in service and Corky says that means when you screen it to an audience.  168 requires that you screen the film in the year you make it to get 100% write off and each year that passes you lose 20% of that write off.  Section 168 has no upper limit; it can be a $100 million budget and you still get your U.S. tax law return.

 

Raise 25% of the funding and get the balance with tax and state credits.

Corky gave an example of investors who are 35% taxpayers. With the 181 they can get a 35% reduction on their taxes.  Now when you shoot in one of these states with 40% rebates New Jersey, New Mexico, and Louisiana, you can guarantee your investor’s that they are covered by $0.75 on every dollar spent. There is no other business in which you can do this. You’ve got 75% of your investment back before you even start and if you can get presales, you can get 100% back.

For more questions on this subject, you can call Corky at (312)925-2110. Tell Corky that you read this blog or heard our interview, and he will take good care of you. He’s one of our great film funding, tax specialist attorneys in the film industry.  Corkykessler@aim.com 

You can listen to the full interview here:

 

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

Jewish Story Partners: Expanding and Diversifying Jewish Narratives in Film

by Carole Dean

 

 

Roberta Grossman

In a world where storytelling plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding of different cultures and identities, it is essential to ensure that diverse voices are heard. Roberta Grossman, an award-winning filmmaker, and co-founder of Jewish Story Partners, is on a mission to transform the landscape of Jewish storytelling in film. In a recent interview, she shared insights about the organization’s purpose, its impact, and the future of Jewish storytelling.

 

A New Narrative for Jewish Stories: Jewish Story Partners, founded two years ago by Roberta Grossman and Caroline Resco, is a non-profit production company with a clear mission: to support filmmakers telling Jewish stories or stories with Jewish content. However, their vision goes beyond the traditional narratives often associated with Judaism. Grossman emphasizes the importance of representing the vast diversity within the Jewish community, encompassing people of different races, classes, and origins. By encouraging a broader range of stories, Jewish Story Partners aims to foster pride in Jewish identity while making a uniquely Jewish contribution to global culture.

 

Supporting Filmmakers and Films:  In just two years, they have awarded 72 grants, amounting to close to $2 million. Their dedicated staff of seven individuals focuses on fundraising and providing support to filmmakers, helping them navigate the challenging process of bringing their visions to life. By offering funding from the development stage all the way through post-production, Jewish Story Partners plays a vital role in priming the pump for filmmakers and encouraging the creation of high-quality documentaries.

 

Criteria and Funding Opportunities: Jewish Story Partners takes a generous approach in defining what constitutes a Jewish film. Their website showcases a diverse range of films they have funded, highlighting the breadth of stories they support. To be eligible for funding, a film must explore, expand, or deal with some aspect of the Jewish story, broadly defined. The producer or director needs to be based in the United States, but collaborations with international partners are welcome.

In addition to their regular grants, Jewish Story Partners has introduced Reprise Grants, which allow films that have already received funding to return for additional support. They also plan to initiate Educational Impact Grants, focusing on films that have the potential to create meaningful change and reach broader audiences.

 

Emphasizing Excellence and Reach: They are committed to supporting films that demonstrate excellence and have the potential to reach audiences globally. While filmmakers don’t have to be Jewish themselves, the organization ensures that the films they fund reflect a high standard of quality and hold the potential to spark conversations and contribute to social change.

Roberta Grossman and the team at Jewish Story Partners have built a dynamic platform for filmmakers to tell diverse Jewish stories and explore various aspects of Jewish identity. Through their generous grants and ongoing support, they are creating opportunities for filmmakers to bring their visions to life and reach a global audience. As Jewish storytelling continues to evolve, Jewish Story Partners remains dedicated to expanding narratives, fostering pride, and celebrating the rich tapestry of Jewish experiences in all its forms.

 

Listen to the Full Interview on Blog Talk Radio 

 

You can learn more about Jewish Story Partners at www.jewishstorypartners.org.

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

Make Your Goal to Sell Your Documentary Direct to Your Audience

Direct to your audience: Building a documentary distribution strategy

by Carole Dean

Keith Ochwat from Show and Tell and Peter Broderick gave an incredible workshop. They talked about golden opportunities in the new world of distribution. They work exclusively with documentaries. And what they’re talking about can also be used for shorts and scripted films because it is about connecting with your audience.

Keith starts out by saying if your plan A is to go to a festival and make a deal to sell your documentary, you’re in for a rude awakening.

 

Sundance’s disappointing sales and streamers’ changing preferences.

This is not happening in today’s world. Peter Broderick wrote a bulletin telling us that Sundance did not sell any documentaries this year.

He covered the changing landscape of what the streamers are purchasing, and this caused people to get upset so Peter took this opportunity to explain what is happening and how documentary filmmakers should be looking at the new world of distribution in the future.

Peter told us that in 2019 lots of films were sold at Sundance and 53% of them were directed by women. The festival seemed to proclaim it was the beginning of the golden age of documentaries. But this year 2023 there were no sales at Sundance and of the international docs in competition there was one sale so that is startling. Streamers bought nothing.

However, they brought their own films. They brought all celebrity doc films that the streamers found easy to sell and non-controversial. The films the streamers bought in previous years were of no interest. What they’re financing now are safe, commercial, and mainstream.

Many of the films screened at this year’s Sundance would have been sold in previous festivals but not this year, it’s changed that fast.

To sum it up, there was no interest in political films in terms of acquisition. There was a film about Harvey Weinstein and one about Elizabeth Holmes and both sold or were financed by the streamers. But not this year. What happened was a shocking, depressing change.

Peter says that most festivals have little or no impact on distribution, of course there are always exceptions. One reason to go to a festival is to see your film on the big screen and in a theater. Another reason is to get a laurel for marketing.  Peter says two laurels are enough.

Going to film festivals will not find distribution for you. There may be other reasons to go to a festival, perhaps to enjoy the city they’re in, to meet other filmmakers and to network. Just be honest and realize you’re not going to get a distribution deal.

It’s time to understand that festivals are not essential for selling your film or making money.

Now we’ll get into Peter’s new world of distribution. He said I wouldn’t spend more than 10 percent of my time on festivals, and I would put 90% on conferences. You need to design a customized festival strategy based on your distribution strategy and your goals.

 

Reduced acquisition of documentaries.

You need to know that not only has Sundance gone as a sales outlet for documentaries, CNN is gone! They’re not acquiring docs, they’re making their own. Showtime is gone.  HBO is in the quicksand of Max and it’s dissolving and disappearing in some way. The fact that HBO’s been a brand that was built over the years and has a great following doesn’t seem to matter at this point.

People are not going to movie theaters to watch documentaries anymore.  This change happened during COVID.

What we see in theaters is superheroes. I looked at a list of independent films listing the gross this year and the first independent film was 31st on the list so those other thirty above it were all from studios.

 

Streamers new narrow focus.

The steamers have gone as a distribution source for independent documentary films.  The streamers told one filmmaker we’re only interested in true crime, celebrity, and music. That’s a very narrow market.

And there’s one other possibility if the film has tremendous international appeal and if the film falls into the buckets as stated in Variety, which is crime, food, music, and sports you might have a chance. If you’re not in one of these buckets in terms of acquisitions they’re not going to take your film seriously so narrowing the categories is a real problem. Realize when you say celebrity that means that the subjects are instantly recognizable to viewers. And they must appeal to people not just in the US but in Brazil, Japan, and other places.

The algorithm tells Netflix if you have a market in that country when they put your product in their computer. This is how they decide if your film fits their audiences.

Most film festivals show diverse films that are innovative, politically driven, and provocative, pushing boundaries. However, the distributors are not interested.

If you want to make a commercial film that’s highly accessible, easily promotable you might get this financed but you would be a director for hire. It would not be something that you’d dream up on your own.

 

The impact of international appeal and specific content categories.

One filmmaker summed it up and said, “the need for celebrity and star driven projects with enough reach to be watched in Brazil and Canada” is what streamers want.

Peter shared a story with us about festivals being virtual and how it has greatly expanded the audience for people that want to see good docs coming out of a festival.

Example, Edward Snowden was going to do a live festival with Q&A remotely in one room and this room had 620 seats. The festival decided that they really wanted it to go virtual and said this way 2000 people can watch it.  They did. After that another 90,000 people watched it so think about this. You are expanding your viewership and reaching a huge audience through international virtual screenings, and you don’t have to be at a festival to do that.

Peter says it’s not that there will be less documentaries because you will see documentaries on Netflix and Amazon, but they will be much narrower in content.

And he admits that independent films are not working in theaters right now. He believes that the mainstream of content is online rather than in theaters. Netflix recently said that they’re not looking to do projects that reach 2 million people, they want projects that reach 20 million people. That’s their current thinking, that’s how they want to curate their content. And maybe have the same amount or fewer titles which reach more people across broader geographies.

Peter says it’s a tough reality to swallow this shift and know that the old world of documentaries is not coming back if the streamers are in control.

 

Building core audiences.

He said we must get into the reality of what’s happening and look at new ways to market and fund our films and that is you want to sell direct to your audiences.

If you have core audiences, then that’s who you need to start with. You can reach out to them while you’re making your film and connect with them before it’s finished. They can give you useful feedback. That’s very important because Udy Epstein, the owner of 7th Art Film Distribution told us how important it is to keep giving audience screenings and getting feedback and making changes before you release your film.

Do not rush to get your film into a Film Festival, it will not benefit you. Audience response and guidance will give you a better film every time then you will be accepted in film festivals. Put the time and effort into audience screenings for feedback.

Udy said you need to do a lot of screenings before you release your film and don’t apply to festivals until it is in excellent shape, and you have very good audience feedback. He also shared that he is going to many less festivals than he did before. This is the new way. The distributor will let you come direct to them. It is a lot cheaper when you approach them directly.

 

Building relationships with your audience and partnerships with corporations.

Keith & Peter shared a film called Water of life. They did a successful crowdfunding campaign and raised $80,000. The documentary was about Scotch whiskey and prominent distillers in Scotland. They built a big e-mail list from their crowdfunding, and they brought on some large partners in their audience.

The filmmakers did a couple of focus group screenings and then they were invited to come have their premiere at a festival.  The deal was the festival would give them a split from the ticket sales. The film team was expected to do quite a bit of promotion and send their personal list of donors and fans to the film festival. In other words, they had to give their audience to the festival people and then split the income. They decided to take a risk and do it themselves.

Bravo for them! They made a difficult decision to skip festivals altogether and do a virtual event.

 

The success of Water of Life documentary film.

They did not hire a PR team, but they emailed Forbes magazine which had advertisers of Scotch whiskey & cigars and an audience interested in whisky. They reached out to Forbes who read their information and watched their film. Forbes wrote an article that said the film was great. And linked it to their virtual event where they made $13,000 in ticket sales. They kept every bit of it for themselves.

One of those partners in the virtual room for their premiere was Remy Martin and they sponsored a series of whiskey club screenings for around $25,000. This made the film makers very happy. Then, Remy Martin sponsored another series of events six months down the road. 

During this time, the filmmakers built a good relationship with Remy Martin who ended up hiring those two filmmakers to do their Super Bowl ad and signed an NDA, so they never said how much they made but it was a good career step-up for them.

The most important part of Peter and Keith’s teaching is to show you how to get away from the gatekeeper and make your own decisions to move forward. You need to find your audience and if that is at a convention then that’s the best place for you to go.

Frances Causey is a From the Heart sponsored filmmaker. She has been working with Peter Broderick for many years and follows his advice. She has done exceptionally well with all her documentaries. She says, “it is a lot of trouble, and it is costly, but it does pay off.” Going to conventions, finding your audience, and then taking the product direct to the market.  This is her priority over film festivals. She may go to a few festivals, but her focus is direct to her audience.

I highly recommend both Keith and Peter. You can learn more about Keith Ochwat and Show&Tell at www.showandtell.film and Peter Broderick at www.peterbroderick.com.

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

The Rogovy Foundation: Empowering Documentaries for a Better World

Since its inception, the foundation has provided over $2 million in grants to more than 70 projects.

 

by Carole Dean

Rogovy Foundation

Founded in 2015 by Hugh Rogovy, the Rogovy Foundation has established itself as a significant contributor to the future of our planet. With a primary focus on education, civics, and the environment, the foundation supports various projects, particularly documentary films, that aim to educate, inspire, and enrich audiences. Since its inception, the foundation has provided over $2 million in grants to more than 70 projects, showcasing its commitment to fostering a successful functioning democracy and promoting access to information.

 

Unveiling the Power of Documentary Films

Hugh Rogovy recognizes the crucial role of the fourth estate in a democratic society, where the freedom of the press is instrumental. He believes that documentaries have the power to captivate and engage a wide audience effectively.

By combining visual storytelling with critical thinking, documentaries can educate and inspire viewers, making them an ideal medium for the foundation’s mission. Through its support for compelling documentary projects, the Rogovy Foundation aims to contribute to the betterment of society.

 

From Bravery to Triumph: A Transpacific Journey

Losing Sight of Shore is one of the remarkable documentaries funded by the Rogovy Foundation which follows the incredible journey of four courageous women who rowed across the Pacific Ocean from America to Australia. This gripping film takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster as they witness the hardships and triumphs of the team. The captivating storytelling and visual engagement of the documentary led to its quick acquisition by Netflix, demonstrating the foundation’s commitment to promoting impactful films.

 

Unveiling Elder Abuse

Another groundbreaking documentary funded by the Rogovy Foundation is The Guardians. This investigative film exposes the systemic abuse of elderly people in Las Vegas, Nevada, where vulnerable citizens are robbed of their life savings. By shedding light on this cautionary tale, the documentary raises awareness about the need to protect and empower the elderly. Through in-depth case histories, the film reveals the disturbing realities of the guardianship system, not only in Las Vegas but in jurisdictions with similar rules.

 

Promoting Excellence through Grant Applications

They receive around 600 applications annually for grants, making the selection process highly competitive. To ensure quality submissions, the foundation has identified specific criteria and red flags that they consider during the evaluation process. One key aspect is the log line, which many filmmakers fail to construct effectively. A concise and attention-grabbing log line is essential to capture the interest of the foundation.

Additionally, applicants are encouraged to thoroughly review the foundation’s website and guidelines to avoid common questions and misunderstandings.

 

Understanding Audience Impact and Distribution Strategy

For a documentary to be considered, it must not only entertain but also engage its potential audience. The Rogovy Foundation emphasizes the importance of selecting subjects that resonate with viewers and present them in a compelling manner. Filmmakers are also expected to have a well-thought-out distribution strategy, considering platforms like Netflix or Hulu for national exposure. Furthermore, non-English language films are welcomed, provided they include English subtitles.

 

The Role of Fiscal Sponsors

The Rogovy Foundation suggests that filmmakers seek fiscal sponsors, as it simplifies the funding process. Fiscal sponsors act as intermediaries between the foundation and the filmmakers, facilitating tax-deductible funding. By partnering with reputable fiscal sponsors, filmmakers can receive financial support more efficiently. The sponsor handles the transfer of funds while retaining a small fee. Notably, the Rogovy Foundation recommends From the Heart Production as one such fiscal sponsor.  Detailed information regarding this process can be found on their website.

 

Collaborating with Investigative Journalism

Extending its support beyond documentary films, the foundation has been partnering with the Center for Investigative Reporting and their radio show, Reveal. This collaboration aims to amplify investigative journalism efforts in the visual realm. By providing additional funding, the foundation assists in the development and advancement of journalism-focused documentary projects. Future partnerships with other newsrooms are also being explored, further expanding the foundation’s impact in the visual world.

 

Investing in the Power of Documentary Films

Established by Hugh Rogovy, the foundation continues to make significant strides in supporting documentary films that educate, inspire, and enrich society. With a focus on promoting democracy, access to information, and progressive values, the foundation has funded impactful projects, ranging from awe-inspiring transpacific journeys to exposing systemic abuses.

Through a rigorous grant application process and emphasis on effective storytelling and distribution strategies, the Rogovy Foundation empowers filmmakers to create documentaries that make a lasting impact on audiences worldwide. As the foundation expands its collaborations with investigative journalism platforms, its reach and influence continue to grow, reinforcing its commitment to a better future for all.

 

You can listen to the full interview here:

 

 

You can learn more about The Rogovy Foundation at rogovy.org.

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers.

She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production.  26 classes which will teach indie filmmakers how to produce their films.

She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

Funding Your Film Through the Quantum Field

The answers about how to raise money and create your project are all around you.  Tune in and trust your gut. 

by Carole Dean

Have you ever thought about film funding by using your intuition? It’s one of your greatest attributes and rarely used to its potential. Dean Raiden, in his book The Conscious Universe, concludes after the 300 pages where he explained the rigorous technical methods he used in his parapsychology experiments,  that everyone is psychic. “Get over it, just enjoy it,” he said.

 

 

Realizing How Powerful You Are

Because filmmaking is so complicated, being both a startup business with every production as well as an art form, there are many things you need to learn.

  • I think you must be a paralegal to handle the legal aspects.
  • You need to be able to write.
  • You must learn to pitch your film, that’s acting.
  • You want to memorize the pitch.
  • You need to be a good salesperson to bring in the money.
  • You must be a good writer to win grants.
  • And you have to be a good manager and producer to create the film.

These are a lot of skills for one person, but that is what is required of filmmakers.

So, I am suggesting that you realize that you are connected in some way to a higher source.

Dean Raiden would say that you have extra sensory perceptions that came with you at birth.  And by using this gift, you can enhance your life and create your film faster and better. Because the more you use this ESP, the stronger it becomes.

I know that most of you recognize that you have this inner knowledge.  It is now just a matter of trusting it.  Go along with it, no matter how silly it sounds.  Once you do, you will find that it has a purpose, that it is valid, and the next time that you get the little message you will see how helpful it can be.

We Are All Psychic!  Your ESP is Shared with All of Us

Dr. Deepak Chopra says that guidance and information comes to us through the gap between other thoughts.  That is how it happens to me.  I recently got a brilliant idea while writing the grocery list.  It just popped in between the bananas and the celery.

Sometimes you hear the little voice when you are driving.  That’s great because when you’re driving is a wonderful time to relax and that’s when you get some really good ideas, and you also get good ESP.

There are so many decisions that you need to make daily that have to do with you making and funding your film.  When you begin using this inner knowing, this ESP, it can help you make more reliable decisions.  And you will get “short cuts.”  Yes, you may quickly see how to go from A to Z much faster than you had planned.

We are all psychic.  Once you take this into your consciousness and say OK, I am psychic, you can use your instincts to improve your life and create your film.

Ask and You Shall Receive

Start asking questions of yourself and of the universe.  Give yourself time to listen for those answers. They sometimes come in very strange ways.

I’ve seen the answer to my question on a billboard.  I know that sometimes people start talking to you on another subject, but they answer what you needed to know!  That’s always amazing to me.

Don’t be surprised if the answer to your questions comes in unusual ways.  Normally, your answers come within a reasonable amount of time.

Here’s one funny example.

I decided to give up coffee so I was considering if I should drink hot tea to get off my coffee addiction.

I asked the universe; can I replace coffee with tea?

That very night I went to watch a TV show and within the first 5 minutes this woman had a shock and the detective said to her, “what you need is a nice cup of hot sweet tea! That’s exactly what I needed to hear. Believe me, this works, the universe is listening.

The Answers to Your Questions are All Around You

That’s what we’ve heard from Doctor Joe Dispenza.  He writes that the quantum field, the energy that’s all around us, is a recorder and that it has recorded all the information from the beginning of time.

That means the answers to your questions are all around you. It’s simply tuning into it. Trust your gut feelings, trust your inner voice.

That’s what I want you to please do to enhance your life and put your film on the fast track.

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers. She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

 

 

Move in to Prosperity Consciousness

“To you the earth yields her fruit, and you shall not want if you know how to fill your hands.”  Kahlil Gibran

by Carole Dean

Prosperity consciousness is something you need to develop; it does not happen by chance.  None of us were born with it.  It’s a state of mind tuned and vibrating to expect prosperity and opportunities everywhere. It’s a key to success in work and life.

Prosperity Consciousness

Many of us, unfortunately, were born with a scarcity consciousness.

That the case with my childhood.  I grew up in a home with little money and always wondered why some people had so much money and other people had none. When you look at it from a child’s perspective, it is a good question, i.,e., what is the difference between the wealthy and not so wealthy people?

And one of the answers is prosperity consciousness.  Those who have it see money everywhere. I had to let go of scarcity consciousness when I started my business. I had to believe that I could achieve my goals, believe in myself and my business.  

It’s all about your faith and your belief in yourself.

Do You Have Prosperity or Scarcity Consciousness?

If you are living under scarcity consciousness, then you must get rid of it.  It can be like a ball and chain pulling you back or holding you down.  It could prevent you from achieving. To develop the necessary prosperity consciousness takes focus.

Here are some ways to develop prosperity consciousness and beliefs:

Realize You Live in an Abundant Universe.

Look at our universe and discover how much abundance there is. All around me in Ventura, California are massive farms bursting with strawberries, cabbages, and celery.  There is abundance in nature.  Start to notice that the universe is abundant there is plenty for all.

Scarcity consciousness believes that there is not enough for all of us. Scarcity consciousness believes that we must compete for everything.  There is not enough to go around.  When we can see abundance all around us, we can realize that is not true. We must recognize that we are not taking anything from another person.  There is plenty for all of us.

Get into Creative Consciousness and Out of Competitive Consciousness.

Your creative consciousness knows no bounds. You see more possibilities than most people.  But, when you find yourself shutting down, saying or thinking scarcity, ask the creative part of you to take over.  You must look for the good side and how you can make this situation an opportunity.

Meditation can help you with more ideas.  Always take your worries to your meditation, state them and ask for help. Ask for creative ways to handle the situation. Then let go of it and let the universe work. Stay open for answers as you will surely get them. 

Sometimes they are very clear and come to you as Dr. Deepak Chopra says, “in the gap between thoughts.” 

Sometimes they come to you from a statement made in a movie!  Yes, you can get your answers from many places, billboards, neighbors, friends, the newspaper!  Just keep listening for the answers and you will have them.  Ask and you shall receive.

Life is Fun and Rewarding.

Many people, including me, were taught you can have what you want but you need to work hard to get it.  Somewhere along the line it dawns on you that the people you know who have money do not work that hard. They have a nice balanced life between work, family, and entertainment.

The rich people take time to exercise, to eat right, and they take good care of themselves. While those who were taught you must work hard are not taking time for themselves. We need to realize that in prosperity consciousness, you can have what you want without working yourself to death.

Prosperity consciousness looks for fun and joy in life and always finds it. When problems come, they look at them as challenges and opportunities. Prosperity conscious people appreciate life and know that with every new challenge comes reward, new adventures and more fun. This is a wonderful way to live.

Reward Yourself.

Let me ask you, how often do you reward yourself? When you win a grant do you give yourself a bonus? When you make an ask for funding and someone gives you a nice donation, do you pay yourself first? 

Prosperity consciousness loves rewards. I highly recommend that you set rewards for yourself. You decide you want to go after a grant.  You spend a month on candid.org searching. Give yourself an award for the time, effort, and success in finding that grant.  Take yourself to a spa or a massage. Treat yourself in some way that is fun.

Keep paying yourself on an ongoing basis while you’re making your film. When you sell your film, you may only get a small amount of money down. Please, you must always get your money for your work as the funds come in. Think, me first!

A filmmaker who won our grant called me once she got her check.  She said, “I have credit card bills I charged for production to get me to this point, can I use some of this money for my credit card?”  “Yes, I said of course.”  You are the film.  Without you it would not exist.  Take care of yourself first. 

There Are a Staggering Number of Opportunities in Every Aspect of Life.

Scarcity consciousness believes there are no opportunities.  They believe there is very little money and no opportunity. 

Let’s look at grants. I hear filmmakers say, “there are fewer grants.”

I suggest you open your mind on this subject and realize there are hundreds of thousands of grants available. It’s a matter of searching for the grant that matches your film.

If you get onto the large database at candid.org you will be shocked. First, you really need to take a class on how to use their giant search engine. There are so many grants that you need to have your description clearly defined. Search using key words of your film to find the grant that matches your project. Once you use your key words, you will find it is overwhelming how many grants are available for a film like yours.

Now, I admit, that more grants are for documentaries and short films than for features. However, I have seen features get many grants through us.  They are available. 

We had one feature film where the protagonist was a drug user.  The filmmaker found that his state had a grant to bring out the dangers of drug use.  His feature had what they wanted.  He found several nice $60,000.00 grants by his research.  Keep an open mind and stay in the creative not the competitive consciousness.

How One Filmmaker Used Prosperity Conscious to Create a Career.

There’s a story I want to share about a woman I highly admire for her skill in manifesting her desires. She decided to get into filmmaking at an advanced age and is determined not to let age bother her. She moved to Los Angeles to be near the film industry and had a high paying job and they closed her division. She went on unemployment.

Now this would put some people in a dither because they’ve lost a really good job. She didn’t take it that way.  She saw this as an opportunity, got online, and found a class at UCLA on how to produce films. Telling her unemployment agent about this class, she showed him that there was a grant for taking the class. The unemployment agent got her this grant.

It cost others over $7000 and was 6 months of study. She used this time between jobs to study and improve herself in the area she wants to manifest a job. That is living in a prosperity consciousness.

There are tens of thousands of grants available. It does require your time to find them.  I want to assure you grants are out there waiting for you to find them.

It is My Responsibility to be Successful.

Scarcity consciousness believes that having tons of money is wrong. It has you believe you only need enough for your basic needs and anything beyond that will deprive other people.

Prosperity consciousness says that bringing wealth to yourself will enable you to do a world of good for other people.  Once you have money, you can use money to benefit others. Bringing your ideas into this reality is beneficial to you and to others.

I see the benefits that steel magnet Andrew Carnegie created with his income over 100 years later. We’ve received grants from Carnegie of over $300,000 in the last two years. This was money that he made when he was using the ideas in the book by Napoleon Hill, Thank and Grow Rich.

Because Carnegie aligned his thinking with acquiring wealth and his achievements, his riches are here a century later to be shared with others. He handled his wealth in such a way that it is still giving and supporting film makers 100 years later. Just think of what you can do with the wealth you can make.

Making Money is Fun.

Becoming wealthy is easy for creative people. Please put your thinking in the creative consciousness. This is a way to solve problems and move into financial security.  It’s also a way to use your many talents, not only for you and your own family, but for future generations through your generous donations.

Remembering these prosperity beliefs can be beneficial to all of us.

  • It is an abundant universe.
  • Life is fun and rewarding.
  • There are a staggering number of opportunities in every aspect of my life.
  • it is my responsibility to be successful

These can be statements you print out and look at daily. You need to shore up your own confidence.

Program Your Mind for Prosperity and Wealth.

You can make this fun. Go to some of the great hotels and sit in the dining room.  Have a cup of coffee and order the cheapest thing possible. You want to feel the energy around rich people. You want to know that you are welcome in expensive hotels and restaurants. Realize that this is the life you were meant to have.

If you live in LA, you might consider driving up toVentura for a fun day and go to the splendid Miramar Hotel in Montecito.

There is a place there for you to sit by the ocean and have a light lunch for a very reasonable fee. The point is you belong in this hotel.  You want to go there and feel this lavish type of living. This can be a place for you to stay in the future.  It is there for you.  Get used to this luxury energy.

If you are in NYC, go to the Waldorf for breakfast.  It is full of wonderful wealthy people.  Yes, it may cost you $50.00.  I have been there and just had coffee and toast and it is such a wonderful experience. 

Look around the room and ask yourself, what’s the difference between me and them? Notice how nice most people are and how they look just like you.  There is no difference. Say to yourself, “this is where I belong.  I am in the success conscientious.”   My success can help many people.

Get Yourself into Places Where Wealthy People Go.

Feel into that energy and become part of it. Know that the universe put you on this earth at this time to be here at the most beneficial time in the history of mankind for filmmakers. This is the digital revolution.

Filmmaking is exploding. They are building sound stages and sets all over the world. Everybody is making films and you are needed. You are the talent. You are the creators.

Empower yourself with the knowledge that you are here at the right time to achieve exactly what you came here to do, create your art, and become wealthy.

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers. She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

Your Beliefs Are Your Greatest Asset

If you believe you can or if you believe you can’t, your right! – Henry Ford

by Carole Dean

If you think you can’t fund your film or that you will have a hard time funding your film, then your right.

If you think you can fund your film, then you can.

Beliefs

It is that simple and it all starts with our beliefs. It’s the beliefs that we carry in our mind. We have been creating beliefs since we were children, and we constantly defend these decisions.

Most of us don’t know we have these belief systems running inside us.  Most do not know why we created these beliefs but we’re still hanging on to them and our subconsciousness is daily defending these outworn concepts.

If you have carried some things that have caused you to lose self-confidence, then it’s important you recognize this because you can be your own worst enemy.

Review Your Beliefs About Money

If you’re having problems raising money for your film perhaps you should consider, “what are your beliefs about money?”

It is very important for you to believe that you can raise the funding for your project. If you don’t feel it’s possible then no one can help you.  It’s up to you to change how you think.

Bruce Lipton is one of my favorite biologists/authors. He says that we have acquired many restrictions on ourselves during our youth that are based on the structure of our lives at that time.

Using Bruce Lipton’s concepts if you put two people raised in different income homes, in the same room, they would see their potential in totally different ways.

For example, if you had a funding party and in the room is a young filmmaker who grew up wealthy in Beverly Hills along with a young filmmaker who grew up disadvantaged in East Los Angeles, the Beverly Hills filmmaker will see money everywhere while the other filmmaker will feel he/she doesn’t belong.

These are based on negative beliefs acquired while young so you may have some of these beliefs and not even know it.  The question is what do you do?  How do you change these negative or limiting beliefs?

Take an Inventory of Beliefs

You might make a list of your beliefs about money and success.  By doing this you, might pull up some stored beliefs that no longer suit you or that are totally inappropriate for you.

We know that the contents of the subconscious mind are very important to us. If the subconscious has acquired beliefs like “it’s hard to make money,” or “it’s hard to raise money,” or “it’s hard to find the budget for the film,” then you can expect those things to come true because that is your belief system.

Bruce Lipton claims that beliefs control human biology rather than DNA and inheritance.  That is a powerful statement.

Realizing You Need a New Mindset

While I was touring the world with my book The Art of Film Funding, I found people who had their mind set about funding. They seem to fall into two categories, totally opposite each other.

There were those people who said, “Oh I know I can fund this film.  Or those that were totally negative with statements like, “it’s very hard to raise money for films.”  This is why I wrote the book, The Art of Manifesting: Creating your future.  It’s your beliefs that create your future.

And I often hear: “They have cut the grants and now it’s really hard to win a grant.”  They have been cutting grants for 30 years that I know of! However, we still have thousands of grants in the United States available and believe me we have a tremendous amount of people winning grants so why shouldn’t that be you?

When you look at it from this point of view it seems that it should be easy to change your belief system. However, once your subconscious mind has accepted an idea, whether true or not, it will continually feed your thoughts to support that belief.

Changing the Way You Think

Often, we are not encountering resistance from outside sources but from ourselves. If we can accept new beliefs and support them to the extent that our subconscious mind accepts them, then we can create a new reality for ourselves.

The secret to overcoming our belief system, seems to be the ability to recognize that it exists and that we are the one that needs to change the way we think.

Let’s take one of the most our most important things in filmmaking, film funding.

What if you start saying, “people love my film?” Perhaps you talk to some people about your film and get feedback so that you can honestly say to yourself, “people love my film.” Funding my film is easy.  Say this in the present tense not future tense. 

Going to Bed with Thoughts of Success

The next thing is to believe that it will be easy to fund your film. 

To get to that confidence in your ability to raise funds for your film, I suggest the information given by Neville Goddard about the way to reach the subconscious mind and change beliefs.

What he taught us was the fact that the conscious mind is the only way to reach the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind believes everything the conscious mind says.

Knowing this, then consider going to bed at night with a vision of you pitching your film to someone. 

This can be an over the shoulder shot where you can see the person you are pitching, and they are listening and nodding and smiling. You feel very confident, in fact it is fun to pitch your film, you are full of passion about your film. 

You’re watching this person intently listening to you and then they hand you a check.  What’s the amount? You pick the amount.  Make it something that is an extraordinary donation for you.

Experience the joy of this moment.  Feel the confidence you have from pitching and being rewarded.

Filling Your Subconscious with Confidence

This will instill confidence in the subconscious that you can raise money and your thought at that time that is, “raising money for my film is easy.”

By doing this you’re allowing new information to go into the subconscious mind; you are reprogramming the subconscious mind with the concept that you can raise money and that, “it is easy to raise money.”

Please keep doing this up at night before you go to sleep.  Keep creating short films for the conscious mind to play for the unconscious mind to rebuild your belief system.

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-The Art of Film Funding Podcastprofit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers. She hosts the weekly podcastThe Art of Film Fundinginterviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film productionShe is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits