Film Funding

• A films budget and funding is crucial in the production stage, without the necessary financial support a film cant essentially be made, The funding pays for the props, effects, locations. They are funded in several ways and each method has pro’s and con’s to them. Some of the ways films are funded are by the following…

- Banks- Film Studios- Private individuals - Charities - BFI- Crowd Funding

Film StudiosOne example of how films are funded are by film studios. These are companies which are well established and knowing for giving funding. This makes them usually the first place filmmakers look when wanting to fund their picture.

There are a few pro’s and con’s to film studios when it comes to funding some of the examples are

Pros- They can invest large sums of money into a film- Can bring people in to assist the production of the film - Offer creative support- They have a wide amount of experience in films how to go

about making one

Cons- Can become too involve and take over certain elements of

the creative process- They own the rights to the film

BFIBFI (British Film Institute) is a national government funded institution. It helps generally over the whole process, from the developmental stages of the film to the film’s final distribution. They offer funding for almost all genres but consider the concept and make sure they will be well received by the audience.

Pros- The range of films the fund is large and diverse- Can offer a large amount of funding- Encourage in the creative process and give the film maker a large amount of leeway- Can assist in all areas of the films production, Development to distribution- Can help first time film makers or less experienced ones

Cons- A screenwriter must be working on the film in order to apply for the funding- A producer must be working on the film in order to apply for the funding- Must be under a 18cert- Prefer films based around a British theme- Only fund if it will appeal to a large audience

Crowd FundingCrowd funding as the name suggest is where the film is funded by a large group of people who pledge money tot eh film in order for it to be produced and made. Each person puts in a relatively small amount and collectively it generates a large budget. An example of a crowd funding companies is the website Kickstarter, where people and donate money to someone in order for them to generally create.

Pros- The film maker has complete creative control over their film- Popularity and advertisement is make trough it- Easy and quick to gain funding- It can indicate whether it will be a well received film or not depending on if

its funded or not

Cons- May be hard to gain recognition for the film- Has to appeal to people in order for them to even fund it

BanksBanks offer a more traditional way to gain funding. Much in the same way you can apply for a loan you ask the bank for the necessary funds and then pay them back with the profit generated from the film. These banks don’t usually take interest in the artistic or cultural significance of the film but look at the economic growth of them

Pros- Can fund a lot of money in the film- Usually leave the filmmakers to do what they like in the processes

Cons- Can be a long process- Interested more in the economic growth - Have large interest rates

Private individualsThis is when one person invests their money into the film., with possibility one gaining profit from it

Pros- Can offer a large amount of money for the film- Can add creative input into the film- Generally faster than the other ways of funding

Cons- No interest is gained in audiences- Can become controlling the process- A large sum of money may not go to the filmmaker

Charities Charities usually fund short films or documentaries and often involve what the charity is doing about the problem for which they’re there to help with

Pros- Simple way to gain funding is the ideas meet their criteria- Easy way to gain interest for the film- No need to generate profit

Cons- Controlling over the creative side of the making- Usually don’t offer a great deal of money- Has to meet a very niche criteria