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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

All About Films and Financing

People say my stories read like movies. That I have a great visual style of storytelling. And I’ve been asked on several occasions why don’t I make films.

The answers for that is simple: First off, I don’t have film experience. And second, I don’t have that kind of cash.

Compared to film-making, self-publishing is CHEAP.

Producing a complete independent film costs $3-$5 million dollars. Producing a TV pilot costs $2-$3 million dollars. Even producing a teaser or a trailer costs a couple of thousand dollars. And that’s just for the pre-production, wardrobe, permits and filming.

It costs more money required for the post-production editing making copies, trips to festivals and promotional efforts.

Unfortunately I’ve been unemployed close to three years. My savings are shrinking down to the triple digits. I wish I had that type of money to make trailer based off one of my scripts to show people what a Nikki episode or scenes from Marilyn would look like. I’d love shoot something, post it up on YouTube, and to see how the audience would respond to it.

But I realize if I ever want to make movies and TV shows out of my material it’s going to require capital. Capital from outside investors.

Could I get it? I don’t know. Fundraising like that requires a plan to sell the project to those investors. And the ability to pitch.

But to get those investors interested I have to show them proof that there’s an audience large enough to sell to before I write up a business plan.

I’m going to need to sell more books. A lot more books.

No one is going to invest money in something unless I can show those investors that there’s a way for them to get their money back. Business 101.

I know there are women who say they love All About Marilyn. And the first three scripts for All About Nikki were one of the most downloaded eBooks out of all the titles I offered this summer.

Bringing these projects to life onscreen is something I’d love to do at one point in my life. I just need to find the money and the resources to do it.

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