Funding strategies

[Kent Kingston]

Hey, does anyone have ideas about funding strategies for made-for-TV productions?

I want to make a docco series on gospel music around the world. It's intended for prime time public TV and to have broad appeal but still present Christianity as positive and culturally credible. "Soft-sell evangelism", you might call it.

Three barriers that are emerging at this very early stage:

* Some government funding and philanthropic grants appear to focus on not-for-profit organisations, rather than up-and-coming filmmakers trying to kick off a career.

*There seems to be a lot of funding support for doccos with a clear human rights or social justice focus but not necessarily for a mere celebration of beauty, community and great music - something a bit more "entertainment"-based, I guess.

*Some funding is nationally or regionally focused, whereas I want to go international.

Any ideas? Keep in mind that I'm in Australia. Are there individuals or organisations in the US, UK or elsewhere who actively and financially support Christian filmmakers in these kinds of projects?

[MIke]

I am by no means an expert on funding, I'm sure you've looked into AFC funding. I would say that in finding a veteran producer would be the best way to go. I don't know what's currently happening down there, I left Australia in 2005 and one of my lecturers was Tom Zubrycki and he was even having difficulty finding funding for some projects which was insane because he had just finished "Molly & Mubarak".

From what I know though if you make it and then are able to get it on TV the pay scale would be anywhere from nothing to not much. If there's an evangelistic angle I would say your chances of getting it on non-Christian TV probably take a hit.

That being said, I think a series on Gospel music would be great. I think Gospel has seen a small spike in interest here in the US with groups like the Blind Boys of Alabama, The Dixie Hummingbirds, etc. seeming to gain fans over the last decade or so. It'd be fascinating to look at their influence on someone like Bob Dylan and look back at how people like Blind Willie Jefferson influenced more modern gospel. Anyway, sounds like an interesting project.

[Gary Reece]

Not that what were doing is the best answer, but...
We formed a non-profit corporation here with the objective of producing content to serve the Adventist message. (In California you can form such a corporation by sacrificing a few pizza dinners. Really! It did not cost much at all.) The first year we practically had to give ourselves away to be part of anything. Now we generate enough income to make a go of it. Credibility is gained by doing the best you can with what you've got. The non-profit status does restrict what we can do. But then all the proceeds get used for the corporation without loosing any to taxes. Don't know how it works where you are, but you might just be able to open new doors as a non-profit.

[Dre Arkhipov]

I guess it all depends on the kind of project that you are going for. If it is independent project, then it's best to seek independent funding. But the key is almost always is to sell the film by means of visualization. It's hard to get any investors involved unless you find a better way of pitching an idea.

I was always a fan of church members based donation funding. For that ... you can go the standard way of doing it. Write a polished screenplay. Get a couple people to shoot a trailer that would give a general idea what the film is about. Create a site... then pitch the idea to churches and independent investors... set up a donation option on the site.

I think it's paramount for any Christian filmmaker to retain a complete control over the direction of the film. That's why I believe that the funding should be done independently. Technology today allows for cinematography on a shoestring budget. So, there's no reason for securing a million dollar deal while compromising the direction. I don't think it's worth it. Robert Rodriguez shot hist first one for 7k, which he raised by being a guinea pig for med research :). Be creative ...

[Stephen Eyer]

Hi Kent,

What kind of budget do you have in mind? I've been doing some research on DIY documentary fundraising and found a lot of good info at these sites:

http://www.indiegogo.com
http://workbookproject.com
http://powertothepixel.com

If you're targeting a specific niche, you might also thinking about crowdsource funding by tapping into an existing audience base on social networks like Facebook or MySpace. I'm going to be experimenting with this on my next project.

I would also recommend fiscal sponsorship from an organization like IFP, IDA (International Documentary Association), or any local filmmaking association in your area that offers it. This will help you with raising money via individual donations, grants, and from corporate sponsors. It will also give you some additional exposure for your project.

I'd recommend reaching out to Rodney Vance. He's an AF.com member and LA producer with extensive knowledge in this area. Good luck and let us know what you discover.

Stephen

[Nethan]

There are ways to do this.

If you want to find out more. Drop me an email. I´m busy producing a program for Hope Channel.
And busy working on something for a commercial channel., hopefully next year!

Email me at: [e-mail]

ONly if your serious.
Regards, Nethan Lewis