Jason Brubaker - Filmmaking Stuff – Filmmaker Checklist

Jason Brubaker - Filmmaking Stuff – Filmmaker Checklist

Filmmaking tools for serious filmmakers…

Filmmaker CheckList…a filmmaking resource for indie filmmakers...

Take Action: Make Your Movie Now! ™

By Jason Brubaker

© 2014 Brubaker Unlimited LLC - All rights reserved. No part of this book, including interior design, cover design, and icons may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

=> Get more filmmaking information at www.MakeYourMovieNow.com <= 1

Copyright 2014 Brubaker Unlimited LLC – All Rights Reserved

http://www.MakeYourMovieNow.com/


Contents

Disclaimer............................................................................................................................................................ 3

Introduction........................................................................................................................................................ 4

Getting Started.................................................................................................................................................... 5

Filmmaker Checklist......................................................................................................................................... 6

Modern Moviemaking Manifesto................................................................................................................ 13

About Jason Brubaker.................................................................................................................................... 14

Advanced Filmmaking Courses................................................................................................................... 15

About Filmmaking Stuff................................................................................................................................. 16





Disclaimer

This eBook is designed to provide information on modern filmmaking. It is sold with the understanding that the author or publisher is not providing tax, accounting, legal, investment, business or other professional advice. Filmmaking is risky.

While the process of making movies can be fun, filmmaking can also be detrimental to your life, wellbeing and savings account.

The information in this ebook is meant to supplement, not replace, proper filmmaking training. Like any business involving money, employees, personal and professional liability and emotions, Filmmaking poses inherent risks.

Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the information contained herein is limited. This book is meant to provide a viewpoint on filmmaking and serve as a supplement to other texts and information on the subject.

The purpose of this book is to educate and entertain. The author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

DISCLOSURE: Many of the companies, products and services mentioned in this book are affiliates of Brubaker Unlimited LLC. This means that the publisher gets paid to recommend various products and services. Your price will not be affected. But please conduct your own due-diligence prior to making ANY purchases both here and everywhere on earth.

Before making any business or financial or life decision, you are advised to speak with the necessary qualified tax, legal and business professionals.





Introduction

Hello Filmmaker -

My name is Jason Brubaker. Since you're reading these words, odds are good you either heard of me through my popular filmmaking website, Filmmaking Stuff – Or you have a friend who excitedly heard of me and then gave you this guide. . .

Before we get started, it's important that you know a little about me... And I promise to keep this part short.

As a filmmaker, I'm currently living and working in Los Angeles. So far, I have made, marketed and sold a few feature films via popular Internet, video-on-demand platforms.

Outside of making movies, I am very much focused on helping other filmmakers (people like you) make, market and sell movies more easily. This involves helping you grow a fan base, providing you with solid tactics on how to build buzz and also, how to create long term community around your movies.

I'm also contributing author of The Independent’s Guide to Film Distributors, founder of Filmmaking Stuff, a professional resource for independent filmmakers, and my articles on independent movie marketing and distribution have been featured in Film Slate, The Independent and Movie Maker Magazine.

Very recently I served as the manager of Film Acquisitions for Chill (which was funded in part by WME). And prior to that, I was the Director of Operations for the popular video on demand aggregator, Distribber. (And as a result, I have helped over one-hundred filmmakers get their movies distributed.)

I share this because I think it is important to understand who you're talking to. And while I don't claim to have all the answers, some of what I'm about to share is going to provide new insight.

And finally, if you like this stuff – You are going to LOVE the free filmmaker eCourse I deliver to your inbox. To make sure you don't miss any valuable tips, click here to register for FREE.




http://www.FreeFilmmakingBook.com/

http://www.FilmmakingStuff.com/


Getting Started

As a filmmaker, making a movie is challenging. There are a lot of elements that must come together.

Sometimes you work with good people and this comes easy.

Sometimes there is so much to do, that you get overwhelmed.

(Believe me, I've been there!)

But don't worry. . .

I put together this guide to help you.

The following film production checklist will provide a brief overview of the independent filmmaking process.

Keep in mind that this is only an overview.

Seriously. . .

Without actually grabbing a camera and working with people more experienced than you... All the resources in the world will do you no good. So here is our goal.

Ready?

After reading this guide, if you can grab at least one useful filmmaking tip from this checklist, then we can both be happy.

That's it. Easy, right?

I mentioned this earlier. But in full disclosure: Where it makes sense, I have included recommendations for related products and services. If you click the links and make a purchase, I may receive compensation. If referrals aren’t cool, ignore the links!

As always, if you have questions about anything in this guide, please feel free to contact me. I love it when I find out how these tips have helped you get closer to your filmmaking goals!





Filmmaker Checklist

In the following checklist, I broke the filmmaking process into 65 steps. Obviously some steps will be more challenging than other steps. But like I said, if you take time to study this guide, you might get a tip or two that can potentially make your life easier.

Here we go. . .

1. Before you get started, make sure you read and study everything you can about the filmmaking process. A good place to start is obviously the Filmmaking Stuff website.

2. A screenplay is the blueprint to your movie. Write or acquire a screenplay you want to produce. Make it something exciting!

3. Complete an initial breakdown of your movie. From there, schedule and budget the project. How much does it cost?

Note: If you're unsure how to break down and schedule a movie, Peter Marshall has an awesome Movie Script Breakdown course. Also, some invaluable production management software can be found at LightSpeed Eps.

4. Write a business plan that details how your movie will be made, marketed and sold – and how much this will cost you.

5. Talk with a lawyer and other producers to figure out your best money strategy. Will you utilize equity funding, crowdfunding and tax incentives to fund your movie? A little bit of everything?

6. Following laws and regulations, go after the money. This will require strategy, persistence, honesty and enthusiasm. 7. Finding, meeting and closing prospective investors on the merits of your movie will be one of the tougher parts of the process. Realize that every “no” gets you closer to “yes.”

8. Most people will want to know how the money is going to be spent, what they can expect in return and how will you eventually get their money back. Filmmaking is a risky business, full of unknowns and you should ALWAYS disclose this.




http://www.MoviePlanPro.com/

http://www.indieproductiontool.com/

http://www.MovieScriptBreakdown.com/

http://www.MovieScriptBreakdown.com/

http://www.FilmmakingStuff.com/


9. Have a plan for the movie when it is complete. Will you take the festival route? Will you market it to colleges and universities? Will you send it directly to sales agents and acquisition pros?

Note: While it's great to imagine that a movie distributor will hand you a million dollar check, this rarely happens. In fact, most movies end up in popular marketplaces like Amazon and iTunes, and others. You must plan for this.

10. After following these steps, you have been networking with prospective investors. The question is, were you able to get the money? If not, here are some (but not all) of your options.

A. Choose a new movie project.B. Alter the screenplay to cut costs.

11. Get more favors and freebies. Seriously, write out a list of everything you can get for free, or at a discount. This includes props, wardrobe, locations, transportation and craft services!

12. Assuming you did get the money, pick a date for production. (And if you don't get the money, go back and repeat step one.)

13. Hire a lawyer to help you with contracts and releases. If you’re short on cash, do a web search for lawyers for the arts in your area. These folks will usually help with minor legal stuff.

14. Before you have the money, many people will be working for little to no money. So expect a lot of “nos” before you find the people who can help you bring your vision to life.

15. You can make your life easier if you work with people who have production experience. If you are in a small market, reach out to people who spend their days producing corporate video.

16. Finalize your script. Get it to a point where you are no longer going to keep changing things. This is a locked script.

17. Number your scenes. Then once again, break down your script. This involves grabbing each element, location and character. From this information, create a final schedule.




http://www.HowToSellYourMovie.com/


18. From your schedule and breakdown, create a final budget. You probably know how much money you have to work with. If you find you don’t have enough you have two choices:

A. Get More Money!B. Modify the script and schedule.

19. Get your crew. Work with a seasoned Physical Producer AKA Line Producer AKA Unit Production Manager to help you get organized. These pros will look at your schedule and tweak it.

20. Additionally, if you’re going to direct and product, having these pros around to help out will open the door to relationships with 1st Ads and crew. These folks will help you hire the right people. They will know a good payroll company. And many know a thing or two about tax credits in your state.

21. I know. Money is tight. So if you cannot hire a location scout, you may have to scout and procure locations yourself. This means you will knock on doors, introduce yourself, your project and your goals. The goal here is to appear reasonable and sane.

22. What can go wrong with a location probably will. So you will want to have a 2nd and 3rd location added to the mix. This way, should something happen, you will have a fall-back plan.

23. Assuming you’re directing your own movie, you will want to find a director of photography who shares your sensibilities and has equal enthusiasm for the project.

24. Your DP will help you find an asthetic for your movie. Given your cost constraints, you will most likely shoot in HD.

25. Marketing: Create a website specific to your movie. Make sure you have a way to get site visitors on your mailing list.

26. Later as you get into production, you will be able to add a movie trailer. (The goal: increase your mailing list subscribers and create a website you can later modify into a sales funnel.)

27. If you’ve raised money, you can hire talented actors interested in your project. But in the event your budget is tight, try to cast people with large social media followings.




http://www.AudienceList.com/


28. Once you have all of your actors, you will want to find a location for a table read. Go through the script. If you wrote it, now is a time to take some notes for a final tweak.

Note: Anything you change in the script also changes the budget and the schedule. Seriously.

29. DO NOT skimp on food. You will want someone in charge of Craft Services. They should be good at going out and getting deals on food and catering. If you can not find anyone to do this for you, you'll have to do it yourself. Allow me to repeat. . .

30. Make sure you have adequate food. If you are doing a union shoot, there are guidelines and rules you must follow. If you are doing a non-union indie, then some advice is: GET QUALITY!

31. Do you have all of your permits, releases and agreements? Do you have production insurance? There are so many different types of insurance, it will make your head spin. Make sure you talk with some experienced insurance professionals to make sure you have adequate insurance for your movie!

32. Meet with your Camera Department and find out how much memory you'll need (assuming you’re shooting in HD). If you're shooting film, which might be costly for your first feature – you will want to have an idea of these needs too.

33. Try to take as many naps as you can. This is a fun, but stressful time. So sleep. Eat. And take time to exercise.

34. Once you have all the above stuff checked off the list, you will want to meet with your department heads and make sure everyone's needs are met. Assuming you've maintained limited locations, with a limited cast and crew, you will probably still be baffled by the amount of questions that come flying at you.

35. Seriously, you would think you're making a gazillion dollar movie. But this is indication people care about their work. They care about the movie. And they want to make it a success!

36. This goes without saying, but don't be a jerk. Seriously, never forget you are making a movie. Enjoy the experience.





37. Did I mention you need plenty of sleep? I am serious here. Making a movie is going to demand a TON of energy. You need to keep up with the physical and mental demands.

38. Commence production. Defer to your 1st AD and Line Producer to keep everything running on time and under budget. Keep your cool and always remember to have fun!

39. During production, try to constantly get press to profile your movie. It would be great to create buzz, get people to your website and get them to opt into your newsletter mailing list.

40. After the WRAP, have a wrap party. Don't sleep with your cast and crew, get overly drunk or make a fool of yourself! You are a professional. Act like one.

41. After you recover from your hangover (I just warned you), you will probably start editing the movie. I suggest sharing the edit suite with another set of eyes. And do be nice to your editor. Those professionals can offer valuable feedback. Listen to it!

42. Your first cut will be rough. Screen it with a group of people who have never seen the movie. Get feedback.

43. Take the feedback and refine your edit. After that, take a week off – Do not look at the movie or mess around with it. This way, when you come back to the suite, refine and refine again.

44. Have another small screening with people who have not seen the movie. Take notes. Take those notes back to your edit suite.

45. Add some sound FX to your movie. Clean up actor dialogue and rough areas. Sound is more important than visual.

46. Screen the movie again. This time, have the screening with a new, small set of people. Take notes. Go back and refine.

47. When you have a cut you're happy with, then you can begin to plan your next strategy. Find out how to sell your movie.

48. There are opportunities for traditional distribution. With some qualified professionals, analyze each deal. Find out if thedeal will fit your business objectives. If not, PASS.






49. What if there are no traditional deals? If you planned accordingly, you will have a strong mailing list, a marketable hook and a plan for reaching your target audience.

50. When you are ready to start selling, refine your website into a sales funnel. Upload your movie to one of the many popular VOD platforms. Refine your movie poster and artwork to fit.

51. Upload your trailer to YouTube and all the other video sites on the internet. I prefer to stream from YouTube because I don't have to pay for streaming and I can monitor viewer comments.

52. Write press releases related to the release of your movie. Have a blog component that details your movie and allows other people to comment. Note, if you need publicity – Contact my friend Heather at Talk Radio Publicity. Tell her I sent you.

53. Play around with your key words and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). If those terms are new to you, find someone in your network who understands the importance of the web.

54. Marketing is all about telling memorable stories and getting into the conversations. Adding your thoughts on website forums is one way to get the word out about your movie. But if you totally disregard the conversation – that's bad form.

55. Create both a Facebook and Twitter handle for your movie. The purpose of this page is to lead people back to your site.

56. Have adequate social share buttons on your website so people can easily tell their friends about your movie.

57. If you have the budget, purchase some offline advertising in publications related to your movie. (This assumes you've taken time to define your target audience and ways to reach them!)

59. All of these methods are intended to get people back to your website. The purpose of your site is to get people to watch your movie trailer and click the BUY NOW button. Anything that distracts these visitors must go! Install Google Analytics.

60. If your website visitors fail BUY NOW, then at least try to get them to opt into your mailing list. Do you need a mailing list?




http://www.TalkRadioPublicity.com/filmmaking


http://www.google.com/analytics/

http://www.Twitter.com/jasonbrubakerla

http://www.Facebook.com/filmmakingstuff


61. Out of all the people who click the BUY NOW button, some will actually buy. If you have access to the contact information, reach out and personally thank your customer.

62. Assuming you are generating revenue, consider using that money to purchase more advertising and repeat the process. In internet marketing, they call this scaling a business. The name of the game is: “Conversion Rates.” Read this marketing article .

63. Sooner or later, you will figure out how to jump-start your next project. And you will realize that making movies and making money making movies is possible.

64. The thing to remember is long term perspective. On average it takes seven meetings to make a relationship! Most people quit long before they get to meeting number seven. Not you!

65. As a final thought, I would ask you to consider the following questions: Given the resources that you have right now, what is the movie that you will make this year?

- - -

I hope you enjoyed this brief filmmaking guide. If you did, you are really going to LOVE the free filmmaker eCourse delivered straight to your inbox. To make sure you don't miss any valuable filmmaking tips, click here to register for FREE.

And one more thing. . .

If you really like this guide, please share it with every filmmaker you know. They will thank you for it and frankly, I will too!




http://www.FreeFilmmakingBook.com/

http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/financing-movies-with-vod-sales-projections/



Modern Moviemaking Manifesto

1. Modern Moviemakers are entrepreneurs and view each movie as a startup. Instead of raising investment dollars for just one title, Modern Moviemakers focus on establishing a mini-studio business, complete with development, planning, production, marketing, sales and distribution.

2. Modern Moviemakers focus their business on producing a slate of at least five genre specific movies, targeted to the same growing audience. Movies are created inexpensively and will be delivered to the audience via popular VOD marketplaces.

3. Instead of focusing on projects centered on freelance day-rates, Modern Moviemakers raise enough money to put crew on a salary, with benefits. Everybody in the company will own equity in the company. So in this regard, someone who owns 10% in company stock will get 10% of all movie profits. This will supplement crew salary with an ongoing, lifelong stream of income - and incentivize everybody involved to succeed.

4. Modern Moviemakers work to grow our community (and customer base) bigger. Over time, our fans will begin to know us and celebrate our work. We will reach mass great enough to increase revenues through multiple streams of movie income.

5. Modern Moviemakers believe that producing multiple movie titles over time builds enough buzz to create long term, sustainable revenue. In this regard, modern moviemakers focus on creating entire library instead of just depending on one title.





About Jason Brubaker

Jason Brubaker is a Hollywood based Independent Motion Picture Producer and an expert in Internet movie distribution. He is focused on helping YOU make, market and sell movies more easily by growing your fan base, building buzz and creating community around your title.

Events, Workshops and Festivals

Jason Brubaker speaks about modern movie distribution. If you know a meeting planner or film festival coordinator, Jason is available for speaking, workshops and panel discussions.

How to Market And Sell Your Movie:

Maximize Movie Profits Without The Middle Man: With an independent movie market saturated with competition, finding a traditional distribution deal for your movie is increasingly challenging. Nobody knows this better than Jason Brubaker.

After failing to garner a traditional distribution deal for his first feature, he figured out how to market and sell his movie online. Five years later, his original movie is still selling! In his easy to follow, step-by-step presentation, Brubaker shows filmmakers how to maximize movie profits without the middle-man!

- - -

If you would like to invite Jason Brubaker to your next event, workshop or panel discussion – please contact:

Jason Brubaker

Brubaker Unlimited LLC6767 Sunset Blvd #153Los Angles, CA 90028

[email protected]

310-746-3868





Advanced Filmmaking Courses

I’m about to share my personal filmmaking tools with you. This is the stuff I’ve either created to help you achieve your goals. Or it’s filmmaking stuff that I’ve thoroughly reviewed and endorse.

In full disclosure, many of these resources pay me to promote. So conduct due-diligence prior to making purchases anywhere.

Pre-Production

MovieScriptBreakDown.com provides online training for filmmakers who want to breakdown and schedule movies.

IndieProductionTool.com is an online production management tool that allows you to schedule your movie and manage your production from anywhere.

Film Finance

GetMovieMoney.com is a resource for filmmakers seeking strategies for contacting and building relationships with prospective investors.

FilmFinanceGuide.com once you contacted investors, this is Tom Malloy’s blueprint for raising money. (So far he has raised over 25 million for his own projects!) This guide tells you how.

Movie Promotion

AudienceList.com (Aweber) allows filmmakers to capture leads from their movie website, build a mailing list, set up email newsletters and a sequential email auto responder.

HowToSellYourMovie.com provides tips on getting your finished feature seen and sold. This site contains resources on how to leverage digital distribution and internet marketing.






http://www.FilmFinanceGuide.com/

http://www.GetMovieMoney.com/

http://www.IndieProductionTool.com/

http://www.MovieScriptBreakDown.com/


About Filmmaking Stuff

At Filmmaking Stuff, you will receive tips and strategies on how to make, market and sell your movie without the middleman.

My name is Jason Brubaker. Over the last decade, I have worked professionally in the film industry. In addition to producing four feature films, I have spent the last five years working in film distribution, where I have helped hundreds of independent filmmakers get their movies seen and selling in popular video on demand marketplaces.

Filmmaking Stuff for independent filmmakers.

The site includes filmmaking articles on how to take a story idea from script to screen, including scriptwriting, producing, film finance, shooting, editing, directing, marketing, distribution and how to build an audience.

Here are popular filmmaking articles that sum up our philosophy:

1. Modern Moviemaking Manifesto

2. How To Finance Films with VOD Sales Projections

3. Thoughts on Film School

4. My Story

5. 7 Steps for Selling Your Movie Online

Our motto is “Make, Market and Sell Your Movie Without The Middle-Man.” The reason for this is simple. The future of filmmaking is not Hollywood. It is the thousands of independent filmmakers empowered by the digital revolution.

The truth is, many filmmakers wait years to make a movie. But with the new world of film distribution, you cannot depend on DVD distribution model to get your movie into the world. If you are serious about filmmaking – now is the time to pick up a camera… Do not wait for permission. Rather, you should take action make your movie now!




http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/7-step-filmmaking-formula-for-selling-your-movie-online/

http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/my-filmmaking-story-part-1-of-4/

http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/thoughts-on-film-school/


http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/modern-moviemaking-manifesto/

Jason Brubaker - Filmmaking Stuff – Filmmaker Checklist

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