It’s pretty easy to make a film. Get your cell phone out, fool around with a few of the filmmaking apps, get some friends together, go down to the park (or pub) and make something. Do it again until you start getting the hang of it. Financiers and potential sponsors call this “Proof of Concept”. Starting your own film company is the next stage in formalising your career.
Sooner or later the film bug will really grab you. At this point, stop and reflect on the reasons you want to make movies on a more serious level. Is it to make money? To influence people? Or to look cool? It really doesn’t matter which reason you choose, I believe you should just choose one. Why not step back and formalise your efforts with the hope of monetising your work?
5. Create a legal entity for starting your film company
Making one movie, however modest the budget usually implies you need to set up a legal entity. We’ve done that with Raindance Raw Talent Ltd, our production arm.
You are going to be running a business no different from other businesses. There isn’t a special legal structure for a film company is my point. There are several different legal structures you can pick and choose from. Best get some legal advice and also consult with an accountant so you can maximise tax advantages.
In the UK it’s blindingly simple to set up a company.
- Choose a name: do a quick google and IMDB search to make sure no one else has already grabbed it. If they have you need to change it.
- Register and form the company at Companies House. It’s so easy to do now, but if you need advice, why not choose one of the short Raindance Basic Legal Contract courses. These are life in London and Toronto. You can also take them online.
- Get registered for local taxes.
- Get a bank account.
- Get a website – making sure you have the URL of your name. You can search web names on Whois.com.
- Register your social media profiles: Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Pinterest. Make sure these profiles are available in your company’s name too. Start getting followers and likes.
Create your own YouTube channel and start getting subscribers.
4. Create a business plan for your film
Nothing guarantees success more than a good, solid business plan. Decide what it is you want to do and how you are going to do it. Line up a team. Make a budget and schedule. Get an idea of who is going to fund it and how the money is going to return to investors. Need help and advice? Raindance’s Producer’s Foundation Certificate will help you get the paperwork together.
3, Raise some movie money for starting your own film company
Armed with your business plan, hit the campaign trail to get the money to make your dream come true.
There are several different ways to raise money depending on your business plan.
- Take your business plan to one of the big production companies, or even a studio.
- Apply for government funding like the UK’s BFI.
- Partner with a producer in another country who will bring local public funds to the table (co-production).
- Get money from a brand (product placement).
- Find an angel investor.
- Launch a crowdfunding campaign.
Raindance’s Movie Money class.
2. Get a filmmaking team
Any production company of note has 4 key personnel. When you are starting your own film company you are in start-up phase. You will deliver many if not all of these key roles yourself. As you grow and develop, and as your social media profiles kick into gear, you will start getting swamped with work, and you will need help.
- Head of development
– to find and assess scripts. - Head of production
– to make sure the films are created on time and on budget. - Head of post-production
– someone to navigate the technical thrills and spills of the edit, and make sure the long list of film deliverables are met. - Head of film sales and distribution
– an increasingly key role. This person will supervise crowd-funding and self-distribution in addition to the traditional sales routes.
1. Film distribution
Embarking on a filmmaking career without a clear distribution strategy is a terribly bad decision. Digital technology advances have democratised the filmmaking process – anyone with very few bucks can make a movie. This has flooded the market with inferior products meaning traditional distribution routes are choked with so-called product driving down prices.
In my current position at Raindance, I am flooded with requests for help and advice from filmmakers. Many have fully developed packages with named talent attached and most of the finance in place – but with absolutely no distribution secured. I’ve stopped advising projects such as this on moral grounds.
Therein lies the irony: making movies has never been easier and cheaper to make. Distribution has never been more difficult.
Fade Out
I hate ending pages on a bummer. It’s really not difficult to set up a film production company WITH distribution. It’s just hard work. Use the tools and skills we promote here at Raindance, build your social media profiles, develop a self-distribution strategy and before long you’ll be turning down work.
What have I missed? Starting Your Own Film Company? Please leave this in the comments box below:
About Elliot Grove
Photo Credit Jay Brooks / BIFA 2015
Elliot Grove is the founder of Raindance Film Festival and the British Independent Film Awards. He has produced over 700 hundred short films and also five feature films, including the multi-award-winning The Living and the Dead in 2006, Deadly Virtues in 2013 and AMBER in 2017. He teaches screenwriting and producing in the UK, Europe, Asia and America.
Elliot has written three books which have become industry standards: Raindance Writers’ Lab: Write + Sell the Hot Screenplay, now in its second edition, Raindance Producers’ Lab: Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking and Beginning Filmmaking: 100 Easy Steps from Script to Screen (Professional Media Practice).
In 2009 he was awarded a PhD for services to film education.
A quick note: if you're raising crowdfunding for a UK VAT registered entity, the finance you raise will not count as "investment" which is not taxable. HMRC classes it as sales (ie you are selling the perks) which is a taxable output and so it must be accounted as such, with invoices raised and the 20% sales tax handed over to HMRC.
If I had a movie companies name I would call it wonderfulander but the cartoon movie is about meet the guys in a America
I really like your article. One of my friend is looking for such information as he is also planning to start his own production house in India. I am sure this article will help him. I will share this article to him. Keep posting such articles about production houses, entertainment industry.
http://www.abundantiaentertainment.com/
I've noticed people incorporate a company just for one film. What kind do they use and how long do they keep it running?
Defintirley noted.
I like how you pointed out how important a film team is and how they need to fulfill roles from a social media manager to someone in charge of production. It seems to me like someone starting a film company likely doesn’t have the resources to allocate towards building their own studio, so it makes sense to me that they’d want to find somewhere to rent those facilities. Someone recently told me that startup companies benefit from being scalable and that renting helps them have the ability to upsize when they need to.
Good to meet you Grove. I am excited, I’ve met the team with my long movie making muses.
It used to be you needed LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION, now it’s DISTRIBUTION, DISTRIBUTION, DISTRIBUTION … excellent points!
How to become a director if you have the talent?
Perseverance! Get a group together, make short films and get noticed. Be sure to send us your stuff when you start directing! Check out this article on Basic Directing tips: https://www.raindance.org/3-basic-directing-tips-for-indie-filmmakers/
Hi, I need help developing a business plan. I am looking to start a faith based film production company. Any advice would be helpful
I love the article. Do you have classes in the United States?
Hi Larita: We have hubs in Los Angeles NYC, Toronto and Vancouver. Also, many of our classes are available online (live) and VOD.
HAve a look here: https://www.raindance.org/courses/?swoof=1&product_cat=los-angeles
I like this article and I will like to say thanks for this opportunity. Please I will like you to help me on how I can distribute my films. I have produced 3 short films and coming from Cameroon in Africa, film distribution is really complex.
Thank you for this article my friends. We can do this thing. Lets turn our hobbies/talents into our life long careers. And support others while on our way up.
It was interesting that you mentioned that although making movies is thrilling, it can be very difficult to handle yourself. I have very little knowledge regarding editing video and would imagine this being a challenge for me. I would probably consider hiring a film production company to help me make a movie!
Hi Ashley: If you use the comparison of building a house – sure you can do it yourself with some DIY youtube videos – but you’d likely hire a ‘house production company’ ie builders – correct? And wouldnt you be better able to understand their efficiency and costings if you understood the basics?
I really like your article. Thanks for sharing. One of the best film and photo production companies i known is The Hive Mediaworks in Vancouver. They also provide services like location scouting, managing transport, etc. Keep sharing such articles.
Hi Elliot, do you have advice or contacts on how to get into Voiceover? Also, I believe I have a skill for recognizing talent. How does one start a Casting Company?
VO work isn’t anything I know about except you need a showreel and then put it our there – and I know this isn’t helpful To start a casting company you need: Actors + Casting Agents and Directors who are looking for actors. Why not intern or apprentice at an existing casting agency to see if you can figure out the ropes?
Thank you Elliot,have found your website most useful,I hope to make (at 70!)a last-gasp attempt of working in the movies soon,developing many ideas for screenplays….one question:do I have to join any organisations in order to work as an independent?
Independent means you are working alone – organisations like Raindance try and make the road a little less steep.