Kicking off an Indie Feature

Last weekend I was sitting in the car with Gerard, and he mentioned that it might be a good idea to post a breakdown of the overall gameplan for Sam Bailey in our virtual green room, so everyone can refer to it at their leisure. Somehow, this idea had totally evaded me until Gerard brought it up. After all, I've discussed the plan with everyone many, many times. RIght?

He's right. Making it tangible highlights the strengths and problems in any plan. Maybe I've been avoiding it for that reason.

As it turns out, our plan for Sam Bailey is a lot more simple and linear than it seems. At the very beginning of the document I posted, there are three basic things we're developing as a springboard to launch the financing and production to come. In a lot of respects, those are the steps of filmmaking most Hollywood newcomers tend to remove themselves from the most. As the studios become more and more closed to original content and untried talent, mastering these skills is going to become very important to independent filmmakers, actors, and everyone else looking to get involved.

The Script
Even if you're an actor or a production person, you should master the basic tools of screenwriting. If nothing else, it'll help you avoid making choices you'll regret. As a primer, I always recommend Syd Field's "The Screenwriter's Handbook".

As far as Sam Bailey goes, I've been doing the writing myself. When I finish the 8th draft in a handful of weeks, I'll be posting it here. Triggerstreet is a cooperative website where screenwriters work to make each other's work stronger, and I've found it to be a real timesaver. Just a few more drafts, and the script will be ready.

The Company
Ask any director who works in theater to set up a non-profit, and they can have it done for you in a matter of days. Why is everyone in film playing coy when it comes to establishing L.L.C.'s?

Giving your film project a real, legal structure makes it possible for you to give out equity in exchange for services, start raising money, open a bank account or take out a loan. Setting up your movie is the first step to making it, and while you should always have a lawyer read over the documents you're submitting to the secretary of state when you register, there's a lot about this process you can do yourself.

Now that I'm selling my social media skills for the cash lawyers and institutions crave, I'm putting all my contracts experience to work and working out the details of Sam Bailey L.L.C.

The Buzz
People like you make a film like Sam Bailey worthwhile. Lots and lots of people like you, in fact!

That's why independent filmmakers need to start finding those people very, very early on. In all my years in the industry, I've never met one person who complains about having reached out to their audience too soon in the game. Our viral Sam Bailey campaign is growing, and we're getting a handle on how an interactive "Table of Contents" like Digg can help us get out there. Now that we can afford to be more aggressive with spreading the word, you're going to be seeing a lot more from us.

Actually, this is one area where we could really use your help! Whenever you see the words "Sam Bailey diggs..." on Twitter or Facebook, clicking the link and Digging will help us find the audience we need. Whenever you see Digg on the blogs or the forum, you can Digg us there too!

That's where we're at with Sam Bailey. Once the legal structure is in place, the script is ready, and the audience is starting to show signs of awareness and growth, we'll be in a great position to start raising capital. When you get right down to it, those things amount to supply and demand. Having an audience who wants to see the movie is half the battle. Having a movie worth seeing is the other half.

These are the kinds of things no budding indie filmmaker enjoys thinking about. After all, it's about their vision.

Right?

Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, getting the content, the business, and the marketing of a project in hand is what makes the project stable. That's what gives your collaboraters a safe space to work in. Contrary to popular myth, aving a great idea was never enough. Having a great plan doesn't cut it anymore, either.

Every day, the lines between those who want to produce independently and those who crave the big studio deal are narrowing. Either way you go, building your film and building your audience is the best way to get where you're going. Always has been, always will be.

And now, more than ever.