The Guerrilla Rep - Blog

How to Write an Indiefilm Business Plan 1/7 - Executive Summary

9/19/2018

One of my more popular services for filmmakers is Independent Film Business Plan Writing. So I decided to do a series outlining the basics of writing an independent film business plan to talk about what I do, and give you an idea of how you can get started with it yourself. The first Section of the independent film business plan is always the executive Summary, and it’s the most important that you get right. So how do you get it write? Read this blog for the basics.

5 Rules for Finding Private Equity Investors

9/12/2018

One of the most common questions I get is where to find investors for a feature film. Inherent in that question is simply where to find investors. While I may not have a specific answer for you regarding exactly where to find them, I do have a set of rules for figuring out where you might be able to find them in your local community. This is meant to be applicable outside of the major hubs in the US, and as such it’s not going to have to be more of a framework than a simple answer.

The 4 Stages of Indiefilm Investment (And Where to find the Money)

9/5/2018

Most of the time filmmakers seek to raise their investment round in one go. A lot of people think that’s just how it’s done, so they ask would they try anything else?

But just as filmmakers shouldn’t only look for equity when raising money, Filmmakers should consider the possibility of raising money in stages. Here are the 4 best stages I’ve seen, and some ideas on where you can get the money for each stage.

6 Questions to Ask yourself BEFORE Self Distributing your Indiefilm

8/29/2018

In a follow-up to last week’s blog on self distribution platforms, I thought we would step back for a minute and try to understand what filmmakers should consider before they decide whether or not to self distribute their movie. This blog is a list of potential parameters you might want to go by. It’s not the only things you should take into account, but they are some factors you’ll need to consider

Why Genre is VITAL to Indiefilm Marketing & Distribution

8/22/2018

This is a topic that’s a little basic, but it’s a fundamental building block of understanding how to market your film. So I thought I would do a breakdown of why genre is so important to independent filmmakers in terms of marketing and distribution. I do touch on in my book The Guerrilla Rep: American Film Market Distribution Success on No Budget, but even there I only cover it in a sense as it pertains to the market. Let’s get started.

7 Essential Elements of an IndieFilm Package

8/15/2018

Most filmmakers want to know more about how to raise money for their project. It’s a complicated question with lots of moving parts. However, one crucial component to building a project that you can get financed is building a cohesive package that will help get the film financed. So with that in mind, here are the 7 essential elements to a good film package.

What Platforms Should I Release my Movie on?

8/8/2018

I’ve recently stepped into the world of direct US Distribution. This is primarily due to things I’ve learned from several other US Releases I’ve overseen as a Producer’s Rep. One of the most common questions I get is what platforms to release a film on. So, instead of answering the same thing over and over, I’ve decided to put my thoughts into a blog.

6 Rules for Contacting Press

8/1/2018

I’ve had to reach out to a lot of press recently for the theatrical release of Goodland. It’s not the first time I’ve had to try to get some press for a movie, but it is the first time I’ve had to do it recently. So I had to brush up on a couple of tactics, and thought I would turn those tactics into a useful blog for all the people who follow me. So without further ado, here are 6 rules for contacting press about your movie

5 Steps to Successful Indiefilm Grantwriting

7/25/2018

A few months ago I worked with the absolutely lovely Joanne Butcher of Filmmaker Success to put on an educational event about grant writing here in San Francisco. Joanne has raised millions in grant funding for several non-profits over the course of her life. While I can’t distill everything from her talk into a single blog, I can give the people who weren’t able to make it some of the key takeaways. So without further ado, here are the 5 rules for applying for grants.

9 Things I learned from my first theatrical release

7/18/2018

We recently came to the close of the theatrical release of Rockhaven Film’s Goodland. It played in a total of 7 cities. This was the first time I’ve been a key part of making a theatrical release work, so I wanted to share some of what I learned along the way. So here it is: 9 things I learned from my first theatrical release.