How to Write an Indiefilm Business Plan Part 3/7 - Projects Section

Next up in my 7 part series on writing a business plan for independent film, we’ll be taking a deeper look at the project(s) section of the plan.  The projects section of the plan is the most creative section, as it talks about the creative work that you’re seeking to finance.  That being said, it breaks those creative elements into their basic business points.  This section should be no more than a page if you have one project, and no more than 2 pages if you’re looking at a slate.

GENRE

Genre is a huge part of marketing any film.  It essentially categorizes your film into what interest groups you’ll be marketing.  This subsection should focus on the genre of your film, as well as who you expect the film to appeal to. 
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For more information on the concept of Genre in Film, check out this blog.

RELATED: WHY GENRE IS VITAL TO INDIEFILM MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION

PLOT SYNOPSIS

This is as it sounds.  It’s a one paragraph synopsis of your film.  When you’re writing it, keep in mind that you’re not telling your story, so much as selling it.  Make it exciting.  Make it something that the person reading the plan simply will not be able to ignore. 
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BUDGET ​

This one should also be self explanatory, list the total budget of your film.  It would make sense to break it into the following categories.  Above the Line, Development, Pre-Production, Principle photography, post production, and producer’s contribution to marketing and distribution.
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The last part is to acknowledge that while the distributor will be contributing a large amount to the marketing and distribution costs of the film, it will not be the sole contribution, and you as the filmmaker will likely have to contribute some amount of time and/or money to making sure your film is sold well.
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RATING

This section talks about your expected rating.  Say what you expect to get, what themes you think will cause the film to get that rating, and how that will help you sell the film to the primary demographic listed above

MARKETABLE ATTACHMENTS

Did you get Tom Cruise for your movie?  What about Joseph Gordon Levitt?  Or maybe Brian De Palma came on to direct.  If you have anyone like this (or even someone with far less impressive credits) make sure you list that you’ve got them.  If you’re in talks with their people, list it here too.

Related: 5 Reasons you Still need Name Talent in your film

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY STATUS

Finally, you’ll need to list the intellectual property status of your film.  By this, I simply mean is the concept original? Is it based on anything? Did you acquire the rights to whatever it’s based on?  If you optioned rights, when does the option expire? If you optioned rights, who is the original owner of the rights?
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Thanks so much for reading!  We’ll be back next week with the marketing section. In the meantime, you can find the other completed sections of this 7 part series below.
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Executive Summary
The Company
The Projects
Marketing
Risk Statement/SWOT Analysis
Financials Section (Text)
Pro-Foma Financial Statements.

If you found this useful, you should know that a significant portion of the income from my development stage clients tends to come from helping them to write and refine business plans.  If you need any of these services, you should check out the links below. ​

If you want a business plan or a deck from scratch, or want help packaging your project, use the submit button.  You can also inquire about packaging or distribution services with this link.  

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If you have a couple of quick questions, then use the button below to go to my clarity page.  You can set up a call that bills by the minute, to get quick questions answered.  

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 If you want to talk about your business plan, and get notes and or feedback, you’ll want to use the link Below to email me to set something up.  ​

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