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5.3: Grants

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    123414
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    Finding Grants

    Student filmmakers have an advantage that they can use their school's audio and video recording equipment. They often utilize their fellow students as cast and crew members. Generally, a student will spend next to nothing (or indeed nothing) on their assigned school project. Once a student graduates, this all changes. Films take a lot of money to make well - a director making their first non-school project may not be able to finance their next project themselves. Many established directors do not put any of their own money into their projects. So, filmmakers need to find other money.

    You have spent a lot of time creating your business and production plans, and creating your film proposal, now you can put that effort to work for you.

    Example \(\PageIndex{1}\): Caveat on Film Funding

    Grant funding is an ever-changing landscape. "It can be difficult to know who to trust" according to one of my former students and a current independent filmmaker. Companies funding filmmakers often change. It is best to research a number of different options and ask questions from other filmmakers of their experiences.

    Some funders offer classes in pursuing grants and some charge for helping you to develop your proposals. Go this route with careful research.

    Filmmakers I have talked to have followed up with their applications only to find the companies have disappeared. It is best to go with companies with good reputations, usually associated with well known companies.

    Grants

    Grants will give you money, that is “give” and not “loan”. There are detailed application procedures and you may find some stiff competition for the larger subsidies. The nice thing about grants is they invest in the filmmaker and do not expect a cash return on their investments. These organizations help filmmakers advance their careers and help to recognize their accomplishments. Donors of the grants know they are providing a needed resource and contribute to a dynamic industry.

    There are literally hundreds of grants available and each one will have a different application procedure. Some may only want to see your screenplay, while others will want to see a trailer or an already shot scene.

    Most of the work you have put into creating your Production Bible, Film Proposal, Business and Production Plans can be cut-and-pasted into the applications.

    A particular film grant is generally for a specific amount of money and for a particular kind of genre of film. You can apply for more than one grant for your film as well.

    Without recommending a particular company, here are some places to check out:

    Student Films

    • Student Academy Awards - The academy established the student Academy Awards to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level.
    • SF Film - Creates grant programs that directly fund and support films in various stages of production.
    • Panavision's New Filmmaker Program - Panavision offers the New Filmmaker Program Equipment Grant, which provides the use of Panavision film or digital camera packages to aspiring filmmakers of all kinds at little to no cost. There may be a fee for applying for this grant.

    Documentary

    • SHIFT Creative Fund - Funds for narrative short films, not documentary or feature-length projects.
    • The Paley DocPitch Competition - Offers a $5000 grant for an unfinished or work-in-progress production. Directors must have directed 2 or less documentaries

    Short Films

    • Sundance Institute - The Sundance Documentary Film Program supports nonfiction filmmakers worldwide in the production of cinematic documentaries on contemporary themes.
    • Claims Conference Film Grant - Grants for films dealing with an aspect of the Holocaust

    New Media

    Specialty Grants

    Funding by Women

    Specialty Grants focus money and support resources to a narrow range of projects. Actor and activist Naomi McDougall Jones outlines her four-point plan for a total representation revolution in Hollywood. She says: "What we see in movies matters: it affects our hobbies, our career choices, our emotions and even our identities. Right now, we don't see enough women on screen or behind the camera."

    Read a transcript of this TED Talk.


    This page titled 5.3: Grants is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Steve Shlisky (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI)) .

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