There was a time when all I wanted to do was make my first movie. And when sweat, tears and a lot of luck turned into a movie, all I could think about was getting it out into the world – convincing distributors and Showtime viewers and DVD buyers (those brave, defiant three!) to love B-GIRL as I do. It was terrifying and exhilarating. And THEN I learned something new – I didn’t just want to make a movie, I wanted to make ANOTHER one.
So I found myself starting over, back at the beginning of the movie process: finding the financing. For a producer like myself, independent film is about money; no studio is footing the bill so I’ve got to figure out how to pay for the movie and make it for less. Yes this is a creative business, but don’t forget the second word of that name – It’s a Business. And as such, money is the foundation – every creative choice, provocative camera angle or meaningful movie moment depends on raising those funds…
* This piece was written by Producer Elizabeth Dell and originally published in the Women and Hollywood Blog, August 16, 2011.
