The Independent, October 28, 2008
Money Issues: Funding an Independent Film
Three filmmakers discuss their experiences in raising money to make their films.

Nikki Chase

Long before filmmakers begin production, they face the daunting task of scraping together enough money to get their film off the ground. Choosing the right method of funding relies on many factors, including the type and subject of the film, and the experience behind the cast and crew involved in the project.

Funding can come in many forms, from national grants to family and friends. The Independent takes a look at three filmmakers and how they got the funding they needed to get their projects off the page and onto the screen.

Case Study #3:

Film: The Linguists
Type: Feature-length documentary
Total Cost: About $550,000
Funding: Self-funding, national grant

Seth Kramer had more than 14 years of filmmaking experience, with over 10 hours of airtime on PBS when he began trying to raise funds for his documentary, The Linguists. In the past, Kramer was usually funded by foundations that signed on with the knowledge that the film would get exposure as a PBS broadcast. But when it came to raising funds for The Linguists, a film about scientists, David and Greg, as they travel the world to study dying languages, they found the subject matter and lack of a guaranteed audience made it a hard sell for most foundations and grants.

"Nobody is going watch a movie about languages, they told us, it's just not going to happen," Kramer said. "It was extremely difficult because nobody thought the film was going to be interesting."

But, the reactions they got only pushed the crew to try harder, spending money out of their own pockets to travel across the country, talking to groups that had a stake in the issue. "The community of linguists getting behind this was really helpful in raising the money," he said.

Eventually, they self-funded a trip to Siberia where they shot almost 20 percent of the film, using not more than $10,000. Then they used that footage to put together a reel, which they included as part of a package sent to the National Science Foundation, in hopes of getting a grant.

With the reel they were able to show that the film was more than just a documentary about languages, they demonstrated that they had young, funny and entertaining scientists as guides, which would draw a younger crowd to the film.

Their application for a grant was a success and they received more than $500,000 from the National Science Foundation, even though funding independent documentaries was not something they typically did.

"If they didn't step up to the plate, we would not have been able to make the movie," Kramer said. "Nobody would have had the courage to invest in it, sadly. And I'd like to think we've proved everybody wrong."

The Linguists was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival, making it the first National Science Foundation-funded film to be selected for Sundance. And though Kramer says it's certainly rewarding, he admits it was a long, hard road. "I would recommend, if your mom wants you to be a doctor or lawyer, then do that," he said.

And, he admits that it's probably unlikely for first-time filmmakers to get this kind of grant, "It's different to make these movies and write these grants when you don't have a track record of getting your work seen," he said. "I worked for a long time as a freelance producer, where someone else was responsible for raising the money, which gave me a track record to eventually start doing it myself."

But, he recommends filmmakers just starting out work on creative forms of financing. "You've got to look at going many different routes because if you go after one big grant and you don't get that grant, you're not going to make your movie," he said. "Go out there and shoot the first scene that you can use as a reel to raise money. Go to corporations, self finance, use credit cards, ask your aunt Millie, whatever."

He adds that there is an additional outlet for documentarians through communities that are already involved in the issues their films are dealing with. "You can find people that are supportive of your issue to hit the pavement for you and spread the word about the piece, so it's a good idea to build community support," he said.

A PBS broadcast of The Linguists is planned for 2009, and Kramer would like to see the film played as part of educational outreach in high schools and universities. He is currently working on a documentary designed for PBS broadcast called New Recruits, about the effort to fight poverty, which he plans to fund through foundations.

Finding funds is not always the most pleasant part of the filmmaking process, but Kramer says that there is a positive side to the struggle. "The struggle to raise money puts you into a position where you constantly have to improve upon your idea," he said. "If you're not able to sell people on your idea, maybe there's a problem with your movie. It can have a real positive impact on your film."