Customer Reviews

The Art of Film Funding: Alternative Financing Concepts

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I bought this book eager to learn some of the "alternative" financing concepts based on the glowing reviews. I'm about to mount a low budget feature, and I thought the book might provide good info on investment schemes and methods of raising money and other non-monetary support for a fictional project. However, this book is aimed at the non-profit and/or documentary filmmaker with only cursory references to fictional feature (or short) projects. I really learned nothing new from this title and I feel the description here is misleading. I suggest those of you looking for insight on funding for-profit films look elsewhere. If you are wanting to shoot a documentary then this book could be very helpful. My two cents worth.

I have been banging into Hollywood's door for many years, trying to find the key to get in. I realized that of all the aspects of film production there are only two that carry the most weight in the show business arena. Financing and distribution are what makes it all happen. Without those two, nothing else is that important. Even the great script can never be made without financing and distribution. I have studied and went to every workshop and class on film making. The joy came when I saw Carol Dean's book, "The Art of Film Funding" Alternative Financing Concepts. I knew this was a book that I had to have. There are topics such as "Loading the Bases", and chapter's 7 thru 14 were with other authors and some attorneys giving their expertise in chapters such as, "Building the Foundation for Fundraising Trailers", and "Product Placement and Branding" etc. This book by Carol Dean has jump started my desire to keep pursuing my dream of making my own film. We try in this world of ours to find some kind of success and peace of mind: I have found peace of mind in this book, now I am pursuing realistic goals, success. I have no doubt this book will help in my dreams and success. Thank you, Miss Dean........

There are some book out that never give what they promise, and there are some that give you more that what you expected to get. This book is definitely the latter. This book has so much information. It is often times hard to know where to start and this book gives you the tools to find money for your film. What I liked a lot were the two website databases to find grant money. The appendix has a list of funders, databases, organizations, and more. It doesn't just show you how to write proposals to get money, but a starting place in who to send your proposals to and how to get their attention. This book is worth the money and time. I would also recommend Bankroll by Tom Malloy. These two books will give you the tools to start funding a film today.

As a first-time filmmaker, I have found Carole Lee Dean's book to be invaluable. It is filled with practical ideas and the interviews are great! She knows how difficult it is to survive in the indie world, but if you follow her advice, you can make it happen. No matter where you are in the funding process - buy this book today! All it takes is just one of her great ideas to work for you and the book will pay for itself.

Overall, fantastic book! I run a website for emerging documentary filmmakers - Desktop Documentaries - and I will most definitely recommend this book to my visitors. For most filmmakers, the whole process of fundraising is a great big mystery. As filmmakers, we want to make films, not ask people for money! Those two things are diabolically opposed and really take two very different personality and skill sets. As Carol says, "Too many filmmakers think the process of funding their films is going to.. suck the creative juices right out of their veins." She is exactly right. And as a filmmaker myself, I totally resonate with that quote. What's great about Carol and this book is that she seems genuinely interested in helping filmmakers succeed. I was not aware of all the great work Carol is doing with filmmakers until reading this book. I love that she gives feedback (a free 15-minute consulation) to anyone who applies for her grants. If I had one complaint about the book it's that it mixes information about documentary filmmaking and for-profit narrative filmmaking which makes it a bit confusing at times. The vast majority of the book deals with docs (non-profit films), so if you're looking for film financing for your for-profit movie endeavor, this probably is not the best book for you. It's also a very lengthy book and can feel overwhelming if you're a beginner. Although I've been in the filmmaking/video production world for more than twenty years, I learned a lot from reading this book. Carol not only provides her own advice and information, she also includes a lot of articles from "guest authors" (professionals in the filmmaking world including entertainment lawyers, doc filmmakers, distributors, sales agents, etc) which add extra perspective and depth. Overall, an excellent book that helps takes the mystery out of fundraising and provides some very tangible steps filmmakers can take to get funding for their docs. Thanks Carol for all you do!

I reviewed this book on my Youtube show "Action Filmmaking". The title of this book tells the whole story. Many of us seek out funding for our films, but we really don't know how to go about doing it aside from asking family and friends. This book exposes the reader to various ways of getting support via grants, corporations and other opportunities.

One of the great things about this book is that it comes from the point of view of people who are in the industry and have financed and completed projects, so the information is not just theoretical. There's interviews from people who've gone through the various ins and outs of trying to get money for their films and it goes into great detail about how they succeeded through alternative funding. "Alternative Funding" is simply what you have to do when you don't have investors or Hollywood greenlighting you and you have to come up with the funds for yourself.

The book gives great advice on how to approach people and ask for money and other things you may need and want to help with you film. I find that one thing people are afraid to do is ask and this book fully explains methodologies that are very realistic. But it also explains how much you will have to invest in time and effort. This book may not for someone quickly trying to slap their latest backyard epic together on a shoestring budget, this is for someone truly involved in the process who will not "expect" results, but "make" results.

My only issue with the book is it's heavily slanted toward documentary filmmaking, but a smart filmmaker will know how to parlay the information within into something worthwhile. This book is all about thinking outside the box.

I have really enjoyed this book. The content provides tremendous insight into the personal and business life of the author. It was refreshing to hear stories about the author's father, and how he would always get caught up in peoples' production dreams. After all, every great film begins as a production "dream". The book also provides very useful resources that are essential to reducing the learning curve associated with securing funding.

I currently have a commitment from PBS to air my television show, but have been working on the funding side of things. The Art of Film Funding provided me with excellent insight into potential funding opportunities.

Thank you for a well written book!

My primary medium is theatre, but I found this book very helpful because of the similarities between theatre and film. My hunch was that I could learn a lot from fundraising for film because they need a lot more people and way more money to put their works together.

My hunch was right.

The Art of Film Funding: Alternative Financing Concepts does not waste time. After a quick look at what it really takes to get a project off the ground, Carole Dean immediately launches into what every project needs to sell itself. More than that, though, she explains how to do it.

This is not a step-by-step guide, but more like a toolbox of strategies and skills that a filmmaker (or, in my case, a theatre artist) will need in every phase of a project. This works well for independent and DIY works because there is no cookie-cutter approach to financing.

For my own project, I focused on mastering the pitch. Because of what I learned in this book, the project I'm working on raised twice as much money as we set out to, which came in handy once the scope of our project suddenly expanded.

If you want to make a movie without maxing out a bunch of credit cards, The Art of Film Funding: Alternative Financing Concepts is a good way to learn how to do that.

The words in this book offer true richness, not only for the purpose of fund raising, but to enlighten readers to follow our dreams and passions with commitment and trust. Film making engages so much creative energy and diligence, that often we may get scattered in infinite possibilities. For me, the Carole's writings have been a light house that brings hope to my projects with a sensible, down to earth and touching language.

Carole Dean's The Art of Film Funding is an invaluable guide to the necessary melding of the creative and business sides of the equation in successful film project funding.