How to Start a Film Production Business

Get your production company up and running.

So, you've graduated film school or spent a few years doing entry-level production work. If you begin to sense that you have outgrown your current position, imagine working for yourself. Creating films for sale can allow you creative control over your career. The most important thing you need coming into this is experience working in the film industry. Starting a film production company demands prior knowledge of the field so that you understand the fast pace of shoot days and the tight constraints of budgets.

Instructions

1. Hire a lawyer to take care of the business end of things. He can tell you what fees should be paid, business applications that should be completed, paperwork that should be filled out to make the business official and agencies that need to be notified. Having someone else take care of these things leaves you in charge of what you know best--filmmaking.

2. Purchase equipment for the work you need to accomplish. By this point, you already should know whether you are taking on the role of producer, director, editor or screenwriter. A high-performance computer such as the Toshiba Satellite A75-S213 may be perfect for editing, screenwriting and developing budgets.

3. Hire a couple of trusted interns to help you with film shoots. Interns are important because they do work at low cost and should genuinely want to learn from the experience. Just make sure that they don't goof off on the clock; you need serious workers to get things done.

4. Find or write a script that you believe others should find appealing. Although your entire purpose does not need to be the entertainment of others, you must criticize the film's potential for making money. A film production business is similar to any other business that needs money to stay afloat.

5. Develop, shoot and finish the film. When you are finished, find an outlet for it perhaps in film festivals. Your No. 1 goal is to get distribution that pays you money for your work.

Tips & Warnings

• Pay close attention to the budget of your film shoots. Keep yourself from spending too much on hiring actors. You can always reshoot a second version of a movie with pricier actors if you think the film has serious potential.

• Lawyers help by making sure no one sues you for copyright infringement, which can occur by unintentionally using someone else's ideas in your work. A lawyer can also make sure that your hiring processes are legal. It's good to have someone on staff, although it might take some time to be able to afford one.

• You may go seriously in debt to get the business started. Be careful not to spend what you can never pay back to credit card companies. Avoid buying pricey equipment that top filmmakers use if you do not have the money for it. You can always rent important equipment by the day for a professional shoot.

References

• Copynot: Copyright Infringement
• Desktop Video Guide: Guide to Selecting a Computer for Digital Video Editing

Resources

• Internet Movie Database: Festivals