There are only two kinds of films: good or bad. Anything in-between is often vague and pretentious. Now the big question is how you can make a good film when making a bad one can be just as difficult.
A good script, I believe, is the answer. However while developing a script you really believe in, it is very likely that you will lose your objectivity in the process. As parents have the tendency to believe their children are perfect and can do nothing wrong, a filmmaker can also develop the same misconception.
Therefore it is imperative for any filmmaker to gain some objectivity before terming the script as flawless. An easy way to start is by including people you trust. Share your first draft of the script with them and listen to their feedback with an open heart and mind.
Once you have gotten a vote of confidence from your circle of trust, the next best thing is to reach out to as many professionals as you can. Of course there is the fear (and rightly so) that someone might steal your idea or do some other kind collateral damage (reject your script). However, as a filmmaker this is a risk you should be willing to take. To sum it up, you need to re-draft your script at least seven to eight times before you can even think of taking the next step.
It might not be in your control to come up with a unique story each time. However even a simple story can leave a strong impact if the characters are really well defined. You must ask yourself and your reliable others, whether the characters in your script are well-developed, someone the audience can relate to, are consistent and of course, interesting?
Films like Sholay or The Dark Knight do not have a unique storyline but each character in these films is so well-defined that the final outcome is truly satisfying.
Once your script is locked, the next step is determining the accurate budget of the film. Although in Pakistan it has to be the other way round; with only handful of functional cinemas in the country, the script has to be developed keeping the budget limitations in mind.
Let’s see how the numbers look like to have a better understanding.
Possible channels of revenue:
Theatrical Business: approximately 10 million rupees (if your film does average business i.e., 50 to 60 per cent occupancy for two weeks)
Satellite rights: approximately 4 million rupees (the duration of the film should be two hours or longer)
Music and DVD rights: approximately 0.5 million rupees (vocals and music by established musicians will allow you to get a better deal)
If your film is expected to generate revenue of 15 million rupees, you can not spend more than 10 million rupees on film production and marketing. As the recovery period is for about two years, the surplus of 4 to 5 million rupees will ensure a 16 to 17 per cent profit for the investor.
So once your script is locked and you have raised money from your 3 Fs (Friends, Family and Fools), the following factors will determine whether you will succeed in making a film or not.
1. Pre-production plan – this should always include plans A, B, C, D, E and even F, if needed.
2. Saleable and reliable actors
3. An efficient and trustworthy production crew
4. A solid marketing and distribution plan
When you dream of making a feature film with a budget of only 4 to 5 million rupees, a comprehensive pre-production plan is necessary. Every step of the filmmaking process should be on paper (screenplay, list of locations, production and costume design etc)
Reliable and saleable actors will ensure your shoot starts on time and the distributors stay interested. Efficiency and Dependability of your production crew will allow the director to focus on his job with full concentration.
As I mentioned in my earlier blog, it is very important for a film to create the right kind of noise even before the shooting gets under way. A detailed marketing and distribution strategy should be chalked out before the production starts. You must know where and when will you showcase the first promo of your film. Which film festivals to target? How to approach the distributors? How much can you spend on electronic and print media?
If you have all the answers you must proceed as it is about time we try and tell our stories to the rest of the world. Sooner or later they will sit up and listen.
Adil Sher is a film producer whose films have been screened at various film festivals across the world. He is also the managing partner of Talking Filmein.
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
People flock to the movies to see stories about Narnia and Harry Potter, escapist fantasies that take us away from our real world of cuts, austerity and with economic disaster on the horizon. In these tales, on our side we have wizards both brave and powerful. In real life, we look upon our so-called leaders and despair. If we wish for a Narnia to escape to, we must build it here. Ourselves.
A good script is as good as the white marble located in the Italian mountains. It took the city of Florence a thousand years to transform a slab of marble into the statue of David. The presence of a particular marble or the presence of the englghtened patrons were not enough during the Italian Renissance. Nor was it enough to have a skillfull artist around. What was needed then was an artist with a particular sensibility. Such a sensibility came to play during the early 1950s when the writer Tennesse Williams pursued the film director Elia Kazan to transform the play name “A Street car name desire.” The play wasn’t just about the breaking down of the old order of the American south. There was also a universal element. It was about the character caught between the incomprehensive forces and led to lunacy. The film director, with the right cast, highlightening what needed to be highlightened and deleting and what needed to be deleted, made the script or play relevant even to our times.
Dear Mr. Adil Sher,
How do you address piracy? From what I gather it is one factor that discourages an average investor.
M. Shahid Yousuf