FPFV440

UG - Undergraduate

Let's face it: finding money for your project is one of the toughest--and most important--parts of being an independent filmmaker today. With traditional funding models shifting and sustainability more urgent than ever, this course gives you practical tools and real-world strategies for financing and packaging your work in today's evolving landscape.

We'll dig into how to build a strong creative team, prepare a budget and finance plan, and secure funding from grants, investors, and fiscal sponsors. You'll also learn how to develop essential pitch materials--like look books, pitch decks, and proofs of concept--while examining how your financial decisions affect your creative freedom. We'll cover contracts, collaboration agreements, distribution and marketing strategies, and how to position yourself and your project for festivals, audiences, and the global marketplace. Along the way, we'll explore case studies that highlight alternative and emerging models (narrative and documentary) to challenge the status quo and spark inventive thinking.

Come ready to work: students should bring a treatment for an unproduced project to the first class. You'll workshop it throughout the term as you build a complete financing and packaging plan. Recommended for MFAs, BFA3s, and BFA4s.

RGFPFV - Film/Video Program Students Only