How I Raised a Million $ for My Dream Movie

[@thevandalistshow]

Answering the first 1000 comments! ~TPK

[@leviteare6050]

How did you get in contact with that actor's agent?

[@jlimbu3625]

What are your thoughts/opinions on making a £0 budget feature film?

[@thevandalistshow]

@@leviteare6050 Sign up for imdb pro (trial if they still have it!) That has everyone in hollywood's emails :)

[@cinema-q]

5:21 Can you explain this?

[@Rabidrabbitpictures]

Out of private and public equity which is better for funding in your experience? What was that process like?

[@the_selchies]

I honestly needed this rn. Been slacking with balancing a 9-5, with family, and then my own excuses for not perusing my passion. Great stuff! Hope to see more of your projects in the future!

[@thevandalistshow]

This one's for you! Lots more to come throughout the next few years!!

[@_Approximated_]

Its criminal to see content like this still undiscovered on KZbin, but with this quality I feeling you're going to grow very quickly! Keep up the good work!

[@thevandalistshow]

The "algorithm" is haunting... but hoping that just focusing on good work will the channel push through!

[@WhizPill]

It’s really good

[@cesourius9780]

the production level is INSANE! congrats man you took it to another level with this episode

[@thevandalistshow]

Def took way too much time to be sustainable but really proud of this! 🎉

[@sunburntbone]

Super inspiring, man. The amount of effort put into this video alone is astonishing. I'm looking forward to the full release!

[@drishtiispeaks]

You kept me hooked till the end❤

[@jolevids]

Fantastic video man! Excited to see more of your work, whether on this channel or your films. Inspiring stuff :)

[@thevandalistshow]

Appreciate the kind words!! Focusing on the work, can't wait to share so many future videos with y'all 🙏

[@harryc.]

What a great video

[@wearetrackclub]

This is absolutely killer, Thomas! Amazing production quality and insights 🔥

[@MitchFrickingClark]

Wow this was actually really helpful! So often I see videos that give half baked, non-specific advice on this sort of stuff but everything in this video was so tangible. Also this video is so incredibly well made!

[@thevandalistshow]

So glad it helped, Mitch! There's so much I've learned in my journey navigating "Hollywood", and I hope to lay out the path exactly for future filmmakers (and for my past self) :)

[@ericdargan]

Wow, just met you in this video but so proud of you! First, great job making this happen and second, thanks for sharing!

[@thevandalistshow]

Appreciate you man!! Here for the community, always. Onward and upward---

[@davidbreauxproductions.]

THOMAS I LOVE THIS, can't wait for the next one. Question for ya, when you were first making shorts how did you come about finding actors? For example, did you post on social media? Reach out to local acting classes? Print dozens of flyers and throw them up downtown?

[@thevandalistshow]

Thanks man!! Re actors, I reached out to notable actors directly via imdb pro for the lead roles, then reached out to local small casting directors or posted directly to websites like backstage!

[@Carter_McLaren]

i just want to say thank you so much for the motivation to make my own films! ive always wanted to learn how to start a film project, build a film resume, and get my career started! Also congrats on the $1M Film! cant wait to see what you do in the future!

[@thevandalistshow]

Absolutely, super glad I could help a little!

[@GenZSpeaksPodcast]

Thomas! Kicking ass per usual, We loved having you on the podcast. Let us know when you're in LA and we'd be happy to bring you back on to our in-person studio :). Continued success is coming, keep it up!

[@thevandalistshow]

Thanks mate! Was a pleasure, onwards and upwards!

[@WhizPill]

Love to see podcasters supporting filmmakers

[@wantoast]

Really good stuff! Both in content and production. Rare to see artists get their hands dirty with business, and super useful to watch the process with such transparency. Subscribing immediately!! Trust the algorithm cause it brought me to this. Good luck 😁

[@thevandalistshow]

Thanks so much for watching!! Excited to share more soon.

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

This was extremely well made and definitely created a lot of intrigue in my mind - I've had a vision for creating a film along with a concept album / book (I'm a music producer / artist) so this has definitely sparked some ideas in my brain.

[@thevandalistshow]

Hey Nathan, thanks so much for watching, getting to your email soon! :)

[@Willwaterprism]

This is super inspiring, if this video doesn't explode I don't know what will.

[@thevandalistshow]

It's already doing better than I had ever imagined!

[@emichaparro1204]

Dude, your video was so well shot and eye opening. I've been on the same path as you for so long and it never stops being a grind. Wish you luck on your projects!

[@thevandalistshow]

Appreciate you watching and sharing the kind words! The journey is long and winding, but we're in it together! Excited to build out this community on YT working hard together.

[@UltiMulti_Games]

Jim Cummings was such a welcome surprise! Easily one of the most exciting names in the industry today

[@thevandalistshow]

Agreed! And one of the kindest, hard-working souls. :)

[@Trailer86]

1.) Did you hire a CPA to validate your personal financial history? The history of your past film projects or your partners? 2.) What was the distribution strategy you used to pay back investors? Did you presell territories yourself? Did you partner with a distribution company? 3.) Where did you get the money to pay for advertising? Or hire legal help and a CPA?

[@thevandalistshow]

Great questions! 1) Yes, we hired a CPA recommended from WeFunder for about $1500, not personal history but for the SPV (the LLC) that you create for the film, even if you just made it and $0 everything. 2) No distro strategy to begin with! No presells, nothing. These investors are mainly from tech space, not traditional film investors. 3) Advertising, which I only spent like under $1k, came from our first and only investor who donated a few thousand before the campaign. Same for CPA costs. Financial lawyer came from a producer's friend. Lmk if you have any other Qs!

[@nicoquijano1746]

OK I have to say that this was one of the best videos that I have seen that didn't hold back on how to raise money for films. It wasn't vague at all and was clear. I just subscribed. I shot a feature film myself, we raised money and shot it ona micro-budget. We just had a premiere last month. Trying to raise money for the second film. It would be great to talk. Thanks again.

[@thevandalistshow]

Congrats on your first feature! I think crowd equity could be a big asset for your 2nd... im avail in the email in description or for consultation in the first link... here if you need any help!

[@StandardStoryCo]

Well done on the video and securing that budget! 👏👏

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you sm!!

[@ritamadak3697]

The way you edited this video and your storytelling tells us your film will be good

[@thevandalistshow]

I sure hope so!!!

[@idealbus3]

Amazing video Thomas! I've been following you since NFFTY 2019 and so excited to see where ISLE CHILD goes. Always impressed with the work you do. You're such an inspiration! Thank you for this amazing information.

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you so much! Here to help the next gen of filmmakers :)

[@andrescuevas5489]

You have no idea how much i love this video and you, i hope you get everything you fought for!!

[@thevandalistshow]

Means the world brother!!

[@ZachDoumit]

Extremely valuable stuff here. Thanks for presenting it in a way that cuts out the corporate bullshit and speaks to artists directly

[@thevandalistshow]

There's too much gatekept knowledge! Sharing everything I know whilst on this journey...

[@misterwhyte]

Congratulations! I know how hard it can be to make your dream come true so you have all my admiration. That being said, I wouldn't call the process easy. You clearly put in the work and shouldn't sell yourself short in that regard. I look forward to watching the finished film in the near future. Cheers

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you!! Yes, not "easy", but easy compared to how many hours I put in vs the output I got! Also beats waiting a decade for Hollywood studios to greenlight your movie... but I hear you man!

[@zayrobinson1608]

Thank you so much for the for the video. I’m in preproduction for my debut feature and was getting discouraged with how to raise the raising funds. I will definitely look into again thank you so much

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you for watching! That's awesome to hear, it's so tough! But take a look at crowd equity and let me know if you need any help!

[@zayrobinson1608]

@ Will do!

[@premghuletony9932]

Thanks for sharing your journey . I am also working my sci-fi feature film with a zero budget and i am very confused sometimes how things work. Thanks for showing right direction.

[@thevandalistshow]

Sounds awesome! Here if you need any help along the way :)

[@taylornixonfilm]

Your work is fantastic - loved this video, such an inspiring story - and made so sick! Can’t wait to see the film!

[@thevandalistshow]

Appreciate it so much, excited to share more news about it soon!

[@chanceseverson]

Incredible video! For those still in the short film stage do you recommend still doing crowdfunding?

[@thevandalistshow]

Absolutely! I owe my entire career with shorts to crowdfunding... it's not easy but there's no easy way to get the $!

[@MintyBricks]

This is the first time I’ve seen your work and I love it! The structure of the video is great and inspirational with stunning visuals. Great work and I’m excited to explore more of your work

[@thevandalistshow]

Appreciate you checking it out! Hoping to blend the entertainment with the educational with these videos, and hopefully they'll only get better from here!

[@hicarpee]

algo brought me here. honestly would just like to be your friend! the amount of care you seem to put into everything is just so respectable.

[@thevandalistshow]

Really appreciate it man! Excited to build out this community over the next few years

[@SumonBose]

I love your story man, it gives me so much hope. I also love how you structured the video and shot it. Its a journey :)

[@thevandalistshow]

Re-painting the modern artist's journey man! No one talks about it in the way that I think it should be, and my goal is to build a community around all of us, empowering each other with knowledge and support!

[@SumonBose]

@@thevandalistshow you got me onboard :)

[@MaiaDeGabriele]

wow! absolutely amazing quality. i'll be on the lookout for your future work :)

[@thevandalistshow]

Aw thank you so much for watching and sharing the kind words! Looking forward to sharing much MUCH more for the next two years...

[@RandomMediaYT]

What an amazing video. Your are so underrated. Hope the best for you bro:)

[@thevandalistshow]

Appreciate you watching/supporting!

[@NYCIndieFilmmakerSujewa]

While $1 million is not needed to make most indie movies now, it's good to be able to raise whatever amount a filmmaker wants - in case they need it for some projects. Great indie movies are now done for under $100K. Also, nice video.

[@thevandalistshow]

Agreed! You can make WONDERS with under $300K... which crowd-equity is perfect for! Anything under $120K I believe is even easier to set up re paperwork...

[@nicktosti7487]

Can you give a more detailed description as to why you wouldn't combine crowd equity and private equity?

[@thevandalistshow]

It just gets very complicated on the legal end! Paperwork wise

[@ParkerFoster]

so happy I found this. If you are ever in NYC let me know! I also host monthly filmmaker meetups in NYC and would love for you to speak at one of them!

[@thevandalistshow]

Yo I'm based in NYC! HMU on IG @thomas.pk, would be great to meet the community!

[@ParkerFoster]

@ great! Just DM’d you

[@vfxstar7019]

This is one of the best video's I've seen in a while, from the start I was 100% hooked

[@thevandalistshow]

The biggest compliment!!

[@TheDarkestAgeUnreal]

Well done on an incredible short documentary, you really nailed the retention, not just through the editing, but through the storytelling and delivery of information. The idea of crowd equity is super interesting. I have been thinking of alternate ways to make and fund films. I am curious what your thoughts are on animated films using performance capture. I have been able to achieve some pretty interesting results using Unreal Engine and metahumans, and have thought of producing a feature in this medium. The possibilities of scale or higher production value genres at such a low cost of production are compelling. I wonder if crowd equity could be a way to make it happen.

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you for the kind words! Really trying to blend entertainment with the educational... Lmk if you plan on trying crowd equity! I really have nothing but great things to say about it as it's an untapped model (at least for now). Would be amazing to see an animated project funded using wefunder, I haven't heard of that before and it could be a hit amongst wefunder investors! I agree that could have huge commercial viability of coupled with the right story (making it more desirable for investors). Great idea!

[@vost.mp4]

This video was amazing but could you please make a follow up video explaining crowd equity? Not sure how an indie feature or short is supposed to promise a return

[@thevandalistshow]

It's tough to maintain retention for super in depth videos, hence why I kept this tight and lean -- I share all the details over Zoom in my free consultation sessions linked in description!

[@davidj7828]

This is awesome and I'm super familiar with Jim's lab. One question - can you break down what your facebook ads entailed? As much information as possible on that front would be awesome. Anything from what the ad actually was (video? still?) and what it was "selling", to how you refined who to target the ad toward?

[@thevandalistshow]

Absolutely! Facebook ads are annoyingly soooo complicated, and there's only so much I can type out (I do full Zoom breakdowns for some of the consulting work I do!) but yes, my main creative was a 1x1 video which was a cutdown with subtitles of my wefunder video... I did some A/B testing with the title and copy, but found that that video alone was enough to get hits... I refined and A/B tested the target audience so for example, people who were interested in crowd equity and asian american movies, etc etc, so that you hit the optimal audience size of a few thousand for maximum ROI. Hope that helps!!

[@davidj7828]

@@thevandalistshow awesome dude thank you very much for this breakdown!

[@EmilyKim00]

Thomas, you’re the GOAT! This video is incredible, inspiring, and so helpful!

[@thevandalistshow]

Ahahaha this one's for you Emily!! Glad you're away from the fires...

[@DogecoinBros]

One question since I'm in the 1st 1000 comments: 5:21 what was the total cost for the financial lawyer to handle the PPM? (not asking about the LLC, or accountant, just the PPM lawyer from start to finish). If you can't answer specifically please give a ballpark. Thanks so much and congrats.

[@thevandalistshow]

Hi! I can't say for sure because we had a producers friend who worked for a discount PLUS we got a template contract from my mentor who ran a campaign a few years ago... Which i am sharing as part of my consulting services in description! But they are usually paid per hour, so I believe under $1k though I need to check again the balance sheet

[@DogecoinBros]

@@thevandalistshow I spoke to a lawyer specifically about setting up a PPM for a feature film, again one lawyer I haven't called around and he was quoting me high prices. I know it is extremely specialized and out of the gate it seemed tough to get set up without a chunk of money. I also spoke at length to someone at the SEC about it, they actually answer the phone when you call LOL very nice guy and he thought PPM's were great and why more people didn't utilize them he couldn't understand. So I hit a road block with the lawyer fees when I was exploring but thanks again for your video and sharing all the info, congrats again on the film.

[@thevandalistshow]

Slight error with my wording! PPM's aren't needed for crowd-equity! PPMs are for private raises and are more costly ($3-5K) as they are more detailed/specialized documents... I meant to say Operating Agreement! I believe you get a basic template for free when you file with the SEC. I also share boiler plate contracts for everything with consulting clients linked in description... lmk if you have any other q's!

[@DogecoinBros]

@ Thanks for the follow up!

[@thegregbekkers]

awesome man and inspiring, we're starting our campaign in about two weeks as well

[@thevandalistshow]

No way! Huge congrats, hope it's successful, and let me know if y'all need any help!

[@thegregbekkers]

@@thevandalistshow Yea would love that actually, would love to chat

[@thevandalistshow]

I'm avail for short film crowdfunding consulting linked in description! Free first session...

[@JamesTimberlakesPage]

Love the investor research bit. Simple, but effective. I have a lot of questions- would love to interview you about the whole process tbh, but curious if you ended up making that money back and what type of incentives did you find most popular

[@thevandalistshow]

I'm avail for free consultation linked in description! We have international sales team and potential distributors to sell to as we finish the film. Biggest incentive were investors who just wanted to be a part of the filmmaking/Hollywood process :)

[@kl00ver]

This video is absolutely beautiful! One of the best videos I've seen

[@thevandalistshow]

Wow, thank you so much!!

[@fulloffame]

dude.. this is insane you’re a genius

[@thevandalistshow]

Ahaha no, just anal about the details :)

[@inexp1]

Did an honest double-take at the sub count Good stuff bro this is insane! I hope you decide to keep uploading on this channel

[@thevandalistshow]

Hahaha thankfully a lot of the filmmaking skills from my narrative work translate to KZbin... promising myself to stay at this for at least 2 years... and I keep my promises!

[@mcgimo9139]

How did you get started finding investors? Did you have any help? Do you go to school? How do you keep that disipline? Amazing work man

[@thevandalistshow]

While I was attending USC (before dropping out), I spent all my remaining free time cold contacting investors via the three methods I outlined in the video! All myself. Next video is about finding that motivation/discipline! :)

[@tannerbrowningfilms]

Great video. This stuff is total gold. I need to step up my game on content after watching this

[@thevandalistshow]

So glad I could be helpful!!

[@_avi]

gold teir content and premium filmmaking advice right here, thank you for your service

[@thevandalistshow]

Happy to spread the knowledge!

[@RodrigoBadoino]

Great hustle! Any chance you could pass on your decks? I’d be interested in attempting this model in Australia.

[@thevandalistshow]

My example crowdfunding site is linked in the description!

[@visionvfilms]

I’m glad this was on my recommendation. Dude about to blow up

[@thevandalistshow]

Haha check back in in 6 months!

[@heechanlim.mp4]

hi, I'm a student filmmaker with +10mil views online, and I absolutely loved this video. I was wondering what resources, books, etc. you'd recommend to get some insight into the more financial parts of this process.

[@thevandalistshow]

Hm, I'm not sure as ive had to learn all this info myself thru trial and error, someone below mentioned there was a book they read about film financial structure but tbh these models are changing constantly and this crowd equity model is relatively new! Super undersaturated and so theres not much info on the roadmap... Hence why I made this video!

[@whosdanielhuang]

beautiful. thanks for sharing bro

[@thevandalistshow]

Appreciate you watching man!

[@ArchieParker28]

Incredible video! Editing is beautiful. I found the whole thing very inspiring! Would love to know how you go about distributing your films when it comes to festivals/in general. And how you get them out there and seen by the right people?

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you so much for the kind words! So the whole distro/sales agencies/PR team/fesitvals/strategy world is a whole complicated video of its own, but essentially there's a traditional industry "workflow" and strategy when it comes to releasing your film. Yes, getting it into the top festivals is one part of it, but that doesn't guarantee a sale of your film, to which you need either connections to distributors or sign with a sales agency (middle man) to take your film to "film markets" like EFM and AFM where these titles are sold. It's a really complicated and thus very gatekept but I will share everything I know in a future video as this is a HUGE, under-discussed topic!

[@MayankMekala]

This is incredible! Congratulations!

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@eatsbymike]

Good stuff dude!

[@thevandalistshow]

Appreciate the support!!

[@sant-gmz]

KZbin nailed it with this recommendation! great video, Thomas! You’ve got serious talent; I can see you making it to Hollywood in a few years. Just don’t forget to send me an invite to your first red carpet!

[@thevandalistshow]

Thanks sm for watching, Santi! Haha, we'll all get there together!

[@hengheng2744]

Did you do the editing and mograph for this video? It is so good

[@thevandalistshow]

Yes, everything! Not that hard but it is annoying!

[@jamesthetang]

this is gold man, thank you!

[@thevandalistshow]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@OlguinTorresLeandroDaniel]

I’m working on accumulating short film experience, so I’m curious how was your experience with short film festivals? Did you worked having in mind that you was gonna sell the films? How many money did you spend in entry fees? How can I now if a festival is worth the effort? Any other tip for having success during this first steps in the career of a young filmmaker?

[@thevandalistshow]

I had no idea the shorts were going to go anywhere! Most shorts don't make ROI. I only spent $ applying to the top maybe 15 festivals? Anything below top 20 or so isn't worth it. You don't know if you're gonna get in, it's a total lottery draw but worth playing if you feel you have a small chance. Sharing more soon throughout this year!

[@e.l.gstudios31]

woah, I need this for a long time, but then again, awesome video, also I could never do what you're doing, but I will your advice & tell it my other filmmaking colleagues as well, to see they're all on the same page, as you when doing fundraising a feature film/project, you see, I want to making my 1st feature, as a couple of short films, alongside pitching films left & right, which is a lot, but I dig it, even tho, I say to myself I make it, but I would I really tho, idk, but it's videos like this one, which made me realize, I do have a chance, it just about timing & communication, which I kinda lack at, but I'm slowly getting there, overall

[@thevandalistshow]

It's not easy, but it's really not as hard as you think! Making ANYTHING worth something is going to be hard to begin with, and there's nothing you can't do without the right knowledge in place... I used to and still stutter a lot, but took some acting classes while I was in school and practiced a ton in the mirror haha... you got this!

[@Wadhwa03]

Beautifully executed man, just one question - Why the 4:3 Aspect Ratio for this vid?

[@thevandalistshow]

Just wanted to play with different composition styles! Always fun seeing how different ratios effect the cinematography and feelings... Might try 2.35 for the next EP!

[@derrionbrown3923]

This is gold!!!!! Thank you! 🙏🏾

[@thevandalistshow]

Hope it helps sir!!!

[@davidj7828]

A few more questions, just out of curiosity if you have time. Genre of the film? Did you cast any notable talent? Was the production union or non union/where did you shoot/how many days? What was your above the line/below the line percentage allocation? Some of this may be too granular to answer here so I hope these questions aren't too invasive, feel free to decline answering any of them. I've optioned a few specs the last few years with myself attached to also direct and it has been a major uphill battle. Seriously considering this path now.

[@thevandalistshow]

Np! Drama, cast kind of known talent? But not really. Non union, 25 ish days (lost a lot of time to thunderstorms), and not sure about budget allocation! It's like winning the lottery, trying to get your project made with you attached... Here in description if youre considering crowdfunding and need some guidance!

[@AnhPham-ry5fc]

sigma edit 🔥🔥 forwarding and making my sister watch this NOW!!!

[@olavilappalainen8294]

nice that you use Bach cello suite as background music. :)

[@thevandalistshow]

Only the best :)

[@Frameable]

Do you use filmbox for color grading this video?

[@thevandalistshow]

I tried filmbox, but I didn't want to pay that much for the full version... found film vision ii, and it is AMAZING. Pulls out the reds from skin tones like crazy, a little too much sometimes, but it is great. And seriously a fraction of the price...

[@KrishnaSinghRao]

Bro just gave us the crash course of raising money for films 🥶♥️

[@thevandalistshow]

Very specialized knowledge...!

[@Linus7590]

You´re an inspiration man, what a work ethic

[@thevandalistshow]

Our limited existence scares the s*** outta me. Gotta change the world one day at a time while we can 😹

[@leahsfieldnotes]

can i work on your next set 🙋🏻‍♀

[@thevandalistshow]

I occasionally post cast/crew opportunities on my IG!

[@alifilmstuff]

Just watched this, and all your other videos. Truly inspiring, it's once a blue moon we get sound advice, that doesn't just look good to watch, for free. I am 18 and currently at film school, I have made a few films, and am looking to raise just 10K for my dream short film that I have been developing for 2 years now. I wanted to ask, is there a different approach to raising a smaller amount than 1 million? Thanks again, I love this stuff, it's so flipping cool

[@thevandalistshow]

Aw thanks so much!! Yes, I share my crowdfunding strategy for short films linked in description!

[@CAREEFCABDI]

Keep up the good work

[@thevandalistshow]

It is my duty to serve...

[@samueljackdel]

This is so incredible, this video is beautiful. Do you have any tips about self-filming like you do in this video?

[@thevandalistshow]

Thanks so much for watching, Sam! Everything here was scripted then ad-libbed each paragraph at a time to camera... I usually end up doing 2 5-10min takes so I can check and direct/adjust myself! Acting in your own videos def takes a toll but it's something you practice and get better with over time... hope that helps!

[@nassirmarie4756]

Thank you so much

[@thevandalistshow]

Happy to share, hope it helps!

[@Gabriel-Talon]

What camera and lenses will you use ? Good luck for your movie.

[@thevandalistshow]

Already shot the movie! It's currently in post production. Shot on Alexa mini with arri masterprimes I believe

[@FilmPunk]

How much money did the 1,2 and 3 steps cost?

[@thevandalistshow]

I answered in more detail in another comment, but upfront costs were around/under $2-3k!

[@nicktosti7487]

Is there a way for us to see your contracts with investors to get the layout of these business deals? Was there any terms in your agreements that were especially attractive to investors to make them sign on?

[@thevandalistshow]

The contracts are avail for my consulting clients linked in the description! Re second question, nope, nothing out of the irregular

[@cineseabass5145]

Super relevant, thank you so much for making this video

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you so much for watching it!

[@saniuong]

im sure your channel will be going on a rocket in no time

[@thevandalistshow]

Would be great! Focusing on the work until then 👍

[@IgorLisitsyn]

beautiful!

[@thevandalistshow]

Appreciate the kind words!!

[@SamuelMcIntosh]

Amazing video, thanks for the info!

[@thevandalistshow]

Glad to share and hope it helps!

[@ronvodovozov9940]

Hey :) Did you already have a distribution plan for your film before you started collecting money? How did you know you would be able to pay everyone back? Loved your video btw greetings from Germany🙌🏼

[@thevandalistshow]

Hi! No distribution plan but my producers had some experience with indie film industry! It helps if you can get a sales agent to make a sales projection sheet and that can help with attracting investors... We leveraged having a semi known actor as a supporting role to "forecast" a certain number that we'd expect to sell the film in order to make the $ back... That's why film is such a risky investment!

[@elibeutel948]

nice work Mr.Kim

[@thevandalistshow]

Ahaha appreciate you Eli, hope you well! 🙏

[@spillars]

Thank you for sharing! 🤩

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you for watching!

[@katherinechristing7524]

What an asset this video is! Very grateful!, thank you @thevandalistshow Did you already have a finalized script before beginning the funding process for your brilliant feature?

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you for watching! Yes and no -- I had a script I had been working on for years but it wasn't locked up until we were in production much later!

[@ivoprelog4516]

This inspired me to finish my assignment (i will get to it eventually)

[@thevandalistshow]

😹😹 I was not a great student but JUST GET IT DONE!

[@cinema-q]

6:43 Good tea!! 🍵 📝

[@thevandalistshow]

🙏🙏

[@nerrisnassiri]

Amazing video. Do you have any tips for both LinkedIn DMs and Facebook Ad copy/content? I’m trying both but they’re coming up dry.

[@thevandalistshow]

It's important to refine your copy/wording for maximum conversion! I'd also recommend having a crowdfunding or website set up so one-click leads to your well-produced, intriguing pitch video...

[@ericcartman288]

Excellent video & breakdown! I'm looking forward to more from you! Question for you if I can ~ Do you share the screenplay for your feature with the investors / financiers apart of the project? If not, what does your pitching process look like when you have a scheduled Zoom meeting with these potential investors from LinkedIn --In other words, how do you close the deal?

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you for watching Eric! Great Q -- I only share the script if they ask (which they usually don't, only a handful have asked). A lot of these investors from WeFunder aren't traditional film investors (they're usually from the tech space) so they are basing their investments based on your page + video alone! So no creative notes, nothing... re pitching process, I had to refine it as I kept having more and more calls, but essentially you would spend 10-20 min talking about them and their story/desires, then naturally transition into your story (what, how, why) that led you to making this project. Lean into the Pathos. Then hit them with the numbers (logos, ethos) or anything that boosts your credibility and that you know what youre talking about re numbers, status, and strategy with the film in prep, prod, post, and release... lots of strategy here that I can share in my free session if you'd like! With linkedin, best if you can convert them to Zoom call, makes the conversion MUCH higher since its personal. Hope some of that helps!

[@brandnewextragood]

Thomas, this is an incredible video and incredible story. Exactly what I needed to see, so inspiring. Would you say your experience with private equity funding makes you more inclined to stick with 100% crowd equity funding for future projects? Thanks

[@thevandalistshow]

Aw, really appreciate the kind words! And fantastic question -- I'm focusing on YT and finishing out my first feature, but I've written my next project already and def considering returning to WeFunder for that if I can't leverage my past work for new. I know plenty of filmmakers who have returned to WeFunder like my mentor Jim, who raised almost $2M off WeFunder alone... it's insane!

[@inexp1]

How did you make the ‘board writing itself’ effect?!

[@thevandalistshow]

I used a handwriting video template/plugin from Envato and comped it in with a gaussian blur and corner pin effect in After Effects!

[@inexp1]

@@thevandalistshow genius

[@roevicthssa]

Holy crap that was soo good !!!

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you sm!!

[@pressplayg]

Bro which tools you use to edit 😮❤ you got the taste man

[@thevandalistshow]

Just premiere and After Effects! All self taught... most of my editing comes from the scripting phase, before I even shoot anything :)

[@creepystories8451]

Love the video, very helpful and inspiring. How did you do the mounted camera shots like at 1:17 and 3:50? Those are some of my favorite shots ever but I’ve never known how to do them.

[@thevandalistshow]

I use this! amzn.to/40rkBm9

[@creepystories8451]

@@thevandalistshow thank you so much!

[@zinetx]

Hi! Truly inspirational! Did you use a marketing agency for FB ads or did you do it yourself? Also, what's your thoughts about influencer marketing?

[@thevandalistshow]

Thank you! No marketing agency, although I did consider it at one point. Learned everything they were doing by trail and error. I don't think influencer marketing would work with finding rich investors!

[@hateunderground]

I've seen enough, we're going to need a breakdown video on the Storytelling, Editing, and just over-planning on how you make this video. 😂😂

[@thevandalistshow]

Hahah I will definitely make a few episodes on my personal creative process in the coming months!!

[@hateunderground]

@ thank u 🙏