How To Package A Feature Film

In today’s issue, I’m going to take you through the key components of a package.

Knowing how to package your film is one of the most vital skills you can learn as a filmmaker. By doing this well, you will increase the amount of interest your project receives. And interest converts to financial support.

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as it sounds.

Packaging a film requires insight

Here’s just a few reasons packages can fall flat:

• Missing components.
• Incomplete information.
• Pitching the wrong information to the wrong person.

If you're unsure what to include in your package, don't stress.

By the end of this newsletter you will know exactly what you should be working on to create a kick-ass package.

Here's how, step by step:

Step 1: Understanding the foundations

If you are missing one piece of information, your whole pitch can fall over.

So let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to you.

Here are the components of a package:

1. Screenplay.
2. Budget.
3. Finance plan (which matches the budget).
4. Creative pitch deck (i.e. a lookbook).
5. Investment deck (for private investors only!).
6. Director.

Producers, sales agents and distributors need this information to assess a project. Without it, you are unlikely to put pen to paper on a deal.

Can you pitch without one of these? Sure you can.

But they will ask you for this information, so it’s best to have it all ready the moment you start pitching.

Key tips: Don’t mix the information from your investment deck or business plan with your creative deck. Keep these two as separate as church and state. And only send the investment deck to private investors, no one else.

Step 2: Adding talent

But what about talent, you say?

Chances are if you’re reading this you’re like me and not at the stage where you’re working with A-List talent...yet.

For now, you can focus on selling the project based on the genre and creative vision.

And if you are working with A-List talent, congrats! Your package is complete.

Including talent isn’t necessary when pitching to private investors or producers. It is more relevant for sales agents and distributors.

But that takes me to my next point…

Step 3: It’s all relative

A package is sellable when you minimise risk and maximise reward.

Stay with me for a second.

Let’s say you don’t have A-List talent or ‘name actors’ like I mentioned above. Well, this is OK if your budget is under $1.5-2m. Because you don't need a huge commitment from distributors or sales agents.

Or let’s say you’re a first time feature filmmaker and you want to raise a budget of $5m. And let’s say you don’t have a solid body of short form work. It’s hard to sell your package because there is a lot of risk associated with backing you at that budget level.

So everything in your package needs to sync up. Your budget, finance plan, genre, script, level of experience and talent need to make sense to a financier/distributor. This is where insight comes into it.

The more you can de-risk it for the recipient of your pitch, the more attractive it becomes.

Well that’s it for today, and for the year!

I’ll be taking a break for a few weeks but will be back on 12 January.

Merry Xmas to all and thanks for tuning in this year.

Looking forward to a big 2024!

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1. Develop your filmmaking skills [FREE] here (2k+ subscribers).

2. Apply to bring me onto your film as an Executive Producer (Next slot available in January)

3. Join my Accelerator Program (exciting announcement coming)