🎬 The Filmmaker’s Ladder: Tactical Takeaways from Our June 30th Q&A

Last night’s OGFilmmakers Q&A was stacked with practical filmmaking advice — from how to actually find funding, to getting A-list actors onboard without a Rolodex full of industry contacts.

If you missed the call, here’s your tactical recap of what mattered most:

💸 Funding Your Film: Think Ladder, Not Lottery

“Nobody’s funding your $3.5M movie if you haven’t made a $10K one first.” – AJ Rome

AJ broke down film funding into clear budget ladders:

1. Sub-$10K Films (Proof Project)

   → Self-fund. Use credit cards, friends, small partnerships. Build trust and proof.

   → Perfect place to use crowdfunding.

2. $10K–$100K

   → Package your project: script, pitch deck, locked locations, talent.

   → Small equity investments or soft money (tax incentives, in-kind donations).

3. $100K–$250K+

   → You need proof from a previous feature, and real distribution interest.

   → Use success from your <$10K film to build credibility.

4. $500K–$5M+

   → Now you’re playing in territory that demands a sales agent, bankable actors, or pre-sales.

   → But if you don’t have leverage from earlier wins, this path is a dead end.

🎯 Sell the Right Film to the Right People

“You don’t sell a $3.5M film. You build a smaller one that proves you can deliver.”

If your dream project is a $5M genre movie, ask yourself:

What can I make for $5K or $10K that’s in the same genre, tone, or world as that film?

This “Proof Project” becomes the key that opens doors.

🎤 The Secret Weapon: Podcast Tours

“It’s free marketing. It’s niche. It builds authority overnight.”

If your film has a clear audience (horror, mental health, sports, etc.), scrape a list of podcasts in that niche and cold pitch them.

• Send 200 pitches. Land 10 guest spots.

• Always use one call to action (e.g., “Support the sequel at [link]”).

• Great for crowdfunding, WeFunder, or even finding distributors.

Mike Savino (Attack of the Killer Refrigerator 2) is using this strategy — and it’s working. But AJ emphasized the key to podcast traffic: unified focus. Drive listeners to one link. Period.

📦 Pitch Decks that Sell: The 12-Page Formula

AJ revealed his updated 12–14 slide pitch deck formula. Key elements:

1. Title Page – Cinematic image + logo. No clutter.

2. Logline/Tagline – One emotional hook.

3. Synopsis – 4–5 sentences. Only the A story.

4. Theme + Tone – Use comps: “Friday Night Lights meets Ted Lasso”

5. Target Audience + Platforms – Get specific (Tubi, Shudder, etc.)

6. Comparable Titles + ROI – Use the-numbers.com for data.

7. Characters + Actor Comps – Who would play them? Who’s attached?

8. Visual Style + Moodboard – Real images, tone references.

9. Budget + Incentives – Include tax credit states (e.g., Louisiana = 40% back).

10. Distribution + Monetization – Festivals, merch, brand sponsors.

11. Team + Credibility – Past wins, press, awards.

12. Call to Action – What do you want? Investors? Brands? Make it clear.

Pro tip: Use Canva or Adobe Express for polished decks without the learning curve.

🎥 A-List Talent Without an Agent? Here’s How

Want to attach a known actor to your indie film?

• Hire a casting director who’s worked with that actor ($15K–$35K).

• Have them deliver the script directly.

• Be ready to offer a pay-or-play LOI ($50K–$100K development cash).

• Use that LOI to fundraise the full budget — now it’s a “Mel Gibson” movie.

📚 Novels ≠ Movies (Until They’re Bestsellers)

If your plan is to write a book and then get it adapted — it’s doable, but not fast. Studios only care when your book proves an audience:

“Nobody’s making your movie from your novel unless it already has fans. A lot of them.”

Best bet: make the movie first, then reverse-engineer the novel later for IP leverage.

📺 Episodics? Finish the Season

If you’re developing an episodic show:

• Write the full season

• Shoot all episodes if possible(minimum 5–6)

• Submit to short-form Emmy categories — great networking tool.

• Don’t rely on proof-of-concept pilots. They rarely get picked up unless already paired with known execs or showrunners.

🧠 Your First Feature Is the Lead Domino

AJ closed the session reminding everyone:

“Nobody’s taking you seriously until you’ve made a feature.”

So:

• Shrink the script to fit your resources.

• Use what you already have.

• Start building an audience from day one.

This is the foundation of the Proof Project Challenge — write, shoot, and wrap your first feature in 90 days, no fundraising required.

📍TL;DR – Action Steps

✅ Make your first feature (no more short purgatory)

✅ Use podcasts to promote, fundraise, and build fans

✅ Use Canva to build a beautiful, no-fluff pitch deck

✅ Only pitch $1M+ films after you have a proof project

✅ Attach talent via casting director + LOI

✅ Own your email list. Drive all traffic to one link.

📅 Want help making your first feature?

Check out The Proof Project Challenge

— in the can in 90 days, no fundraising required.