How To Hit The Ground Running In The New Year
+ last chance to register at a discount for Funding Strategies Playbook course
If you missed my dispatch last week I talked about the opportunities I’m most looking forward to in 2024. One of the things I didn’t mention is I plan to attend MORE in-person events and conferences for connections and spontaneous opportunities. In addition to enhancing business, it’ll make for more interesting and fruitful intel sharing here with you guys.
This last week of the year is the perfect time to plan out your schedule of festivals and markets for 2024. As for me, I’m looking forward to EFM and MIPTV in the first few months of the year with possibly one or two smaller events thrown in as well.
What’s on your agenda? Let me know in the comments below!
Need Funding For A Project?
If you’re on a mission to get a project funded next year, don’t forget to join my upcoming Funding Strategies Playbook course kicking off mid-January, and leading right up to EFM and MIPTV.
I discussed the contents of the course in my guide to financing post and your link to register before the end of the year (and price increase on Jan. 1) is right here:
Tips To Hit The Ground Running Next Year
Here’s some of the things I’ll be focusing on right at the top of the year to get projects moving forward again…
Get a head start on packaging and talent outreach. I’m finding actor availability is tight post-strikes so you’ll need as much lead time as possible. Hire a casting director with inside relationships or a Producer/EP who can tap their existing networks so you’re not stuck in infinite limbo waiting to hear back from the actors you need in order to get financing interested.
While waiting for those all-important actors to read and evaluate your material (and hopefully commit!), start making inroads with the ‘sales agents as co-producers’ on your list because they’ll need time to evaluate your project too and hopefully you can involve them early enough in the process to help advise on talent choices, while also signaling to talent agents and managers that you’re in good hands with financing.
Don’t ignore equity as it will likely be the biggest component of your finance plan. Whether that comes from brands, high net worth contacts, grants, crowd funding, or otherwise - start putting cash together now as you’ll need that piece for sales agents to take you seriously. Even a small amount helps if they know you’ll be doing more heavy lifting in this area later.
I know I’ll be working all these steps for myself and clients - if you could use extra help with any of this, email me at stacey@filmspecific.com to book the last few consulting spots I have avail for Q1.
On that note, I’ll sign off for 2023! I’d love to hear from you so pop any questions below or I’ll see you in the new year yeah?
Happy (early) New Year!
Stacey
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Do you ever attend the Upfronts in New York? I'm tinkerin' with the thought of going.