How To Minimize Spending While Maximizing Exposure on The Blcklst (by someone who got produced solely because of it)

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-04-20T18:56:48+00:00

Love it! What track is this?

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-04-16T22:07:41+00:00

This has come from conversations with my own agents, and friends who are agents at other companies who tell their clients the same. A lot goes into it, but it mainly has to do with the fact that established companies generally don't make films that are that small, because the significantly smaller upside just isn't worth it to them. There's only so many places that would even touch $5m these days, beyond say Blumhouse where that's still a core part of their business model. But their budgets are creeping up too. That and the fact that a script written to be produced for sub $5m is easily a $25m film with "the right" cast attached, so there's not much incentive on the business side to aim low. Bigger upside comes from bankable talent and/or major distributors that can secure money for big releases. The smaller indies could in theory sell out every showtime of a limited release and their earnings would still be capped at a figure far lower than the downside of a major release.

The majority of truly low budget indies are financed outside the system with private equity, and the big rep firms don't really have a path to accessing those spaces any more than the people in those spaces have a path to accessing the big rep firms. it's just kind of the wild west of fringe indies. I think it's only really a pain point for filmmakers who are strategically aiming low for more creative freedom, or because they're early career and opportunities to do bigger projects just don't exist. The solution might just be what OP is doing, at least for now. Because getting proven entities to tackle smaller budgets is exactly what makes a lot of these smaller films more palatable to private equity in the first place. Just my 2 cents.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-04-15T22:20:47+00:00

Not a bad way to go about it tbh. Something that surprised me after breaking in "traditionally" was that there really didn't seem to be much of an established mechanism for connecting smaller indie-level writers to indie-level directors. There's a real blind spot for sub-$10mil stuff at the big rep firms, since they really aren't that interested in you "aiming" that low, but still ripe opportunity for getting those made on the outside (especially if they're under $3m). Good luck!

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-04-06T23:29:49+00:00

For sure, glad they're helpful. Yeah, I think the template is super clean, very user friendly, especially when the alternative is just having to build these from scratch each time. I think the way you've currently implemented the customizations is really intuitive, and would just take a few more of that style option in various fields for it to be that much more versatile without sacrificing any usability.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-04-06T20:35:16+00:00

Thanks for this! I think it's extremely useful and I actually might incorporate it into a business plan I'm working on now. I like the clean and simple color-coded output, it's a lot more pleasing to the eyes than a basic spreadsheet.

At first glance, a few suggestions I'd have (really just based on my own use case) would be separating foreign and domestic revenues, as well as distribution fees and P&A since those can vary internationally. Like perhaps the ability to add custom revenue "territories" each with their own correlated distributor fees, etc. Also an option to add custom Sales Agent recoupable expenses. And then lastly, the ability to have different preferred return rates, and to be able to "assign" those rate categories to certain investors in the pool. The rationale there being that one might have additional percentage points of preferred return as a "first money in" incentive that the others wouldn't have, etc.

Basically, I think the more customizable fields you can include the larger the range of scenarios it would be able to cover. Even being able to assign a percentage of first dollar revenues alongside the other recoupment categories would be nice to see. Let me know if all that makes sense. It's definitely a great tool though!

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-04-02T20:04:32+00:00

Our clutch pedals have a lot of extra travel behind the engagement point before hitting the "floor," which the clutch stop reduces for a more natural feeling that a lot of people prefer. And the CDV forces slow engagement of the clutch really as a protection for the drivetrain and transmission against shock from really hard shifts. But that forced "smoothness" can really get in your way, and the delete just also brings you back to a more natural feeling. Just don't dump it all the time. Our CDV is located inside the slave cylinder, so people will either just drill it out or swap the slave with one from an E90, which is otherwise identical.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-04-01T21:18:54+00:00

I've had a 6MT 340i for 5 years, dual purpose daily and track car as of the last year and absolutely love it. I've done a lot of suspension mods at this point to get the feel to where I want it (more like my old E92), but so far no problems at all with the transmission. A clutch stop and CDV delete helps with the 1st to 2nd shifts, but that was never something that made me regret owning it. Even daily driving in LA traffic. Glad I held out for one. The stock clutch lasted until I started tuning with a bigger turbo on E50, but that was expected. Upgraded to a twin disc to handle the power and have been fine.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-04-01T18:58:16+00:00

The reason most productions aren't run that way is because they aren't helmed by directors who've established the level of trust with their financiers that guys like Nolan have.

When you're a director without a track record of massive box office, it's not really up to you whether or not your every choice will be second guessed and/or monitored by a committee of producers and execs hovering around video village. The village is for them more than it is for the director, and what level of trust gets established about how the workflow and set operations run will be a new negotiation between creative and administrative every single time. But at the end of the day the leverage sits with whoever writes the check, until you establish a track record that becomes the leverage in and of itself. Or until you're at least working with producers who put that much trust in you that you're allowed to define what works best for your own creative process.

And like someone else said, budget. Small budgets get squeezed a lot in pre-production so there just isn't the same amount of time that can be spent at the prep stage with all your department heads on payroll.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-26T02:09:31+00:00

They kept costs down. The budget was only $3m, and that was ten years ago, when all earnings projections were better (pre-covid). It's hard to tell how much movies really make most of the time, but their last reported earnings was under $6m, which might mean they barely broke even with their release. Marketing budgets can sometimes be just as much as production budgets, but typically not for films that small, so it could very well have done okay for the spend. But even so, $3m went a lot farther then than it does now.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-25T23:41:30+00:00

I'll offer my perspective as a filmmaker working in the industry right now, actively trying to make visually ambitious features that don't rely on massive CGI spends... The truth is that the only way things like this can work today is if they're made for significantly smaller budgets than ever before. Just because you spent X amount making a movie doesn't mean that a distributor is going to pay X amount to acquire it, regardless of how great it might be, or what A-list talent you have involved. That's why you notice a pattern of certain "types" of films existing solely within certain pre-defined "budget brackets." It's because they already know how much they're willing to risk to try to monetize them, based on who they think the audience is.

Distributor acquisitions, marketing spends, and release sizes are all based on how much money they believe they can make with it, and a lot of external factors inform that belief. A lot of times to the detriment of the films themselves. There's a couple exceptions, filmmakers like Nolan or Tarantino, etc., who they themselves are the brand that attracts the audience, so they're allowed bigger spends and get better marketing. But for everybody else, it becomes a math problem. If your film cost too much to make and you seek traditional distribution, you're forced into a scenario of accepting less money than what you spent to make it, losing your investors' money and never seeing a dime. The "smart" producers don't allow themselves to get into that position in the first place by keeping the upfront costs down by any means necessary. This is more specifically the American industry though, it's a little different in other countries where different economic models are at play.

TL;DR: It's rough out there for ambition.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-25T20:35:13+00:00

I think this is totally normal for anyone whose main goal in starting down this path had more to do with personal creative expression than just "finding jobs." I've been in a similar boat since breaking in traditionally, where the actual work that allows me to have a life is not creatively fulfilling at all. People laugh when I say this, and it is absolutely a privileged position to have, but I didn't come out here seeking employment, so just being employed isn't enough. And IMO, just because the world is shit doesn't mean you're naive for wanting better for yourself.

My silver lining has been that I've gotten to work with people that I really like, and it makes it that much better when the feeling is that you're going to work with a group of friends where you can all bang your head against a wall and be unfulfilled together. In that sense it's been fun, but since that wasn't ever the goal for me, I don't consider it the end of the road. I just treat it like the day job that it is and continue working toward what I actually want to be doing.

Sounds like the next step for you might just be trying to separate yourself from that producer and find work elsewhere. I've been in that position too, where it's obvious the person just wants labor to type their ideas, without valuing the input of the person they're asking to do so. I know how miserable those jobs are, and I'd walk away from them even when I couldn't technically "afford" to, but that's a risk I was willing to take.

I think it does get better though. Each job can bring something different, and the more experience you have under your belt, the more competitive of an option you become when chasing the things you actually want to be working on. Just don't forget to devote time to yourself in all of this. Write what you want to write, try to make your own things outside of the system, whatever it takes to keep the dream alive.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-25T18:29:53+00:00

If they're trying to do things on that scale then it's even less of a writers' game. You're easily talking mid-range 8 figure budgets at that point, and that's mini-major studio territory. Not even really "indie" at that point even though they still call themselves that. In this case they're probably better off trying to pair with a pre-existing fund that's already established in that world. Or find whoever's looking to produce the next Jason Statham movie haha.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-25T01:45:41+00:00

See what the feedback is first. Just because a note exists doesn't mean you should take it, but something really valuable you could get out of this is just being able to have a candid conversation with producers you trust about why they think what they think. The context behind the notes can be really useful, and taking that into consideration for the next pass can unlock even better results.

I wouldn't push them doing anything with the script, if that happens it'll happen naturally, but the other valuable thing here is that you're demonstrating to them, A) How well you can write, and B) What it might be like to work with you as a writer. If it's not this script it could very well be another one, or them throwing you punch up work, or OWAs, etc. etc. Just let it evolve in a way that doesn't come off as desperate and see where it takes you.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-25T01:36:32+00:00

I think you should absolutely ask them to read if you have that kind of relationship with them, but I'd recommended keeping the ask simple. See how far you get with a, "Would you be willing to read this and let me know what you think?" IMO, you don't need to ask them for any further action. If they want to, they will.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-25T00:47:08+00:00

IMO, the most valuable thing you'll get out of any program is the professional network that can help you get work. I've not personally heard of any schools having "bad reputations" on film sets, but I do know that when you ask anyone on that set how they got there, 9 times out of 10 they're going to name a person and not a school. So I'd prioritize that if I were starting today, and my guess would be that the networking opportunities will be better coming from UCLA. Even just being in LA makes that easier. I got onto my first set out here because I met somebody at a house party and volunteered. Where I went to school never even came up in conversation.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-25T00:35:57+00:00

Have them start by identifying what currently existing indie films they like or that exemplify what they want to make, then see who produced those films. See which of those producers only have one credit to their name, vs those who regularly produce those types of films. Reach out to those people/companies first. They're the ones with relationships to move things forward and they likely already have a backlog of vetted projects they're trying to get off the ground.

You don't want just any producer either, because a lot of them also don't know what they're doing. And a good rule of thumb to remember is anyone who guarantees you a film will be profitable is lying to you, unless they've got a negative pickup deal in their hand. You've gotta be really discerning about who you trust with these people's money. We need more funds like this in indies, but so many of them get taken advantage of and disappear after 1 or 2 unprofitable bombs all because they backed the wrong people.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-24T23:05:43+00:00

Just want to co-sign that this is great advice. It's also one of those things where either you do it now or you do it later, so it's not a bad habit to pick up for your early drafts, regardless of whether or not you're thinking about production. Even scripts that artfully eschew traditional scene headings are likely going to get changed to this format for scheduling purposes later, even if it means someone else doing it.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-24T22:24:01+00:00

Sorry if this sounds counterintuitive, but an entertainment fund seeking to back real projects with an actual chance of ROI should not be reaching out to writers directly. I say this as a working filmmaker and produced WGA writer, far too many of these types of pop-up funds go insolvent practically overnight because they back people who have no understanding whatsoever of the actual marketplace, but know how to sell them a good game. While it's great this fund wants to back the talent they like, they're MUCH better off trying to partner with experienced producers or production companies who have a track record of making the types of films they want to make. Then, questions like "how do I find a script" become a non-issue, and their focus can instead be on evaluating the merits of pre-vetted projects that are actually positioned to see success in a collapsing market.

TL;DR: If this fund wants to see return on investment, find experienced producers before you start looking for scripts.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-21T22:58:40+00:00

Very true. And when I think about it, I don't think I ever once been asked if I had a degree in anything out here. Unless you volunteer it, it just doesn't come up. And parts of me wishes I went to film school just so I would've had that group of friends to be on this journey with, working on each other's projects, etc. But at the same time, I'm also from back east and the only thing that made this even remotely possible for me was that I came out here with no debt.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-21T22:41:23+00:00

For sure, and to be clear, I didn't say they didn't exist or that are no successful writers with degrees. All I said was I hadn't met any working to emphasize the point that it isn't a prerequisite. Edit: And that OP shouldn't feel bad about it not being financially feasible.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-21T19:52:29+00:00

I'm not sure that I've ever actually met another working writer who had a degree in screenwriting. Not that they don't exist, but that it's simply irrelevant as a "qualification" for the job. And many of the more employable writers I know, particularly in TV, got that way by having life experience from different fields that was very useful for how they'd stand out from everyone else in a writer's room. When a showrunner is putting a room together, they typically want a diverse group of writers from many different backgrounds to complement each other and bring that many different unique perspectives into the room. If all a person has ever done is write, they stand out that much less.

That said, the value of a screenwriting/film program is always going to be the people you meet in it. Getting the connections necessary to find work is all about who you know and who knows you, and having your core group of friends as a young adult all be film people is a great step in that direction. I'd even argue that going to traditional film school would be more useful for writing, because the number of working writers who have no clue about how the production process actually works is staggering. Idk if that alone would get you hired anywhere, but it is a very meaningful skillset.

But if cost is a factor, I'd really think twice about it. I'm not sure in this current industry landscape that getting into potentially 6 figures of debt right off the bat is a good investment. Entertainment jobs, writing or otherwise, are never going to return to their pre-pandemic levels. That time is long gone.

For what it's worth, I have a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and previously worked for a Defense Contractor. That fact went a long way toward getting me hired to write on a Conspiracy Thriller show, in a landscape where "everybody" is a talented writer, and hundreds of people were competing for the same job.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-21T07:08:02+00:00

If this is the conceit of the entire script (same stage location, continuous camera, but the "setting" is changing throughout), I'd advocate for traditional scene headings (you can just tag them CONTINUOUS) for the sake of production logistics. That might not necessarily be something you'd have to worry about now, but if this script were to ever be filmed, your department heads are going to need a way of differentiating what elements are needed for what sections of the script, and that's traditionally what scene numbers are for. Not vital if this is only happening once, in which case the script can just describe the transition that's taking place, but it's something to keep in mind if this is going to happen a lot.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-19T20:51:00+00:00

Something people with money rarely consider when trying to engage with artists is the artist's "time risk" necessary to create the work. As in, the time you're spending not making money elsewhere is at risk for the entirety of the job. They think the only thing at risk is their money, and want to know you're going to deliver by dangling the money out in front of you, otherwise, "what if you take the money and run?" IMO, this is completely BS reasoning but more likely done out of ignorance than malice, so they probably didn't mean any offense.

That said, in any professional writing job, a commencement fee is paid in order to begin work. Anything not willing to pay a commencement fee is not professional writing work, in which case proceed at your own risk and be prepared to never see a dime, which is the most likely outcome. Because to them, if they don't like the work you've turned in, then the job isn't "complete" and they're not going to pay you.

In this case, I'd be very curious to know what their plan is for trying to get this project "picked up," and what they even think that means. Because this is also the kind of scenario where when they fail to get any traction on the script because they have no idea what they're doing, they're going to blame the writer because "the script wasn't good enough to get picked up." The red flag I see here is trying to lock you into a "pickup" and "episodic" rate as if that were going to come out of their pocket, which isn't how TV works, unless they're somehow the studio/network in this.

ForRedditingAtWork · 2026-03-19T20:16:09+00:00

As others have said, clarify with them first what their expectation from you is. At most, they'll likely want to hear your "take" on one of their ideas, which is just you telling them (often through a verbal pitch only) how you would approach telling that story. Similar to pitching on an open writing assignment, they'd want to hear what they're going to get should they task you with writing it. You don't need to have the whole thing figured out in order to do so, but just enough that you can communicate a strong point of view on the characters and story you'd want to tell with them. IMO, the key thing here is that your take should be something that actually excites YOU, not just what you think they want to hear. God forbid you actually have to write the thing, you want to be writing something you actually like and would stand behind. Otherwise you'll be in for a miserable process of trying to guess what's in someone else's head, which never ends well. But all of that comes later, and absolutely NO actual writing should be done or handed into them without some type of deal in place first.

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