I’m currently in R&D on a new project. While I’m not ready to disclose the content, I thought it might be helpful to peel back the curtain on my decision-making process about how I decide whether something should be a “movie”.
Anyone can have a great idea, but before you start filming or fundraising, it is important to ask yourself whether the idea should be a “movie” as opposed to a short film, series, podcast, novel, or something else.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a “movie” as:
a recording of moving images that tells a story and that people watch on a screen or television: Motion picture.
Colloquially, I have found when someone asks if I’m working on a “movie”, they are referring to a feature-length film, meaning it runs between 75-210 minutes.
To determine whether an idea is a feature-length movie, I ask myself the following questions:
- How much do I know about the issue(s)? What do I need to learn?
- What is the narrative arc of the story? Can I tell it in 90 minutes?
- How much money do I need to tell this story the way I want to tell it?
- How much money can I raise?
- Through what means: donations, equity investments, sponsorships, product placements, etc.?
- Will I be able to pay that back when the film is distributed?
- How large is the film’s audience? Where are they located?
- What are the social impact goals? How will the film achieve these?
- Why does this story need to be told now?
This last question, “Why Now?”, will be asked in every pitch meeting, grant application, or fundraiser, so you must have a clear answer.
Your answers to all of these questions may elicit more questions, and that’s okay because they will help get you closer to answering the larger question: “Is it a movie?”
If you liked this article, stay tuned for my next one about the Top 5 Needs for a New Project.
