My biggest takeaway is with today’s technology there are no excuses. My biggest challenge is finding people who will work for free. I can just sit the phones on three tripods and make the film like coffee and cigarettes or Stranger Than Paradise, but I would still need to get actors to work for free. I have tried free before and although it wasn’t as hard as tracking down investors it was still hard. The good thing is actors are more willing to jump on it for free if they like the part or want the credit.

I have tried a variety of lottery systems but I will share the most recent one. The most recent one was trying to raise 140,000 to make an independent film. I shot a proof of concept, pitched to hundreds of people and when I say hundreds that isn’t an exaggeration. I have pitched everyone from prostitutes to doctors and lawyers. I even hired an assistant from Fivver to pitch to people for me. I tried to build a crowdfunding team and interviewed over 100 people to be on my team, hired a crowdfunding coach etc… I did have one investor who wanted to invest 10,000 dollars in my film. He told me today he is no longer interested, he is going to invest in Italian Ice. I understand it has been close to three years now. I understand him wanting to move on. That burned. I re did the budget of my film and got it down to 37,500 and then I thought I will make it as an animated film for 10,000. The only problem is I don’t have 10,000 and don’t want to go into more debt than I already am. My biggest takeaway My idea was kind of right and the reason I aimed high because I was on oxygen for three months and I thought I was going to die from Covid. I thought I am getting older and I thought I may only get one shot to make a movie, and I read that if you don’t spend at least 140,000 your film will be amateurish. People told me that I could and should make it for cheaper because they did. I thought $37,500 is as low as I could go for this script and that it wouldn’t be hard to raise but for me it has been. I had fun making the proof of concept and made some creative connections and I like the idea of taking some of my horror stories and making animated films of those stories for 10,000 - 20,000. But I don’t have that. What I do have is 1,000. I have some woods behind my house and a creepy story idea to film in those woods. I have three iPhones. I have an iPhone 8 and an iPhone 5 and an IPhone 16 Pro max. Those are some things I have to start and make to make my 1,000 film. Now I just have to write the script and get started. I will use my proof of concept as a short film and the script I wrote that I have been trying to raise money for, can be my third or fourth film.

Welcome to One Grand Filmmakers 👋 🎉 In this community, I'll show you how I turned a $1,000 feature film into 3 more features, a full-time career in filmmaking, and relationships with the biggest names and platforms in the industry. But first... Please, introduce yourself :) (EXTRA CREDIT: Like 5 other posts, and welcome other filmmakers to the community as well!) Let's goooooo! 🚀

The Investorless Feature Film Course is Live Inside the Community Alright, filmmakers — this is the big one. The full Investorless Feature Film course (aka The Indie Film Flywheel) is now live in the Classroom tab. If you’ve been serious about making your first feature — without waiting for permission, investors, or “someday” — this is the step-by-step roadmap you’ve been looking for. Why you should take it (right now): 🎯 Clarity: Learn the only replicable career strategy that works for actors, writers, and directors — making a small, personal feature with the resources you already have. 🔥 Speed: Cut years of trial-and-error and get from idea → finished film faster than you thought possible. 📈 Momentum: Build a career flywheel where every film fuels the next — bigger audience, better collaborators, and more opportunities each time. 🚫 No Fundraising Required: Avoid the endless investor hunt. This approach is designed to keep you creating now, not waiting. 🤝 Collaboration: Learn how to attract the right collaborators without begging or chasing — and why the right people will want to work with you. 💡 Proven Examples: See how filmmakers like Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan, Robert Rodriguez, and Sean Baker used this exact principle to break into the industry. Plus, there’s a $500 reward if you finish in 5 days. This isn’t just a gimmick. I want to keep this community lean and full of action-takers. If you finish on time, you’ll unlock a filmmaking tool I’ve only shared with my private clients. This course is $1, but will be sold online for $47. Just to find filmmakers that are serious. 👉 Go to the Classroom tab now and click “Investorless Feature Film” to begin. Let’s get that first film in the can. – AJ Rome