Getting Started: 10 Tips for Filmmakers

An overview of the site to help you list your first project and leverage Slated's tools to your best advantage.

Mary C. avatar
Written by Mary C.
Updated over a week ago

Reach the most talent, investors, sales agents, and distributors on Slated by following these 10 tips:

(watch this video, or read on below...)


1. Know Your Project Score

Every investor wants to know the same things about your project: Who’s in it, who’s making it, how good is the script, and can it make money? Slated Analytics’ scoring system provides at-a-glance insight to investors for all four of those questions. Look to see what your Project Score (formerly called Package Score) is as a first step.

Higher Project Scores mean more introductions. Our internal data indicates that projects with higher Project Scores receive more introductions to investors, talent, and industry partners. So keep boosting your team, improving your script, and adjusting your financials -- it makes a real difference.

Check out our Secret Formula and Alpha Testing articles to learn how investors use Slated's scoring system to make investment decisions.

2. Get your script or screener scored

Slated Analytics’ Script and Screening Analysis services are a key initial step to increasing your project's exposure to cast, crew, financing, and distribution. The higher your Script or Screening Score, the bigger the boost in your Project Score, which leads directly to more introductions. Learn more about Analysis Services.

Every project on Slated can already access our entire investor community, for free, but projects with 75+ Script or Screening Scores may qualify for Slated’s Executive Producer Services, which helps qualified projects find production partners, secure valuable talent, and access Slated’s community of film financiers, sales agents, and distributors.
Learn more about Executive Producer Services.

We encourage you to submit drafts of your screenplay during development to help attract the best talent, producers, and investors. You can also submit a filmed cut of your project during post-production to help fine tune before picture-lock, and to attract the best sales companies and distributors.


3. Add your team

The more key elements you attach, the higher your Team Score. Begin by adding principal cast and crew. If you have a sales agent or distributor attached, add them too. Everyone attached to your project becomes a marketable element to get your project financed, sold, or distributed. The more team members that are connected to other people, the more buzz you can generate. Get them to sign up, fill out their profiles, add their networks, and connect with the community.


Additionally if you need to find talent, the fastest way is to list Opportunities on your project profile to get rapidly matched to the right cast and crew. Learn how Opportunities work.

You can also browse People and track those that might be of interest to you, so they can message you. Some of them you might even be able to message directly depending on their privacy settings, others may require a mutual contact to introduce you.

4. Add your existing investors 

List every investor you already have commitments from. The money that you’ve raised looks great to prospective investors. We know that negotiations with film investors are sensitive, but we encourage you to be transparent with your fundraising efforts. Transparency builds trust. And your investors want the project to succeed. They will be the best advocates for your fundraise. Demonstrate your momentum.

5. Get your financials scored

Slated Analytics’ Financial Analysis service is a crucial component of any project's business plan, not to mention a vital way to increase your project's exposure to investors, sales agents, and distributors. The higher your project's Financial Score, the bigger the boost in your Project Score.

Learn more about Financial Analysis.

6. List your financing opportunity 

Go to your Opportunities tab and list your financing opportunity. This will allow all investors on Slated to be matched automatically, and to discover your project while browsing the site.

7. Add a trailer or promotional video

Project profiles with videos are far more likely to gain attention from the community and raise more financing. Add a video to your project profile to pitch your vision in a simple promo to sales agents, distributors, and investors.


8. Use "Send update"

You can send updates by selecting the Send Update button at the top of your member profile page or project profile page.

From your member profile page, updates will go to your own trackers.

From your project profile page, you can also send out updates to everyone tracking your project and your team. So the bigger your team, and the bigger their networks, the more people you will reach.


9. Open your weekly email digests & check back in regularly

We are signing up new members, key industry leaders representing capital, and influential companies every day. We also launch new features to help you raise awareness, increase buzz, and connect to the community. So open those emails, see who's joined our community and started tracking your project, and check back in regularly.

10. Act on investors tracking you and seek out others who might be a fit for your project

When someone tracks you or your project, you can contact them. We let you know every time someone tracks you, your team, or your project so that you can reach out, and open up a dialogue. Verified Slated investors can always reach you through your project page.

Likewise, you can browse top scoring investors on the site, and track those that might be of interest to you, so they can message you. Some of them you might even be able to message directly depending on their privacy settings, others may require a mutual contact to introduce you.

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