2. Have A Good Script

Really this should be #1, but sometimes you need to take into consideration what you have access to first, especially if budget is an issue. Write a good story. This script was not thrown together or crapped out. It was worked on for months, outlining, writing, outlining more, rewriting. This also goes hand in hand with marketing — Is it something you can sell? If you’re using someone else’s money you have a responsibility to do everything in your power to return that. That means selling your movie. Having a story you think is awesome is not good enough. Is it marketable? This is easy to find out. There are literally hundreds of distributors out there that will talk to you. Call them. Email them. You’d be surprised at how helpful some can be.