Movie Making Manual/CUS Finance

As a first-time independent studio depending on volunteer workers and conscripts to get by, obviously the amount of funding that could be found would be very little.

Personal Funds
The main source of funds for the project would be coming out of our own pockets. Fortunately, people were relatively free with volunteering things such as time, equipment (film equipment, transport, etc), etc. Actual monies needed for purchase/hire of equipment/space was thankfully not excessive.

Grants
The government grants provided by the Commonwealth of Australia target directors of age above mine, as well as being heavily biased towards directors which have already completed a number of films.

Fundraising
With no large volunteer force, no goods/services and no target consumer group, the fundraising idea was essentially scrapped from the beginning.

Backing
Finding a person or group willing to back this project are much of the same attitude as the government, unwilling to invest in a risky, unproven young group of people.

Thankfully for us, our limited number of contacts meant that we would be able to beg and plead for rights to film at certain locations, in return for a spot thanking the benefactors on the credits. The rest (equipment, transport, etc) was easily managed through our minimal funds.