Can someone help me find this info- unfinished films
 

I'm trying to write an article and I want to mention how many films are started each year, but never finished. I found one site that stated something along the lines of 5 million...but that number seems pretty outrageous and they didn't site the statistics origins.

Does anyone know where I might find that sort of info?

For legit (that is financed) productions, Variety used to publish lists of production starts for the US and some of the larger film producing countries. I haven't looked in years so maybe they are not doing it anymore.

The problem is the definition of the start of production. Is it the time someone gets the first investment? !s it when the script's first draft is finished? Is it when the first day of shooting commences? Some of the films on Variety's lists were just indications that letters of agreement had been signed by the principle parties. Good luck trying to get a number.

Yeah I see what you are saying. I guess what I'm looking for is shoots that began principle photography, but were abandoned before they left post.

My intent is to show that the odds of failures in film is very high. This is so I can encourage proper planning, getting the right financing ,etc