Sorry everyone for the recent ‘Test Post’ that went out…. that wasn’t spam…. I’ve actually been updating the blog over the last few days and that test post accidentally went out… oops! I’m really sorry about that! So here’s the ‘real’ post that was supposed to go out…. (hint: please click the new ‘like’ buttons I installed if you like what you see!)
For those of you contemplating attending upcoming American Film Market (AFM), I know at least some of you either won’t have your film represented by a Sales Agent, or don’t WANT your film represented by a Sales Agent. And for both of these groups… there’s another option! What option would that be? Going direct to Distributors and bypassing the middleman (the Sales Agent).
So whether you have a completed film, or a film at the script stage, and your goal of attending AFM is to meet as many Distributors as possible, you’ll want to listen to this case study below of two filmmakers who set out to do the same… and succeeded. In fact, these guys succeeded so well they continue to this day to attend all the major Film Markets representing their own films (and they’ve never looked back).
Take a listen to this popular case study from the Film Specific archives and let me know your thoughts below in the comments section….
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And check this out….
A couple months ago I updated the FILM MARKET PREP GUIDE which is a downloadable mini-guide and how to on prepping for all Film Markets (including upcoming AFM). It includes things like:
• How to understand which market is right for you and how to prep for it
• How to find Sales Agency representation for your film
• How to sell your film on your own at Film Markets (DIY)
• How to approach buyers at a Film Market
• How to pitch your project at a Film Market
• A timeline for preparing for a Film Market
• Links to videos straight from the sales floors of Cannes, AFM, and Berlin Film Markets
• Links to audio case studies of filmmakers who have experienced Film Markets first hand
The FILM MARKET PREP GUIDE is free for all FILM SPECIFIC MEMBERS …. and if you’re not a Film Specific member you can get it for free just by JOINING HERE! Just click the image below to download a copy of this guide or to join or renew your subscription to Film Specific if need be….
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...founder of 
They’re being very vague about their ‘process’ to find foreign distributors and how they attracted interest with initial offers. There’s some mysterious mention of a fax–WTF?! The very information we’re looking to obtain from this podcast is missing, and this is disappointing.
From there it’s an inspiring and encouraging podcast, but the meat & potatoes is lacking from this plate.
They are deliberately being vague. They are not stupid enough to give away all their secrets to success. Want to make it in the film business? Get a great script with minimal locations and a production budget under $200,000. (two hundred thousand dollars). Convince a name talent to get in it-not a B list, but someone a little higher that likes the project. Have a shoot schedule of less than 30 days. Make sure your budget has at least $50,000 for advertisement/marketing/PR. Get a list of distributors that buy movies with your genre. Start calling them. Enter your movie in top-tier film festivals and others. Advertise in theaters (a trailer of the movie) and in major cities. Produce your own advance screenings like the major studios do. Network with people in power who want to buy movies. Don’t talk to much about your self or project, they have heard it all and don’t want a long-winded run down of your project. Your are a competitor of film producers. Remember, most don’t want to hear about your project unless they are involved or they can benefit from it on some way. Most film makers don’t seem to realize this. Stop trying to make a film for yourself or for some artistic reason, unless you want to throw money away. Make a film that people want to see, that is commercial. This is a business, not a social. All studios and distributors want to know is if your project will make money. Never compare your project to another movie. Remember, PR agents are blood sucking fakes. Their whole world revolves around who has money and power that they represent. You are nothing to them unless you bring them money and power. Don’t believe otherwise. Paying a PR company to fill seats is a joke. Distributors will be more impressed and willing to buy a project that people come to see from word of mouth. They know the PR tricks. Don’t ask for favors or sound desperate. Be confident in your project. Be extremely open to criticism. Most filmmakers can’t take criticism. get over it. Remember, all throughout the U.S., new, really nice indie theaters are opening up and if you had 20 or 30 of them showing your project in a 50/50 split with the venue, for a 4 to 6 week run, you could make a nice living. Click on trends on yahoo, Google, et al. and see what people are watching and make a movie around that. This is what the major studios do. They have people watch you tube and other sites every day for trends. Also, film in a state that has a really large incentive and film there. Some give back 35% or more. That is a big help when recouping funds. also, read the dailies every day. You can find out who the real power players are and approach them. Also, if you are an introvert, like most filmmakers, hire a person with a great personality who is also strong to make your calls for you. Nothing worse than a weak person that is afraid to talk when it comes to business. Okay, any questions?
Hi everyone, truly hope the podcast was helpful to some of you.
Let me answer some questions that seem to have come up.
Firstly, did not want to be vague on anything involving our process, it’s kind of hard to summarize a week long market into a 16 min interview so wanted people to get the gist of our experience and let everyone know that it’s possible to sell your own film to potential buyers if you attend film markets.
Secondly, there is no mysterious fax, i believe the word was ‘task’, in that we were given this task from other filmmakers to help sell their films. sorry for the misunderstanding there.
To be honest, finding foreign distributors in Cannes is quite simple, when you register for the market you have access to an on-line database with EVERYONE attending the festival & market along with email and other contact info. we simply sent out about a hundred requests to meet with potential buyers (buyers are clearly labeled on the site) and see if we can’t set up some meetings. Also important to note is that we have some existing relationships with other buyers from prior festivals and markets that we attended so those meetings were easier to book. Like we mentioned, showing up to a meeting with 5 titles to sell is better than just one. We were able to package them better as a whole and it also gave us some leverage to negotiate better terms.
I hope this little bit of info has been helpful in getting a better understanding, wish you all much success on your projects.
Thank you Stacey once again for all your help via your film blog, podcasts, distribution kit, and many more tools offered through your Film Specific website.
Stacey,
I think that the interview you did was marvelous. I think the information that both of those guys provided was true to the nature of the business and they did offer a lot of insight for people who have never gone down the road of finding a distributor and/or sales agent.
I also think that its not their job to reveal everything about the business as this is a business and its probably taken these guys years to build their relationships.
Its important for filmmakers to understand that while the business is changing at a blinding rate in the domestic market, that relationship sales are still the core of the business within the foreign buyers market and people should be hesitant to hand over details to filmmakers as this could taint their relationship for future deals if the new filmmaker was to become problematic within the corporate culture of film sales.
Nice Job Stacey!
@ Vito – thanks for jumping on and elaborating on things….
@ David – thanks for your comments, I appreciate that
I thought the case study really summed up the self-discipline, focus & stamina required to forge ahead in the Film Industry.
I’m developing my first Feature Film Project – and just to say that ever since I became a member of Film Specific (coming from a non-production background ie. Professional Actor) I’ve gleaned vital information via case studies, podcasts, blogs and resources etc. and my confidence has grown as a result.
I can tell you that being based in the UK, where there is massive and concentrated competition for all sorts of resources – listening to case studies like the one I just heard, provides me with ‘sure-fire’ positivity & encouragement to keep hammering forwards – bacause over here in the UK it’s tough as hell!
Angus ;o)
@ Angus ~ so happy to hear you’re finding every helpful. Seriously! Also, glad you liked this pod cast – I’m thinking of coming up with additional ones on this topic since it seems to be a ‘hot button’ topic!
Always great information and interviews Stacey!