A question that is coming up a lot lately has to do with this: In today’s distribution landscape where the Producer is in control of his own destiny, does it even make sense anymore to work with a sales agent in the traditional distribution realm?
Now realize I might be a little biased here only because 1) I’m in the throes of the film market circuit (Berlin followed by MIPTV and now on to Cannes), and 2) I used to be a sales agent myself – BUT, I will say that even in today’s climate I can still recommend that Producers hire a sales agent to handle foreign distribution. WHY? Because dealing with distributors outside of your home territory takes ‘old world’ finesse….and by this I mean, you need face time, long standing relationships, and good ol’ fashioned in-person wining and dining in order to make deals happen. I know this sounds very ‘old school’ and conventional, but it’s true — foreign distribution is not hip to new-world 2.0 style deals!
Now the challenge becomes this – as Producers you’ve probably heard nothing but horror stories about sales agents taking Producers’ money, making sales and not reporting them, and even dropping off the face of the earth once you sign with them – but I can assure you there are some decent sales agents out there. You just have to know how to look…..
For example, ALWAYS do your due diligence on a sales agent before signing on the bottom line. That means, researching them on Google, asking around to other Producers on message boards, and contacting other Producers whom they represent to get feedback.
And how do you find a sales agent in the first place? You can research reputable companies in the trades’ listings during AFM for example, or you can access a pre-cleared list in the Film Specific Sales Agency Database , or if you really want hand-holding, you can join my FILM MARKET LAB (which is $500 off until May 1 for all you early birds!)
But any way you slice it, YES a sales agent is still a good idea for Producers who want to explore ALL kinds of distribution for their films (including foreign). Just be sure to carve out the rights you want to retain for yourself (like all domestic rights, direct-to-consumer dvd rights, non-exclusive VOD rights, etc.) – THAT’s the new way of working with sales agents today and still remain in control.
Any thoughts you have on this topic….I’d love to hear them!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi there Stacey!
Great post! I was wondering if any sales agent you know especialized in non-us or non-english spoken films. I’m from Chile and i was wondering if any of the list it’s published in film specific work with that kind of films (specially micro budget films).
Thanks for everything!
Love your webpage and blog!
Hope to hear from you soon!
Hi Stacey,
I’ve just left a comment here and now it dissapear…
Anyway, great post!
Love your work!
Hi Nicholas,
No your comment is still here!
Actually I do not know of any sales agents who specialize in spanish language films.
Sorry about that!
Stacey
Stacey- Are you saying that domestic should be handled by the Producer? I agree with the need for a foreign sales agent. Saves on the travel and getting to know all the local markets.
Hi Jeffrey,
Some Producers prefer to carve out domestic rights for themselves and yes I would recommend this when possible. Realize however you’ll actually have to go out and do the work to get domestic distribution, but it’s much easier than trying to broker your own foreign deals.
Hope this helps!
Stacey
Hi Stacey,
Do you know if there are any sales agents for African films? Thanks.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
As far as I know, any sales agent will look at African films….
Stacey
I ABSOLUTELY agree with Stacey!! We handled our own ‘local’ distribution ( in South Africa) and then signed with a foreign sales agent for the rest of the world. What a difference it makes. For eg: before signing we applied to about 15 film festivals and only got accepted into 4. After signing , we are receiving invites from festivals weekly – even one that turned us down originally!! why? because our sales agent has a dedicated film festival department that know what they are doing, and have the time to focus on festivals.
Will definitely do things the same next time round.
Terry
Anyone who has ever tried selling their own films overseas will tell you don’t do it save yourself the trouble and hire a sales agent. Most are very experienced and will have the contacts to give your film a good chance of going forward. They are worth their weight in gold.
Hi, Terry, can you tell how to contact with your agent, because I have narrative feature that is good espessially for festivals (it opens new genre “Rhythmodrama”). Only one festival showed it, and at this time I have got 4 rejections(I submit it to about 40 festivals). I am not sure that every sales agent works closely with festivals. Thank you.
Hi admin,
could you tell me a job description of a film sales agent?
How do they charge for thier services?
Many thanks
Nathan
Hi Nathan,
Sales Agents work on commission – typically 25% of sales they make.
Stacey