Next up in our series of Film Market case studies…..
Filmmaker Mark Shields went to the Cannes Film Market armed with a script and looking for financing. Although he was successful…. success didn’t come in the form you might think!
In this case study, Mark discusses:
• How he prepared for the Cannes Film Market
• The role his marketing packet played in securing meetings in Cannes
• How his meetings went
• The importance of having a PLAN for the market (and what a difference it made for him this year!)
• The results he achieved in financing his film
• His surprise with gap financing
• And more!
For any filmmaker who has ever wondered how to successfully exploit financing opportunities at the international film markets and what it takes, this case study is essential.
Don’t forget to check out the other case studies that came before this one:
1. FIRST TIME AT A FILM MARKET
3. FILM MARKETS FROM A SALES AGENT’S PERSPECTIVE
AND…..
If you want help with getting YOUR film to the next Film Market (AFM), check out my FILM MARKET LAB PROGRAM where you can save $150 if you register before this Monday, July 27.
Enjoy!
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...founder of 
Fernando.com database for film festivals? No such thing. What did he really say?
He said Cinando.com…..
*Stacey
Is there a place online where you can view samples of marketing packages for film? Or perhaps a printing company well-versed in preparing these materials?
What did it cost him to prepare the brochure?
What was the budget he was trying to raise?
We got a sales agent but the small print in the contract he sent when we got home was so imbalanced that we walked away…
Sounds like previous experience, an influential exec and well-known casting agent seems to be the clincher..
Thanks for sharing, very interesting.
Well done and good luck!!
Just to answer a couple of the questions,
Re the marketing materials, I don’t know of anywhere online to see examples and the truth is there are many different types. The only common factor we could see was that all the good ones looked professional. Most of the time that came down to the talent of the designer and the quality of printing. The best way we found to see good examples of marketing brochures or one sheets was actually at festivals or markets themselves. Even the smaller festivals often have a lot of one sheets and brochures lying around which you can use for inspiration as to what works and what doesn’t. We were lucky that we were able to find an artist and a designer who were familiar with the style we wanted and prepared to work under rate as development money was almost non existent. For them, and for us, it was about building relationships that will continue when there are higher budgets.
To answer your questions Michelle,
* Cost wise I’d honestly need to go back and look at the invoices but money was tight I can promise you so it wasn’t thousands or anything like that.
* The budget of the film we were talking about is £2 million or around $3m. I know what you mean about the inbalance of the sales agent contract. I have to say that’s not unusual in my limited experience. We are certainly lucky in that our exec is a poacher turned gamekeeper, so to speak, being a former sales agent so he is a huge asset when it comes to negotiating that sort of thing. Which in turn, helps us learn a lot.
* I think you are right about the elements that helped a lot, it was a very conscious choice to pair up with this exec to fill the gaps in our knowledge, experience and contacts, equally with the casting director to make up for our lack of influence with the agencies. I do think that giving the sales agents a solid plan in terms of the audience, the financing plan and the team putting it together helped solidify a degree of trust that the film could do well for them.
* One thing I don’t think i mentioned in the interview is that it is a killer script, and I really mean that. It won one of the UK Film Council’s pitch competitions and was formally in development at one of the mini-majors. We grabbed it when it went into turnaround due to a personal connection I had built up with the writer director over the years (after watching his first film at Cannes years before incidently and becoming friends)
Glad you found it interesting and thanks for the good luck. Wishing you all the best for your projects.
This is a really good interview. It’s so important to have a really good marketing package attached to your script.However, not all of us are lucky enough to have a known executive producer attached.
@ Virgina, you are right. But that’s why it’s so important to start going to Film Markets so you can network and meet these people to attach to your film later!
@ Mark, thanks for taking the time to reply to questions here – I’m sure everyone appreciates it!
@ Everyone else – I’m trying to get my hands on some sample Marketing Packets that producers will allow me to share during the Film Market Lab program….
* Stacey
Great interview and really gave me more insights for a project I’m co-producing http://www.ProjectArbiter.com. We may have the 30 minute short complete by November for AFM. Thanks for posting the interview!
I know it’s important to attend film marketing events. But I’m based in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s kinda like living in New Zealand. We have alot of producers, directors and post production houses up here but not alot of executive producers. We will be working on a marketing package next. Wish I had some guide lines as to what to put in it. Is it like a press kit?
@Virginia – I’m working on getting some samples together while respecting the privacy of my clients who don’t necessarily want theirs to go public! But there’s no real formula here other than – get great graphics designed, include your bio, the bio of your team, a synopsis, the package, etc. 5-10 pages is more than enough!
Also, SF is hardly NZ! LOL. You at least are fortunate enough to be able to drive down for AFM in Nov and start networking and meeting potential EP’s and Producers. Many filmmakers from other parts of the world don’t have that option!
To meet producers at for instance Cannes…do you make appointments in advance or do you just show up at the sales market?
@ Peter – you definitely try to make appointments in advance!
Where’s the next blog in the chain of events?? Your website used to have that before it changed? What happened….?? I don’t know what comes next now.
Can you PLEASE change it back…….?