The Complete Guide to Distributing an Indie Film: Part I, #1

The Complete Guide to Distributing an Indie Film

Part I:  Contacting Distributors and Agents and Promoting Your Film through Festivals, Theaters, and the Media

By Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D.

Changemakers Publishing & Writing

3527 Mt. Diablo Blvd., #273 . Lafayette, CA 94549

www.changemakerspublishingandwriting.com

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The Complete Guide to Distributing an Indie Film

Copyright © 2015 by Gini Graham Scott

All rights reserved.  No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Endorsements

Here’s what people in the film industry say about the book.

Understanding the past, present, and future is vital for anyone who is looking to get into the film business. Traditional distribution is eroding rapidly. New technologies create new ways for films to reach the consumers, effectively creating a whole new playground for distributors.  As a producer who became a distributor, I highly recommend The Complete Guide to Distributing an Indie Film to anyone who is looking to enter into the fun world of distribution.

Evan Crooke, President and CEO

Osiris Entertainment, specializing in DVD and International Distribution

Paragon Pictures, specializing in VOD, Digital & Theatrical releases, including" Electric Slide, starring

Academy Award Winner Patricia Arquette"

Chatsworth, California

www.osirisentertainment.com

www.paragonreleasing.com

www.osirisent.com

The Complete Guide to Distributing an Indie Film is an incredible resource for any filmmaker seeking distribution for his or her film.  It is a comprehensive, informative and useful guide that will exponentially increase your chances of a successful and satisfying release for your film.  I highly recommend it."

Steve Longi

President

Longitude Entertainment.

Los Angeles, California.

Films include: Youth in Revolt, Charlie Bartlett",

Match, Prayers for Bobby

www.longitudeentertainment.com

For newcomers to distribution, this book gives a comprehensive overview of indie film sales and distribution.  If you are a first time filmmaker wondering what to expect and what to look for when releasing your first film, this book will be extremely helpful.

Kerry David

Producer

KDC&Films

Marina del Rey, California

http://www.kerrydavid.com

The Complete Guide to Distributing an Indie Film is an excellent source book for independent producers as well as veteran filmmakers. It is well-researched, up-to-date, and quite comprehensive. I’ve been in the business for a couple of decades and found the guide to be a refresher course for stuff I had to learn the hard way over the years. I recommend it for first-time producers and especially for established indie producers who need to look ahead to the distribution phase of their films."

David Sheldon

Hollywood West, Inc.

Producer of Grizzly, Lovely But Deadly and Sheba Baby, and 8 medium-budgeted features scheduled for production in 2015 and 2016

Hollywood, California

This is an invaluable resource of knowledge, a must-have for every indie filmmaker fighting to get something made in the real world of the current market.  I wish this book had landed in my lap five years ago.

Michael Kuciak

Samurai MK

Producer and Director, known for Fade to Black, The Shower, and Draft Day

Los Angeles, California

I just read a very informative book. It details everything you need to know about how to get your movie in the market. I highly recommend The Complete Guide to Distributing an Indie Film.

Robert Parham

Writer/Producer, "Bullets, Blades, and Blood

2014 Action on Film Festival Winner

Fairfield, California

It’s an excellent book on how to get films done and distributed.

Alex Zinzopoulos

Director, Writer, Line Producer

Dear Skyyler Productions

Los Angeles, California

www.dearskyyler.com

About the Author

Gini Graham Scott has published over 50 books with mainstream publishers, focusing on social trends, work and business relationships, and personal and professional development.  She has previously written three books on films: The Complete Guide to Writing, Producing, and Directing a Low-Budget Short Film (Limelight Books), Finding Funds for Your Films or TV Projects (Hal Leonard) and Marketing Films to Millennials and Baby Boomers (Changemakers Publishing).  She has written this book based on her experience in distributing her feature film Suicide Party: Save Dave and doing extensive research on finding and working with distributors and sales agents.

She has gained extensive media interest for previous books, including appearances on Good Morning America, Oprah, Montel Williams, CNN, and hundreds of radio interviews.  She has frequently been quoted by the media and has set up websites to promote her most recent books, featured at www.ginigrahamscott.com and www.changemakerspublishingandwriting.com.  As of this writing, she has about 75,000 listings in Google Search Results.

She has become a regular Huffington Post blogger since December 2012, and has a Facebook page featuring her books and films at www.facebook.com/changemakerspublishing.

She has written, produced, and sometimes directed over 60 short videos, which are featured on her Changemakers Productions website at www.changemakersproductions.comand on YouTube at www.youtube.com/changemakersprod.

Her screenplays, mostly in the drama, crime, legal thriller, and sci-fi genres, include several that are in pre-production: Deadly Affair and Rich and Dead.  Other scripts include The New Child, New Identity, and Dead No More which are in development with trailers and business plans.

She has a PhD in sociology from U.C. Berkeley and MAs in anthropology, pop culture and lifestyles, organizational/consumer/audience behavior, and recreation and tourism from Cal State, East Bay. She is obtaining an additional MA in communications in 2016.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the many people in the industry who made this book possible.  Besides the books and articles referenced in the book, the other people I want to thank for their contribution include:

Jack Skyyler of Dear Skyyler Productions (www.dearskyyler.com) , the director of Suicide Party: Save Dave, who offered his insights on finding distributors and entering film festivals.

Ben Yenne of the Guerilla Rep (www.theguerrillarep.com), author of Seven Secrets to AFM Success, who provided information on working as a producer’s rep and attending the AFM.

Jana Collins of Jones and O’Malley (www.jonesomalley.com), who worked with me on PR for over six years and provided input on publicizing a film.

Nancy Parker, Karen Andrews, and my other assistants at Publishers, Agents, and Films (www.publishersagentsandfilms.com),  who assisted with Internet research and sending out queries to thousands of distributors, producers, and film agents for information on the industry.

Jerome Courshon, the developer of the Secrets of Distribution program (www.distribution.la), who provided an overview of the distribution process.

Also, thanks to the many distributors and sales agents who wrote to me and provided examples of contracts, deliverables, and other information they needed to distribute our film.

Table of Contents

Part I: An Overview of the Distribution Process

Chapter 1: Finding Distributors for Your Film: What to Expect

Chapter 2: The Many Channels for Distributing Your Film

Chapter 3: Creating a Realistic Distribution Strategy for Your Film

Chapter 4: Finding and Connecting with Distributors and Foreign Sales Agents

Chapter 5: Knowing What to Expect and Say in Approaching Distributors

Chapter 6: Assessing Distributors

Part II: Creating Your Printed Materials and Deliverables

Chapter 7: Creating Your Poster and Screener Cover

Chapter 8: Creating a Trailer and Screener

Chapter 9: Preparing Your Deliverables

Part III: Publicizing Your Film

Chapter 10: Promoting Your Film with a Publicist

Chapter 11: Creating Your Press Releases

Chapter 12: Creating Your Press Kit

Chapter 13: More Details on What to Include in Your Press Kit

Chapter 14: Still More Details on What to Include in Your Press Kit

Chapter 15: Finding Ways to Interest the Press in Your Film

Chapter 16: Contacting the Media about a General News Story

Chapter 17: Contacting the Media about a Screening

Chapter 18: Building Your Media Portfolio and Profile

Part IV: Entering Film Festivals

Chapter 19: Deciding What Film Festivals to Enter

Chapter 20: Picking the Best Film Festivals to Enter

Chapter 21: Some Recommended Film Festivals to Enter

Chapter 22: Upping Your Chances of Getting into Film Festivals

Chapter 23: Upping Your Chances of Getting Attention and Awards at Film Festivals

Chapter 24: How You Can Get More Attention and Awards at Film Festivals

Part V: Arranging for Theatrical Screenings

Chapter 25: Setting up Theatrical Screenings

Chapter 26: Doing Your Own Theatrical Release

Chapter 27: Arranging for a Theatrical Release

Chapter 28: Making a Deal to Show Your Film in a Theater

Chapter 29: Connecting with Theaters and Making a Deal

Chapter 30: Promoting Your Film in Theaters

Part VI: Making Contacts at the AFM

Chapter 31: Finding Distributors and Sales Agents at the AFM

Chapter 32: Attending the AFM Successfully

Part I: An Overview of the Distribution Process

Chapter 1: Finding Distributors for Your Film: What to Expect

I’ve recently started thinking about how to best distribute a film, since I have been looking for distribution for my first feature film: Suicide Party: Save Dave.  This book describes what I have learned is the best strategy and what to expect in the offers you get, so you can get the best deal possible, based on what’s realistic for your film.  It also draws on input from the director of Suicide Party, who has directed about 20 other feature films, a producer’s rep, a publicist I work with in L.A., and extensive research about distribution from books and the Internet.  I’ll discuss both DYI (do your own) distribution if you can’t find a distributor, as well as different tracks to consider in distributing your film through different channels. 

First, know the major players in the film distribution space. The ones to contact depend on what your goals are for your film, such as whether you feel you have a film that merits theatrical distribution, or you want to focus on distribution in other markets.  These major players include studio distributors, independent distributors, producer’s reps, and sales reps. 

The studio distributors are largely out of the picture for independent films, unless you have a big breakthrough at one of the top film festivals where the big distributors go (Sundance, Toronto, and Cannes, and secondarily Tribeca, and maybe Berlin and Venice, plus some distributors go to South by Southwest.  Such a film breakthrough requires not only being shown, but also creating an exciting talk or buzz about your film with an advance media build-up.  Moreover, if you are aiming for the big festivals, you have to premier there, which means waiting to find out if you are accepted before you can submit to other festivals.  However, the likelihood of acceptance is very small unless you have personal connections, since not only do the big festivals select a small number of films from thousands of submissions, but generally the vast majority – perhaps 85-90%—of those accepted come from personal connections with the festival director or staff, leaving only about 10-15% to be accepted on their own merits.  Then if you are accepted, you still have to create that exciting buzz for your film to actually get a deal besides simply showing at a big festival.  In short, for most indie filmmakers, a studio distribution deal is unlikely, though possible, should you later develop a great deal of excitement, so the studio distributors want to take a look at your project. 

Then, there are the independent distributors, who come in all flavors.  There are some who handle theatrical distribution, ranging from those who handle one or two films – generally their own films—to those handling a half-dozen or more. Many of these distributors will also handle distribution in other channels, such as to home video, cable, and foreign sales.  Then there are many distributors who eschew theatrical for distribution in other channels. 

Often if you want to seek a theatrical release, you will need a budget for P&A, which means promotion and advertising, along with the costs of any files, DVDs, posters, and local advertising, which you need for each theater, which can add up to $5000-10,000 or more per city, though normally you don’t pay the distributor.  Rather, you typically make a split of the income arrangement, which is commonly 35-50%, though more often a 50-50 split, and in some cases, a distributor who wants your film enough will advance the P&A. 

Some distributors may additionally ask you to have E&O insurance, which refers to Errors and Omissions.  Even though your film is already produced, some distributors may still ask for this, just in case, such as one distributor interested in Suicide Party: Save Dave explained to me.  Maybe a scene in the film might show a store or company in the background, and they object to the way they are portrayed.  So this could trigger a request for a recut of the film or a lawsuit, but your E&O insurance would cover this.  On the other hand, most distributors I spoke to didn’t require this. 

While some distributors will ask for worldwide rights, others just want domestic (which includes Canada as well as the U.S.), and some specialize in foreign.  So everything is negotiable including what markets a distributor will handle, the percentage split, and how much P&A budget you will need if any.

Another major player is the producer’s rep.  This is essentially a middleman who contacts distributors and foreign sales agents on your behalf and