TOTBO Tip of the Day 23 Webdesigners

If you are not a technically-oriented person, you need an IT person to set up your website. Chances are, they will know a lot more about search engine optimization (SEO) than you do. Ask them to set up a site that you can regularly modify on your own, so that you are not spending thousands […]

TOTBO Tip of the Day 22 Create a Grid of Rights

It is important that you or someone on your team keep track of who has the rights to what. Most lawyers will never have the time to do this for you. You should create a grid and track it, because it can get confusing. Orly Ravid of The Film Collaborative who handles the legal on […]

TOTBO Tip of the Day 21 Lawyers

A good lawyer who is familiar with split rights scenarios and the vagaries of new distribution models is essential, although hard to find. If you cannot find one, I suggest using a consultant in tandem with a lawyer. The consultant negotiates, the lawyer goes over the language. Find someone who is open to working in […]

TOTBO Tip of the Day 20 Television Sales Reps

Television is a market that is hard to monetize if you DIY. You should get yourself a TV sales agent if you can. These agents/reps deal with television buyers all the time; they also go to specific television sales markets throughout the world. Like foreign sales reps, foreign television sales reps typically take 25 percent […]

TOTBO Tip of the Day 19 Foreign Sales Reps

These are reps/agents that are relatively established in the split rights world and specialize in the sales of foreign rights. Generally they take a higher percentage (25 percent) than producer’s reps for domestic deals and many of them charge expenses as well. However, it is much harder to get a foreign sales advance because overall […]

TOTBO Tip of the Day 18 Don’t Despair

Since sales reps generally work on commission, they will be choosier about the films that they select. Hence more and more films will end up not being represented by a sales rep or will not have a sales rep for each right. So don’t despair if you don’t have one. If a sales rep is […]

10 Solutions to Ted Hopes 38 More Ways The Film Industry Is Failing Today

On Truly Free Film today Ted Hope writes about 38 More Ways The Film Industry Is Failing Today. My response is to propose 10 Solutions that Filmmakers Can engage in to work against these failings: 1. Consider marketing and distribution of your films as part of the entire filmmaking process. If you do this it […]

TOTBO Tip of the Day 17 Before Bringing on Principal Crew

If you have one or more sales representatives interested in your film, certainly talk to them. But have your distribution and marketing strategy ready before even talking to sales reps, then present it to them to determine to see whether or not they feel that they can help implement that strategy. This is so that […]

TOTBO Tip of the Day 16 Producer’s Reps Pt 1

In honor of the upcoming Cannes Film Festival – I will take this opportunity to explore other crew people that you might want to engage on your film and whether or not they are right for your project. There are several types of sales representatives/sales agents. Today the topic is Producer’s Representatives. A classic sales […]

TOTBO Tip of the Day 15 Hiring PMDs in these early days.

I look forward to a near future in which filmmakers/directors will be able to put out calls for PMDs just as they do for DPs and Editors – and that they will get an equal volume of applications. Directors will develop long term relationships with PMDs that “get them” just as they do with DPs, […]