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 […]
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, […]
TOTBO Tip of the Day 14 Responsibilities of the PMD
Responsibilities of the PMD include: 1. Identify and engage with the audience for a film. 2. Development of a distribution and marketing strategy and plan for a film in conjunction with the entire team. 3. Create a budget for said plan. 4. Assemble and supervise the necessary team/crew elements to carry out the plan. 5. […]
TOTBO Tip of the Day 13 Introducing the Producer of Marketing and Distribution or PMD
As a filmmaker, I have thought a lot of about complaints from filmmakers of all these new tasks that we are responsible for in distribution and marketing. And this is how I came up with the concept of the Producer of Marketing and Distribution or PMD. Just like you most likely did not make the […]
Jon Reiss Interview with Nat Mundel
This was published on voyagemedia.com today. Author Jon Reiss on the Death of the Film Festival AND HIS BEST KEPT SECRETS THAT COULD MAKE YOUR NEXT INDIE FILM A SUCCESS!! In his interview with Nat Mundel, independent filmmaker, author, and educator Jon Reiss unabashedly confirms one thing: the film festival acquisition model is dead or […]