As filmmaker with a finished film, when vetting distributors, do you see yourself as a seller of a product or a buyer of services? If the latter, do you expect a potential distributor to share their success stories and the associated financials with you?
EXCELLENT questions, Joe Orlandino! I would love to hear the answers myself.
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Absolutely a buyer of services, though perhaps even a joint venturer . As such, I vet the potential distributor exhaustively, for their business history, references, and yes, the personality of the people I am dealing with. All that BEFORE I meet with them. If I do not feel they have the right understanding and passion for their function, there's no point in even talking about product.
Hey, Joe Orlandino! Are you seeking out the distributor through a film festival or at a market? I feel like where you approach them may also influence how you interact with them. Also, you may be interested to know there is a webinar this Friday about how to build a Film Festival strategy during this time of "virtual film festivals": https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Find-Success-Releasing-Your-Film-during... It could maybe help you find that distributor!