Distribution

Debbie Elicksen Hi Debbie, as well as scheduling problems, the article also mentions that the quality of films isn’t as good, but I suppose this could be put down to finance problems? have you noticed this too?

Maurice Vaughan yes, that is strange isn’t it? Why would distributors (or the studios) not want to maximise their profits during a time of maximum exposure and publicity for the film? Someone must know the answer to that. I wonder of Debbie knows? Debbie Elicksen

Geoff Hall You give me too much credit. lol. Perhaps the quality is not there because of the catchup still needed after the strike. But I do notice that the selection is not great at the theatres this time of year. It usually improves in the summer. Still, I have not been tempted to see any film since Eras. The ones that are showing, I feel like I can wait until I can rent them off Cineplex or wait until they appear on Netflix and Prime.

Debbie Elicksen so actually part of this could be put down to the usual seasonal fluctuations and that the early part of any year is thin on films. However, it would be interesting to find out what’s in the pipeline for production/post-prod/release. Thanks for your humble feedback, Debbie! Lol.

it sure would be great to find out what is coming up soon

Tatiana is brilliant and such a generous educator. This is a profound certification course. Thanks for the share, Maurice Vaughan!

If anyone wants to check out Tatiana's course in this Master Certification track,, here's a link: https://certification.stage32.com/#/online-courses/ae124c5e-3229-4f74-91...

You're welcome, Sam Sokolow.

Great insight, Fran Harris! Was there a film festival that stood out to you above the rest when you were entering them?

Great post! Networking 100%. I've had some great opportunities fall in my lap from participating in film festivals. Key is to avoid the monthly online ones and if you can, go to them in person! Otherwise, you lose out on the opportunity to meet people!

Great insights, Fran Harris! I also think that the motivational energy that you feel when attending festivals and events like this in person is particularly helpful. It can be inspiring to meet so many people that are on similar journeys and the energy is infectious.

Thanks for all the advice, Stephen Folker! Much appreciated

Trey, aggregators are usually a last resort rather than a first. They deal in volume and simply put their films up on platforms. If you believe that your film doesn't have potential to, say, get picked up by Starz or Showtime domestically, or garner an MG in any international territory, then perhaps that's your best route, although it's safe to assume you won't recoup your budget. However, if you realistically think there's some potential upside, it's definitely worth submitting to and chatting with other distribution & sales entities. You can expect there to be some expenses and market fees - as long as they are transparent with these and they are reasonably capped, that is actually standard industry procedure. You also want to ensure that there's no cross-collateralization. I think a 2-year term may be challenging; however, you can ask for performance minimums with the right to take your film back if they don't meet these in the first two years, for example. There are plenty of shady operations out there, but there are plenty of reputable ones as well. If you ask around, you can usually get the low-down. :)

Thank you everyone for jumping in with great insights!

Robert Deege Thank you so much for this! Very insightful and helpful

Trey Alessio Keep us posted as to what direction you go! And if you go the route of a traditional distributor, reach out to other filmmakers who have had their works distributed by said company and ask if they've made money (or their budget back). And there are a couple of groups on Facebook where you'll find all the info you need about predatory companies. Best wishes to you!!

Most independent films make little to no money as it is. So, it's unlikely they'll get any theatrical deal. But, if one wants to spend the money for local / regional theater screenings (w/paid rentals) go for it.

Yes, I'd rather see a film on a big screen! But that's soon to be a thing of the past. Everyone is glued to their phone / smart devices.

I imagine what you're calling "streaming sites" are the familiar names we already know.

Generally speaking they do not accept projects outside of their own eco system.

You would need to scale to 3+ million or more to get any interest from anyone

I would think you'd have to build your own audience in that scenario. There aren't tons of examples where that jumps from the web to network, especially as of late and in this market -- so I would focus on building your own thing and determining how to monetize it.

Good luck Suzanne Bronson!

David is the best! What a great opportunity to learn. I’m excited for this.

Movies are changing, and people are also becoming more interested in conscious themes and characters that mix the absurd with real struggles and show how those things make us human. "Seeing Rachel," and I can't wait to see in the theater :)) Thanks Geoff Hall for sharing

Sandra Isabel Correia that is also my hope, Sandra.

Geoff Hall POOR THINGS is a brilliant production and story wise. highly recommended!

Pat Savage thanks Pat. I’ll have to check that out.

Geoff Hall absolutely worth the watch!

Well, if last night at my local Vue Cinema is anything to go by, it will do a lot for the box-office recovery.

Geoff Hall I couldn't make it through the first one when it was on free streaming. I doubt that I will ever watch part two. Like Mad Max Fury Road, it was a big yawn fest for me. I had to go back to Captain America Winter Soldier and The Dark Knight Rises to wash the boredom out of my eyes.

Debbie Elicksen oh dear, Debbie. Geoff puts on his sad face and drops his device on the sofa, never knowing how Captain America could be a turn on and Dune a turn off.

Plus, it has to be seen on the big screen, not a teeny tiny one. Just saying.

Geoff Hall I will still pass. :) But I do like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, if that counts for anything.

Debbie Elicksen nope! ;-)

Amanda Toney I love that. Sometimes our eyes are not the eyes of the general masses, who may like the thing we think is so so, and the thing we think is perfect, they ignore. Every social media influencer will say exactly what you said, move fast and break things. Test, experiment, and just do it. If it tanks, pull it or try and optimize it better.

Ha, our most discussed topic. Thank you for sharing this, Fran Harris! You know how I feel. It's so easy for creatives to get stuck in the perfectionism cycle. I certainly struggle with it when it comes to my own writing. But you don't learn and grow if you never share what you've created to get feedback and see how it stands out in the world.

Perfection is impossible. Plus it's a team sport. The whole idea is to finish a project together and share it - it's entertainment. Entertainment is completely possible.

But we need to strive for perfection, then compromise for the possible.

Totally agree with the spirit of responses here, that it's really important to finish something, get it out there and move on to the next one - to not languish in striving for the impossibility of perfection. But it's worth echoing a couple here and putting a finer point on it that it's equally important that what you put out there is the best it can be within a reasonable timeframe. The best means more than just your effort and execution - it means being strategic and giving yourself the best chance. If you have a microbudget film without cast, is it something that taps into the zeitgeist somehow, can it find a legit audience, have you efforted some kind of grass roots marketing plan, do you have the right distributor for what your film is, do you have amazing marketing materials in the poster and trailer, etc? If you have a little more in the budget, what are you doing with that additional financing - is it up on the screen, do you have cast, at least in a stunt capacity, do you have a way to bolster the audience awareness, and so on? And as Stage 32 is a screenwriting entity, before you do any of the above, have you taken the time to really get the script right? As you move up in the filmmaking world, timelines get crunched. When you're working on an early career project, time is one thing you may have more of. Again, here, we don't want to make perfect the enemy of very good; however, while a good script doeosn't guarantee a good film, you can be sure that a script with major flaws usually portends a movie that doesn't work.