Getting Your Film a Distribution Deal
If you’re waiting until your film is finished and in the trenches of the film festival circuit to start your distribution hustle then you are missing the boat…
The film festival circuit is an important part of the filmmaking process and clearly there are many benefits — the networking, the exposure, the accolades, etc.
Maybe the best thing about the festival circuit is that, in this day and age, it’s one of the few places filmmakers can actually have their films celebrated solely on the merits of their film simply being good!
Sadly, the distribution game does not work that way. Not anymore. As recently as a decade ago, it was enough to just produce a good film. Because there was limited space, the cream rose to the top.The great films, indie and studio alike, found their audience, were celebrated, and a lot of them made money. Today, the shelf space and the lineup is in the cloud. It’s limitless. The good news is that now everyone can get their film distributed.
But getting your film on the shelf isn’t the challenge anymore. Getting your film to stand out has become the challenge for the current generation of filmmakers.
How Do You Get Your Film to Stand Out?
There is so much content on so many platforms nowadays, that it’s difficult to make a film that isn’t just white noise, regardless of how good it might be.
Even more frustrating, is that great films often don’t find their audience and few of them make money.
That’s why it’s your job, as a producer, to make sure your film is positioned to get in front of the right audience by getting the right Distribution Deal.
The right deal will get your film to stand out.
So how do you position yourself for that deal?
1. Your Distribution Plan
Savvy producers do not wait until the film is finished to figure out what to do with it.
Rather, they do extensive development to make sure that the distribution plan is in place before the film is even made.
The Distribution Plan is where you construct the plan of getting your film the best deal possible.
It doesn’t mean that the film has to have pre-sale agreements or a papered distribution commitment prior to the making of the film. Few people, particularly in the indie world, are capable of that.
However, it does mean that you should have a strategic plan of attack that’s realistic and calculated so that by the time you’re accepting your festival accolades, the distribution wheels are already in motion.
First and foremost, it’s understanding the difference between what you want to do and what you have to do.
As filmmakers we all have a relatively clear creative vision, but that is rarely aligned perfectly with what needs to be done to make a film that is distributable and can actually make money on a global scale.
By properly developing your film you learn how to gracefully navigate the middle ground between wantand have to which is more likely to result in a good Distribution deal.
2. Know What Your Film Is & Who It’s For
Knowing what your film is and who it’s for seems obvious but often filmmakers don’t explore that from a business perspective.
Some genres are always more lucrative and more in demand than others. So, if you’re working in one of the less desired genres, like drama or comedy, how can you personify the elements of your project to help overcome that obstacle?
More often than not independent filmmakers work within a hybrid of genres.
Knowing how to personify the genre elements that will be most appealing to audiences and distributors will help push the project into the right distribution scenario.
3. Don’t Wait Until After the Festival Circuit to Seek a Deal
Far too often I meet independent filmmakers who have a clear creative vision and have made a good film but don’t have a clear (or realistic) idea of where to take it.
Those films and filmmakers often end up on a very lethargic and long-winded journey trying to “sell” their project.
The premium outlets and opportunities for distribution that should have been available to these films quickly become unavailable as the age of the film increases and suddenly the producer is spearheading a salvage effort.
If you do proper development & devise your Distribution plan early, you will be in a position to begin scouting a deal from day 1.
4. Get Feedback from a Sales Agent or Distributor
As filmmakers we crave being on set, working hard to make our creative vision a reality, but before diving into your next production head first, take some time to network with sales agents and distribution professionals in order to get some insight into what your film really is from a business perspective.
Talking to distribution professionals early and getting their feedback on your project can help you develop your next film in a way that is better groomed for the distribution effort.
Some of those distribution professionals may even help guide you along the way.
Always take it with a grain of salt of course.
Not everything a distribution professional may tell you is gospel, but it is a guideline for better development, which will in turn guide you toward a more successful filmmaking effort.
5. Present Your Film Well
Marketing is key. Your Trailer and Key Art are crucial when getting Sales Agents or Distributors to even consider your film.
This is not something you want to DIY (unless you are highly trained in this area).
You want to make sure you are appropriately representing your film in the way that the Sales Agents & Distributors want to see it.
Too many filmmakers miss the mark on this step & it prevents their film from getting a lucrative deal.
It doesn’t matter if your film is incredible. If your marketing materials are not what Sales Agents or Distributors want to see, your film might never get a deal.
On the other side, if your film is not so great but your marketing materials are on point, you could score a lucrative deal.
If you’d like to know specifically what Sales Agents & Distributors want to see from your submission, I go into this more in depth in my free training, 6 Ways to Not Screw Up Your Film Distribution Deal.
In this training, I share what I call “Film Distribution Deal Killers” — the 6 common mistakes most filmmakers make when submitting to Distributors and what to do instead. Click here to join.
Always Remember, Filmmaking is a Business
As soon as you indulge in raising money for the purpose of creating something that you intend to sell, you have automatically become the manager of a business, whether you want to be or not.
Every smart business needs proper development and a proper game plan up front before actually executing on that business idea. Producing movies is exactly the same thing.
Very often the finance and distribution plan you create during your development phase changes but having that plan in advance sets you up for a clearer path and direction.
Then, once your film is complete or nearing completion, you are able to maximize the momentum and success, which will ideally serve to get your film the right Distribution Deal.
And the right Distribution Deal can catapult you into your next project.
Make sure you’re taking the steps to properly develop your project, in order to give yourself a leg up on producing a film that distributors won’t be able to resist getting behind.
Marc Clebanoffis an award-winning filmmaker and Managing Partner of Odyssey Motion Pictures — a global sales agency. He is also the co-founder of Indie Film Ins & Outs, which offers free webinars and online courses on film finance, development and distribution, including the free training, 6 Ways to Not Screw Up Your Film Distribution Deal.
