Many filmmakers struggle to understand how their work gets in front of audiences once it’s been shot and delivered. However, this might be the one element that ultimately defines their success more than any other.
The answer lies in the distribution process. This is how a film or TV show is released to the public.
The sooner a filmmaker gets to grips with how this process works, the sooner they can understand how to create the kinds of content that people really want to see.
Obtaining distribution is the single most important goal for any project. Without distribution, nobody can see your film or TV show and it cannot possibly make any money!
Yet for all its importance, many filmmakers still don’t know much about how distribution works or why it's so crucial to them.
As we discussed previously, the journey that a project takes from your brain to an audience's eyes isn't always as straightforward as many people imagine.
But... it’s not that mysterious or complicated! And just a basic understanding of this process can make a huge difference to filmmakers when creating and packaging their projects, and can greatly increase their chances of success.
There are several important steps that any project must take before it can be viewed by the general public, and several parties that the filmmaker must impress and work with.
Here are SIX things that every filmmaker should know about the distribution journey:
To get your work in front of audiences, you will need to find local distributors in as many territories across the world as possible
In order to connect with those distributors, you will most likely need a sales agent to represent your project
The sales agent will provide you with a set of sales estimates indicating the prices that they will charge for the distribution rights to your project in each country
The sales agent will then go to sales markets and sell those distribution rights (usually on a country-by-country basis) to distributors in various territories across the world
These sales can happen at any time during the production process, but when they happen before filming has started, they are known as “pre-sales” (or “pre-buys” from a distributor’s viewpoint)
The distributors will then figure out how to release the title in their country, including the platforms it will be available on and how it will be marketed
Now of course, this is a simplified version of this process. And depending on the kind of content that you make (such as a web series, for example), you may be able to skip one or two of the steps in this process.
But for the majority of films and TV shows, and especially for any title that wants to get seen in as many countries as possible and make a profit, this outlines the journey that most projects must take.
if you’ve understood all this, then you already have the core principles down of how distribution works and how money flows through the entire industry…
…and probably know more than many of your peers!
Distribution allows audiences people to see your work. In most cases, these audiences will have to pay something for that privilege. This is how projects make money.
The more distribution opportunities you have, the larger your potential audience, and the greater your potential profits. This allows your message to be heard by more people and for it to earn more money - a win-win!
That’s why it’s so crucial for filmmakers to understand how sales agents and distributors work and what they are looking for.
You could spend a lot of time and money creating a project that sales agents and distributors aren’t interested in. If that’s the case, it will not achieve distribution and nobody will ever see it.
Don’t let that happen to you!
Start looking at what these parties want and how they operate as early as possible to ensure that you are creating projects in the right way.
Want to learn more about how distribution works and how you can use this process to raise financing for your next production? You can check out our book on the sales & distribution process by clicking here!
Ricky Margolis has over 15 years' experience in the entertainment industry, and has been involved in the finance, development, production, and/or distribution of over 30 titles.
The above is an excerpt from his book "How The Hell... Do I Get My Film Financed: An Introduction To Film And TV Financing". Click here to learn more about how you can use this process to help get YOUR next film or TV project financed and into production!
To check out all the books in our series "How The Hell... Do I Get My Film Financed?" on film & TV finance and production, please click here.
Comments