For your film or TV show to be seen by audiences and make money, you'll need to find distributors in as many countries across the world as possible.
But for you, as a producer or filmmaker, how on earth do you reach out to these distributors in France, South Korea, Spain and Japan and get them to look at your project? As if you didn’t already have enough to do just getting the damn thing made in the first place!
The answer is simple: you need a sales agent!
Bringing a great sales agent on board is one of the most vital partnerships you can make for your project. It will likely be the key factor in achieving distribution and generating revenues. And for some filmmakers who partner with a sales agent early on, it can be the difference between your project getting made or not.
What Does A Sales Agent Do?
A sales agent has one primary function: to find a distributor for your film or TV show in as many territories as possible.
Your sales agent will represent the licensing rights for your project in the international sales market. They should have a wide network of relationships with distributors in countries all across the globe. They can then use their experience and infrastructure to target the best and most appropriate distributors in each country for your project.
The sales agent will also determine the appropriate pricing for the licensing fees that a distributor will have to pay in each territory.
And, particularly if they are brought on in pre-production, the sales agent can also advise you on what you can be doing to improve the package and make your project more commercially-viable, thereby raising the potential sale price.
When Does A Sales Agent Come On Board?
A sales agent can board a project at any time throughout the entire process.
This could be in the very early stages of development, it could be once the film or TV show is completed, or at any stage in between.
Having a sales agent already in place while you are packaging the project can be incredibly valuable. As they are so familiar with the market, they will have a sense of which actors have value, which genres work best, what kind of budget range can be justified, and much more.
Remember: these factors change constantly as the market continually adjusts. What was popular last year might no longer be fashionable now. A star that had value three films ago may not be worth as much today.
The sales agents are on the frontline every day, dealing with distributors, gauging the market, and keeping up-to-date with the latest trends that appeal to audiences.
So, working with a sales agent early on in the process can help you considerably when putting together the best and most commercial package possible.
Plus, having a great sales agent on board while you’re still putting your project together can unlock the door to additional financing, both to attract equity investors and also to raise debt financing from pre-sales and gap financing!
However, some sales agents won’t want or be able to commit to a project until it is completed. This is often the case with smaller projects where there isn’t an obvious commercial aspect to it, whether that is its themes, cast, or any other elements.
In that case, a sales agent might wait to see the finished product before deciding whether they will be able to sell it effectively.
International Marketing Materials
The sales agent will work with you to create a set of marketing materials to sell the film to distributors, including your key art, trailer, and much more.
If you have not started production yet, they can come up with well-thought-out concept art and promotional materials to convey the genre, story, and spirit of the project to help them publicize and sell it to distributors. If you have already completed production, the sales agent can use your footage to put together a great trailer, poster, and other marketing materials.
The input of the sales agent is vital when creating these materials. They are the experts and know exactly what they need to sell the project most effectively across the world.
They are the specialists after all and, as they are working on commission, they are incentivized to sell the project as widely as possible and for as much money as possible, which should make everybody happy!
The above has been adapted from Book Two in our series on film and TV financing, HOW THE HELL… DO I Get My Film Financed: Book Two: Sales & Distribution by Ricky Margolis. For more information and other books in this series, check out all our current releases here.
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