A Great Movie Isn't Enough — It Has to Make Business Sense
Over the years my co-producer Diane, and I have worked with a lot of filmmakers, especially new filmmakers trying to get their first projects made and distributed. One thing we continue to see is that we spend so much time concentrating on making the movie that we sometimes forget what happens after the movie is finished. We all want to make a great movie. We want a strong script, good performances, great photography and a story that connects with an audience. But we learned something during our years in this business: A great movie isn't always a sellable movie.
That's sometimes difficult for a filmmaker to hear. When you've spent months or even years developing a project, raising money, finding locations, hiring cast and crew, solving problems and finally getting the movie finished, you naturally believe that if the movie is good enough, someone will want to distribute it. Unfortunately, that's not always how this business works. A distributor isn't just looking at your movie as a creative project.
They're looking at it as an investment. And that's something we think every independent filmmaker needs to understand before they start making the movie—not after they've finished it.
I Tell Filmmakers to Think Like a Buyer - When we are working with a filmmaker, one of the things we try to get them to think about is what the person on the other side of the table is going to see. We may see a great screenplay. The buyer sees a product.We may see wonderful performances. The buyer is asking whether the cast helps sell the movie. We may be excited about festival selections and awards. The buyer wants to know whether those awards will actually help attract an audience. Neither side is wrong. They're simply looking at the same movie from two different perspectives. That's why we believe producers need to start asking business questions much earlier in the process. Who is going to watch this movie? Not everybody. Who is the actual audience? How old are they? Where are they? What other movies do they watch? How are we going to reach them? Does the movie have recognizable cast? Does the subject have international appeal? Can someone look at the poster or trailer and immediately understand what kind of movie they're being asked to watch? What makes someone stop scrolling and click on our movie instead of the hundreds of other movies available to them? Want to learn more contact me: [email protected]
Well said. As someone who knows Art personally, I can say that he's a born teacher. As someone with 35 years in education, I recognize one when I see one. Our entertainment attorney did us a huge favor when he advised us to join Women in Film, which is how we met him. If anyone in this group is in the Orlando area when WIFT is meeting, I'd love to meet you. We're doing a studio tour tomorrow, and it's always fun to see what different studios have to offer.
Cynthia Breed Me thinks we should trade logos and links with WIFT!
Great idea!
Kim Welch Hopefully Art will see my comment- I've used the points in this article with my husband when he stubbornly defends things that need to be changed to get distribution. 😂
I am guessing you're sending this as a link trade logo but I don't see any links to logos on the WIFT site. What is the deal with this?
I'm old when it comes to this stuff
A New Distribution Opportunity for Independent Filmmakers
Independent filmmakers are seeing a new wave of distribution opportunities through Amazon Channels and subscription streaming services (SVODs)—and for filmmakers who understand how the system works, there may be significant money on the table.
The important thing to understand is that simply getting your film onto Amazon is not the same thing as having a distribution strategy.
Amazon Channels provides access to numerous subscription services, each looking for different types of films and audiences. Finding the right Pay-1 buyer—the first subscription service to license your film after its initial release—can potentially mean the difference between a modest licensing deal and a much more substantial return.
For independent producers, that means we need to start thinking about distribution before the film is finished—and preferably before it is financed.
What WIFT-FL Filmmakers Should Be Watching
There are several important developments worth paying attention to:
- Which Amazon Channels and SVOD services are actively acquiring independent feature films?
- Which platforms are the best fit for your film's genre, audience and budget?
- What kinds of films are receiving meaningful licensing offers?
- Could your film generate additional revenue beyond the initial license fee?
- If one streaming service passes on your film, does that really mean there isn't another audience—or another buyer—for it?
- Is your distributor approaching every appropriate platform, or only the buyers they normally work with?
- How will FAST channels and ad-supported streaming affect independent film distribution?
- Could companies such as Samsung, Vizio and Roku become increasingly important distribution players?
- How long will today's opportunities remain available as Amazon and other platforms gain greater control over audiences and discoverability?
Don't Depend Entirely on Your Distributor
One of the biggest lessons for independent filmmakers is simple:
Know your own market.
Even when working with a distributor or sales agent, producers should develop their own list of potential buyers and platforms.
Ask:
Who is the audience for this film? Which platforms already serve that audience? Which services are acquiring films like ours? Has our distributor contacted them?
A distributor may have excellent relationships, but no distributor has relationships with every emerging platform or buyer. New opportunities are appearing quickly, and filmmakers need to understand enough about the marketplace to ask the right questions.
Think About Distribution Before You Shoot
This may be the most important takeaway for WIFT-FL producers and filmmakers.
If you're financing a film today, don't wait until post-production to ask:
"Who is going to buy this?"
Ask that question while you're developing the project.
The genre, cast, budget, running time, target audience and even the type of story you're telling can affect where the film ultimately fits in the marketplace.
And if your film is already completed, don't automatically assume that a few passes mean "the market has spoken."
It may simply mean you haven't found the right buyer yet.
The Bottom Line
The independent distribution landscape is changing quickly. Amazon Channels, SVOD, FAST, connected television and manufacturer-owned platforms are creating new ways for filmmakers to reach audiences—and potentially new sources of revenue.
But these opportunities won't necessarily last forever.
For WIFT-FL filmmakers, the message is:
Learn who the buyers are. Know where your audience watches. Build your own target list. Ask your distributor questions. And start thinking about distribution long before you yell, "Action!"
Making the movie is only half the job.
Finding the audience—and the money—is the other half.
It's called trading links. You get that, right?
I think the original point was really about filmmakers focusing so much on making a great movie that they don't spend enough time or energy planning the distribution. The title, "A Great Movie Isn't Enough — It Has to Make Business Sense," is basically saying that making a great film alone isn't enough to make it successful.
Some of this also comes down to how we define a great movie. A great movie still has to be something people want to watch. Investors certainly want that, and they're not going to start out looking to invest in a bad movie. But if you're serious about succeeding with a film, distribution should be part of the planning from the beginning—at least during pre-production—and not something you start thinking about after the movie is finished. And, it really starts with the script. Keeping the main thing the main thing which is the story.
The same goes for using bankable or recognizable talent. We actually covered this in one of our webinars with Shane Stanley. He talked about how to approach and contract recognizable talent at realistic rates, as well as how that talent can help you pitch the film to investors and ultimately sell the movie.
You can watch it here:
https://studentfilmmakers.com/courses/casting-crewing-secrets-with-shane-stanley/