On-Line Distributors (cont)/AF Tip of the Day

So I couldn't get any information about how these guys do business, and how that would affect my take of any money my movie makes. So I finally asked the big question.

Why should I sign with you and put my films up on your site?

I was told about all of the traffic they get, I would have my own web page, the people who run the site go to places like Sundance and promote their films and look for others to add. I would have a much bigger reach as far as potential audience if I went with them. My page would be listed on all sorts of other web sites like Amazon, and others.

So I asked them about promotion. What kind of promotion do they do, and what places would they take my movie to?

I was told that the films and filmmakers, who do the best on their site, are the ones that go out and do a lot of self-promotion. The ones that really get their film out in to the marketplace. They submit it to all sorts of film festivals, send it to publications, and constantly get the word out about their movie. "That's the filmmakers who do well on our site."

So if filmmakers are going to promote the hell out of their films, and do most of the work themselves, why would they want to be on a site that does nothing but make a master of their DVD, splash their logo all over it, take a good sized percentage to put YOUR film up on their web site, and then sit back and wait while you do all of the hustling. Which part of this doesn't sound good to filmmakers?

There are too many distributors out there that are doing this same thing. You are doing all of the work, they're putting their name and logo on it, and then are waiting for you to sell it for them.

I think one of the reasons they wouldn't let me talk to any of their filmmakers is probably because they had no success stories. They probably don't have anyone who is making money.

There is nothing that these people are doing for you that you couldn't be doing for yourself. And keeping a larger share of the money your films make. There are good distributors out there who will work with you, the key is finding them.

When you talk with a distributor you need to find out what they are going to do for you.

I'll write more about distribution later.

And now, your AF Tip of the Day.

When it comes to budgeting remember, Everything is Negotiable! Don’t pay full price for anything!

- - from The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide (coming in Spring 2008)

Don’t forget to check out www.angryfilmmaker.com, because you just never know...