how does distribution work?

Started by md, March 20, 2004, 09:50:42 AM

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md

Not sure if this has been covered before, and i know it could probably be somewhat complex...but lets say we have two types of movies: A) a movie that has somewhat heavy studio backing (well atleast support(, lets say a movie like magnolia (im leaving out huge blockbusters) and then B) a movie like reqieum for a dream or something low budget and indy like that.  Now do the studios that finicially back those movies up, actually go on to distribute them? I know the artisan logo is on the dvd, so im not quite sure if they helped distribute or finance or both...but anyways from that stage, its the distributors decision on how to market the film, go wide, or have it be a nice little word of mouf film.  My questions is, does it cost each individual theatre money to buy the film prints and liscence to show the movie, or well, uh how does that aspect work?  thanks
"look hard at what pleases you and even harder at what doesn't" ~ carolyn forche

Kal

There are three times of ways of making a movie and have it be released theatrically (nationwide) in the USA. You must have a deal with one of the distributors because they have the deals with the Theatres and you cannot do it by yourself. Think for example in the case of Mel Gibson with "The Passion", none of the big studios wanted the pictures and finally NewMarket took it. NewMarket is a crappy small distributor and they busted their asses to make it happen and they finally did (and it paid off).

Types of deals for Distribution can be:

- Negative Pick-up: This means that you did a movie yourself (like The Passion) and you paid for everything and you have your copy ready, and then you show it to a studio. If that studio wants the movie they will pay you for the Negative, and then they have a percentage of the Gross and they pay the expenses for distribution. They also get all the rights for merchandising and all that stuff. Its like they buy your movie after its done but you still have a participation on it.

- Distribution only: You do everything yourself and you just get a major studio that will distribute the picture. They will put in on theatres and get a percentage of the gross. This is the most profitable way for a producer but the most difficult one to make real money as you have to do all the marketing and all the promotions and everything yourself.

- Studio picture: This is when a studio hires you to make a movie for them. In this case they put all the money, they give you an office, cover all your expenses, and they distribute the movie, and they pay for the marketing. This is the easiest one as you dont have to worry about anything, but its the one that makes less money for the producer as the studio gets most of it.

Hope it was helpful.

Kal

Why do I see this topic with 0 replies in the Main Menu... hmm... how weird... it doesnt show my response but I do see it when I go in...

ono

That's because it started in a different forum in this one, and you're probably accessing it from the old forum.  The new one will show the accurate number of replies, etc.

Kal


MacGuffin

Filmmaker Looks to eBay to Auction Film Rights

In late February, when Vince Lozano posted an eBay auction during the American Film Market for the global rights to his 2000 film "Alvarez & Cruz," he thought he might be pioneering "an electronic alternative for self-distribution of low-budget films." When the auction closed with a winning bid from Girl and a Gun Films it looked like they had found their alternate. Now, Lozano says, "the moral to the story is if you don't have the money don't make a bid."

"Alvarez & Cruz," which is the directorial debut of the film's stars Alex D'Lerma and Lozano, is a Latino father-and-son crime drama that debuted at the Ohio Independent Film Festival in late 2000. "We didn't think we were getting fair offers from distributors," Lozano told indieWIRE via email. "So we decided to try something new." So they auctioned the global rights for a minimum $15,000 bid on eBay over three years after their festival debut (the film's budget was reported at around $28,000 to get the film in the can).

"We feel that eBay could be an electronic alternative for self-distribution of low-budget films," filmmaker Vince Lozano told AuctionBytes (an online auctions news site) when the auction was posted. "We're excited by the prospect of selling our film online during the American Film Market and possibly creating a new avenue for other do-it-yourself filmmakers."

They found Girl and a Gun Films (a new production company founded by Alan Zimmerman, Joe Todaro and Jason Royce), who won the rights to the low budget film as the sole bidder for the auction's $15,000 minimum asking bid, the first time eBay has been used for this kind of rights sale.

Girl and a Gun was unfamiliar with the film until they heard about the eBay auction. "Frankly, we stumbled across it, purely by accident," wrote company founder Alan Zimmerman in an email interview about the acquisition. "With very little press, these two filmmakers were able attract a lot of attention for their film and were able to attract us as buyers."

As filmmakers just starting the fund raising for their own first feature production, Girl and a Gun Films' acquisition of a film seemed risky business, but Zimmerman was optimistic. "We hope to raise capital for our future film productions from the revenue generated from the distribution of this film, and through capital investments from other independent parties," he said.

This week, though, Lozano told indieWIRE via email that "Girl and a Gun films could only come up with part of the money, so we decided to move on." He reports that they have interest from another company, and remains Optimistic about the potential of eBay for independent filmmakers, Lozano said, "We still believe eBay is a viable option for selling independent films if it's properly promoted."

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

SoNowThen

Quote from: MacGuffin
They found Girl and a Gun Films (a new production company founded by Alan Zimmerman, Joe Todaro and Jason Royce)

You've gotta be fucking kidding me?!!!

We just started a production company called Gun And A Girl. Aarrgh. The name cleared in Alberta, but damn it, other people aren't s'posed to like Godard quotes :roll: ...
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Jeremy Blackman

That is quite possibly the cheesiest poster I've ever seen.

SoNowThen

It looks like a bad version of a Santana album cover.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

billybrown

The movie itself, judging by that provolone-sized cheeseball poster looks to be the quintessential dump special... How do crap, even indie-crap films manage to get made? Don't answer, rhetorical question as I ponder all of life's injustices...

Sal

It seems all indie film posters use the lens glare effect.  Whew, how embarassing.