Looking For Great Distribution?
You’ve worked hard to make your movie. It’s important to find the right distributor/sales agent to help ensure that your movie finds the largest possible audience so that you have the best opportunity to be successful and self-sustaining from your art. There’s a lot of talk about DIY these days, but if you want the most opportunity for your film, you should first try to find a great distribution partner. Don’t start before you do all your research.
If someone tells you:
“It is expensive to take your movie to market.”
Understand that it’s a lot less expensive, now that DVDs and Blurays don’t have to be pre-manufactured, stored and delivered, but there are still expenses involved in re-coding and delivering your files to the various VOD platforms. Look for a distributor like Indie Rights that will do this at no cost to you. If you want your film to be sold internationally, you need to have a foreign sales agent. 99% of buyers will not talk directly to filmmakers. Most distributors/sales agents will charge you to represent your film at markets like AFM and Cannes or recoup their expenses from your sales. Indie Rights will not do this. We are members of IFTA, which instills buyer trust.
“We are not an aggregator. We are a distributor.”
Ask if the company you are talking to actually delivers your movie to Amazon, Google Play, FandangoNow, etc. or whether they deliver to a post house or lab that handles the delivery. These platforms work directly with some distribution partners like Indie Rights, so that your revenue is maximized and you don’t incur expenses.
“We can get you special placement on the platform!”
While no one can guarantee you placement on VOD platforms, Indie Rights will teach you the best strategies to help ensure that your film will get the best placement possible. You will find many of our movies prominently placed on all the best platforms.
“We are direct with the platforms.”
Make sure you ask how a direct relationship will help you. Indie Rights does not have to go through a lab (except for iTunes) and will never ask you for up-front fees because we are direct with all the leading platforms.
“We will market your movie.”
Make sure you ask what a company means by this. While there are very few distributors that will actually spend dollars on advertising for your film, there are many other valuable services that can be offered. Ask if the company you are considering is active on social media specifically for your film. Do they have a support group to help you with reviews? Do they give you a written marketing plan? Do they teach you specific marketing strategies that are proven to work? Indie Rights does all these things.
“Focus on making movies. Let us handle distribution!”
Your participation in the marketing of your film is essential to its success. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you don’t have to engage with your audience. You must commit to work on the marketing, so make sure you have a distributor that is experienced with social media marketing and can work with you to make sure you learn how to do this effectively.
“All of our filmmakers are happy with us.”
Don’t ask for references from a distributor you are considering. Look on IMDBPro for filmmakers that have experience with anyone you are considering. Don’t sign with a new company. Indie Rights has been in business for ten years and enjoys an excellent reputation. We have paid every one of our filmmakers on time with detailed, transparent reports every quarter for the past ten years. We are also filmmakers, so we have a unique perspective on the needs of filmmakers.