American Film Market (AMF)

First let me ask you a couple questions:

1) What is your overall goal?
2) What do you have to offer? What is the quality of what you have to offer?
3) What are you currently working on?
4) How thorough is your current understanding of the business?
5) What books have you read?
6) What similar events have you been to? Toronto? Milan? NY? The Tucson Statewide iPhone Zombie Comedic Shorts 3rd Annual Extravaganza?
7) How competent are your people skills?
8) What electronic devices do you own? iPad? Nice laptop?


Shanked

AFM is not a film festival.

AFM is a film market - producers with finished product, established
producers with projects in development, distributors with product for
worldwide sales and buyers from around the world.

They offer four seminars but mostly it's sellers and buyers. These
are prodCo's and distributors with a dozen films renting rooms and
screening times to show their movies to buyers from around the
world. People who are not registered buyers can't even get into
most screenings. The Attendee packages offer limited access to
screenings.

So attending really depends on what you want to get out of it.
going in with unrealistic expectations can be discouraging. People
hoping to connect with producers looking to fund their project
find themselves trying to talk to people with 8 to 10 finished
films they can't find buyers for rather than producers looking
to give you money.

Thanks for the responses. No, nothing completed. A couple projects in development. I have an opportunity to attend with a guest pass so thats why I'm planning on going. I have a meeting there with a veteran producer who wants to go over my film package.

My goal obviously is to get my project greenlit, but I'm just hopeing to get a second meeting out of this. I would consider it a successful trip if I do.

I've never been, but I definitely plan to go. I think if you have a product that you believe in and are looking for a buyer, the cost of attending is a small investment. I wish I could've gone this year.

Anway, I heard about it from a filmmaker I met at a fest, and the way he described it is the same as how directorik has. For guys like you and me, it's a place you go to try and sell your finished film, that's it. Though your odds might be slim of selling, for many filmmakers, a place like this might be your only hope.

Your odds are slimmer than trying the more traditional way.

AFM is not the place for guys like you and me to sell a film. Buyers
are not looking at individuals who pay for a guest pass. They are
spending their time with distributors who have several films they
can package together. My advice is for an individual with a film to
sell is to hook up with a distributor six months before AFM and get
them to add your film to their library.

Now if you have a meeting set up, that's fine. I can't quite figure
why a filmmaker needs to buy a pass to get in and meet with
producer at AFM. Meet with them at their office outside of the market
dates. Cheaper and you get more time with them.

JetMonkey, please let us know how the meeting went, okay? Maybe
I'm wrong about this.

I see. Well then, I'm glad I didn't go this year. Thanks for the advice on the six-month rule!

Attending AFM can be a great experience. Going in expecting to get time
with producers to fund your next film or time with distributors about a
deal is going to be disappointing.

Distributors are paying upwards of $10,000 to rent offices and screening
rooms to attract international buyers for the films they already represent.
They are not looking for new product there at the market. I know the
website says filmmakers with a ready-to-go project should buy a pass
and set up meeting. They make money on the passes. Producers are
there to promote their finished product and get financing from international
pre-sales for their in development projects. It’s akin to walking into a
courtroom where a trial is going on and hoping to get some free time
with the lawyer. Much better to get them at their office than in the
courtroom.

But buying a guest pass and attending a couple of the seminars and
mingling can be very educational. A filmmaker get a real taste of what
is selling and what isn’t. A filmmaker can see what distributors have for
sale - what kinds of movie they have already spent money on.

Guys, I guess I wasn't clear enough. I'm not paying to get into this shin-dig. I've been told if you have meetings set up you don't pay to get in, hence the guest pass. I'm being giving this pass to meet up with a producer to go over my film package with my line producer.

Like I said, if I only get a second meeting out of this, I'll be happy. I'll check back in afterward and let you guys know how it goes.

Looking forward to hearing about your experience.

I'll be there tomorrow (Friday).

Following up as promised. Great weather in L.A. even up to 91 degrees! Strolling around Santa Monica was interesting. You can tell who was there for the conference. Attachshase strapped around everybody carrying their goodies. Turns out, I never actually went inside. My meeting took place at a resturant nearby. The producer said he never goes to the AFM. As mentioned, its just for buyers and sellers of finished projects.

Te lunch meeting was informative and relaxed. He asked what my goal was and gave pointers what guys like him are looking for. As far as my script and package, he liked the premise but still thinks the script needs to be polished more to get it up to professional grade. The good news is he's willing to stay with me, and keep monitoring as it goes. I got the feeling that he's interested but he wants me to take it one step at a time. He's just not going to hand over a bunch of cash and say "let's make a movie". I'm gonna have to pay some dues to this guy is kinda how I feel. But he didn't brush me off and said "Sorry, not interested".

Other highlights were, I chatted with another producer who was involved with successful comedies back in the 80's such as "Valley Girl" and "Teen Wolf". Se's now back in the game and asked to read my script. I also got the interest from a repuable distrubution company. the CEO himself said to me they can't shore up funding but if the project gets made they would be interested in distrubution.

Met my line producer for breakfast and had a good meeting with him. Catched up with a screenwriter friend of mine who took me to this coffee shop down in Redondo Beach which turns out to be a major local hang out for screenwriters. He intoduced me to some of his professional screenwriting buddies. After hanging with them, one is going to do me a favor and read my script and give me his opinon and feedback. That will help me with this producer. Overall, I'd say it was a good productive trip.

I hope all who attended had a good experience as well.

Thanks for the followup.

JetMonkey said:

The producer said he never goes to the AFM. As mentioned, its just for buyers and sellers of finished projects.

Click to expand...

That's been my experience, too.

JetMonkey said:

I also got the interest from a repuable distrubution company. the CEO himself said to me they can't shore up funding but if the project gets made they would be interested in distrubution.

Click to expand...

That's been my experience, too.

JetMonkey said:

which turns out to be a major local hang out for screenwriters.

Click to expand...

I know the place.

Glad the trip to L.A. was good for you.

I was at the AFM, and Directorik was right on the money - literally. Everyone was looking for money, and everyone was confident their idea would do well, even if they knew of Goldman's saying. That said, I learned a lot, because, sometimes, you just have to get into the groove of things, and that means living and breathing the business of film, if only for a few days.

Sounds like a good experience for the both of ya'