I'm in the final stages of post-production and am headed to the festival route soon as well as contacting direct-to-DVD distribution companies. Is it advisable to have an agent before negotiating for a price? If so, can anyone recommend an agent?
mdifilm said:Mind you, with what I've learned, buyers do not care much of the plot or story (they have no time) to read/sort through the amount of films they are looking to sell, in their mind, their first thing is "would the film makes big money for me?" if that can be answered, the next will be 'was it shot in film? and on" but as I was told by others who attended the Sundance/Cannes/AFM markets, they care about what it can be sold 'quickly' than what has good plot or action.
Mind you, with what I've learned, buyers do not care much of the plot or story
Clive, I hope you didn't take my words out of the context, I did say buyers do not care much on the plot or story, and you just re-enforce that by the statement of "a single defining visual image, a title and ten words" that's not the story just a tag line or sort My point was they have no time... They have a lot to buy and little time to listen/watch a 60 mins film at film markets (again, as most of the time).
So, that's what I've learned, again, its' the reality from people who were there and people who told me up my face what I didn't do right. I might be wrong, they might be wrong, all I know is, films that have story and was explained well at a film market and what others had told me who had been there, I didn't go far, but films that are horror slashers with no story or a film with action with no story/plot, or a really really BAD kungfu movie, gets further than those with great story and plot, that's my reality.
A horror film with nudity will sell (even if it's bad). Just call Asylum.
In hindsight this is the kind of movie I would have started with. My phone would be ringing off the wall (since the writing and technical quality and acting would have all been great). Sell the bad movie and this is your proof as a Producer (probably more than triple someone's $25,000 investment). Once you tell ANYONE you can triple money in a year, they'll easily pony up a million.
Then you attach actors to a GREAT story and you're up and running.
Anyone want to throw me $25K to make a bad horror movie with nudity?
probably he loves to kiss butts. (as a joke)
Filmy
EDIT: I just realized that this thread was about AGENTS (kind of) so I apologize for going off topic... I got caught up in reading the thread and was simply adding to it based on the current content... My apologies to Thunderclap...
But giving your story some kind of structure will be a massive leap forward into drawing us, the audience, into your story.
If you do NOTHING ELSE when it comes to your story, at an absolute minimum, give it some kind of structure.