In addition to the learning that the Presale Market is Alive and Well at AFM and observing 4 industry trends from AFM 2014, I gained some practical knowledge that all producers should know. While there’s plenty more you will need to know to attend your first AFM, here are some things that really popped out this year.
1. While more filmmakers are exhibiting at the show, Sales Agents are
Courtesy of Screen Australia and sourced via Sheri Candler, three cheers for the sharing of information!
I would like to go to the site of one of the many organizations dedicated to supporting filmmakers and easily find links to a list of foreign sales agents.
For that matter, I would like to be able to find such links to US Distributors, Worldwide Distributors, Distribution Case Studies, Funders, Agents, Crew, Platforms, Legal Documents, Production Forms, Tech & Equipment Recommendations, Recommended Best Practices, Expert Opinions, Ideas & Inspiration, Recommended Reading — and that’s just off the top of my head. You know, I would like it to be clear that that these organizations were driven to help filmmakers, and not just “furthering their brand”.
Guest post by Orly Ravid of TheFilmCollaborative.org
Our friend and beloved social network marketing guru Sheri Candler posed a question to me today. She noted that filmmakers are often confused by this issue of “what is the difference between a sales agent or distributor selling a license to your film or selling your film outright for 15 – 20 years?”. She posited a real estate metaphor. So here I go: Sales agents are not like Re-Max brokers only having the right to sell your house for you, if you approve. They usually take your land and then resell it and its territorial clones all over the world, or as much as they can. Meaning, they first take the rights and take delivery (at least usually that is the way they do it) and then they license those rights territory by territory for a term, a minimum guarantee, and usually a royalty split. Sometimes all rights deals are done and sometimes rights are split.
