distribution Company Wants to See My film

G

garylloyd

I sent a distribution company my screenplay and they wrote back saying they Definantly want to see the movie once it's completed.

I'm here in the Baltimore area and want to jump right on it.

I want to work a deal with camera people who can make this happen.

I write funny screenplays. The one I sent them is titled, "Nazi Baby Mamas of Harlem."

I don't have any money, but I'll cut a deal and pay for all the video and props.

I think this project can be completed in a week.

Contact me if you want to help me with this.

riclanders@gmail.com
 
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Just curious, you said "I don't have any money, but I'll cut a deal and pay for all the video and props."
Have you thought about paying for food for the crew and cast? This costs a lot more than most people think. It's great to jump right in but serious planning is needed to complete a feature. We shot ours in 14 days. I was exhausted after we wrapped. I don't think MOST people can pull off a 7 day shoot. You have to allow for losing locations/actors and other disasters that happen no matter what. Hopefully, you can find someone to help you that is experienced.
 
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I'm on page 12. the script is really funny so far, although it might be a little politically incorrect for some. I don't know how you wrote that dialog. It's really good.

But if you want to make this movie properly. It's going to cost you.
Good luck
 
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Bleh. I acted in a film with a 100,000 budget that shot in 14 days. It was a great experience but I can't imagine having done that in in less time. It was 14 days of 15 hour days. Insane.
 
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You have to be very careful with comedy. If the tone of an actor's voice is off just a hair you lose the joke and end up with failed comedy. And that's painful. I've tried to rush through a comic scene before it's really bad. That's been my experience. I think it would be worth waiting 4-6 months more to get your resources together. It's going to take 6 months to a year to finish a film really. In the big picture a few extra months is no big deal really. I don't know of anyone who's made a feature in less than 6 months from script to editing, post production, sound mix titles, color grading and so on. Hope that makes sense.
 
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finderskeepers said:
You have to be very careful with comedy. If the tone of an actor's voice is off just a hair you lose the joke and end up with failed comedy. And that's painful. I've tried to rush through a comic scene before it's really bad. That's been my experience. I think it would be worth waiting 4-6 months more to get your resources together. It's going to take 6 months to a year to finish a film really. In the big picture a few extra months is no big deal really. I don't know of anyone who's made a feature in less than 6 months from script to editing, post production, sound mix titles, color grading and so on. Hope that makes sense.
Click to expand...

I've got comedy down cold and since my scripts are all machine-gun like situations and gags, the audience can miss half of them and still have a good time.

So I've got that part licked.

And I've decided to buy a Nikon 5100 and shoot the thing myself. In fact, my plan is to shoot a movie every two months -- six a year.

To hell with quality. Write, shoot, cut, ship to the distributor.

I'm 50 years old. I don't have that much time left. I could have a heart attack any minute.

Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am.

Gimmee my $20,000 per, plus a few points, and I start my next project.

That's how they do it in Nollywood.
 
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garylloyd said:
And I've decided to buy a Nikon 5100 and shoot the thing myself. In fact, my plan is to shoot a movie every two months -- six a year.

To hell with quality. Write, shoot, cut, ship to the distributor.
Click to expand...

I think it's a great attitude. But here are my two cents.

1. Buy the Panasonic GH2, and not the 5100
2. When I made my first movie, I had the same idea. "Hey, I'll write a story that I like. That'll mean that other people will also like it. If I truly like it, other people will have to like it. Then I'll make my movie. To hell with quality. That DP can go have sex with his lights. I don't need them. Sound? pfffft... I'll buy a good microphone and boom pole and a 30 ft cable. That'll solve everything. yeah.... people will come to watch my film in droves. They'll pay me a million bucks for the rights to distribute my awesome film, just like they do to those other people...."

It's not going to happen like that. I did make my first movie. I've shown it to live audiences (more than 50 each time) three times. Each time the audience seemed to like it. They even stood in line to ask me questions. But these audiences were mostly non filmmakers. They were just interested in story. They didn't care about anything else. But the filmmakers pointed out that my lighting was poor, and the sound was terrible. I still didn't think it mattered. I thought "What do they know? They're just filmmakers being technical."

But the reality is that if your movie does not look and feel and sound like there was significant amount of money spent on the production, distributors wont touch it.

From reading that one script, I think your dialogue is outstanding. I could see those people talking and I was definitely amused. I think it would make a good movie. But you just have to plan things a little differently.

I'm not saying don't make a film every two months. You can do whatever you want. I'm saying make a short every two months for the first six months with one day shoot for each short, so that you limit your costs and see how they turn out. Make improvements on the next one. Then make as many movies as you want. That way, you'll spend less money learning. Feeding people for 10 to 15 days or more days for a feature shoot can be very expensive, without you even realizing it. It was for me. And I only shot for 10 days.

I'm 50 years old. I don't have that much time left. I could have a heart attack any minute.
Click to expand...

You're 50 years old. You cannot afford to do it wrong. So do it right. Learn cheap with shorts. Figure out the problems and then go for it.

Best of luck,
Aveek
 
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Sounds like a plan! TrueIndie has some good points here.
"But the reality is that if your movie does not look and feel and sound like there was significant amount of money spent on the production, distributors wont touch it."

I was told by people who'ved worked in distribution that no major distributor will touch a film with no name stars in it. It would be interesting to ask the distributor who likes your script what kind of deal is possible if they are open to talking with you. Can you get the $20,000 for your film or is it wait fro the "profits" to come in several months later.

They may not be open to talking with you. But if they are, it would be interesting to hear what the possibilities are. A few of the distribution folks I talked to said if you don't have "name" actors in your film you are going to get almost
nothing in return. This probably isn't written in stone.

I look forward to hearing more about your project in the future.
Best Of Luck.



trueindie said:
I think it's a great attitude. But here are my two cents.

1. Buy the Panasonic GH2, and not the 5100
2. When I made my first movie, I had the same idea. "Hey, I'll write a story that I like. That'll mean that other people will also like it. If I truly like it, other people will have to like it. Then I'll make my movie. To hell with quality. That DP can go have sex with his lights. I don't need them. Sound? pfffft... I'll buy a good microphone and boom pole and a 30 ft cable. That'll solve everything. yeah.... people will come to watch my film in droves. They'll pay me a million bucks for the rights to distribute my awesome film, just like they do to those other people...."

It's not going to happen like that. I did make my first movie. I've shown it to live audiences (more than 50 each time) three times. Each time the audience seemed to like it. They even stood in line to ask me questions. But these audiences were mostly non filmmakers. They were just interested in story. They didn't care about anything else. But the filmmakers pointed out that my lighting was poor, and the sound was terrible. I still didn't think it mattered. I thought "What do they know? They're just filmmakers being technical."

But the reality is that if your movie does not look and feel and sound like there was significant amount of money spent on the production, distributors wont touch it.

From reading that one script, I think your dialogue is outstanding. I could see those people talking and I was definitely amused. I think it would make a good movie. But you just have to plan things a little differently.

I'm not saying don't make a film every two months. You can do whatever you want. I'm saying make a short every two months for the first six months with one day shoot for each short, so that you limit your costs and see how they turn out. Make improvements on the next one. Then make as many movies as you want. That way, you'll spend less money learning. Feeding people for 10 to 15 days or more days for a feature shoot can be very expensive, without you even realizing it. It was for me. And I only shot for 10 days.



You're 50 years old. You cannot afford to do it wrong. So do it right. Learn cheap with shorts. Figure out the problems and then go for it.

Best of luck,
Aveek
Click to expand...
 
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Thanks, guys, but the only way this is do-able for me is if I use the "Nollywood" model.

That's what I'm going for. Very radical and if the distribution company doesn't like it, I'm thinking VOD.

I retired early and have a small government check each month so I'm finally in a position where I can tell everybody Fock-you!

I even have a name for my kind of filmmaking: "Ghollywood -- films from the Ghetto."

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garylloyd said:
Gimmee my $20,000 per, plus a few points, and I start my next project.

That's how they do it in Nollywood.
Click to expand...
That was my method for several years. Small distributors were
paying in that range and I could crank out six a year. Not a bad
way to make a little money.

Don’t take my word for it, but those days are over.

I think your first plan is the better one. You spent 20 years as a
news reporter; you have plenty of contacts - use them. Hire a tiny
crew of six - everyone with their own equipment - that way you
don’t need to buy a camera. Share that $20,000 plus points with
them.

Of course you don’t need to share any of that $20,000 if you buy a
camera and shoot it yourself. No crew at all. Will you pay or
share the $20,000 with the cast?

Do you know that the distributor that want to see the finished
film pays that kind of money? Have you done a budget? How much
will it cost you to shoot for a week?
 
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