How To: Distribute a film and avoid the pitfalls of contracts

FreshDV had the opportunity recently to speak with Jerome Courshon on the marketing and distribution of movies and films. Jerome offers a full course in the "Secrets of Distribution" . If you are a filmmaker of any kind you owe it to your crew, your cast and yourself to watch this segment. From contracts, residuals, and pitfalls to avoid Jerome covers the 101 basics of film distribution and helps prepare you for what you need to know once the ink dries on the DVDs. In Jerome's words:

So you've taken the Sisyphean journey and made a movie, maybe your first. What do you do to ensure the final step of your filmmaking journey, getting distribution? What is the 'correct'? strategy to take? Is there even one??

The answer is a resounding YES. Whether you've just finished your final cut or are already on the film festival circuit or EVEN if you've been turned down by distributors already there is a strategy for successfully getting Movie Distribution that MOST producers & directors do not know. Consequently, most filmmakers give up after spending a year or two spinning their wheels, with only the inner satisfaction of having made the movie.

The Problem

There are an estimated 4000+ independent movies being made every single year. Here's the unfortunate truth: Less than 5% of all these movies end up with distribution.

Why? What's the real problem here? Are all the other 95% of these movies bad and unwatchable? OF COURSE NOT. How many movies have you seen over the past year or two, either from your filmmaker friends or at a film festival, that you thought were decent, good or excellent and worthy of a larger audience?

Do you need stars in your movie to actually get distribution? Is this the real problem? NO. Lots of movies get distribution without star names, we see it all the time.

The Solution:

Watch the video tutorial.