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Interview with the Coordinator of the Indie Fest, Thomas Baker, Ph.D.
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Why the focus on helping filmmakers find a distributor?
“Because our focus is on maximizing ‘customer service’, we talk with scores and
scores of producers each year. Over and over we’ve been told by filmmakers that
they’ve submitted entries and traveled the film festival circuit and have little
to show for their investment of time and money. What they most want is to have
their production discovered by a distributor.
“A film festival programmer I heard speaking at a film market said that over
half the films shown at Sundance films never find distribution. It’s clear to me
that participating in film festivals is a very passive approach to finding
distribution.
“The big producers and big studios arrange distribution before beginning a film
or television project. They own distribution affiliates or have deep connections
in the ‘Old Boy’s Club’. The independent producers served by the Indie Fest are
generally outside that network. We began to realize that we needed to court and
build relationships with distributors so we could make introductions for our
top-winning producers.
What success have you had introducing filmmakers and television producers to
distributors?
“It’s taken a lot of time to build distributor relationships as each distributor
seems to be looking for different types of productions. I’m pleased to report
that in the past four months we’ve facilitated distribution agreements for six
films, documentaries and television series. That may not sound like a lot, but
it’s a big deal for the six producers.
How exactly do you work, and do you have both domestic and international
connections?
“Over the years we’ve focused on identifying and developing relationships with
those distributors who are willing to represent independents. While talking with
Indie Fest winning filmmakers we sometimes suggest the names of specific
distributors who we know and who may be interested. Other times we serve as a
filmmakers’ producer’s representative and charge a standard fee for that service
as that work is very time consuming. Our standard agreement is non-exclusive,
and can be cancelled by either party. That means our producers can self-promote
their productions and work with other agents. We don’t change filmmakers for any
of our expenses. The producer is free to accept or decline any distribution deal
we bring to the table for any reason. A standard producer’s representative
percentage fee is charged when a distributor sells broadcast rights to a
production into domestic and/or foreign territories. We only get paid if the
producer gets paid. ... And yes, we have both domestic and international
relationships.
What kinds of films and television productions have commercial potential?
“Buyers were seeking fully developed television series with multiple episodes
already in the can, and completed feature films and feature documentaries. The
first question buyers always ask is whether a production has star-power. They
are reluctant to become involved without stars attached as it will be more
difficult to sell or broadcast. Most of the productions we receive at the Indie
Fest don’t have a lot of star power so it takes more work to find a distributor.
“The second question they ask is whether the production has international
appeal. The world demand for television and film is big and growing, while the
US domestic market is comparatively small. Obviously they want high technical
quality, shot in HD, widescreen, and with separate music and voice tracks.
“Reality, pop, urban, action, contemporary content sells; drama is difficult to
sell even if high quality. Buyers and distributors always want something new and
unusual. They have limited interest in any production completed more than
18-months ago. For the buyers and distributors, it’s all about money, not art.
Yet, buyers and distributors do prefer television programs, films and
documentaries with strong character development and interesting storytelling.
What’s the background of the Indie Fest?
“The Indie Fest is a new awards competition that began in 2008. We expect it to
grown into an important venue for filmmakers and gain an international
reputation equal to our sister competition, The Accolade. Our goal is to provide
maximum assistance to filmmakers.
A personal question if I may; I notice you have Ph.D. behind your name. Is that
in film studies?
“Life takes many twists and turns. I have an earned Ph.D. from the School of
Business and Public Administration, University of Missouri – Columbia. My visual
media experience is from the school of hard knocks. It’s all hands-on. On the
other hand, I’ve learned that it takes a lot of business savvy to make a film
competition thrive. And that’s what the Indie and Accolade are doing.
“I’ve been with the Accolade Competition since the beginning six years ago. And,
now we’ve started the Indie Fest. I became involved as the result of winning a
couple of awards as the hands-on producer of training films and television
programs. It was helpful to have my work reviewed by outside experts so I could
gain a sense of how my work compared to the work of other professionals. I found
winning an award gave credibility to my work and encouraged me to excel as I
planned my next project.
“The twists and turns took me to the Indie Fest. And now, I’m one of those lucky
guys who believes in what he’s doing, and loves his work!
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 A Passion for Distribution
California-based Multivisionnaire Media may be small, but it is mighty.
By Debbie L. Sklar
Good things are said to come in smaller packages.
Take Multivisionnaire Media, a Los Angeles-based international sales agent that
facilitates film distribution into all international territories.
Multivisionnaire primarily handles feature films that are Genre specific with
multiple marketing hooks.
“Our current focus are films with cast and especially action, sci-fi, horror,
gay, or any film with a clear 'hook' for buyers,” says Managing Partner Sean T.
Haley, who runs the company along with his wife and partner, Erika Kao-Haley.
“We handle worldwide distribution including theatrical, television, DVD, digital
and other ancillary rights for the films we handle.”
READ MORE >>>
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 TriCoast
Studios
A Force to be reckoned with
By Debbie L. Sklar
For the past two decades, TriCoast Studios has been in continuing production
mode and it isn’t quitting any time soon.
Founded by husband and wife duo, Strath Hamilton and Marcy Levitas-Hamilton,
TriCoast is a full-service production studio, specializing in post-production
and film finance. TriCoast Studios is associated with TriCoast International for
sales and TriCoast Worldwide, which is a worldwide distribution company led by
Ami Artzi.
Since its inception, TriCoast has conceived more than 22 feature films, two
successful TV pilots that turned into series -- one of which became the biggest
selling TV series of all time: The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. And
that’s not all, TriCoast also developed four Emmy nominated made-for-TV movies,
four direct-to-DVD features, two lines of Special Interest craft DVDs, and more
than 500 coming attractions movie trailers including Oscar winners Titanic and
Crash.
READ MORE >>>
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House of Film’s paradigm for success
by Alex A. Kecskes
With over a decade of experience in worldwide distribution Ava B. recently
founded House of Film, based on the idea of “fusion” distribution for
independent movies. House of Film participates in film markets around the world
with several titles including Sunrise/Sunset, Belladonna, For The Next 7
Generations, Tattoos, The Rain, and Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, Saint.
Ava B. said: “House of Film represents a joining of forces to meet the
challenges of the rapidly changing marketplace, which calls for new models in
distribution. House of Film maps out optimum distribution strategies for any
content, both U.S. domestic and international, by combining the latest in
digital technologies and traditional marketing methods. House of Film’s
multiplatform service can optimize revenues from virtually any distribution
platform.”
READ MORE >>>
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Imagination Worldwide, LLC
What it takes to get your film distributed.
By Debbie L. Sklar
Now that your movie has been completed, what do you do? It’s a lot more detailed
(and difficult to get it up on the Big Screen) than you might think.
However, a recent interview with Travis Stevens, director of Acquisitions and
Marketing for Imagination Worldwide, LLC, an international motion picture sales
and distribution company based in Los Angeles, sheds light on the logical next
steps to get your film out there.
Formed in August 2003, IWW is owned by Chairman and CEO, Pierre David, and Reel
One Entertainment. Tom Berry, president of Reel One Entertainment, serves as
co-chairman. Lawrence Goebel has been president since the company's inception.
In its brief 5-year history, the company's eclectic library has grown to more
than 50 titles, ranging from Pierre David's taut thrillers and Tom Berry's
Science Fiction disaster films to the award-winning documentary My Date With
Drew and the horror film festival favorites Shallow Ground, The Living
and The Dead, The Hamiltons, Five Across The Eyes, and The Zombie
Diaries.. Here’s a closer look.
READ MORE >>>
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