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Title: MaitlandPrimrose
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MaitlandPrimrose Film Distribution Insight
Inspire Impact
THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF FILMMAKING FOR
PROFIT Ted Chalmers, Head of Distribution,
Maitland Primrose Group
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INTRODUCTION
- What not to do and What to do to help make
your films marketability - While there will always be exceptions, there are
certain rules that will make a film more likely
than others to recoup investment and become
profitable
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1. FORMAT
- Shoot on FILM or HD
- If shooting on film, you will need to finish the
film twice - Unless guaranteed a 35MM theatrical release, then
HD is better and easier to work with in post - HD is ideal for distribution as all the aspect
ratios can be easily generated, and down
converting to lesser video formats and Video
Standards (PAL, NTSC) is easily accomplished
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2. GENRE
- The hardest thing to sell is a no name drama
- Comedy is the next hardest to sell. Comedies do
not travel well overseas - Foreign sales are very important to making a film
profitable - The genres that do work include childrens,
family, action, thrillers, sci-fi and horror - There are plenty of studio-produced comedies and
dramas that do well. But mostly, comedies from
the U.S. are not well received internationally
because the humor simply does not translate into
other cultures. Breakout indie hits like MY BIG
FAT GREEK WEDDING is the exception that proves
the rule
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3. CAST
- Film buyers or acquisition executives say they
would rather have a bad film with a known cast
than a good film with an unknown cast - There are plenty of known actors who are eager to
work for quality productions for the right fee.
Look into getting at least one recognizable name
actor for one of the smaller roles of the project
- To find such an actor look in the market issues
for Cannes or AFM to see the names being offered.
Another source is the local video store peruse
the straight-to-video titles and see which name
actors are featured
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4. COLOR
- Dont make black-and-white movies
- IF YOU MUST go black-and-white for artistic
reasons, do it in post so you have a color
version for economic reasons
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5. SUBJECT
- Stay away from political or religious themes in
your storylines. Can be too controversial for
many foreign territories and TV. - Other tough themes include drugs, suicide and
alternative sexuality - Dont make a film about making movies. Outside of
Hollywood, no one can relate to this experience - Generally, people want to be entertained, not
enlightened. Keep the subject matter light. - Choose a story that is more universal in its
appeal. Think of subjects suitable for mass
audiences globally
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6. RUNNING TIME
- Around 90 minutes and not longer than 120 minutes
- Ninety minutes is ideal for TV programming in a
two-hour movie slot with commercial breaks - Features sell. Not shorts and not three shorts
cut together to make a 90 minute trilogy. Viewers
want one continuous story line that is 90 minutes
- Caveat The shorts market may open up in the
coming years due to new media
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7. LANGUAGE
- Most films that sell are in English
- Even a film idea that merits another language,
should also be shot in English - Applies even if the territory traditionally dubs
into its own language - There are far more non-English language films
that are made than English language films. But,
how many have you heard of besides Academy
Award-nominated films, or a few exceptional
breakouts? There are rare exceptions.
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CONCLUSION
- So, there they are The Seven Deadly Sins
- The biggest concern for your investors is whether
or not your film will get distribution. Without
distribution, no one will ever see your film and
it will not make money - Distributors are ruled by these 7 Deadly sins for
economic reasons. It is a buyers market, and
they will pick and choose the films that have the
best chance of working for them - Make your film with this knowledge and choose if
you will abide by the rules or break them.
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MaitlandPrimrose Film Distribution Insight
Inspire Impact
THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF FILMMAKING FOR
PROFIT Ted Chalmers, Head of Distribution,
Maitland Primrose Group
