Dok Incubator: 2012

Documentaryfilms on the international market

By Producer Sigrid Dyekjær

Seminar

1. How do you make a distribution strategy

2. Different kinds of distribution strategies

1. Questions & Answers

Documentaryfilms on the international market

• Normally a distributiondeal is negotiated and signed after the film has been made

• Selection for A-festivals is important for the international life of the film

• Most distributors are looking for films with a wide audience appeal, more than films for niche audience

• Presold TV licenses can be important for financing the film, but can make it less interesting for a distributor

What are your goals for the distribution

• Get the film shown?

• Make money?

• Get awareness about the director and the production company?

• How involved do you as the producer and/or the director want to be in the distribution?

• Do you have financial resourses to promote the film?

Strategy and analyse your films distribution potential

• Audience potential: Does you film have commercial / arthouse potential or is it a nichefilm?

• What is the key hook for the international market?

• Is it a non – english speaking film?

• What TV rights are presold?

When do you start your distribution strategy?

• In the development fase

• Financial pitching forums

• Pre-sale stage

• Pre-festival participation

• After salgsagent is identified

• Festival participation

• Post festival

• After international deals are made

Possible distribution strategies

1. You hire a sales agent / rep

2. You make all right deals with an international distributor, on all territories/some territories

1. You make different deals on different platforms/ different windows.

1. Service deals with consultants / producers reps

2. Selfdistribution and marketing of your film

1. Sales Agent / RepAdvantages

• Producer already has a salesagent

• Salgsagent has a distribution network

• Salgsagent has a network with publicist and press (US)

• Salgsagent can promote the film together with a publicist on festivals and create momentum for deals.

• Take care of all legal work with lawyers regarding distribution deals (and E&O)

• Stamp of approval for the project

1. Sales Agent / RepDisadvantages

• Exsclusive deals means that the film is locked with a salesagent for a period of time

• Salgsagent decides if the rights can be split up

• Marketing expences / commission needs to be negotiated

2. All rights deal with a distributer: Advantages

• Control over the process/ negotiations (depends on the deal)

• Control with marketing & distribution costs

• Fiction remake rights is not a part of the deal

• You are not the key person involved in the different distribution windows.

• You need an international lawyer

• You don´t necessarily get the best deals for each window.

• You will spent a lot of time controlling cost reports

2. All rights deal with a distributer: Disadvantages

3. Producer makes the deals and split up the rights

Advantages:

• Flexibility concerning windows and platforms

• Possibility to choose your different partners for theatrical run, DVD, VoD etc

Disadvantages:

• Time consuming for the producer

• Can be complicated especially concerning the legal work

4. Hybrid models – service contracts

Advantages:

• Keep the control over your film

• Distribution can be adjusted according to demand

• All Rights not sold off in one deal

Disadvanteges:

• You need money to pay the expenses your self up-front

• Team (producer, consultant, rep, pr-agent) need to work well together

• Commission for the rep, consultant

5. Selfdistribution and marketing - VoD / DVD

Advantage:

• Control over the process / negotiations

• Control over the marketing expenses / personel

• You build up mailing list and client/audience network

Disadvantages:

• You need money to pay up-front

• Lack of experience

• Difficult to understand and analyse the market

• Time consuming

Financial sources in the US

• Sundance

• ITVS

• Tribeca

• Cinereach

• Broadcasters: HBO, OWN, PBS (Independent Lens, POV, WGBH), A&E, Documentary Channel, Discovery, National Geographic, Showtime, Smithsonian Channel.

Thank you for your attention