If the experience of people I've known who made a low-budget feature is anything to go by, the distributor gives you an advance...

...and keeps everything else.

Maybe if you make the next 'Blair Witch' you'll get a better deal, but pretty much everyone I've met who made a feature and sold it said not to expect to see a penny after the initial advance.

You might get a profit percentage, but as far as I'm aware 'Forrest Gump' never made a profit by Hollywood accounting standards. If they can do that, they can certainly ensure that 'Teen Nazi Lesbian Apocalypse' doesn't.

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Originally posted by rmcluesman

Ok, I know I sound like a complete fool, but what is the role of the producer?

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The Producer is the person who makes it all possible. The degree of direct creative input exercised by producers varies enormously, but in general they're the people who assemble and then manage the means of production. One large subset of producers do their most important work before filming even begins: raising money, nailing down the rights to novels, plays or screenplays, and hiring the director. In this sense it's possible for a producer to exert a crucial formative influence on a project without ever setting foot on the set. In theory, the producer deals with all the mundane practical and political aspects of keeping a project humming along -- from caterers and industry unions to city permits and across-the-spectrum troubleshooting -- so that the director and his team can concentrate on the creative angles.

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Also does anyone know what the studio keeps on a film? As in what percentage is NORMAL or AVERAGE for an indie film that was, say, being picked up in the can by Fox Searchlight for worldwide distribution...

Assuming I have financing and have completed my picture. I hand it to Fox Searchlight for a worldwide distribution deal and they keep how much of the profits?

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Just like the answers in your "Financing Questions" thread, unfortunately there is no NORMAL or AVERAGE number to offer - nothing that can really help you during a negotiation. The percentage will range from 1 or 2 percent to much, much more depending on hundreds of factors.

Not much help, I know, but your question is too broad. The most general answer I can give is the distributor will keep 100% of the profits until ALL their expenses are paid, then the split will be what ever you (the f ilmmaker) has the clout to ask for.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

Certified,

When you say the distributor will keep everything from the film until their expenses are paid, what exactly do you mean?

I'll be offering this film to them in the can... totally ready to be distributed. I have a big name star in the lead role. I know everyone thinks this, but my film is going to be major. My question is that if I make a deal with my investor to be paid back his investment and then a percentage, how can I make the same deal with the distributor? Who gets paid back first?

So I wonder what the expenses are on a world-wide distribution? Sounds a little scary. And I am absolutely unwilling to accept an advance and that's it (someone else suggested that's the offer the studio would make). I, of course, want a percentage of my own damn film.

Thanks for all the info guys.

_robert

How far would you go to expose yourself to the world?

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So I wonder what the expenses are on a world-wide distribution?

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As I said, by Hollywood accounting I believe the 'expenses' on 'Forrest Gump' were more than the income. Unless you're big enough to get direct access to the distributor's accounts, it's real hard to disprove their claims.

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And I am absolutely unwilling to accept an advance and that's it (someone else suggested that's the offer the studio would make). I, of course, want a percentage of my own damn film.

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Good luck to you, but at the end of the day if you're not a name movie-maker the distributors hold all the cards: there are far more movies for sale than there are distribution slots available, so you're competing with plenty of people who _are_ willing to take an advance and forget about any profit points. Having a name star should help, but at the end of the day the distributor wants to make money and they'll take the movies which will best achieve that for them.

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Originally posted by rmcluesman

Certified,

When you say the distributor will keep everything from the film until their expenses are paid, what exactly do you mean?

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A distributor pays for prints, deliveries and all marketing and promotion, This is often half again as much as a movie costs to make. In some cases like the famous low budget movies (Blair Witch, Open Water, El Mariachi, Clerks) the advertising and distribution costs can be 20 to 30 times MORE than than the cost of the movie. They want to make their money back, just as you do.

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I'll be offering this film to them in the can... totally ready to be distributed. I have a big name star in the lead role. I know everyone thinks this, but my film is going to be major.

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I'm sorry. I was confused. At one point you were asking about a movie with a $50,000 budget. I didn't realize you had a big name star and were planning a major release.

In that case you should be able to make a deal that's better for you. While I have a lot of experience with making and distributing movies in the $40,000 to $250,000 range, I have no experience with a major film with a big name star.

Congrats on getting the big name star. Be sure to come back and tell us how the negotiations went. You can really help and advice most of us with your experience. I know I have a ton of questions for you.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

Same here: I was assuming this was still the $50,000 movie. If you have a big budget and a big star then it's a completely different matter and I don't have any experience of that either.

My understanding of Producers:
Executive Producer - The Money or big name that allowed it all to happen.
Producer - the one that brought the script, cast and crew together so that production can happen. There may be multiple producers. The producer is usually the controlling element.
Line Producer - A producer dedicated to making things happen during production. Keeping costs down and solving problems on the set so the Director doesn't have to.
Associate Producer - The title you give to people that help a lot, or who gave a bit of money, or who you hope will do your dry cleaning for free in exchange for a title.

The titles are fluid and overlap. Often a big name actor or Director will also be the Executive Producer for example. On a small independent movie the executive producer, the producer, and the line producer might all be one person.

I could be wrong though.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Yes,

Production costs are in the just below $50,000 range. My budget luckily increased to $100,000. So after the costs of production, the rest of the money ($15,000 in this case) goes to the one big name actor involved and the one big name actress involved. I contacted about 10 actors and about 4 actresses agents by paying the IMDB Pro fee and got their info. They loved the script so much I have a star in the main role and a star in the leading lady role. These actors want to do an indie film and are willing to accept a salary offer of 15k each (plus a hotel, expenses and a car service for the two weeks it's going to take to film). I bullshitted a little bit and used the studios interest as a bargining chip for the actors. I used the actors involvement as a chip for the studio and the investors. It somehow worked and everyone is happy and excited, etc. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. In a couple weeks I'll announce all the details. Thanks for the info again and I'll definitely have more questions soon, I'm sure.
_r

How far would you go to expose yourself to the world?

quote:

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Originally posted by rmcluesman

Yes,

Production costs are in the just below $50,000 range. My budget luckily increased to $100,000. So after the costs of production, the rest of the money ($15,000 in this case) goes to the one big name actor involved and the one big name actress involved. I contacted about 10 actors and about 4 actresses agents by paying the IMDB Pro fee and got their info. They loved the script so much I have a star in the main role and a star in the leading lady role. These actors want to do an indie film and are willing to accept a salary offer of 15k each (plus a hotel, expenses and a car service for the two weeks it's going to take to film). I bullshitted a little bit and used the studios interest as a bargining chip for the actors. I used the actors involvement as a chip for the studio and the investors. It somehow worked and everyone is happy and excited, etc. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. In a couple weeks I'll announce all the details. Thanks for the info again and I'll definitely have more questions soon, I'm sure.
_r

How far would you go to expose yourself to the world?

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This is an amazing success story, Robert! On July 24 you said you were "pretty much a beginer at filmmaking" and were looking for a producer to finance a $50,000 movie. You asked "if I find a producer how much should the producer make?"

And now two days later you have a two stars in the leading roles who you used as a bargaining chip to get a studio and investors interested. All this without a producer. Based on a script you got to 14 name stars without financing. If this is all true, and I see no reason for you to come to these boards and lie, you have just done something that has never been done in motion picture history.

Sure we hear the leveraging story, but it has never actually happened, it's just a myth. Everyone in the business knows it doesn't work that way. Studios can't be tricked so easily. Until now. I am looking forward to hearing the announcement of all the details in a couple of weeks.

I have a close friend who writes for Hollywood Reporter. Would you give me your contact info so I can have her get a hold of you? This would make an inspiring story for other beginning filmmakers.

Certified,

Well it's not over yet. I do have the budget, I do have a promise from the actors (they are friends of friends, so that helped). And I do have the studio gushing with enthusiasm... BUT the only contracts that have been signed so far are with the investor and the musician doing the soundtrack. And not to mention I have to now make the god damn film. I AM a beginner. I am a respected photographer but I've only shot two short films before, both documentaries. So, as expected, the studio wants to see the final product. Anything could happen, I could really suck at filmmaking, we shall see.

Negotiations on percentages are still happening as well. As soon as the film is finished though, I have an Academy Award winning friend of mine helping us submit to Cannes, Sundance and Tribeca. (any awards we win will help with studio negotiations). Etc Etc Etc. When I feel more secure that it IS indeed happening the way I want it to, I'll be glad to give interviews.

Thanks, guys.
_r

How far would you go to expose yourself to the world?

quote:

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Originally posted by rmcluesman

Certified,

Well it's not over yet. I do have the budget, I do have a promise from the actors (they are friends of friends, so that helped). And I do have the studio gushing with enthusiasm... BUT the only contracts that have been signed so far are with the investor and the musician doing the soundtrack. And not to mention I have to now make the god damn film. I AM a beginner. I am a respected photographer but I've only shot two short films before, both documentaries. So, as expected, the studio wants to see the final product. Anything could happen, I could really suck at filmmaking, we shall see.

Negotiations on percentages are still happening as well. As soon as the film is finished though, I have an Academy Award winning friend of mine helping us submit to Cannes, Sundance and Tribeca. (any awards we win will help with studio negotiations). Etc Etc Etc. When I feel more secure that it IS indeed happening the way I want it to, I'll be glad to give interviews.

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That's very different. It's easy to get a friend of a friend to look at your script and it's typical to get a studio to say they will watch your finished film and wait to see how it does in the big festivals.

I'm confused. You said you got the actors by signing up on IMDb Pro and getting their info. But they are friends of friends. Why did you need to get their info from IMDb Pro when they are friends of friends?

Then with a little bullshitting you leveraged their interest in your script to get a studio interested and the studio interest to get the actors signed. But it seems you don't have a studio interested. They're gushing with enthusiasm, but haven't signed any deal. So what did you negotiate?

ok, Certified,

Here are all the gorey details. I have a friend who is friends with a big name star. I hae ANOTHER friend who is friends with a big name actress. I sent my script to the actors agents then had my friend say, "hey, your agent has a script my friend wrote, it's really good. it's totally amazing, you should really do it, etc."

The other actors I sent scripts to were just cold calls and I haven't heard from most of them yet. But that's fine, i'm happy with who I have so far.

As for the studio. They love the script, love the synopsis, swear on gods earth they will distribute... provided they see the finished product first, etc... to make sure i dont suck. The percentages still in negotiation are with the actors (besides the 15k, im giving them 1%) and with an associate producer who is really helping get things done in Paris.

So that's the deal...

Also I don't want to look like super-filmmaker so I will tell you, this project has been in the works for 2 years. Robert Redford expresssed an interest at one point. Ethan Hawke practically begged me to let him be in the main role one day at a cafe in Paris, etc. But all of that fell through. It's only been in the past 3 weeks that everything is flying together for the project...

Anyway... as they say, the devil is in the details...

_r

How far would you go to expose yourself to the world?

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Originally posted by dutchie

quote:

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Originally posted by certified instigator

?quote?Originally posted by rmcluesman

Certified,

In that case you should be able to make a deal that's better for you. While I have a lot of experience with making and distributing movies in the $40,000 to $250,000 range, I have no experience with a major film with a big name star.

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Would this mean that you just made these films, without a distribution deal, and only after finishing them went to look for a distributor? Because if you did you'd certainly need an advance bigger then production costs? Or else, if usually no profits are made, you must have been a rich man, ... in the past.

Yes. Most of the time I make movies without a distribution deal. After the movie is finished is when I look for a distributor. However, I am not a rich man - in the past or now.