The actual sale numbers are all over the place depending, as you point out, on elements like cast, production value, etc. Anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 are the exact numbers I see DTV movies sell for.

I've sold to Brain Damage, The Asylum, Shoreline, Maverick, Vista Street and (God help me) York. My company financed a movie that LGF picked up recently and they are considering my current movie. It's not horror so it's a hard sell - LGF wants to see how it does in festivals.

You experience is similar to many people I've spoken to. Showing up at AFM without a finished film isn't the best way - few companies there are looking for movies to finance, they are looking to sell (or buy) finished product.

Right on! So you're selling to the exact companies I'm familiar with in terms of product, that's good.

And that figure, max 100,000-- is that for ALL RIGHTS? Or just domestic? Another fellow (Red Scream Films) thought that the figure 150k for JUST DOMESTIC sounded right.

A rep I know at Cinemavault Releasing was just telling me how this year's Cannes marketplace was brutal. The number of buyers was way down, prices were way down. Everyone was concerned about VOD and Internet stuff and they were reluctant to buy. And then I turn around and read the article from Hollywood Reporter that says horror was still super hot in Cannes!

Do you have any experience with the Cannes market that's different from AFM?

And do your films at 40-60k have recognizable names in them? How many do you do a year? Forgive this one, but... do you have a "day job?" These numbers are making me think that I better keep mine...

That figure isn't the maximum you can get, I just don't see DTV movies selling for more than than on a regular basis. I base my budgets not on what some distributors say is posable, but what I actually know they spend. When I find a distributor buying movies for 150, I'll bump my budget up to 100/120. Regarding rights - each deal is so different I couldn't tell you the average. Asia is a bigger market for DTV horror than the US.

I've never been to Cannes, but last years AFM was brutal. So much horror product made for under $20,000 that producers were selling all rights for 15 to 30k and no back end. Even shows costing 200k. A couple of sci-fi movies sold for good money, so I predict that this November there's going to be few horror and lots of sci-fi.

I don't use name talent, can't afford the names that will actually help. I recently was second unit director on an action show for Asylum. C. Thomas Howell got $15,000 for 3 weeks work, Lance Hendrickson got $3,000/day for 4 days. I had to wonder if those two names on a DVD box is really worth $27,000 . And yes, I have a day job. Several of them.