Dark Reprieve

[Guest]

Howdy,

 

For those, if any, who care about the epic tale of Dark Reprieve here is the latest:

 

1) Now available for rent at any Rogers Video store across Canada. They are a major chain similar to Blockbuster. I made this deal my self, not easy, but it's done. Canadians....please rent this movie :D

 

http://www.rogersplus.ca/movie.asp?mid=34282

 

2) Premieres this month on Canada's Super Channel, coast to coast. Super Channel is an HBO style of operation in Canada. Also made this deal myself and I'm proud to say Dark Reprieve commanded the top tier of licensing fees. And I have to toot my own horn that my first movie got a TV deal:

 

http://www.superchannel.ca/movies/view/1769/

 

3) The US rights have been sold to a major player in Hollywood. In this deal I received a substantial advance plus 70% of the back end for 20 years. They will be releasing the movie in February of 2009. They have taken the deliverables & contract signed! Oddly, no one in the US was really interested until I made the sales in Canada. Once that happened I actually had three offers within two weeks of each other. The US buyer is also using my DLT that was made for Canada and my packaging, this is un-usual because normally Canada uses the DLT and packaging from the US release. So I guess when you spend the money and do things right, your product is competitive, even in the USA.

 

So it's been a very tough long haul, and yet I'm gearing up now to repeat the process! So, it is possible to make your own movie and get it into main stream distribution where you go toe-to-toe with Hollywood for viewers. Of course I'm just one of many many indie filmmakers that have done this. The odds are stacked against us indie people, but, the nut can be cracked with enough determination.

 

Now rent my movie!!!!

 

R,

[Stephen Williams]

Hey Richard,

 

Sounds like your making more money from your movie than stock footage!

 

Stephen

 

Howdy,

 

For those, if any, who care about the epic tale of Dark Reprieve here is the latest:

 

1) Now available for rent at any Rogers Video store across Canada. They are a major chain similar to Blockbuster. I made this deal my self, not easy, but it's done. Canadians....please rent this movie :D

 

http://www.rogersplus.ca/movie.asp?mid=34282

 

2) Premieres this month on Canada's Super Channel, coast to coast. Super Channel is an HBO style of operation in Canada. Also made this deal myself and I'm proud to say Dark Reprieve commanded the top tier of licensing fees. And I have to toot my own horn that my first movie got a TV deal:

 

http://www.superchannel.ca/movies/view/1769/

 

3) The US rights have been sold to a major player in Hollywood. In this deal I received a substantial advance plus 70% of the back end for 20 years. They will be releasing the movie in February of 2009. They have taken the deliverables & contract signed! Oddly, no one in the US was really interested until I made the sales in Canada. Once that happened I actually had three offers within two weeks of each other. The US buyer is also using my DLT that was made for Canada and my packaging, this is un-usual because normally Canada uses the DLT and packaging from the US release. So I guess when you spend the money and do things right, your product is competitive, even in the USA.

 

So it's been a very tough long haul, and yet I'm gearing up now to repeat the process! So, it is possible to make your own movie and get it into main stream distribution where you go toe-to-toe with Hollywood for viewers. Of course I'm just one of many many indie filmmakers that have done this. The odds are stacked against us indie people, but, the nut can be cracked with enough determination.

 

Now rent my movie!!!!

 

R,

[Matthew W. Phillips]

The odds are stacked against us indie people, but, the nut can be cracked with enough determination.

 

Do I see a distribution company in your future Richard?

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Congratulations. As soon as Dark Reprieve hits the US I'll definitely check it out. Were I in Canada, I'd rent it already :(

[Stephen Williams]

Congratulations. As soon as Dark Reprieve hits the US I'll definitely check it out. Were I in Canada, I'd rent it already :(

 

Hi,

 

Having seen the film I can recommend it.

 

Stephen

[Adrian Sierkowski]

I wish I could score a DVD copy of it. I"m sitting in on an old professors class in Horror this semester. . .hint hint. . .

 

But I will certainly keep a look out for it.

[Matthew Buick]

What about a UK release, Richard? You seem to be doing fairly well on it. :)

[Guest]

Hey Richard,

 

Sounds like your making more money from your movie than stock footage!

 

Stephen

 

Well I've sold over two million dollars worth of stock footage since I started. But the larger single cheques from selling a film sure are nice!

 

 

Do I see a distribution company in your future Richard?

 

I don't mind the business end, and at the end of the day we have to pay the bills. I'm pretty much done with this movie now that Canada is sold off and the US will be handled by a real distributor.

 

 

What about a UK release, Richard? You seem to be doing fairly well on it. :)

 

I'm trying buddy....but the UK is a VERY tough territory to sell into.

 

R,

[Paul Bruening]

More congrats, Richard. You're a hero to many of us.

[James Steven Beverly]

GOOD DEAL!!!! Hey if you don't mind me asking, why were the TV distribution negotiations so difficult? Can you take use step by step through what you had to do and where you have problems? It could be very useful. Thanks-Steve

[Justin Hayward]

Hi Richard,

 

So how long has it been since you started working on this movie? When did you shoot it?

[Guest]

GOOD DEAL!!!! Hey if you don't mind me asking, why were the TV distribution negotiations so difficult? Can you take use step by step through what you had to do and where you have problems? It could be very useful. Thanks-Steve

 

First problem, too much product on the market, the buyers can choose any thing they want so you have to get the buyer to watch it. Next issue, timing. TV inventories of new product rise and fall, they go through acquisition phases, then phases where they don't want to buy. If you hit them at the not buying phase, it doesn't matter how good your movie is, the budget may be blown and they won't buy it. If they stop responding to e-mails or taking your calls there isn't much you can do. Luckily the folks at Super Channel and Rogers, and the US buyer are SUPER nice professional wonderful human beings :D

 

The big advantage of course in producer to buyer deals is that the producer takes 100% of the money, no distributor gets a cut.

 

 

Hi Richard,

 

So how long has it been since you started working on this movie? When did you shoot it?

 

Mainly shot in Oct 2006. Then re-shoots and changes shot in May 2007. 100% complete Sept 2007. Into Canadian theaters in April and May 2008. Onto Canadian DVD and TV Sept 2008. US DVD Feb 2009.

 

That's it in a nut shell.

 

R,

[Andy_Alderslade]

I'm trying buddy....but the UK is a VERY tough territory to sell into.

 

Ha, tell me about it, the cinemas are to full of classics like 'Disaster Movie.'

 

Seriously, well done. Its great that your hard work has paid off. Can you reveal if what sort of budget, profit margin you've made, or is that all to secret?

[Guest]

Ha, tell me about it, the cinemas are to full of classics like 'Disaster Movie.'

 

Seriously, well done. Its great that your hard work has paid off. Can you reveal if what sort of budget, profit margin you've made, or is that all to secret?

 

I dunno know what's up with the UK, it's just a very hard market to get into :(

 

As for budget vs profit margin....well, that's a closely guarded secret. What if my wife finds out?

 

R,

[James Steven Beverly]

As for budget vs profit margin....well, that's a closely guarded secret. What if my wife finds out?

 

R,

She'd be in Rio with all your money and her new boyfriend, buying his exotic drinks with little umbrellas and cars.............say how does your wife feel about blond actors?:rolleyes:

[Tim Pipher]

Hello Richard.

 

In Dov S-S Simens' book "From Reel to Deal", he discourages trying to self-distribute into theaters because he believes that theater owners are crooks who won't pay and you'll spend all your time in court trying to collect.

 

Simens says that theater owners will pay distributors because if they don't, they won't get the distributor's next movies, but self-distributors don't have that leverage, so they won't get paid.

 

Did you have that experience, or did the theaters pay you your percentage without trouble?

 

Thanks!

[Stephen Williams]

that's a closely guarded secret. What if my wife finds out?

 

R,

 

Hi Richard,

 

I know what you mean, luckily I only work a few days a month so my girlfriend assmes I broke like her!

 

Stephen

[Guest]

Hello Richard.

 

In Dov S-S Simens' book "From Reel to Deal", he discourages trying to self-distribute into theaters because he believes that theater owners are crooks who won't pay and you'll spend all your time in court trying to collect.

 

Simens says that theater owners will pay distributors because if they don't, they won't get the distributor's next movies, but self-distributors don't have that leverage, so they won't get paid.

 

Did you have that experience, or did the theaters pay you your percentage without trouble?

 

Thanks!

 

Yes I can see how that would happen in many cases, especially if the film is screening across the country, and you are far away. Problem is...many distributors are just as crooked! Go onto Indiewire.com and read many of the nightmare scenarios on there. I know several filmmakers personally who have never seen a dime from their distributors because all the revenue is eaten up in "marketing expenses."

 

Consider also what is happening in the major leagues of distribution...Peter Jackson is sueing New Line for money he says they owe him. Paul Haggis is sueing the producer of Crash for money he says he is owed. Tommy Lee Jones is sueing Paramount for money he says he's owed for No Country For Old Men, and the list goes on and on.

 

What's that old saying..."The only thing creative about Hollywood is the accounting." Not even the IRS wants to bother with the Hollywood studios, they'll never figure out the books in a thousand years!

 

R,

[Alex Lindblom]

I have been following the different Dark Reprieve threads for a while, and I just wanted to give you big congrats for your achievement of pulling this whole thing off -- well done.

 

And thanks for taking us on the journey.

[Paul Bruening]

If you self distribute, you often have to hire counters. The problem comes in hiring them. If you run an ad in the local paper, count scammers answer the ads. These are folks that are part of the embezzling rings that are strong in the theater business. They get kick backs from the managers. You see, honest counters screw up the phony numbers that managers report to the theater company. They get caught stealing that way. So, they try to keep people on the palm that will work for the distributors or movie companies but, still, manipulate the numbers. Embezzling is and has always been a part of the theater industry. It's a way to pay off managers who are misreporting gates so that the parent company can tax dodge the gross and under report the box to the distributor. The important issue is not that everyone down the line steals. It's that they steal no more than is expected of them to steal. In the movie biz, thieves are expected to be honorable.

[Guest]

I have been following the different Dark Reprieve threads for a while, and I just wanted to give you big congrats for your achievement of pulling this whole thing off -- well done.

 

And thanks for taking us on the journey.

 

Thanks, get ready for the next one ;)

 

 

If you self distribute, you often have to hire counters. The problem comes in hiring them. If you run an ad in the local paper, count scammers answer the ads. These are folks that are part of the embezzling rings that are strong in the theater business. They get kick backs from the managers. You see, honest counters screw up the phony numbers that managers report to the theater company. They get caught stealing that way. So, they try to keep people on the palm that will work for the distributors or movie companies but, still, manipulate the numbers. Embezzling is and has always been a part of the theater industry. It's a way to pay off managers who are misreporting gates so that the parent company can tax dodge the gross and under report the box to the distributor. The important issue is not that everyone down the line steals. It's that they steal no more than is expected of them to steal. In the movie biz, thieves are expected to be honorable.

 

Hmmm, never heard of any of this. My movie ran in theatres using the same staff they use for all of their movies, I was never asked to provide box office staff. After each showing I was given a detailed box office report.

 

Any way, that was my experience, I don't think I saw any under handed dealings on the part of the theatre owners.

 

R,

[Paul Bruening]

I was an assistant manager of a theater for three years up in Murmphrica. I won't mix names and stories since I might have to go back up there and beg like a dog for a job.

[Jason Debus]

Hi Richard,

 

Good job getting your movie on Netflix. I can now say I have seen Dark Reprieve!

 

It's great hearing your success stories with this film, it's inspiring!

[Justin Hayward]

I was struck by the last shot. It was so refreshing compared to the confined and compressed feel of the rest of the movie. It reminded me of something Sydney Lumet commented on in his book Making Movies; he wrote about “Long Days Journey into Night” and how he shot the “soul barring” fights in all wide shots than ended in close-ups.

 

“The impact of the close-ups was doubled because of the wide shots that preceded them.”

 

It’s the opposite with your movie, but effective on the same note. The whole movie feels claustrophobic, but the last shot is a release.

[Guest]

Thank-you Justin and Jason for your feedback.

 

R,