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Just finished my first 35mm Feature film


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doing a private screening of Essex Spacebin tomorrow night in London. 11:30pm at the Rio Dalston, E8.

Come along if u want, its free

 

 

I'm in E9 right now and I would definitely have come but only just saw this. :(

Hope it went well.

 

Freya

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yeah lets face it, Essex Spacebin isn't going Supernova. And EVEN if by some miracle it makes Troma Millions and we don't make a penny then Im sure we'll get a phone call to do at least something else and to be honest thats all i want, the opportunity to get paid to make another film.

 

Traditionally the idea would be to try and get the largest MG up front and then use that to fund the next movie and try and go further with that. One of the problems with the movie industry right now is there are lots of people who make their first movie, give it away and then never make another one. So the companies get a total freebie and nobody goes forward.

The companies then get used to getting freebies and don't want to pay for anything in the future and everything decays.

 

The opportunity to make another movie is generally one you have to make yourself, especially these days and especially in the UK. Where were you thinking this opportunity might come from? Who will be making this phone call?

 

Please watch out for deliverables in the contract. It's been mentioned a number of times but it's not a minor thing. Often these can be expensive to make. Then you are contracted to deliver all this stuff and if it costs you a lot of money you could be very much out of pocket.

 

I understand where you are coming from but please be careful.

 

Freya

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  • 2 weeks later...
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To answer the earlier question, yes, post-NAB sightseeing.

 

It rained. I have never been simultaneously more disappointed and astonished.

 

Karmic feedback for that "LA weather emergency" post, perhaps.

 

I am now back in Blighty and nursing the perma-hangover of jet lag.

 

P

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I know this is an older thread, but for someone reading in the future who might need legal advice like this:

 

If you're looking for low cost (or even FREE) legal advice, I'd strongly recommend you visit http://www.newmediarights.org/. I used them on several occasions, and had great luck. They review all my contracts, waivers, etc. - and they do it at a really good rate.

 

You can view their rates here (if you don't qualify for free service): http://newmediarights.org/who_qualifies_internet_media_law_pro_bono_and_reduced_fee_services. I pay $20 per page, which is still a really good deal to have a legal opinion.

 

there are other reduced fee options I'm sure, but probably none with that kind of rate and that are entertainment-focused.

 

You can have them also write up your contracts and things, but I find it cheaper to put my business school knowledge to use and write it myself, and then send it in for a once over by the lawyers to review it for a lesser charge, and then implement any changes they suggest myself.

Edited by Landon D. Parks
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Don't let the naysayers get you down. But also, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Cannes is a great goal, and you should have high aspirations (because honestly, why bother making films if you don't dare to dream to make the best and shoot for the best?), but also have some fallbacks in mind. Because these days there are so many options and alternatives.

 

If I have a regret, it's that I let myself get too bogged down in film festival politics, and when my feature didn't get screened I thought it was because it was a bad film, and I gave up on trying to put it out there. In hindsight I wish I had tried other routes, smaller festivals, direct distribution VOD, streaming, you name it.

 

So reach for the stars, but be prepared for rejection and have other plans in place. Be prepared (and willing) to schlep it around to colleges or art house theaters yourself if need be.

 

It may be hard to do, since you've invested so much of your time and money in a project, but try to think of it less like a work of art, and more like a product. You're proud of this product, and you think there are customers out there. So what if the "big box" retailers don't want your product? Those customers may still be there. Go find them! And good luck!

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Also, if you're simply looking for DVD distribution and other VOD platforms, and you're not willing to do it yourself, then you could also contact MTI home video. They have a submission form right on their website, and given their content, they'd probably take most anything with a pulse.

 

Not saying you'll see money out of it, or even that great of distribution, but that option is there - and they do have the retail connections to get films on shelves and in markets like Netflix.

 

York Entertainment used to be an option, but I can't find a website for them any longer.

 

Troma is great too though, if you have a movie that fits their criteria, which tends to be campy stuff or horror. In fact, for that genre of movie I really don't think you could find a more suitable distributor, even among the biggest in Hollywood.

Edited by Landon D. Parks
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Troma is great too though, if you have a movie that fits their criteria, which tends to be campy stuff or horror. In fact, for that genre of movie I really don't think you could find a more suitable distributor, even among the biggest in Hollywood.

 

Landon is probably right on this one. Many filmmakers of this genre consider Troma to be the holy grail of distributors. They certainly know this market and how to get it out there.

 

R,

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As a matter of fact I am pitching Troma a version of Against The Wild more suited to their tastes.

 

R,

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  • 9 months later...

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