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Filmmaking resources for indie filmmakers, including, screenwriting, financing, producing and film distribution

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Three Steps For Netflix Distribution (For Indie Filmmakers)

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Attend any film festival and you’ll hear filmmakers waxing poetically about the possibilities of landing a Netflix distribution deal. And having spent the greater part of my career working in film distribution, I can tell you that most filmmakers approach me asking how to contact Netflix directly.

In truth, unless your film project has major notoriety (because it played at a top tier film festival or has ginormous buzz) Netflix prefers that you utilize an established distributor or aggregator. But there is hope…

Netflix distribution

Three Steps For Netflix Distribution

Netflix is as a premium subscription channel similar HBO or Showtime. They pay a licensing fee for content they are interested in. And for these reasons, most Netflix distribution deals are negotiated by a distributor or aggregator. With all of this said, here are some steps to get you started.

Step 1 – Refine Your Pitch For Netflix

Because nearly every filmmaker dreams of getting a Netflix deal, there is an abundant supply of content. This means you will have to find some creative ways to make your film rise above the noise and get noticed. So before you reach out to a distributor or an aggregator, you need to clearly demonstrate “what’s in it for Netflix.”

Here are some questions to help refine your pitch:

  1. Do you have any “names” or “influencers” in your film?
  2. Does your film focus on a popular subject?
  3. Does your film have a strong social media following or press?

DistribberStep 2 – Find An Aggregator or Distributor

Once you have a strong pitch that showcases the value of your film, your next step is to partner with a distributor or aggregator capable of making the pitch. These entities will first evaluate your film to determine if your film (and your pitch) has a good shot at getting picked up.

Step 3 – Get A Response

If your film gets pitched to Netflix, it will take a few weeks to get a response. If Netflix is interested, they will negotiate directly with your distributor or aggregator. If accepted, your distributor will work with various vendors and encoding houses to deliver your film. You will need to provide your distributor or aggregator with all the necessary video files and artwork.

(Note: If Netflix chooses to license worldwide rights, you will need to deliver subtitles and localized artwork for each territory.)

If Netflix is passes on your film, you usually won’t get a lot of feedback. Do not take this personally. Perhaps Netflix picked up a similar film last week. Or perhaps the acquisition team is focused on other genres.

While we are on the subject of subscription video on demand (SVOD), it may behoove you to check out Amazon Prime. The service is similar to Netflix in the sense that subscribers can view anything in the Prime ecosystem. But unlike Netflix, Prime does not pay licensing fee. You are actually paid based on hours viewed.

If you would like to learn more about film distribution, check out my guide to VOD distribution. It just might help.

The Distribber Team Reveals The Shocking Truth About Film Distribution Deals At Slamdance

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Some big film distribution deals went down at Park City this year.  Followed by a lot of whispered comments and questions like “5-9 million for the documentary!” or “Who gets six million?” and “What does that deal even mean?”  And the answer to these questions, it depends…

Film festivals offer more than exposure and opportunity.  They can offer insight into your business as a filmmaker through panel events, workshops and round table discussions. And these events answer some of the toughest questions.

One such panel in Park City this January was the Slamdance “Your Film, Your Deal: DIY Distribution and Marketing” presented Adam Chapnick (Founder of Distribber). Without delay, Adam demonstrated where film schools, out-of-date handbooks, and old distribution models failed the indie filmmaker.

[Full Disclosure: Jason Brubaker (founder of this site) also works full time for Distribber.]

film-distribution-deals

The Shocking Truth About Film Distribution Deals

Adam Chapnick started the presentation by providing an overview of a typical film distribution deal and then explained why (as many filmmakers have already experienced) these deals do not bode well for indie filmmakers. Adam’s “no bullshit” approach to modern business models and self-distribution focused on cutting out the middle-man to navigate the modern VOD landscape, while providing attendees a checklist on how to market their own content.

Although creators often wax poetic about their art and their lack of business skills, marketing is simply another step in a collaborative process. The Distribber team outlined the creators’ basic homework in smart, unadorned fashion, peppered with ideas like “If distributors aren’t doing something for you that you can’t do yourself, then they’re not earning your dollars” and “start compiling your email list YESTERDAY.”

DistribberAdam went on to define the 3 VOD models (TVOD, SVOD, and AVOD) and provided an overview of a simplified release strategy. He encouraged you to “split test” versions of your movie trailers on YouTube (by monitoring engagement and views). And he offered tips on how to find and cross-promote with your audience and covered tech aspects like file sizes, formats and compression rates.  They stressed the importance of your website “hub” and defined what to put on it

The Distribber team capped it off by issuing a few warnings about not giving all of the rights to one entity, though you will be asked for them and to be aware of versioning costs because they could, even after all your hard work and marketing mastery, potentially put you in the red. It was a wealth of information in one panel. And they threw a party afterwards to keep the conversation open.

And the shocking truth about film distribution deals? That the $5-9 million referred to earlier is called “top line revenue.” But what you care about is “net revenue.”  Keep this in mind the next time you’re approached by a film distributor.

Annunziata (Nunzi) is an award-winning actor, writer, and unapologetic computer geek who works in film, theatre, television and new media in NY and LA.The sizzle reel for her upcoming TV pilot Battery Park, which she wrote and stars in, (a 2017 Women in Film mini-upfronts selection), is at batteryparktv.com. You can watch her acting reel at annunziata.com. twitter: @nunzitweets, instagram: @nunzipix

Why VHS Is The NEW Filmmaking Standard

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What I’m about to share is totally bangin, crunk and fantabulous!

Forget those Super 8mm cameras! Forget all those hours you spend fighting traffic to drop off your cartridges at the local drug store. Forget the weeks you spend waiting for your camera footage to be developed! And forget about those clunky movie screens you set up in your living room.

(My screen broke again!)

The future of filmmaking is upon us. And the future is NOW!

For those of you interested in making movies, there is a new format. And this format allows you to simply put a tape in a camera and push record. And these cameras (also referred to as camcorders) allow you to capture audio!

Want a hint? Well it’s grody to the max!

And no. I am not referring to Betamax. For those of you interested in Betamax. Bad news. . . Betamax sucks and it is yesterday’s technology. No kidding. I was at the recent NAB show and one of the reps (who will remain unnamed) told me that VHS is going to win the tape race over Betamax. (Sorry.)

Unofficially, he cited that the adult movie industry is driving the trend. But who knows?

Why VHS Is The NEW Filmmaking Standard

For those of you seeking a new way to make movies, I am talking about VHS.

VHS
VHS Image by Groink

Like, take a chill pill. . . VHS it is totally rad, and it is by far the most exciting development in filmmaking I have ever seen! According to this widely popular encyclopedia:

“The VHS cassette is a 187 mm wide, 103 mm deep, 25 mm thick plastic shell held together with five Phillips head screws. The flip-up cover that protects the tape has a built-in latch with a push-in toggle on the right side (bottom view image). The VHS cassette also includes an anti-despooling mechanism consisting of several plastic parts between the plastic spools, near the front of the tape (white and black in the top view). The spool brakes are released by a push-in lever within a 6.35 mm hole accessed from the bottom of the cassette.”

Not only is VHS the most exciting way to capture footage and make movies, but because it is the new standard, many companies are rushing to market with awesome camera equipment. If you’d like some additional info on MODERN filmmaking, download my filmmaker checklist.

How To Set Realistic Deadlines In Filmmaking

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Picture this! You’re in the flow. Everything is going smoothly with your film project. And then BOOM! It’s not. Life just got in the way. And as a result, you blew yet another self-imposed deadline.

Blowing deadlines in filmmaking can make you feel like crap. But the truth is, sometimes life gets in the way of your goals. And the good news is, you are not alone.

You’ve been there… We all have…

deadlines in filmmaking

How To Set Realistic Deadlines In Filmmaking

Over the last year a lot has happened. I lost a gig, moved across town, started a new gig, got engaged, planned a wedding, got married, went on a honeymoon and came back to a gazillion unfinished items on my task list… I have had to alter my schedule multiple times to accomidate.

While each reason is valid, It does not change the fact that I blew a some rather important self-imposed deadlines. And blowing any deadline feels terrible. Along the way, I learned some lessons about how to set realistic deadlines in life (and get things done!)

If you’re looking to set realistic deadlines in filmmaking, it’s important to give yourself a reasonable timeline. Then break small goals into manageable chunks of time. You will also want to schedule some leeway just in case your projects take longer to complete.

1. Dry Erase Board: I love adding long term goals to my dry erase board. This serves as a constant reminder for tasks that are still pending. I set it up so I can stare at it daily. With this said, I only add ONE major goal per week. Then I break the goal into smaller, daily tasks.

best-whiteboard

2. Daily planner: Yeah. I know what you’re thinking. Where is your computer? I use that too. But having a daily planer really helps me break down my smaller tasks into half-hour steps. I love the feeling of crossing something off the list. If your budget allows, grab a Molskine Planner.

molskine-planner

3.  Half-hour Glass: If you thought my daily planner was old school, wait until you start using a half-hour glass! Using this has helped me break my tasks into half-hour chunks and serves as an animated accountability partner, consistently reminding me the time keeps on ticking…

half-hour-glass

Even with the best tools, your projects won’t finish on their own. So make sure you take time to keep your self imposed deadlines in filmmaking realistic. And if you blow it today, pick it up tomorrow.

Recent Blackmagic Design Updates Provide Good News For Filmmakers

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Blackmagic Design Updates by Michael Head

Consumers sometimes claim that manufacturers ignore their customers and leave out key features that could be implemented. On one hand, this has led to great programs like the Magic Lantern group for Canon DSLRs – On the other hand, some manufacturers seem to ignore consumer requests and produce cameras each year with only minimal software and hardware updates. However, this cannot be said about Blackmagic Design.

Blackmagic Design has shocked the filmmaking world with a series of low-cost, high quality cameras ranging from the cellphone sized Blackmagic Pocket Camera, through the Cinema Camera, the 4K Production Camera, and the recently released 4K URSA and Studio cameras. So what can Blackmagic Design add now?

Listen to consumers and add in features that make already good products even better.

Blackmagic Design Updates

Blackmagic Design Updates

Blackmagic Design has been rolling out firmware updates rapidly over the last couple of months, and the additions they have offered fall on the spectrum from good to exactly what consumers asked for.

Beginning in late June, Blackmagic Design not only rolled out 4K raw recording for the 4k Production camera, but also improved their already great color science with better debeyering and autofocus on the Cinema camera and more lens support for the Pocket camera.

Only a few weeks later, Blackmagic Design added audio gain control to their family of cameras. While this does not improve the, frankly, poor recording circuits in the cameras, it does give filmmakers options while recording.

Two updates in a few weeks?

That might sound like a lot for some companies. But Blackmagic Design wasn’t finished pulling rabbits out of their hat: instead of only including Prores HQ for non-raw recording, Blackmagic added multiple “flavors” of Prores from 422 Proxy to LT to regular 422 – all of which mean that a filmmaker can choose to save some recording space.

But this still didn’t address two of the seemingly most commonly requested features – displaying remainging recording time and audio meters. But surely after three updates, they were done, right?

Wrong! Blackmagic Design just rolled out firmware update 1.9 for the 4K Production camera.

Not only did this update improve image calibration and add a histogram (an invaluable tool for a DP), but users now can see how much recording time they have left on their cards and see audio meters for monitoring audio coming into the camera. Wow!

But owners of the Cinema camera and Pocket camera looking on longingly at the announcement, until they realized that included in the announcement that their cameras would soon see their own audio meters and remaining recording time.

No one can claim that Blackmagic Design has been gathering moss, and they are definitely still making waves in the filmmaking community.

The production company Status Media & Entertainment is shooting their feature film “Checkmate” on two 4k Production cameras and a Pocket camera. Citing affordability and image quality, director Timothy Woodward Jr said, “we were able to use multiple cameras while staying in budget, which allowed for more coverage and faster shooting.”

Blackmagic Design has been gaining momentum and now it seems Hollywood is taking notice.