NewEnglandFilm.com

The small room on the second floor of the Boston Film & Video Foundation was packed for the Master Class on Distribution. Jason Bloom, Senior Vice President of Co-Productions and Acquisitions at Miramax, walked in carrying his Au Bon Pain coffee, and everyone settled down. He was the only guy there in an Armani suit.

Bloom started off by mentioning that his mandate is to find movies, plain and simple. "Miramax distributes 20 to 30 films a year. Half are acquisition and half are produced or co-produced. We also do straight-to-video and television movies," he said. One of the best things about his job, Bloom added, "is that there are a few moments where it doesn’t matter who made the film or where they’re from. If it’s good and we think it will do well, we will usually buy it."

With the procreation of film festivals from Hoboken to Seattle to Des Moines, how does Miramax find films for distribution? Bloom said that Miramax attends a lot of festivals and film conventions. "At film festivals, there might be up to eight Miramax representatives there. Miramax was built on acquisitions." At Sundance, for example, Bloom added, "Any film in competition has already been reviewed, usually by most of the acquisition companies, so at the actual festival, they don’t always attend screenings or see all of the movies." Bloom suggested that filmmakers should make distributors aware of their progress. "Send clips and keep them interested long before the film is finished. The producer should continuously keep in touch with distributors throughout production."

Bloom finessed that point by adding that first-time producers often make the mistake of producing films blindly, without regard to film successes and failures before them. "The filmmaker should be aware of what the market is like. They should be realistic." Although a writer or director shouldn’t sacrifice his or her vision of the film, Bloom stressed that the film has to have some commercial potential, or else it won’t be considered. "There are elements which support the director’s vision or passion. The creativity, the performances, and the uniqueness of the story is what makes a film worth buying." Bloom said it is important to go to film markets and festivals to see how it works, "to see the cold, hard facts of buying and selling films."

Another option for the filmmaker is an industry screening. Usually it is set up by an agent or entertainment lawyer, and distributors and acquisition executives are invited to attend. "This is better than a festival," Bloom said. "It is better to go to a festival with distribution than without, because the pressure for the film to perform at the festival is greater without a distributor." Even without an industry screening, Bloom said, before going to a festival, a producer’s representative, usually a lawyer, should contact the distributors to see if they will be in attendance and would be willing to see your film.

Bloom mentioned that how you package your materials to present to distributors is important. "Put as much material together as you can. A trailer or rough cut with a script is okay. Most people think you have to show a distributor a finished film," Bloom said. "That kind of assumes the distributor doesn’t know much about filmmaking." He added, "It is better to produce a great short for $50,000 to $60,000 versus a so-so feature. A short with a script attached is a good idea, but it has to show potential. Shorts are usually best at expressing a good idea or story briefly. It must be clear that it has feature potential."

Something to keep in mind, Bloom said, "is that the distributor doesn’t want a director who doesn’t think he’s making the best film, the next ‘Titanic.’" Yet the distributor has to hedge his bets in case it isn’t the next indie film blockbuster. "So there immediately is a conflict in the relationship." When the film is picked up by a distributor, there are important financial considerations. The negotiations are usually handled by an agent or an attorney. Since the director is more emotionally attached to the film, it is best if the deal is handled by a legal professional. "Usually a back-end split is what most people negotiate," Bloom said. "We first pay an up-front fee to the producer, and once we get all the receipts from theatrical release, video, and TV, we subtract our fee, the producer’s up-front fee, and our marketing expenses. The rest, or back end, is split." Bloom recommends asking for a flat fee rather than a percentage of the net total.

Even if you have the next "Sling Blade" in production, your success or failure for obtaining distribution is dependent on how much you prepare for it before exposing a single frame. There are important considerations when seeking distribution. Who are the acquisition representatives, and what are they looking for? What does the market look like for your genre of film? Are there similar films which have been successful? Do some research, make some phone calls, and find a producer’s representative who can begin working with distributors as you put your vision to celluloid.