A must read if you're producing or self-distributing a film

books:


	• The Insider's Guide to Independent Film Distribution Stacey Parks Focal Press, 2007 - 216 pages average customer review:based on 22 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Essential Book For Filmmakers

If you're planning on making a film or have already completed one, you NEED this book! It gave me a lot of helpful tips and things to plan for before I even shoot. I am transitioning from short films to features, and I have already made some changes based on recommendations from Ms. Parks. An invaluable tool for your filmmaking library.

A must read if you're producing or self-distributing a film

I learned about this book from distribution executive, Allen Chou's film distribution workshop. It's a must read because it covers everything you need to know before you secure distribution for your film. Stacey used to work in the distribution biz, so she details all the "secrets" you need to know. Before you get ripped off signing a deal with a sales agent or home video distributor, READ THIS BOOK! Most indie films lose money- don't let your film become another fatality. If you're interested in learning more about film marketing & distribution, I also recommend www.MarketMyMovie.com

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Excellent and helpful to the budding Rodriguezes out there.

My hat goes off to Stacey Parks for writing this book. It's a great resource and a huge help to indepdendent filmmakers, whether you are in pre-production, production or post-production. The book is chock-full of helpful advice and useful weblinks. Some may find this book depressing, because it exposes the dark truth about getting film distribution (i.e. that it is very, very difficult because the independent film market has oversaturated with "product" ever since the advent of digital video democratized filmmaking in the late 1990s), but the bottom line is that Parks is only giving you a dose of much-needed reality. I found this to be a very pragmatic, practical book which tends to bring your feet back to earth after you've read Robert Rodriguez's "Rebel Without a Crew" and gone off on flights of fancy. The fact is, what happened to Rodriguez and "El Mariachi" back in the early 1990s simply doesn't happen any more, or if it does, it happens a lot less frequently than it used to. The law of supply and demand states that when something is in oversupply, demand plummets. In the early 1990s, when Rodriguez sold "El Mariachi", independent films were in short supply, which is why studios beat a path to his door to distribute it. Nowadays, anyone with a camcorder can make a movie, so distributors are swamped with "screener" DVDs from indie filmmakers. This book tells you how to stand out from the pack, what strategies to employ to make sure your film finds a distributor. Parks also give you some very helpful advice on how to self-distribute your film if you choose to go that way.

My only gripe with the book is Parks's insistence that your film have at least one "A-list" star. To me, this repeateded recommendation is a bit US-centric. If you live stateside, you have relatively "easy" access to well-known actors (Parks mentioned David Strathairn at one point as an example). The problem is, if you live elsewhere in the world, your access to "name" actors is much more limited, especially if you live in a regional area. A filmmaker living in Sweden, or Kenya, or even New Zealand, would find it much, much harder to get a "name" actor than a filmmaker living somewhere in the US. I live in a regional city in Australia, so to get a "star" for my movie I'd basically have to pay not only their fee but also their expenses for flights and accommodation for the duration of the shoot, which I simply can't afford. Even many US filmmakers would be hard-pressed getting "name" actors for their films. I'm a micro-budget filmmaker, so the only way I'm ever going to be able to get a "name" actor into one of my films is if they agree to do a "freebie" cameo, and I very much doubt that an internationally-recognizable Australian star like Hugh Jackman or Nicole Kidman will ever do that for me. So Parks's constant "get a name, get a name, get a name" is pretty unrealistic for non-US filmmakers, especially those of us living in regional areas. Other than that, Parks's book is great, and I give it four stars out of five. I doubt you will find a better, more helpful book on independent film distribution anywhere, and the best part is, it's very current and up-to-the-minute. Bravo, Ms Parks.

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This book answered so many questions for me!

I had previously read "I Wake Up Screening" (which was written in a rambling fashion and wasn't much help) and "Filmmaking for Dummies" (which only touches briefly on distribution) and I still felt quite lost as to how to sell a film, whether a sales agent was really necessary, how much $$ to expect to earn, etc. Where else does one learn about this stuff? Previously I had to rely on the urban myths that are told in places like film chat rooms. This kind of knowledge is power to filmmakers. I'll bet that "sales agents" and distributors HATE this book! Getting a "dummy contract" past an independent filmmaker just got tougher. Maybe the 1 star review on this book came from a disgruntled "sales agent"!

This book even has a listing by country of ballpark prices that are currently paid by foreign distributors for indie films. After seeing these numbers it convinced me that a "sales agent" was a waste of 25% of my profits.

In conclusion one really should read this book long before they even think about shooting a movie because the forces of supply & demand are working against the filmmaker. As this book explains, indie films have become "commodities". Note: This book is also fast reading. I read it in a day.

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Lots of Info. Straightforward style.

I found this book useful, as is her site: www.filmspecific.com.

Her style is direct and she covers most of the basics.

The book contains lots of good info if (like me) you are trying to get a handle on the "snake pit" that is distribution.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Innovation in technology means that almost anyone can make an independent film these days. Although this may be good news for aspiring filmmakers, it also means that the oversupply of independent films on the market has caused acquisition prices to dramatically decrease. As a result, producers and investors rarely recover their initial investment in the films they make. But don't be discouraged! Use this book to learn the realities of the market in advance and map out a winning distribution plan.

This comprehensive manual for filmmakers and producers dedicated to film distribution and the marketplace could mean the difference between getting your film out to the public and keeping it "in the can." Learn how to sell your movie to a studio, a cable network, a video distributor, or international buyers. Self-distribution and other alternatives to traditional distribution are also considered. As well, you'll hear some success stories from producers and hear directly from buyers what they are seeking.

Stacey Parks has worked with dozens of hungry filmmakers to get their films a distribution deal and knows how frustrating the whole process can be. Let her tell you how you can take control of your filmmaking career and start getting your work seen by audiences with a few little-known distribution secrets.

Features include:
* Interviews and case studies with producers and distributors
* Ten Ways to Market Your Film for Self-Distribution
* Sales Projections per Territory
* Distribution Resource Listings
* Negotiation tips for distribution agreements
* Sample distribution agreements

* What you must know to get your independent film distributed
* Written by a distributor who knows the process inside and out
* Interviews with buyers and acquisitions executives from every sector of the business on what kinds of films they look for, what they're sick of seeing, and how their acquisitions processes work

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