Corrado Part II

taormina

taormina

Hates to Rent
Hello again....

I'm back. Me and the mods sat around the fire and held hands while singing kumbaya, and here I am.

This thread is going to be a continuation of the original Corrado thread, which can be found here. That thread was closed because I am an egomaniac that cannot handle criticism of any kind, so be warned next time! :lipsrseal

Seriously though, the rest of the story is worth telling, and it is far from being over. I still have my blog, which has grown to serve a different purpose and will remain. Sometimes it is easier to speak more anonymously here, as my blog is linked to my site and is targeting a different audience.

This is also a better place for questions generated by you guys about anything rather than having to ask questions strictly about my blog posts.

Okay, now a word about behavior. I am back here because the mods and I made a pact to behave ourselves. I realize that for some reason, drama follows me. I probably help create it but not always. But I'm trying to tone it down a little here and stay on topic, so if you guys could help me out with that I would appreciate it.

I'm still more or less the same guy I ever was, though, and if my bullshi* meter gets pegged, I'm going to call it out, whether it's on my thread or not. My goal is to impart what I've learned to anyone who will isten, for free.

Most of the drama can be avoided by recognizing the type of person I am. I have flaws like anyone. Here is my makeup:
1. I am brutally honest
2. I am highly opinionated. It's all black and white to me.
3. I'm a type A.
4. I frequently think that the way I've done things is the right way and the only way.
5. I'm not the best at taking criticism.
6. I can't stand poseurs.

It may not be the best way, but that's how I am, I can't help it.

On the plus side, you show me an egotistical, know it all, my way or the highway, easily angered man, and I'll show you a guy who raised $415,000 without paper, wrote, directed, edited, cast and produced a feature that is widely acclaimed by distributors (not just fans). In seven months. I'm a tough bulldog go getter and a sonofabitch, and I don't play nice, but I am...................at your service.

Updates soon.
 
FAQ on the film since it gets asked alot, and I don't want to have to repeat it or redirect back to the original thread:

1. Where is the official website of the film?
www.taorminafilms.com

2. Do you have a trailer?
Rough cut here: http://vimeo.com/2051462
Within a couple days, it will be on my site under "trailer"

3. What was the budget of the film?
Originally $300,000 - Cash expenditures to date total $415,000, which does not include the cost of my equipment, or any producing / directing / editing fees.

4. Who was in the movie?
Tom Sizemore, Johnny Messner, Tony Curran, Joe Gannascoli, Michael Bailey Smith, Frank Stallone, Ken Kercheval among others.

5. Who wrote the story?
I did.

6. Did you have any partners or co-producers?
No.

7. What was the size of your crew?
We had a DP, a 1st and 2nd AD, three electrics, three grips, a scripty, a makeup guy and assistant, two PAs, two set photogs, an armorer and assistant, a 1st and 2nd AC for the A cam and a 1st and 2nd AC for the B cam as well as a P2 loader.

8. What did you shoot on?
Two HVX-200s with Letus Extreme adapters and a set of Nikon primes.

9. How many days did you shoot?
17 including reshoots.

10. Did you really shoot at LAX?
Yes, for two days.

11. How many locations did you have?
About 14.

12. Where did you shoot the movie?
Los Angeles. As far west as Encino, as far east as Pasadena, as far north as chatsworth, as far south as LAX, and evrywhere in between. Plus one day in Dana Point.

13. Did you shoot exclusively on location?
From the streets of downtown LA to the terminals of LAX, from a mansion in Pasadena to a cottage n La Crescenta, yes. Corrado is a location movie!

14. Did you get permits?
Yes, for approximately 90% of the shoot.

15. Where id you rent your equipment?
We rented very little, a bartech, a hostess tray, and a few other odds and ends. I supplied all of my own grip, electric, and lighting stuff plus a grip truck.

16. That ugly beast in your driveway, is that the former grip truck?
It was, baby, but it's sold!!!!! And the guy that bought it doesn't even want the internal shelving and has ripped it out.

17. Do you still have all your stuff?
No, I sold it all. Not much of it has an application to my next film.

18. Is the movie complete?
Yes.


More will be added as I think of them but these are the most popular so far....
 
Looks great congrats man! I was bitching about the look (because you posted only mediums and close-up shots last time) but it totally works.
 
Looks like we're going to be doing a lot of kumbaya from now on; does somebody know the lyrics? LOL

So tell me, Adam, have you gotten any $$$ offers for Corrado? You don't have to say how much or by whom, but has anybody made a money offer?
 
Good to have you back Adam! As I mentioned, I'll also be checking your blog for updates as well (if thats to still be updated).

-Kegan
 
Great you are back!!!


filmman said:
Looks like we're going to be doing a lot of kumbaya from now on; does somebody know the lyrics? LOL

So tell me, Adam, have you gotten any $$$ offers for Corrado? You don't have to say how much or by whom, but has anybody made a money offer?
Click to expand...

Actually expand on this. Did you get any cash up front offers? What kind of deal are you looking for? How long are you OK to wait to recuperate expenses and/or turn a profit?
 
Lots of questions on the sale of the movie...

Let me elaborate on my strategy here.

First, the movie was sent out as a temp mix screener to seven companies on or about October 1st.

Bear in mind that only one of those companies had the ability to purchase the movie outright....what do you mean??????:huh:

Here is what I mean:

When you have a completed film you must find a buyer to purchase all the rights available for a movie.

This may seem obvious, but it's a little more subtle than that. There are a few ways this can be accomplished:

1. Sell the film territory by territory, media by media. This is a long, contract heavy process of selling individual territories various platforms: i.e. Selling Thailand DVD rights and TV rights. Then going on to sell domestic DVD rights to another company. Perhaps India wants VOD rights only.

This is an arduous process, not for the faint of heart. These sales can be consummated at places like the AFM, MIPCOM, Cannes, Berlin, etc. Anywhere there is a film market, you can do this.

This is the way Prodigi and others originally undertook to sell their films. I don't recommend this way for a number of different reasons:

  • Very contract heavy. Each territory has it's own contract (and legal fees)
  • The people you are dealing with can be unsavory, especially in the smaller territories.
  • Local knowledge is essential
  • Big films aren't sold this way (see below)
  • No relationship is formed with one large distributor for future films
  • you have to collect payment from dozens of people possibly in different currencies.
You have to realize many films will never see the AFM. Many are presold or sold to larger companies who sell the rights for them.

2. Sell the film through a producer's rep or Sales Agent
Many people are listed on IMDb as being distributors when they really are not. Six of the firms I submitted the film to are such firms. They all wanted to rep the movie and presented me with various deals.

Bear in mind that with companies like these, no money is paid to you for your movie. WTF?

It's simple, really. There are different types of firms in this group:

Sales Agent: These people are usually large companies that you will assign the rights of your film to for a certain period, say 15 years. They will then sell the film for you, charge you a commission, and send you proceeds from your sales as they receive them. Large companies like these have great connections with real distributors, like Magnolia, Fox Searchlight, Warner, etc. They can get your film in the door and sell it for you, worldwide, paying you in large chunks rather than territory by territory. An example of a firm that wanted Corrado badly was Shoreline entertainment, whom I ultimately declined. More on that later.

Producer's reps and Management Firms: Much smaller companies, these charge a lesser commission and typically do not take the rights to the movie, rather make you sign a two or three year agreement to sell your film through them. They have many of the same connections as the larger firms, often with first look deals in place with real distribs such as Sony or Lionsgate. They field offers for you and then charge a commission when you receive the cash. Brandon Rice's film, No Greater Love, is repped by a firm like this; Carmel Entertainment.


Signing with the above firms does not mean you HAVE distribution. You don't. You only have a representative helping you sell your movie. You receive nothing until they sell it for you!


3. Sell the film directly to a REAL distributor. This is the holy grail. You want to be called by firms who have established distribution channels worldwide. They have the power to purchase all rights for your movie in one fell swoop - these are firms such as Sony, Warner, Lionsgate, Samuel Goldwyn, etc. etc.

Getting in touch with these people is much harder than it looks. You can call and go through acquisitions, submitting a screener that will not get watched in a mountain of others. It's just really, really hard to sell direct to these guys at my level.

Usually you compensate for this by using a producer's rep who has established relationships with these people, and gets your film in the back door for you. This is what Brandon is doing with NGL right now. This is a great way to go.

Now, the BIG DEAL.

You only have one chance to sell your film right. Corrado was accepted by six very large, very capable Sales companies and I turned each of them down flat after hearing the terms. Even signing with a producer's rep takes your film off the market for a couple years if they suck......better choose a good one, and not in haste!

Each of the people that wanted to take Corrado on:

  • Watched the film at least twice
  • Called me in for lengthy meetings to discuss the movie and my goals for it
  • had similar films in their inventory
You can't be hasty with these guys. You've got to pick the right one!!!!!!



/cont
 
So in the last thirty days I've been speaking to all these firms. I really want to land a direct deal with a big company for a number of reasons:


  • A relationship with a firm like Sony or Lionsgate etc. can lead to deals on future films.
  • Relationships like the above will get your future films greenlit. eg: I've got a little project set up at Sony. Want to loan me some money?
  • These kinds of distributors give your film credibility.
  • It's not just about selling Corrado, it's about selling the five films AFTER it!!!!
So do you really think that if I sat at a booth in AFM that I would get the benefit of any of this for my next film? NO! I'd be back there a year later hawking my next movie!

Look at the back cover of any DVD in the $2 plus million category. They all have studio connections as distributors. When an established director makes a film, even a small one, it's usually "set up" at a studio beforehand. I did not say pre sold. I said set up!

That is what I am trying to do for Corrado. I want to avoid the market mentality and have someone buy into MY VISION for not only this film but ones after it.

Can I sell Corrado at the AFM? Sure. But I am selling it to people who buy movies off posters and trailers. And I am not building a strategic partnership with anyone.

The only good thing about the AFM is that frequently large distributors will attend - you may get to talk to Barry the head buyer of Magnolia and sell him your film. It may work. Likelier, however, is that you'll be going territory by territory.

Example of a firm I turned down:

Shoreline Entertainment

Big firm. Released 143 films in 15 years of existence. Big presence at the AFM. As a matter of fact, this year they sponsored the buyer's lounge and called it the Shoreline Entertainment Buyer's lounge. My trailer was supposed to play in there and in the lobby every fifteen minutes, at no charge to me!!!!! Now why would I do AFM if they could do it for me?

I had some long meetings over there. Ultimately I turned them down because:

  • Commissions too high
  • Had to sign over all rights to the film for 15 years
  • Had no control or approval over the deals they made
  • Reports on incoming money only issued twice per year
  • $65,000 of the first money coming in when to them as a "fee" besides their commission.
But otherwise, a good company. Brandon Paine is the director of Acquisitions there and he is an honest, patient man who reps his company well. Most filmmakers would die to have their film repped by Shoreline. He had this to say (quote)

"We at Shoreline are very excited about Corrado and are looking forward to bringing the film into the worldwide marketplace. I look forward to hearing from you soon and look forward to working with you in the years to come."

I wrote all my objections in an e-mail and he responded back, fighting hard to get the film.

Sounded like a great deal, but it wasn't in the grand scheme of things. I am now leaning towards a smaller distributor who is formulating a plan to take Corrado Theatrical on a platform release in 5 cities. I will update you guys as I know more.

Oh, and one other thing: A big, four letter company whose name rhymes with Tony sent me a direct inquiry asking me for a trailer. A week later, after watching the trailer, I was asked to send them the actual film, which I did. Now this is a long shot but they asked for the film themselves!!!! They came right to me! So I am working that angle as well.

So tell me again why I would sit at the AFM hawking Corrado, or hurry to sign up with anyone one anything? I've got a good product, I know it and they know it. I am patiently investigating the best deal for ME and my investors, who are also very content to wait.
 
I can see why Shoreline wanted Corrado. They had one action film only, and although they had a couple of names in it, it wasn't the kind of wall to wall action that Corrado is.

You should've made a deal with them and asked for a guarantee of at least one million the first year to be paid quarterly. You're a negotiator, you should've negotiated.

I don't mean to be presumptuous but that's an angle you should look into in the future, because if a distributor doesn't perform you can pull your film right away. You should make it contractual.

Just an idea for you to think about.

You know a lot about distribution from your post, so I don't know; you might've already tried the angle I suggested.

Wishing you continued luck. One thing I agree with you, your options are still open. However, you should not let this process drag on more than a year. They'll say the movie is old.
 
filmman said:
I can see why Shoreline wanted Corrado. They had one action film only, and although they had a couple of names in it, it wasn't the kind of wall to wall action that Corrado is.
Click to expand...

Shoreline is pimping a film called Road to Nowhere, starring Michael Madsen and David Carradine. I asked how my film compared to that, and they said "Corrado has way more action" which is interesting, since Corrado doesn't have that much action!!! Or so I thought.

As for the guarantee I had thought about this - in fact they had proposed something like this. I just couldn't swallow the commission numbers and a variety of other small issues made it a no go over there.

I think I can do a bit better! Plus, I'm really sold on theatrical, for reasons I will get into soon.

As for the process, it's been actually less than 30 days. Paine, the director of acquisitions said the following:

"Each film gets two chances before it is considered old. Two AFMs, two MIPCOMS, etc. Then it's old and unmarketable"

So if Corrado had gone into this years AFM and not sold well, next year would have been the last chance. Thus, you are right, Vic - one year is all you get!!!!
 
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