Corrado Part II

taormina said:
2. Differing opinions. "I liked the cast, but not the movie". "The film was great but the cast was weak". Which do you believe? I don't know. It's really difficult to accurately receive feedback or criticism when people watch the film and provide contradictory feedback. Overwelmingly, they like Corrado. Still, I'm trying to use the critiques to make a better movie next time, and all the critiques contradict each other. I sometimes wonder if these people watched the same film.
Click to expand...

Honestly I think distributors are some of the worst critics you can find. The problem is, you never really know whether they are expressing an opinion or just making up arguments to get rid of you/get a better deal/etc.
 
Ironically he doesn't try to make crappy films. He makes what he believes to be genre films. On a budget that usually doesn't fit the genre. If you research Uwe Boll and listen to what he has to say, he makes perfect sense and would tell you some of the same things Adam and others have. I believe he also made money in sales (or maybe realestate) before he started filmmaking.

-Nate
 
taormina said:
Well, Corrado has been complete for nearly sixty days. I've had a handful of companies want to rep the film, and I've turned them down for various reasons. I'm now on round two of this process, with some other companies.

Beware, those of you following in my footsteps: My synopsis as of today's date is thus: The model I have chosen for Corrado was the only one I could of followed as it was my first feature. I would not do a second movie this way. For those of you making a first feature, spend more money. It's all about the name game. In the end that 's all that matters to these people. Get the biggest name you can get and you will get distribution.

If I was to do it all over again I would try and borrow 300K more and put that towards a much larger star's salary.
Click to expand...

Sobering advice Adam, thanks for sharing. This is the part that has always been a mystery to me, and I think most of us.

Chris
 
taormina said:
1. The waiting. A guy calls you. "Send me a screener". From that point on, between mailing, waiting for the giant company to watch it, call you, attend a meeting, hear their offer, and decide, takes weeks. Weeks!!! Multiply this by how many people you have the movie out to, and you can quickly find yourself in a self imposed holding pattern, unable to move forward "until you hear". It's maddening. Your entire life is on hold while this goes on. What can you do about it? Nothing. It's part of the deal.
Click to expand...

This has been a tough deal... the waiting is all part of it, but it gets quite annoying at times :)
 
You didn't get an acceptable offer from a distributor by the time AFM rolled by. You decided to pass AFM. There is the festival route, but I don't think you aimed your movie at festivals. So now if you don't get another acceptable offer by the end of the year, you have to market the movie yourself. You know the risks of sitting on a film....
 
filmman said:
You didn't get an acceptable offer from a distributor by the time AFM rolled by. You decided to pass AFM. There is the festival route, but I don't think you aimed your movie at festivals. So now if you don't get another acceptable offer by the end of the year, you have to market the movie yourself. You know the risks of sitting on a film....
Click to expand...

That's kind of an oversimplification....

1. Only one distributor had the ability to purchase the film; they passed (actually they had their credit lines pulled and were in danger of collapse)
2. The others were sales agents, who offered their services in several deals. I turned them down.
3. The film was never going to AFM, I didn't think it was worth it from the beginning...
4. Nothing's going to happen by the end of the year guaranteed...
6. It's out to a half dozen sales agents now, plus two people actually able to buy it.

I'm looking for the right sales agency company, and there is no rushing this. the wrong company will hurt me where it hurts the most....the pocketbook!

The movie is still very young. To the guy on the street it is in post, and could easily get a 2009 label.
 
Besides... anyone who had picked the film up would wait 6months to a year for marketing anyway.... it was destined to be release in 2009 from the start.
 
Yea, the waiting is killer. It takes time if you're trying to get a distributor that will hit you with cash money. I know several people who will distribute this but you'd never see a dime. (Maybe a little because of the cast but not nearly what you made it for). I hope to hit AFM next year with my film but who knows. If people are coming to you that's probably the way to go.

-Nate
 
Nathyn said:
If people are coming to you that's probably the way to go.

-Nate
Click to expand...


And I'm pretty much in that stage Nate. I'll worry when the calls stop coming in!:crybaby:

Seriously, I need to move it so I can start the next one; that's the biggest rush, if you could say anything was rushed.
 
I'm curious, why no AFM?, that is the market, full of buyers looking for their next meal ticket.
 
Hey 10s,

I explained the "no afm" thing in the beginning of this thread somwhere. I've overeaten dinner, my blood sugar is elevated, and alas I am too lazy to go find out exactly where...
 
I found it here:

"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."
 
A little research will show that the AFM is the best market for action movies, especially indie action movies. It's not a good market for art films and comedies. I've heard recently that it's not a good market for horror films either but some people say that they can still sell horror at the AFM.

I remember Adam expressing lack of interest in the AFM because he would have to sit there and sell, which understandably he didn't want to do it. The AFM distributors are for the most part small distributor-agents. These days they don't offer advances. Many of them come and go. There are horror stories heard from indie filmmakers getting nothing.

But after all is said and done, where do we go to sell indie movies?

Hopefully Corrado won't be perceived as a movie that has been "shopped around." Putting a 2009 copyright on it is a good way to go. That's one good thing about digital; you just replace the end credit.

It costs a few hundred bucks to replace the end of a 35mm print :-)
 
hey adam, how interested are you in me being completely honest with my thoughts about the film and its potential? are you still headstrong on the "no criticism" part? even if its constructive?

i respect your hard work enough to ask this before running my mouth off in your thread :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top