Posts tagged "movie distributors"

Some Movie Distributors Want to Screw over Producers When it comes to Money

Some Movie Distributors Want to Screw over Producers When it comes to Money

Some movie distributors want to screw over producer when it comes to money. It happens at all levels of movie distribution.

I read an article where multimillionaire producer Michael Moore was suing a studio for royalty payment money he felt screwed out of.

Some Movie Distributors Want to Screw over Producers When it comes to Money

Producers are always suing over royalty payment money they feel they are being screwed over on based off the movie distribution agreement they signed.

It would be nice if movie distributors would realize there is enough money to go around for distributors and producers.

That day will never happen because of greed. Just like there has never been world peace. Cool thoughts, but won’t happen.

The screwing over on royalty payment money seems to happen more when it comes to the world of indie produced entertainment.

This could sound like a negative that some movie distributors, especially movie distributors that cater to releasing indie produced movies, would really want to screw over hardworking producers on royalty payment money they deserve.

I have heard getting screwed over on royalty payment money in the music industry happens as well.

No one wants to get screwed out of hard earned royalty payment money for their creative blood, sweat and tears it took to get a project done and released for sale.

The positive is if a producer is realistic coming in and understands the job of movie distribution company is to pay as little for your movie as they can with a standard movie distribution agreement a producer can avoid bad deals where they do not make royalty payment money from their work.

Savvy producers are already on their toes that the nature of the movie business from a distributors view is to get a hungry producer to sign a backend distribution payment deal to increase the money they make off you and decrease the royalty payment money you get.

Producers that go in to sell a movie with this thinking are less likely to get a bad film distribution deal. This levels the playing a field greatly knowing you are in for a fight and not walking into a meeting getting a blast to the face caught off guard.

As much as producers and filmmakers wish some movie distributors played and fair and loved their creative art, it is still a money business and some movie distributors do not play fair.

Movie distributors are not driven by creative vision, most will any movie if they know they can make money from it.

Never sell yourself short as a producer or filmmaker on your completed movie when it comes to signing a movie distribution agreement.

If you have sellable movie you do not have to settle for a standard movie distribution agreement. Without entertainment produced by hardworking people movie distributors have an empty bag to sell.

This really only applies to producing indie entertainment. Studio budget films work entirely different from what I have read. My base of experience is only indie produced entertainment.

When possible always hire an entertainment or a producer’s rep to negotiate your movie distribution agreement.

It can be hard for indie producers and filmmakers to swing the cost to hire people to help negotiate them the best deal possible where they will see real royalty payment money go into their bank account.

Indie producers and filmmakers can help themselves out by reading any movie distribution offer they receive word by word and page by page.

There are movie distributors out there that release indie produced entertainment with no intention of screwing the creators out royalty money payments.

They do what I like to call a clean transparent deal. No hidden distributor fees or inflated distributor fees for marketing they will never really spend that money on.

Here are few tips I have learned working with entertainment attorneys and a producer’s rep that have helped learn more about the business.

Ask to see what a movie distributors royalty statement looks like.

Always ask for an upfront money advance.

Never sign a movie distribution agreement that is for 25 years unless they are really paying you a hefty advance.

Read the very boring definitions section of movie distribution agreement to see if there are hidden fees. Some distributors like to hide inflated costs in the definitions section.

Get a reasonable flat cap on all marketing fees.

Surprisingly, there are some shady movie distributors out there that prey on indie producers and filmmakers by charging a flat $50,000 marketing fee where they are probably spending $2000 tops for artwork and to insert your movie in their catalog for film buyers.

There is lots more that goes in to protecting your royalty payment money, but these few tips are a good start to not get screwed over. I have good royalty payment money deals and bad ones.

It is all part of learning the business from production to distribution. I still prefer to work with an entertainment attorney or producer’s rep when it comes to sell a movie, but I can read a movie distribution and spot where things are wrong.

To really put it blunt when I read a movie distribution agreement now I think to myself, “Ah, this where you’re trying to screw me on royalty payment money” and smile how slick they tried it.

Stay on top of your business and put your creative mind aside when it comes to selling your movie to make sure you see real royalty payment money.

If you remain cool and sharp you will make money from your movie.

This is indie filmmaker Sid Kali typing FADE OUT