Jerry Fushianes and Daniel J. Hellman are off to Las Vegas this November for the upcoming American Film Market. Every year all the movie business sales reps, distributors, and production companies along with numerous producers, directors, and filmmakers gather together for a week of "Let's Make a Deal." And with the Running with Scissors Team Going to the American Film Market in Las Vegas, it's an exciting time for everyone at Hope & Glory Studios.
For one week all the major sales reps and distributors take over the hotel rooms of a major hotel and turn the rooms into offices where they meet with filmmakers with a movie trying to get distributor or filmmakers looking for financing to make their movie. Every year up until this year the American Film Market has been held in Santa Monica, California.
But this year for the first time ever, the AFM will be held in Las Vegas - and the team from Hope & Glory Studios will be there. Yep, Jerry and I are headed to Las Vegas in a couple weeks to talk to sales reps about preselling the international distribution rights to Running with Scissors. And why would we do that? If we can get presale contracts with international distributors, then banks will loan a good portion of the money needed to make the movie.
So over the next couple of weeks we will be contacting sales reps who have experience preselling films in our genre. We hope to have a meeting or two already scheduled before we get there.
Of course, what matters most to sales reps is what is the package you have put together and can they sell it to distributors. The package is you poster, pitch deck, budget, sizzle reel, script, and any above-the-line talent you have committed to the project such as executive producers, directors, and named talent.
And for that reason we are also reaching out to seasoned executive producers and directors in our genre who the sales reps know to be bankable - the bank trusts them to produce a quality product. So we have a lot of work to do before we get to Vegas.
During the day the American Film Market has some great sessions for filmmakers to learn more about the business side of the movie business. And at night there is time to socialize. But from what I have heard from other sales reps, they are much more approachable at the end of the week when they have some deals signed. This is THE big week for sales reps and distributors. They are there to make deals on movies they can sell. All of us here at Hope & Glory Studios believe Running with Scissors can be one of those movies.
So wish me and Jerry luck prepare for our trip to the strip.. And in this case, what happens in Vegas will not stay in Vegas. We will tell you all about it - good or bad - when we get back.
Daniel J. Hellman - Producer/Writer
Comments