Scott,

We all know the independent film biz these days makes the real estate and stock markets look like winners in comparison. Perhaps it's time for something completely different.

IF you've got a "winner" and you know it, why bother trying to get coverage to hype your baby to an agency? Rather than risk sending it into development hell, get an investor group together that is tired of making 3% on their money markets, hire a hotshot film school team on the cheap and shoot it low-low budget and,before you know it, Hello, film festivals!

If your script is really good, someone will recognize its merits and you'll get noticed.

Just a thought.

Scott

Scott,

We all know the independent film biz these days ain't easy. Perhaps it's time for something completely different.

IF you've got a "winner" and you know it, why bother trying to get coverage to hype your baby to an agency? Rather than risk sending it into development hell, get an investor group together that is tired of making 3% on their money markets, hire a hotshot film school team on the cheap and shoot it low-low budget and,before you know it, Hello, film festivals!

If your script is really good, someone will recognize its merits and you'll get noticed.

Just a thought.

Scott

I just saw something the other day where a band, comprised of teenagers, put together $30K in shares of $25 or more to finance them recording, pressing, distributing, and marketing their first album.

The big difference -- and it's a huge one -- is that music has an easy distribution system: The Internet. It reaches all around the world and there are mechanisms in place where the artist can safely commoditize their product.

With a movie, not so easy. If you're talking a theatrical release, movie theaters have owners. And they demand a rental fee. But 99% of them are not independent, so as a small indie feature, you don't have the clout to get your movie booked into a vast majority of theaters.

So you think, "Okay, get my movie into a film festival." Last year, the Sundance Film Festival receives something around 3,000 movie submissions. They accepted less than 50. And of those, perhaps half managed to get any sort of theatrical distribution deal.

Which is to say that, at least right now the way the business is operated, the problem isn't producing a low-budget indie movie, the problem is the distribution.

But things are changing on the distribution front. If you didn't catch this post on Monday, check it out.

Hey Scott,

Thanks for the advice. I actually do have a copy of the coverage report so I guess a couple follow up questions: In my queries, can I quote directly from the coverage? Can I say what agency covered the script? Can I offer to send an interested party a copy of the coverage upon request? Or are coverage reports the proprietary rights of the agencies? Thanks again, your blog is such a great help.

Westin, I would not communicate in writing what agency it is. If it's one of the top 4 -- CAA, UTA, WME, ICM -- you can say, "It's one of the top 4." If it's one of the mid-to-smaller or boutique agencies, frame it as being one of those.

I think it's fair to quote it, not at length but the best reference to how great your writing is.

If you talk with someone on the phone or in person, you can be more specific and even show them the copy of your coverage, but keep your copy.

It's not a big deal and basically everyone knows everyone's business in Hwood, but there is some slight sense of 'decorum,' so just be sensitive to the fact that the people with whom you're talking would not want their coverage to be floating around.

If you're having trouble figuring out exactly where your agency ranks, please email me with specifics and I can walk you through that:

scottdistillery@gmail.com

seems suspicious that with such high praise on the script the agency wouldn't sign you - maybe they can't rep or package the project because something else like it at the agency, but they should consider you as a writer and request other, different material...

suspicious that your story is "similar" to another at the agency - keep that coverage in case in 3 months from now you see that same agent at that same agency sell the same spec with just one of their client's name on the cover and a few changes...