INDIE FILMMAKING
5 Terms You Should Fight for in Your Film Distribution Deal
Don’t sign a distribution deal without reading this first
Navigating a film distribution deal can be hairy. It’s both the most exciting time in a filmmaker’s life and the most anxious, as they await the future of the film and potentially their career.
Every agreement is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all when he comes to film distribution. But let me clue you in on the five key things you should argue for in your distribution deal and two things that you should just let go.
The Most Important Deal Points
Minimum Guarantee
The minimum guarantee, or advance, is how much a distributor pays you to buy the rights to your film for the territory and the term. In some cases, the minimum guarantee will be the only money that you receive from your movie. You need to make sure that this is as high as you can get, but remember to be realistic.
A majority of the independent distributors nowadays are paying much lower minimum guarantees and giving a higher percentage of the revenue. Having a higher share of the income is great, but what happens if your film doesn’t find an audience? Or the…
