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Business, Filmmaking, Fundraising

4 Facts You Need to Know about Profits for Your 1st Feature Film

By on

June 23, 2018

- Business, Filmmaking, Fundraising

Money matters can be quite complicated…
…and I aim to sort them out in a comprehensible manner to help you get ready to launch a bigger project (such as your first feature film).  

Just like with securing film distribution, I’d never handled any of these matters prior to producing my first feature film. The university of life taught me how this stuff works – plus some input from mentors.

I must mention that while I have learned a lot from my experiences thus far, there are many things in regard to investing that I do not understand and have not encountered.

This is only a basic breakdown of how your film’s profits will break up if seeking some investment or when sharing profits with your team.

It’s important to understand what people expect, what they are talking about, and what your obligations are once you’ve made promises of giving any amount of ‘profit’ or ‘ownership’ of your film to anyone, and what you’ve really promised to share with them.

Since there are a handful of terms in this article that not everyone may be familiar with, I’m going to define a few things before we get started.

Super-exciting definitions you can (but shouldn’t) skip
‘Points’. This is the common term for profit participation percentage points.

Profit participation (how much of the profit a particular person or party receives when the film makes money) can only be out of 100 percentage points, which is where the shorthand ‘points’ comes from.

Gross profits. Gross profits, according to Investopedia, is “the profit a [film] makes after deducting the costs associated with making and selling [it].

Gross profit will appear on a company’s income statement, and can be calculated with this formula:

Gross profit = Revenue – Cost of Goods Sold

This is a generic business definition of gross profits, commonly referred to simply as ‘gross’.

Within the film industry, gross is commonly understood to include all costs of producing a feature film, including prep, production, and post, but not usually including other expenses such as marketing, also known as print and advertising (‘P&A’), production company overhead, miscellaneous company expenses, or other costs not directly attributable to the production of the film.


I know. This stuff is boring, but it’s important, so keep reading!

Net profits. Commonly referred to as ‘net’, Investopedia defines this as, “Net income (NI) is a company’s total earnings (or profit); net income is calculated by taking revenues and subtracting the costs of doing business such as depreciation, interest, taxes and other expenses…”

An important element to note is the part of the definition that says, “…and other expenses… “

Oh… What could that mean? The truth is, ‘other expenses’ can be anything a company decides is part of their operating expenses of one sort or another. This is something you have to watch out for when dealing with people.

You need to make sure the definition of net profits is clear.

Generally, the definitions of gross and net profits can change depending on with whom you make deals. Whatever the case, it’s important that everyone is totally clear on their expectations and define things clearly.

Fixed and contingent compensation. “Fixed compensation is the upfront money that is paid [to cast or crew] when the film goes into production, regardless of what happens to the movie in the distribution phase. The contingent compensation is the percentage of a pool called the ‘producer’s adjusted gross.’ Today, virtually all films produced include some form of contingent compensation.”
(by producer Kathryn Arnold on HG.org)

When it comes to your first feature film, you will, in all likelihood, use a lot of contingent compensation, since you don’t have much (if any) up-front payment you can provide.

These terms are relevant because any ‘points’ you give to key cast and crew for their help are a form of contingent compensation. While there are ways to use this method of compensation in a professional manner as well as ways to do this in a manipulative manner, there is nothing inherently wrong with contingent compensation.

Tricky terms. Sometimes, there will be some tricky terms out there that look like something they are not.

This is where having good mentors or a good entertainment attorney can really come in handy. For example, ‘adjusted gross proceeds’, or ‘modified gross proceeds’ are other ways to basically say net profits, in my opinion.

My knowledge and understanding of accounting/economic terms and concepts are limited and imperfect, so I recommend you do some research on your own to learn more. If you want to look at some more definitions, I found this interesting sheet of info.

Ownership versus profit participation
Big difference!

While I am not a lawyer, I know that there’s a difference between signing an agreement that says you are giving someone ‘5% of the film’ or ‘5% ownership of the film’, and an agreement that says you are giving someone ‘5% of the film’s net profits’ for their help, and then defining net profits.

Always be careful what you sign.

I almost made this mistake, since I didn’t make that distinction.

The difference is this: owning your film is owning the intellectual property (the script, the ideas, the creative input) and rights of the physical images, voice recordings, and images of the actors.  Basically, everything that makes up what the film actually is.

If you give someone some of the film’s profits, all you owe them is a certain amount of money based on what the film makes.


What you want to do with their money to spite them is another issue entirely. You still have all the rights to the film and they don’t get any say in what you do with it.

I almost signed away some of my film’s actual ownership to some people who worked on my film. Oops. Don’t be like me – pay attention and make a distinction between these two things.

Structuring your project – who gets what
So, let’s say you’ve found a partner with whom to make your film. You’ve also found someone who is going to contribute a bit of funding to your film, in addition to whatever you and your partner contribute.

This is a sample scenario for someone making their first film. You couldn’t find someone willing to give you a ton of cash, but between yours and theirs, it’s enough to get something off the ground.

Before you get to that point, you’re going to have to decide how you’d like to allocate the net profits of your film – the ‘points’. Having a plan will allow you to negotiate with people properly when it comes to their contingent compensation.

You’ll know where you intend to allocate things, how much you’ll have if you offer someone ‘x’ amount, what number of points you want to reserve for yourself and investors, and how much you can realistically give away.


Above, I’ve included a sample breakdown of your film’s points. Assuming a lot of people involved in your film are working for very little up-front cash, it is common to offer them a reasonable amount of points in exchange for their work.

What ‘reasonable’ means will vary and be based upon that person’s apparent worth given their skill and how valuable their time is. Okay, from the top-down, let’s break these numbers down.

The executive producer (EP). The big cheese. Whatever the case, they are offering something so valuable to your production (whether money or resources) that they earn this title along with a substantial chunk of your points.

The amount they receive will be entirely between you and them, but based on my limited experience, it seems likely for this number to be anywhere between 20-50% and depends greatly on how much they are contributing compared to you.

You and your producing partner. This is, of course, assuming that you do have a partner. In a prior article, I suggested that you should find someone with whom to co-produce your first film and how to find a great partner.

If you don’t, this is easy. Give yourself as many points as you realistically can, while treating your cast, crew, and backers fairly. If you do have a partner, on the other hand…

You and your partner are going to have to have a candid and transparent discussion about who will be doing what, how much work each person will be doing, and what they are bringing to the table. Basically, you have to come to what you feel will be a fair arrangement for both of you.

Whatever you decide, make sure you are satisfied with the agreement. If you feel troubled about what you’ve agreed to, bring it up. The last thing you need is to be harboring any feelings of bitterness or resentment toward your partner several months into making the film.

For my first feature film, my partner and I decided on even responsibilities and an equal split.

From left to right: Michael Alvarez (one of our actors), Joseph Mbah, and Nick LaRovere

The stars of the show. For my first feature film, we offered those that were committing a significant amount of the time to the film, the lead actors, a few points. We based the amounts on what we gave others for the same level of commitment. I believe this is only fair, especially if your actors are working for no upfront cash payment.

Your crew, your team. Like your lead actors, the crew that is dedicated to seeing your film through is deserving of at least a reasonable offer of points for their assistance.

If the crew is being paid normal rates, then you probably don’t have to be concerned about offering points. However, on your first feature, chances are you will not be able to offer full rates for anyone.

Composer, Writer, and more. There may be others that are willing to assist you with your first feature that are seeking experience and are therefore willing to work for points alone. It is up to you and that person to negotiate a number of points that seems appropriate for the level of work they are contributing.

An example of points structure: The EP contributes $5,000. You and your partner contribute $2,500 each.

Perhaps your EP gets 25 points, and you and your partner get 12.5 each. However, you realize that since you and your partner not only helped fund the film, but also will spend countless hours prepping, shooting, and in post, you increase your allotments to 20 each. The remaining 35 points are split up to everyone else as you choose.

Hold some back. I recommend not giving away all your points up-front. You may encounter a situation where it’d be helpful to offer points to someone.

This might be in exchange for an otherwise un-securable location, expensive equipment lent to you, or any other unforeseen assistance that may need a bit of grease on the wheels to get things moving.

What money goes to who, and when?
Great question. This will depend on what kind of deals you have arranged with all participants in your film, especially the distributor and financier(s).

There are, in reality, many different types of deals and each will have its own peculiarities. Who receives what payments, and when, will vary, as all these sorts of things can be written into a contract. However, for the most part, it will probably go something like this. In terms of priority…


You may be wondering why the distributor gets first priority in this scenario. Didn’t the outside investor take on the most risk by investing in someone’s film (that isn’t their own like it is yours)?

Most likely. However, from what I’ve learned, it is quite normal for a distributor to require they recoup any marketing or direct costs of distributing the film before any funds are disbursed to other parties.

Here’s where your profits go when there’s a typical distribution deal:


What is the distributor recouping?


In reality, the definitions of ‘marketing and sales costs’, or ‘costs of distribution’ can mean almost anything at all. This is an unfortunate problem with this distribution process.

Your best bet, in my current view, is to get an honest distributor. Unfortunately, you don’t control that, but you can do your best to work with someone who seems to work honestly if you get multiple distribution offers.

Marketing caps. Since a distributor will be pushing your film, they will incur expenses, perhaps every year, as long as they have the contract. So, they may include a marketing cap which encompasses all expenses, such as traveling to Cannes Film Festival, the American Film Market (AFM), and other popular sales locations.

It’s important that there is a marketing cap in your distribution deal. Otherwise, if the distributor gets ‘marketing and sales costs’ taken off the top of the profits before anyone else gets anything, they have no limit or accountability as to how much they spend in that category.

An arrangement without artificial limitations may lend itself to some creative accounting. What is ‘priority’ or ‘first-money return’ of investment? This concept simply means that your EP wants to get their investor paid back to them first before anyone else (aside from the distributor) gets anything. Since ordinarily, they are the primary 3rd party risk-taker on a film, this seems like a fair arrangement.

The EP should be reimbursed monetarily for his or her initial investment before anyone else is paid since they have nothing but a monetary stake in the project – unlike you.

When do you get paid anything? Well, unless you arranged something different with everyone else that received points, after the distributor has recouped their marketing costs (reached their cap) and after the investor has been paid back their initial investment, the percentages of net profits will be split evenly and without priority to all parties.

Reporting what the film makes. In your deal with a distributor, you should be promised by them that they will report what the film is pulling in, at least every year (for a limited time) if not every 6 months.

After that, if it isn’t already in your contract, it’s a good idea to share those reports with your EP (at the least) for the sake of transparency and good business, as well as any other major points-holders.

If those holding few points on your film trust you, chances are they won’t mind not having those numbers shared with them, as long as they are getting checks in the mail.

Otherwise, you should let them know that the film simply isn’t making money (which is an unfortunate possibility) so they don’t have any unrealistic expectations.

Movie profits in a nutshell
1. Definitions:

‘Points’. A common term for profit participation percentage points.

Gross profits. The money the film makes, aside from the costs of making it and getting it to a distributor.

Net profits. The money the film makes after marketing and sales costs of the distributor are subtracted.

Fixed and contingent compensation. Fixed is the up-front cash you pay people. Contingent is money they are promised on the back-end, including points.

2. Ownership versus profit. Remember that these two things are not the same. Ownership implies having rights to the film itself in some way. Profit is just money.

3. Structuring your project. Have an understanding of where all your points are going, who is contributing what, and divvy the points out carefully.

4. What money goes to who and when. Every deal structure will be different, but remember that the money being made on the film most likely won’t be for you, at least not at first. Make sure you handle the funds appropriately and pay the right people.

5. Additional resources: A wonderful, but more complicated breakdown of where the money goes in a film deal: read the breakdown HERE.

More definitions, including many terms I don’t understand, HERE.

So, feel ready to make a feature film yet? No? That’s understandable.

You may never feel ‘ready’.

Keep that in mind, keep learning, and working hard… Good luck!
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Business, Filmmaking

Film Distribution: 5 Things You Need to Find a Great Deal

By on

June 16, 2018

- Business, Filmmaking

When I made my first movie, I was clueless about film distribution.

I wondered how we would figure it out. How does film distribution work? What is a film distributor, exactly? Does anyone have these answers? No one I spoke to seemed to know or were willing to share.

As I learned, sometimes you just have to figure things out yourself.

What I learned when securing film distribution for my first movie was that when it comes down to it, securing your first distribution deal consists of the following:

1. Make your film the best it can be.


2. Contact as many distributors as you can.

I’ll get into more detail, but that’s the essence of it.


If you want to get film distribution, you have to grind and email a ton of people, then wait. That may not be what you want to hear, but for you first-time feature filmmakers out there, trust me when I say that one way or another, there is a path forward.

A caveat: you should be considering distribution as you pick a script or concept to write and produce. Even if you are  set on a particular idea, you should have a plan on how you will approach the second half of your film’s life – distribution.

Let’s get to it!

What is a distributor?

What the heck is a distributor, really? What’s a sales agent? A producer rep? An aggregator? (Ugh, too many titles…)


There are a lot of terms flying around out there. It’s hard to know, really, what someone’s definition of a particular title might be. Your best bet is this: ask anyone who inquires about your film whether they sell directly to different territories, handle all rights, and market your film, or handle a specific right or territory. Understand what kind of deals they typically make and what services they provide.


This subject can be quite complicated, but if you understand the kind of deals the person/distribution company you are speaking to usually makes, and what services they provide, you will be in good shape.


I recommend that when you seek film distribution, you look for a distributor who will make the following deal with you:


To license all rights to your film, including VOD, TV, theatrical, DVD, and any other medium, in every territory in the world (including US and all international territories), have all rights to market and sell your film in any medium through the whole world, for a limited period of time (say, 3-5 years), after which the rights revert back to you, and their services end.


You will only have to deal with one company that will market and sell your film in all aspects. Only one middle-man will be taking a slice of the pie. And they don’t keep your film forever, only a limited period of time.


Let’s move on to an obvious, but important point.

Make the best film possible

This pretty much goes without saying. Of course, as a filmmaker, you want your film to be as good as you can possibly make it! This is the goal. Keep in mind though that ‘perfect is the enemy of good’. At some point, you have wrap up your film and push it out into the world. 

Why is it important to understand that you need to wrap up your movie and not try to make it perfect?

It’s better to have an asset (your movie) in hand that you can sell than something that is incomplete. An incomplete movie is not a complete product that you can sell and will not do you any good. I’ll take this even further and say that it is better to have produced a competent but otherwise unremarkable film than to have a dream of a perfect movie that will never exist.

Your first attempt won’t necessarily be great, and that’s okay. You will improve.

You can take your mistakes as lessons learned and make a better movie next time.


Okay, so you’ve made the best film you could make, given your skill, talent, and resources available. Congratulations. This is a great achievement, and you pride yourself on pushing through and finishing.


Most people never get to this step.


Here’s the reason why it is important that you make the best film you can:

More distributors will offer you film distribution deals–and more lucrative deals–the better your film is. There’s no guarantee a film distributor will take on your movie and market it. It is going to depend on what the market (buyers) are looking for, what’s more or less popular, and what distributors are looking for based on those variables.


However, the better your film, the more likely someone will be willing to pick it up, and the better deal they may be willing to give you.

Okay, now I’ll actually share the steps you need to take to secure film distribution for your movie. (Finally, right? Sheesh.)

Step 1 – prep your project

The key to getting film distributors interested in your project is proper preparation. You want to make your project as attractive as possible so that you hook them with your first email.


Make an explosive trailer. Your trailer is your film’s calling card. It’s all they will see and it will create the first, and possibly the only impression of the quality and content of your film.


Your trailer should hook the viewer right away – in the first few seconds, if possible. If you have any special effects, visual effects, stunts, intense drama, or exciting moments, include those in the trailer.


“But I don’t want to spoil the movie!”


Trust me, I understand. I dislike a trailer that gives away too much as much as the next guy.

However, It’s okay to ‘spoil’ your movie in this trailer. This trailer isn’t intended for a regular audience. This trailer is intended for the film distributor. When it comes to marketing and selling your film to ordinary audiences, your distributor will most likely cut a new trailer for your film, since they know what the target audience is looking for.


That said, craft your trailer understanding that the distributors are your audience, for now. You should cram your trailer full of interesting and high production-value material. This will indicate the quality of your film as well as tell the distributor that there’s enough interesting content to make a great trailer.


(Of course, you should try to make your trailer as objectively ‘good’ as possible. Don’t try so hard to shove everything interesting into it that it makes your trailer cringe-worthy.)


Here’s why it’s important for film distributors to see that you have enough material to make a ‘hooky’ trailer: Independent feature films live or die by their trailers and cover art – especially indie films with no name talent involved. 

If someone is browsing online or at a store looking for a movie, they are going to be pulled in by an eye-catching poster or an exciting trailer.

They aren’t looking at it because Brad Pitt’s face is on the cover of your movie, or because the name ‘Ridley Scott’ is at the top of the DVD art in bold lettering. Indie films don’t have that advantage.

Step 2 – contacting distributors

Okay, you’ve got your trailer ready. You or your editor did a cut, reworked it, got feedback from filmmakers, reworked it again, then got feedback from ordinary people and adjusted the movie a final time. (Read here to find out more on how to get great feedback for your feature film.)

Great. Chances are you’ve got something that’s ready to share.

Warning: be sure your film is ready since you only get one shot at a first impression with a film distributor! Like I mentioned before though, you eventually have to pull the trigger and push the film out to the world.

Where to find film distributors. You need to do online research to find these companies. A few good places to find these companies include IMDb Pro, websites in a cursory Google search, and (believe it or not) Wikipedia. Wikipedia has a list of film distributors. Not all of them will be in existence any longer, but it’s up to you to scour that list and try to find current companies.


Don’t be a pest. The world of distributors is a small one (or so I’ve been told). Whether or not this is true, it does make sense. Regardless, this is a good rule of thumb as a professional. Don’t go assume word won’t get around if you are a pain.

Be professional, courteous, and reasonable at all times. Be reasonable in your follow-up with people by waiting a week or two to follow-up. Don’t send a long email. Keep your follow-up simple and straightforward. Don’t be a pest, but don’t be a pushover.


Who to contact – don’t spam people. Be mindful of who you are contacting. Do a bit of research before you send your trailer off to a distribution company. Take a look at their website. Have they distributed anything like your film or its genre in the past? Do they only handle documentaries, but you have a horror film?

In that case, it’s best to not contact that company. Don’t add to their already overflowing inbox. If you think they might be interested, since your film is sort of on the edge of what they might handle, go ahead and send it to them.

If you go to a film distributor’s website and their website is ‘laughingheartsllc.com’, it’s covered in pink and rainbows, and the last 50 films they distributed have titles such as “Romance in Paradise”, don’t send them your over-the-top, underground, experimental, slice-of-life slasher film “Bloody Murder Syndrome”.

Just… don’t.

But let’s say at ‘laughingheartsllc.com’ they have 1 slasher horror film in their catalogue. That’s weird, right? Yep. But maybe they’ve only distributed 1 horror film, and are trying to branch out into the genre. If they have a record of distributing your kind of movie, then contact them.

Keep your emails simple! Don’t go crazy and send a 5-paragraph essay in the body of your email to a film distributor. Put yourself in their shoes. They probably go through a lot of submissions, right? All those small tasks–a couple of minutes here and there–add up. Make your email short, sweet, and to the point. If the distributor can quickly and easily understand your email, your chances are better that they will respond compared to another over-eager first-time filmmaker who sent a novella-length email.

I’ll show you what my first emails to film distributors looked like:

“We recently finished post on our feature, ‘Genesis: Fall of the Crime Empire’.”

Obviously. Why else would we be contacting them? This is unnecessary information.


“We are seeking a distributor interested in taking on our film. Synopsis: To an undercover detective and his partner, events seem like typical gangland power struggle, but a feared criminal puppeteer seeks an alien powerful artifact, which according to legend, can grant god-like powers.”


A synopsis could be helpful, but hopefully, your trailer will tell them everything they need to know.

“Cast/Crew: (may be viewed at) http://www.imdb.com/title“


Unless you have name cast, do they really care? Probably not. If you do have some known person in your film, it might be better to say so earlier in your email, such as ‘our film, “Superstar Thrill Ride”, with a cameo from Brad Pitt, is available for worldwide distribution’.

“Festivals/Awards: This film has not been submitted to any festivals.”


I’m guessing someone recommended I add this to my email to indicate we hadn’t shared our movie anywhere yet. However, if the distributor is interested, they will ask you these sort of questions later.


Oh yeah, and I totally forgot to add a link to the trailer. Oops.

This is the film distributor thinking…

“Is there a link to the trailer? Is this all there is? Eh.” *DELETE*

I improved after the first couple of emails.


Here’s what I included in my subsequent emails:


Subject: Possible Acquisition – “Genesis” Feature Film


To Whom it May Concern:

We are looking for a distributor interested in acquiring our film “Genesis: Fall of the Crime Empire” for distribution.

The trailer is in the link below. Thank you for your time.


‘Link’


If the distributor watches your trailer and is interested in your film, they will follow up and ask for a screener. You must have this ready before someone asks for it. Don’t keep the distributor waiting.


What’s a screener? A screener is a complete and ready-to-view cut of your film. Usually a screener is uploaded to a service like Vimeo for distributors to easily view. You should definitely make the screener private and password-protected, but do not forget to include the password clearly in your email with the screener link.

Step 3 – sealing the deal

So, you’ve got this far. You did the legwork, and you got an offer or two, or maybe even more (you lucky devil, you) from film distributors who are interested in your film.


That’s wonderful. Now you have to understand their offer. Does it match up with your goals? Be realistic, but don’t be too eager or necessarily take the first offer you get. Get insight from mentors, if you have any who’ve been through this before. If you don’t have a mentor and haven’t reached this step yet, go and find one!


Getting a distribution deal is a Catch 22, because a film distributor can change their mind at any time and withdraw the offer if the winds change. So don’t rush, but don’t take too long to decide. Usually, a distributor will put a time-limit on their offer to encourage you to take their deal and save time in negotiation.


The content of distribution deals is a bit complicated, so for the purposes of this article, I’ll assume you have an understanding of net and gross profits, profit ‘points’ ownership models, and other similar things. If you don’t you can read all about how film profits work in an article I wrote.


A film distribution deal boils down to this:


Who gets what? After the distributor takes their cut, what percentage of the pie is left for you, your investors (whether that’s you or someone else), your key cast and crew, and anyone else who owns a slice of the film?


The smaller slice the distributor takes, the more you get. These percentages can range from 15-20% (going to the distributor) for a great deal but are often higher.


How long will they have your film? From what I’ve read, heard, and experienced, a length of 3 years
or so is a pretty normal length of time for a distributor to have rights to sell your film, with the right to request an extension.


In the event your film does quite well, you may want to try something different with it in the future. In the event you feel your distributor hasn’t done great with the film, but you think it could sell better, after the period is up, you can take your film to a new distributor or try to sell it yourself.


Arguing for a lower cut for the distributor. I understand you may want to negotiate with the distributor to get a better deal. You have to balance that against (unfortunately) the potential of pushing them away. However, if you think the deal doesn’t fit your (realistic) goals, don’t be afraid to turn deals down.

Either way, assuming you can get them to lower their cut, you have to balance this against whether the distributor will compensate for their lower cut by spending less marketing dollars and time on your film, or increasing the flat amount of money they take off the top.


Wait, what money off the top? Yes, many film distributors will skim a certain dollar amount off the top of what the film makes. As part of the deal, they may have a ‘marketing cap’ of say, $10,000 (for example). Anything the film makes goes to the distributor until they hit that cap.

The cap’s purpose is to compensate them for the money and time they spent marketing your film up-front, including travel and other items. Once they meet that dollar amount, the money splits according to the percentages of the deal. For example, 25% to the distributor, and 75% to the filmmaker.

Be aware that if the marketing cap is higher than the amount of money the film is likely to make, and that is the deal the film distributor is offering you, you are essentially signing the film away to them. Your film will get marketed and sold but you won’t make any money back.

There’s more involved in a film distribution deal, but this is a good baseline.

Get a second opinion. As indie filmmakers, we can’t always afford to speak with an attorney. However, you should feel free to at least contact one or two and ask how much it’d cost to just get their opinion on the deal. A film & entertainment law attorney will have experience with distribution deals and will know what’s normal.


That said, if you can’t afford an attorney, it’s okay. This is where a good mentor comes in. If you know someone who has experience in this arena, you can show them the potential deal and get their opinion on it.

Step 4 – delivering the film

Okay. You’ve signed the dotted line and are ready to get your film out to the world!

The distributor is going to ask you to provide a long laundry list of items so that they can properly sell your film. Some of this is technical stuff, such as exports of the film, the audio, and things of that nature. Some of it is legal, such as contracts, releases, and other paperwork.

Together, the items the distributor requires from you in order to start selling your film are called deliverables, and they are very important.

Here are some of the major things your distributor will ask for from you:

Chain of title. This is just like real estate or a vehicle – a paper trail proving that you are the rightful owner of something. Your film’s chain of title will prove that you have all the rights, permissions, and licenses to legally license your film to the distributor, who can then legally go out there and sell it to people. It will contain documents such as:

Releases. Crew, cast, and location releases, music license documents, certificate of authorship or licensing for the screenplay and any material it’s based on, ownership documents for the film itself, such as partnership agreements from producers, and anything else proving you have total rights to do what you want with the film.


This chain of title protects you, the film distributor, and anyone else involved in selling the film. In the event someone claims you used their performance or creative contribution without permission, you will have their contract to show that you do have permission. 


A high-quality HD or 4k (if you have it) export of the film. The distributor will provide technical specifications as to what they want. They will send your film off to a lab which will analyze the film for issues that will need fixing in order to optimize it for different platforms and regions. You will most likely have to make some adjustments and provide a new export, after the lab provides their report.

Music and effects track (M&E track). The ‘M&E’ track, as it’s referred to, is an audio track that contains all synced, non-dialogue sound and music from your film. Scrapes, scuffles, bangs, whistles, explosions, and your epic soundtrack… everything except your characters’ dialogue, grunts, yells, and so on. The purpose of this track is to make it possible for various sellers to have your film dubbed if they want. They can simply put in the dubbed dialogue, yells, screams, and cries over your music and effects track.


Creating an M&E track can be tough if you had a low audio budget. A lot of your normal sounds will overlap with dialogue in your boom recording. Once you take out your boom audio, you lose the dialogue but also lose everything else. This is one purpose of Foley. If you can’t afford Foley, you may have to do some yourself, inserting at least major sounds in the scene, so that the lab will accept your M&E track. Pre-built foley and sound effects packs are great for this.


Music cue sheet. This sheet will contain a list of titles and timecodes for all music, including original score, that play in your film. It lists who made the music, who holds the arrangement, recording, and performance rights for the music, the title of each song, how much of each song is in the film, and where it plays.


Dialogue list. This is a word-for-word, verbatim transcript of what is said in your film. The dialogue list makes it easier for domestic and international sellers to have your film’s dialogue translated, dubbed or subtitled. There are companies out there that provide transcription services for this purpose, and it can cost anywhere from $300-500. For my first feature film, my partner and I opted to do this time-consuming task ourselves and save some money.


DVD extras. If you have any bloopers, cast and crew interviews, behind the scenes, or any other extras,
your distributor will ask for these as well.


This isn’t a comprehensive or perfect list, but these are the major items you should expect to provide to your distributor.

Step 5 – I have to pay for what, now?

You thought you were done? Ha!

Unfortunately, you are not. You are going to have to pay for a couple of things, unless your distributor works out a deal where they pay. I did not get this kind of deal for my first feature, but it is possible.

Errors and Omissions insurance. Remember the chain of title? Well, like chain of title, errors and ommissions insurance (commonly known as E&O) protects you, the film distributor, and others from liability in the event you missed some vital permission or failed to request rights to something, and someone decides to pursue your film legally (sue you/your company). Any distributor is going to require that your E&O insurance cover the duration of your film distribution deal. 

E&O insurance will likely cost you something in the range of $2,000-$3,000. This will vary based on your film and the insurance provider.

Lab costs. The lab that examines your film doesn’t do it for free. I believe our lab fees cost us in the range of $500 or so, but this likely varies from lab-to-lab.

Distribution – the final frontier!

If this is your first film and you’ve never had a film distributed, this might feel like a tough nut to crack. I felt that way. When I pursued distribution for the first time, the process seemed like a great mystery.

Securing traditional film distribution for your film is doable. There are no guarantees, but you should always give it your best shot.

Remember:

1. Make your film the best it can be. The better your film, the more (and better) offers you will receive.

2. Make an explosive trailer. Remember that your audience at this stage is the distributor, and edit accordingly.

3. Contact distributors. Research to find relevant companies. Reach out to them, but keep it professional, short, and include a link to your trailer. Have a screener ready to send for when they request one.

4. Seal the deal. Understand the substance of the offer from the distributor. Get advice. Don’t feel obligated to take the first offer, but be realistic and don’t leave them hanging.

5. Prep and provide deliverables. The sooner you get everything to your distributor, the better. If you didn’t plan for those extras expenses (E&O and lab fees, etc.), start saving now.

6. Wait patiently for release. Make sure to abide by the distributor’s rules as to what you can share and publicize, and what you can’t. You don’t want your movie floating around the web before it gets released. It can take months before you film is released.

7. Don’t be too upset when you find torrents of your film online. Yes, it will happen. Yes, it’s illegal and immoral for someone to steal your hard work. Day 1, there were Korean rips of our film online. That said, it’s an unfortunate reality of the film business. Don’t tear your hair out over things you can’t control.

Getting your first feature film distributed and out to the world is a big step. It’s a lot of work, but it’s quite exciting.

I wish you the best of luck with your pursuit of film distribution.

If there are any questions I can answer for you, please feel free to reach out and I’ll be happy to help.

4
Filmmaking, Technology

Film vs. Digital Shooting (what I learned by shooting film)

By on

June 4, 2018

- Filmmaking, Technology

Boy, shooting on film sure is a challenge.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m glad I did it. But shooting on 16mm film was expensive and challenging. I hope that my brief account of what I learned shooting a film on 16mm film is helpful for you.

Having the privilege to shoot digitally is pretty cool.

This age of filmmaking in which we live is pretty incredible. Sure, there are many technical things to learn, but we have astounding technology at our fingertips. In many ways, digital capabilities have allowed filmmakers to soar, take risks, and try new techniques that weren’t possible or were much more challenging previously.

In my experience, film obviously limited what I could try out and how I could take risks.

There are pros and cons, practically, artistically, and financially, to shooting on both film and digital. My personal opinion is that shooting digitally is a more practical choice, if not also a good creative choice. However, I think that the experience of shooting on film is a worthwhile one for anyone to attempt at least once, and is by no means a waste of time or money.


This won’t be an all-encompassing examination of the pros and cons of shooting on film. I just want to share some things I learned and observations I made.

The verdict: shooting on film vs. digital


Flexibility vs. Permanence

Digital: Allows for more flexibility, both in post-production and while shooting, due to the capacity to continue rolling and do many takes without much issue.


Film: Demands permanent decisions and provides limited options.


What I mean by this is that with digital you can cover up some mistakes with multiple takes, and (depending on your color profile and camera) have the flexibility to change the look drastically in post-production.


With film, you most likely can only afford a small amount of film stock. This means that you have to get what you need within the 1, 2, or 3 takes you have, then move on. This requires a higher level of planning, confidence, and technical understanding to get a positive result. Film, while naturally pleasing to look at, also provides less flexibility in post.

From my experience, this will greatly differ based on the quality at which the developer scans the film. Higher quality scans with more color information may cost more depending on which company you work with.

Guesswork vs. Certainty

Digital: Is more forgiving in that it allows you to immediately see results and adjust, and allows you to push forward when you don’t necessarily have all the answers.


Film: Requires that you have a solid understanding of, at the very least, the basic principles of what you are attempting. You cannot see the results and adjust. If you are incorrect in your approach, you won’t know until the film comes back from the lab. It might be unusable–there’s no way to know.


Being able to see your shot before you roll is a wonderful tool for filmmakers. However, it can also be a terrible crutch. The nice thing about shooting on film is that if you don’t have the expertise already, it will force you to get it – and quick – if you want good results. You realize that without that instant preview, your true level of filmmaking confidence will reveal itself. This can be daunting, but it’s a useful learning experience.

Once you have the principles of filmmaking down well, having the digital view available becomes a tool for efficiency instead of a crutch.

Ready-to-Edit vs. Processing

Digital: Allows you to enjoy the fruits of your labor immediately. After your shoot is complete, you can peruse the footage at your leisure and start editing right away.

Film: requires you to delay evaluation of your work and wait patiently while the lab processes and scans your film.

Depending on your schedule and deadlines (if any), this is important to consider. If time isn’t a huge factor, you just have to deal with not having instant gratification. This is unpleasant, but survivable.


Freedom vs. Discipline

Digital: Allows you to, essentially, capture whatever you want, with a much less stringent limitation on how many takes you can get.


Film: Forces you to be disciplined. You can only afford so much film stock, so you must only (with some exceptions) get the takes you know you need.


I touched on this a bit in regards to flexibility in post. However, shooting on film does something else incredible for you. It forces you to be highly precise in everything you do. Ever take, every second you are rolling is valuable. Every foot of film is precious.


Therefore, by shooting on film, if you care at all about the end-result…


You are forced to be disciplined. This is the best learning experience of shooting on film for newer filmmakers and I highly recommend giving it a shot for this reason alone.


This forced disciplinary practice bleeds into every area of your film: prepping as much as possible, knowing what you want and need for the film to work, focusing on what’s important, and so on.


Once you graduate from film to digital, you are given the freedom of ‘unlimited’ takes. You now have the freedom to make mistakes, to try new things, and to vie for excellence. However, if you learned shooting discipline, you will be more effective and your curiosity and perfectionism will be tempered by discipline.


Affordable vs. Costly

Digital: ‘Footage’ has extremely low costs, generally, and you can get your hands on the cameras for very good prices.


Film: Footage costs are quite high, and the larger the format, the higher the cost. You not only have to pay for film, but for processing and scanning, too. Cameras are generally harder to get your hands on, depending on where you live and who you know.


Immediate feedback vs. Planning

Digital: Allows for a lower risk application of the ‘run-and-gun’ style of shooting, if you are unable to plan as much as you’d like.


Film: While still capable of being shot on-the-go, requires more light and doesn’t give immediate feedback, which doesn’t lend itself as well to run-and-gun.

Shooting on digital is much more friendly for those planning to do any run-and-gun shooting or shooting on the move in varied and non-ideal locations.


No white balance flexibility vs. Easy mixed sources

Digital: Allows you to see, more or less, what mixed light sources will end up looking like. Above all, digital allows you to pick any white balance you desire along a spectrum. You can select a balance that leads to pleasing daylight and tungsten within the same scene.


Film: Forces you to choose between tungsten balance or daylight. There is no in-between. Therefore, you have to adjust the lights and lighting you use in order to suit the film stock, and this can be quite a pain, to say the least.


High light sensitivity vs. High lighting requirements

Digital: These cameras, while not always good-looking in low light scenarios, generally tend to have higher light sensitivity than any film stock while providing clean images.


Film: Film stock simply does not have the capacity, even at its highest ISO, to provide a viable image in very low light (unless a dark look is what you want). Film tends to look better the more light is hitting the medium, due to the chemistry of how film works.


When shooting on film, you must have more light to work with and this is an inescapable reality of shooting on film. If you have a decent budget, this may be less of a concern, but when on a shoestring budget, every penny counts.


 

Things unrelated to film that I learned

Neutral Density (ND) filters aren’t exact in their measurements. What? You thought that ND filter you use lowers exactly ‘x’ number of stops? Apparently, this isn’t true.

Every ND filter has a certain amount of variability and will be slightly stronger or weaker than advertised. With digital, this wasn’t really a big deal for me (and I never noticed). With digital, I could watch my histogram and see my exposure, but when it came to shooting on film, it had drastic effects.

I realized this when a good chunk of shots filmed for an exterior day scene came back incredibly dark. As DP, you can imagine that I was appalled. How did this happen?

I ran through every scenario in my mind and couldn’t figure it out. Had I miscalculated, done my math wrong? Was I that incompetent at basic arithmetic? Had I been too prideful to admit something in the moment? After looking into it continuously, the director discovered this little neat-o fact about ND filters.

 

If you are relying on a few layers of ND filters, and each one is a bit stronger than anticipated, it adds up. You might end up with footage far darker than anticipated… which is exactly what happened to me, unfortunately. Watch out for those suckers!

There will always be things you couldn’t anticipate and have to deal with. Over the years, I’ve learned this lesson quite well. However, when shooting on film, the issues are often amplified due to the high-risk nature of each shot. You either get it, or you don’t, and there aren’t a lot of ‘do-over’ opportunities.

So what?

Look, I’m not advocating that you blow a ton of money shooting something on film. However, if you want to learn in leaps, try going through things ‘by the book’ and do a proper, professional shoot, no run-and-gun, and shoot it on film. Budget something that’s reasonable for you and won’t break the bank.


If you are still rather inexperienced, learn the essentials of filmmaking before you spend a bunch of money (but don’t be afraid to invest a bit into yourself and your experience). The nice thing about the digital medium is that it allows you to make mistakes without a ton of risk. However, it can train you to be sloppy. Keep sharpening your mind and don’t be afraid to fail. Failure leads to growth.

So what are you waiting for? Draft a script, put together a few hard-working, reliable folks, and go make a film!


Good luck!


1
Business, Entrepreneurship, Filmmaking

How to Pick a Film Producing (or Business) Partner

By on

May 26, 2018

- Business, Entrepreneurship, Filmmaking

How did I pick my producing partner for my first feature film?

Good question. I kind of figured it out as I went, to be honest. I’d never made a feature film before, or truly partnered in such a big way with someone. It was new territory.

You might wonder, ‘why do I even need a partner for my first feature?’ The answer is that you don’t really need one, of course. However, I’d strongly recommend it. It is great to have someone to back you up financially, help with the burden of work, and offset your weaknesses with their strengths. I may cover that topic in another article.

When I was considering making my first feature film, there were many unknowns. Despite that, I knew there was one box I absolutely had to check. I definitely wanted a partner to work with, and…

My partner had to have the same values as I did.

That point is what I will mostly cover in this write-up, but first, I’ll explain how I found my producing partner, Joe, and had a sense he might be a good guy to work with on my first feature film.

Joe, myself, and several of the cast and crew on one of the first days of shooting our first feature film.

Work with and evaluate him/her prior to partnering

In the summer of 2015, I met my friend and producing partner Joe for the first time. I had seen him on social media but only saw him as a competitor, honestly. Of course, my thoughts on collaboration before 2015 weren’t very positive. I saw other filmmakers not as potential partners, but as competition, and that’s a topic worthy of discussion in its own right.

In 2015, Joe and I worked together on a feature film being shot in Arizona. I was working as the assistant director and he was the camera operator.

That shoot gave us four solid weeks,12-16 hours a day, to get to know each other. It gave us the opportunity to (at least subconsciously) find the answer to several important questions.

Joe running camera on the set of “Krampus: The Reckoning”, where we first worked together.


These considerations are key to knowing whether someone will make a great partner:

– What is he/she like under duress, when tired, unhappy, and when facing challenges?

– Will they bend, or break?

– Will they rise to the occasion and be a problem solver or a problem causer?

– Will they complain, or do what needs to be done?

– Do they follow through and complete tasks?

– Are they reliable and hardworking?

– If there are communication issues, will they make the effort to work through issues with you, or allow your relationship to fall apart?

– Will they be honest and transparent, especially when it comes to monetary and budget issues?

– Will they stick to their word and adhere to your original agreement, even if it inconveniences them?

I could go on, of course, since there are a million qualities that make someone desirable to work with. Many of these questions will vary based on what you like in a business partner.

One of the main things I was able to determine by working with Joe was whether we got along. Did we enjoy working together enough to tolerate spending the next year or more shooting, editing, tweaking, selling, and delivering this film? After all, that means many, many hours spent working together closely. It means months of decision-making, collaboration, and compromises.

As the saying goes, ‘a business partnership is a lot like marriage’. If you can only stand the person for a few hours a day, that’s a good sign it’s not going to work.

Sure, there are awful people you won’t like working with, but sometimes it’s as simple as a personality conflict. It’s good to work with someone who compliments your weaknesses, but if you can’t find common ground in anything, you may have a hard time reaching consensus on important issues.

Ensure your potential partner has similar principles

It’s incredibly important that a potential business partner shares your values and principles. It’s okay to disagree on some things, of course. But you should agree on the most important issues of morality and behavior that often arise in business dealings.

The bottom line is that if you know what your potential partner’s convictions are, you will be able to better predict their behavior. Will they treat you well, give you the benefit of the doubt, and act in good faith? Or, will they slide on their commitments and twist the meaning of promises when it favors them?

I’m not saying that even a good person and ideal business partner can’t or won’t ever make bad choices. They might fail badly, make a poor judgment call, or act selfishly. We all do, from time-to-time.

I’m also not saying that partnerships based outside these guidelines can’t work, or can’t be pleasant. I’m certain they can. After all, as long as things generally go well, and nothing goes really upside-down, you’ll be fine. However, you run a much greater risk of serious issues if something goes wrong or strays from the original plan. The greater the adversity you face, the more your differences and conflicts will be evident.

Joe and I working on one of the major action sequences in our first feature film.


But life (and people) are full of surprises, and you should always plan for the worst while hoping for the best.

What are some values to look for? Here’s a few things you might consider:

– Commitment to fulfilling promises and obligations

– Operating with honesty and transparency

– Ability to be humble

– Willingness to be open and consider other ideas

When it comes down to it, if you know that your partner will strive to do what is right and honest for both of you, things are likely to shake out okay, even if everything goes to hell in a handbasket. That’s a person worth investing time in, a person you can count on, a person worth partnering with, and a person you can make a film with (and have a good time doing so).

A word on helping maintain a good partnership

Finding the right person to partner with is great. It makes things safer and more enjoyable. It lays a wonderful foundation for a partnership. However, there are a few things that I would suggest doing to lay things out straight and maintain a good relationship with your fellow producer.

Create a contract or agreement. This often-spoken bit of advice is a good one. The painful truth about contracts is that at an indie level, with shoestring budgets and little money all around, the reality is that no one can really afford to enforce their contract by suing the other party. That’s why finding someone who you know will treat you right is so important. But once that is done, it’s just as important to lay out the details between the two of you.

Why? Because when you don’t have to worry about dishonesty, what’s left is forgetfulness and miscommunication. Good people can forget what they promised. They can also have misunderstandings as to intent. Even a very simple agreement between the two of you will act as a reference throughout your project.

You can always go back to it one of you forgets – ‘ah, that’s what we agreed on. It’s been 6 months, so I forgot about that bit.’ If you lay things out clearly, you can refer to it to clarify what the original plan was. Check out a book I recommended here called “Clearance and Copyright”. This is a great start to learning about contracts.

Establish clear goals. This is something you can actually lay out in your contract, but it’s a good idea to set out goals, regardless. If one of you has wildly different expectations as to what will be done with the film, or what the end-result of distribution will be, it could become a conflict down the road. It’s best to clear those things up at the beginning.

It can also help stave away disappointment if you set realistic goals. For example, I produced my first feature film with my friend Joe. Because we knew that our desired end-goal was to have a completed feature film and to get a distribution deal, we weren’t devastated when the film’s distribution didn’t garner it much money (and certainly none that came back to us).

We had anticipated that might happen. We were a little unhappy at first that it didn’t do better (but we got over it).

Communicate constantly and openly. This is very important. Just like any other relationship, effective communication will make everything go smoother. In particular, you should make sure to say the things that need to be said but are uncomfortable. You can approach it softly, with tact, but if there’s a serious issue (either with the direction of the film or your partnership) you should address it. Don’t allow it to fester.

Do what you say you’ll do. The bottom line… if your producing partner can’t trust that you will do what you say you’ll do, the relationship will fall apart. Trust is paramount. However, I don’t just mean sticking to your word. The other important thing is that you do your absolute best to never drop the ball. If you have a particular task to take care of, your partner is trusting that you will take care of it.

If you are having trouble or think you won’t be able to get something done, make sure to communicate that to your partner. If you drop the ball (especially if you don’t tell them what’s going on) they may have to look over their shoulder and wonder… ‘is he/she going to actually handle that?’

Identify roles and responsibilities clearly. If you do so, you will be able to easily tell if someone has dropped the ball. This creates accountability. In addition, when you and your producing partner understand who is meant to do what, there is a lower chance of stepping on one another’s’ toes.

There are many things you can do to maintain a good working relationship, so these are only a few.

Here’s how you pick a producing partner

1. Work with and evaluate him/her prior to partnering. Remember, a business partnership is a lot like marriage.

2. Ensure your potential partner has similar principles. When it comes down to it, if you know that your partner will strive to do what is right and honest for both of you, things are likely to shake out okay. Try openly discussing this point with them.

3. Life (and people) are full of surprises. Therefore, you should always plan for the worst, while hoping for the best.


After you’ve found your awesome teammate…

1. Create a contract or agreement.

2. Establish clear goals.

3. Communicate constantly and openly.

4. Do what you say you’ll do.

5. Identify clear roles and responsibilities.

It isn’t easy to find good people to work with, so keep your eyes peeled. If you want to make a movie, I wish you the best of luck. You never know if you can unless you try.

3
Directing, Filmmaking

How to ‘Make the Day’ – Staying on Schedule as a Director

By on

May 13, 2018

- Directing, Filmmaking

As director, your obligation is not to get the shots you want.

The unpopular fact of the matter is that as the director, your film, your art… it’s not the be-all-end-all.

Your obligation is not to get the shots you want. Your highest obligation is to deliver on your promises.

Your obligation is to people first.

Of course there are exceptions. Sometimes, everyone understands you have to push a bit further, a bit harder than planned. But it should be reasonable and it should be the exception–not the rule.

As a director, your promises are many, and they are all important. Promises to your crew. Your cast. Your executive producer. Your team. The location owner. The list goes on.

I bring up the distinction between total loyalty to your film and ‘vision’ versus loyalty to those you work with for a reason.

Respecting those you work with requires that you wrap your shoot on time.

I may be saying it is simply the right thing to do, but finishing on schedule has many practical benefits.

Why you should finish on schedule

So what does finishing consistently on-time, as a director, do for you?

You gain the respect of those with whom you work. Finishing on time means showing the location owner, crew, cast, and everyone involved that you respect them, their time, and their value as a member of the production. You are not taking their time for granted, but are keenly aware that each hour they work for you could be spent elsewhere. When people are being paid, they are often obligated to you to an extent. However, they will still appreciate your care in using their time wisely. This is especially important for indie projects where people are being paid a flat rate or are volunteering. Then, every extra hour spent on set is an hour they aren’t sleeping or doing what they need to do.

You establish yourself as a credible professional. You set yourself above the competition by conducting yourself in a professional manner and running a tight ship. This will foster an environment of accountability where you meet your obligations and people understand they will be held to theirs. Word usually gets around about how people operate, and people of a higher stature may be more willing to work with you due to your reputation.

You build trust, as people can expect you to deliver on promises. People may be willing to go the extra mile for you. Why? Because people know that if you ask them to go above and beyond, its the exception and not the rule. They know you won’t take advantage of them. They know that if you are asking for them to commit to more during a shoot, then you must genuinely need them.

You foster good relationships. This is very similar to gaining people’s respect. Those involved in your production will be more likely to want to work with you in the future. Many filmmakers will not treat them like you do. You will stand apart if you end on time and deliver on promises. Over time, this will build good relationships with people and you will be able to better rely on them.


How to finish on schedule consistently: general tips

So, okay… finishing on time is important. But how do we do that? Often it’s not a simple matter to schedule a production and stick to that schedule. There are many fluctuating variables during both prep and production.

I know that many independent filmmakers have struggled with ending in a timely manner. Personally, I struggle to end on time with every production. With experience, I’ve learned how to end on schedule with some reliability.

I’ve also been on many projects that ran over their scheduled time–sometimes by a substantial amount. I know from a crew perspective (and from experience) how painful this can be. 4 hours past the original end-time, you start to wonder why you ever committed to the project in the first place.

Part of the issue is one of experience. Sometimes, you just don’t know (or have a crew member who knows) how long certain tasks or scenes take to execute. You may underestimate greatly. That comes with the territory and is part of the learning process.

I’ll provide some guidelines that will make up for that and help you to become a filmmaker known for being reliable and timely.

These are guidelines for staying on schedule in general. These aren’t specific to directors and are useful for any filmmaker to know.

Schedule every step of your shooting day. Don’t leave anything out or leave something to chance. ‘Oh, I’ll just figure that out on the day’. Bad idea. These small, unplanned things (meals, lighting changes, wardrobe changes, makeup, and much more) add up to a significant amount of time. If you don’t account for as much as possible, your entire day will be thrown off. It could add hours to your day.

Here’s an example of my recent shooting schedule. You don’t need to get fancy – if it works, it works.


Schedule more time for each scene than you think you’ll need. Never schedule exactly how long you think things will take. It will almost always take longer. Even if your estimate is perfect, there are many variables during a shoot and something is bound to go wrong (or not quite as planned). For example, if you think you need 4 hours for a scene, consider scheduling 5 hours.

Schedule even more time for things you’ve never done before. It’s better to be safe than sorry. You need to assume that things will turn out a bit different than you thought. You really have no way of knowing how a new technique or approach will work, so you need to account for trying a few times or having to modify your approach. These things take extra time.

For my recent shoot, we were using a rain rig, so I assumed we’d need an entire hour to reset the rig, change our lighting, and be ready to shoot. I hoped we could use less time and do extra shots, but worse case scenario, we’d be covered. (FYI, lots went wrong and we ended up needing that time!)


Schedule more time for the entire shoot than you think you will need (if possible). This is especially important for short days, like half-day pickup shoots and other times when you think it will ‘only take 2 or 3 hours’. It’s always better to underpromise and underdeliver. If you think your shoot will only take 2 hours, assume 3 hours for some flexibility in case something goes wrong, and then tell your cast and crew it will take 4 hours. If you end up taking 4 hours for some reason, people will be more okay with it. They will be mentally prepared for 4 hours since that is what they committed to. You aren’t asking them to extend their commitment. If you manage to finish in 2 hours… great! Everyone is happy they wrapped early and you will look good.

There are many factors to consider when creating a solid schedule and accounting for the unknown. The above wasn’t an exhaustive list of how to schedule your film. If you would like more tips on scheduling, feel free to reach out to me. I’m happy to share what I know.

How to finish on schedule consistently: for directors

Like the above general scheduling tips, this list is by no means extensive. There are many facets to finishing on time, but here are a few.

Be willing to drop shots from the plan that you don’t absolutely need. As a director, you need to know what you need in order to ‘make the day’. Sometimes the pressures of time or practicality will call for you to drop shots from your list. You have to understand what you can afford to go without and be willing to not get it. Sometimes it is possible to combine 2 shots into 1. This is another good way to save time. If you are unwilling to drop shots from your plan and time is running short, you will inevitably run over-schedule in an effort to get the shots you don’t have time for, but decided to get anyway.

Discipline yourself into doing the important shots first. Whenever possible, get the key building blocks of your scene out of the way first. If you get the fun, cool, or interesting shots you want first, you could put yourself in a bind. What if you find that you didn’t schedule enough time for a scene? Now you have all the ancillary shots, since you did them first. But you don’t have the meat of the scene. Unfortunately, you can’t make the scene come together without the most important shots – which you scheduled last. You now have to go over-time in order to get those shots, or the shoot will be a failure.

Discipline yourself to not do shots you really ‘want’ but don’t ‘need’ (unless you really have extra time). In line with scheduling important shots first, you must discipline yourself to focus on what’s important above all else. Until you’ve finished the shots you know you need, don’t fall into the temptation of grabbing shots that you are itching to get. Finish the important stuff! Then, you will know with certainty how much time you have available. You can get whatever you want with the time left, then move on.

Be decisive and know what you want before you step on set. You will save a lot of time by knowing what you want. If you make a decision, your crew will begin to act on that decision. If you then backtrack or change your mind, your crew will have to undo that work. This will incur frustration from the crew if this happens over and over. However, it will also waste a lot of time. Sure, sometimes an adjustment or change (or two) is required, but if it’s because you have almost no idea what you want, then that’s a good sign you need to spend more time in prep.

Communicate effectively. Communicating ineffectively causes problems similar to being indecisive. If you ask your crew to do something, but your intent isn’t understood, your crew will act on what they thought you meant. When you have to try and communicate the same thing again, they will have to backtrack and adjust any work they’ve already completed. Miscommunication can happen for many reasons. Sometimes people aren’t listening very well, but if the cause is that your communication wasn’t very clear, consider working on your verbal communication skills.


Facilitate effective communication within your team. As important as your direct communication with your team is the communication between crew members. On my recent shoot, I noticed that my camera team had adjusted position and lenses to be ready for the next shot, but my cinematographer had not communicated with my gaffer the exact extent of the new setup. The gaffer didn’t understand exactly what we were doing – he thought our frame was different. This affected how he lit the scene (which wasn’t what we needed). I noticed the miscommunication and pointed out to my cinematographer what was happening. He understood right away and made sure to communicate with the gaffer going forward. It wasn’t anything personal and I have good relationships with my teammates, so they understood I was just watching their back (not stepping on their toes or micro-managing).

Finishing your shoot on schedule

Why you should finish on schedule:

1. You gain the respect of those with whom you work.
2. You establish yourself as a credible professional.
3. You build trust, as people can expect you to deliver on promises.
4. You foster good relationships.

How to finish on schedule consistently – general tips

1. Schedule every step of your shooting day.
2. Schedule more time for each scene than you think you’ll need.
3. Schedule even more time for things you’ve never done before.
4. Schedule more time for the entire shoot than you think you will need (if possible).

How to finish on schedule consistently – for directors

1. Be willing to drop shots from the plan that you don’t absolutely need.
2. Discipline yourself into doing the important shots first.
3. Discipline yourself to not do shots you really ‘want’ but don’t ‘need.
4. Be decisive and know what you want before you step on set.
5. Communicate effectively.
6. Facilitate effective communication within your team.

We all struggle with staying on schedule. It’s tough – production is tough. There are many moving parts.

All you can do is give it your best effort – so get out there and make something great (and in a timely manner).

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