Guides for producers
The independent distribution process is unusually opaque. There's no shortage of material explaining how to shoot a film, and very little explaining what happens after — how sales work, what agreements actually say, how films get valued and financed, how audiences are tested.
These guides are our attempt at closing part of that gap. They're written for producers making decisions, and need a little bit of guidance.
Written by Joey Dawson. Corrections and questions welcome: joey@dawsonagents.com.
Sales and representation
What does a film sales agent do?
The role, plainly, and what it isn't.
How to find a sales agent for your film
Research method, the ten questions to ask, and the warning signs.
Commission and agreement terms explained
Rates, expense caps, the recoupment waterfall, and the clauses that matter.
The film markets calendar
Where films are sold, and how market timing shapes strategy.
Film distribution rights explained
Territory, media, term, chain of title, and delivery.
Before you make the film
What I wish I'd known: five truths for first-time filmmakers
Five avoidable mistakes that get baked in long before a film reaches the market.
Audience testing
How film test screenings work
The process end to end, what's measured, what it costs.
Excellent and Definitely recommend
The two scores buyers ask about, why only the top box counts, and how they change the price.
Audience testing options for independent films
An honest guide to audience testing for independent films: who the big research firms serve, what online testing does well, and what each option costs.