Category Archives: Feature Film

Don’t Get Delusional Prior Starting Your New Film

Don’t Get Delusional Prior Starting Your New Film Project                                        It’s very important to be very realistic before you go into your new film project. While I was working on my own projects and doing film trend researches I had the privilege to meet and talk with several film industry professionals who told me all. I am not going to tell you all but will throw a few questions that may help you to take off from your emotional “lala land” and land you softly to a very tough filmmaking business.  Ask yourself these questions before you start your new film project:

  1. What is my financial goal for this project?
  2. If my film under one million, will I be able to recoup my, investors money and make income with my project?
  3. Will I be able to pay to myself for my 2-3 types of work that I will be doing for this project?
  4. What is my worse scenario budget for my new film?
  5. What is the target audience?
  6. What is my filmmaking competition is doing?
  7. How much if any money my competition is able to make with similar to your film projects?
  8. Will you self-distribute, do hybrid distribution, or traditional?
  9. What is the outcome?
  10. Do I know how many titles each month the most distributors deal with?
  11. Do I know how many titles from those 15-20 new titles that most distributors deal every month really perform, or make some money at least during the “honeymoon” period?
  12. Do you know what are the distribution contract terms right now?
  13. Did you ever think if your film will not perform well, you will be stuck for 5 years with your film and will not be able to do anything with it, because of the contract you’ll sign will be at least for 3-5 years? Eventually, you will have your film under the contract but you will have no right to your own film. How do you like this idea?
  14. Did you think how and where you can sell your film yourself or by using your contacts?
  15. Do you still think it’s a good idea to start your new film?

Good luck!

What do you think about the current situation in Film Industry? Leave your comments and questions in a comment section.

 


“Sam’s Firecracker” accepted as Global Film Festival Awards Official Selection

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Great news for Sam’s Firecracker fan’s!

“Sam’s Firecracker” was accepted as Global Film Festival Awards Official Selection.

Thank you to our fabulous cast and crew for the very hard work!
Special thank you to all our dear sponsors for their amazing support helping to make this film a reality!

Also big hank you to our Executive Producer Robert Steven Hunt for his tireless support!


but placing your movie into theatres still makes business sense.

Everything is going digital in film distribution.

Everything is going digital in film distribution, but placing your movie into theatres still makes business sense.

Recently, theatrical and DVD distribution, have been declining in profits, however the fact that almost 30 new movies open every week in theatres.

Category One: do-it-yourself movies: So, do-it-yourself distribution makes things even more confusing. In the case of DIY movies, a do-it-yourself approach for distribution is definitely the safest one. You can use Quiver Digital, for example, providing for a low upfront fee the submission of your film to the main digital platforms.

Category Two: is the movies that made with some kind of real budget. Before to try to distribute your film, arrange a screening with people you do not know in the audience, without you being present, and have them tell you in writing what they think about your film and its chances. If they like your film, a theatrical opening is still the cheapest way to promote your film. Why? Because, today, 300 hours of content will be uploaded every single minute on YouTube! In the same minute, more than 500 new websites will be created, presenting their own content as well. This is the real issue at hand: No matter how good your movie is, your audience has to know it even exists.

Why is theatrical still the most affordable way to get your movie seen? Because you need to use major media to promote your movie. When you open in New York, the New York Times will review your film, as will other newspapers and magazines, radio stations and maybe some TV stations. In fact, you can open a movie in New York for less than $25,000, in Los Angeles you can do it for less than $20,000. smaller cities might require only a few thousand dollars. In other words, opening theatrically gets the word out that your movie exists at a fairly reasonable cost.

“Every time you open a major city in a state, not only do you create a new market for theatrical exploitation, but—more importantly—you create one for your DVD and streaming market, which will come later on. Pushing even further, releasing in New York and Los Angeles opens your TV and foreign markets as well, seeing that the first questions a foreign buyer asks when offered a movie to buy are: “was it released theatrically in the U.S.?” and “how were the press and the box office?”

Can you pull off this release by yourself? Technically, you can, but practically speaking, it’s not easy. Theater chains will ask you to go through a distributor or an aggregator that they have an account with.

“Working with a distributor is expensive as the distributor will take a fee—around 30 percent—and recoup its own expenses before you see a dime. But it will provide all the people listed above and not charge you for most of them—and the sales force is always included in its fee.”

“Theatrical distribution is still essential to properly reach your audience, and the risk is very minimal, if not totally nonexistent. There’s one last benefit, beyond what I’ve said about theatrical promoting DVD sales and streaming. It’s that theatrical distribution is a weekly business. Say you have planned a 15-city release—it has to start the first week in New York, the second in Los Angeles, and so on. You will know the results of your first week after the opening weekend—less than $5,000 in ticket sales is not great, more than $10,000 is—and you will be able to modify your release.”

“On the other hand, if you had only booked New York and Los Angeles, and the first weekend goes through the roof, other theaters around the country will be calling your distributor—or will at least take your distributor’s call—and offer to expand your release to other cities.”

“Everything is decided and changed on a weekly basis—there’s no real risk. This is why most distributors will book New York and Los Angeles no matter what, in order to create a market for the film and focus all their efforts on these two cities.”

by Philippe Diaz 

Philippe Diaz is a director and producer, and the founder and CEO of Cinema Libre Studio in Burbank.

 


Philanthropist: Making a Difference

Philanthropist: Making a Difference

Philanthropist: Making a Difference

Long ago Aristotle said, “To give away money is an easy matter and in any man’s power. But to decide to whom to give it and how large and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man’s power nor an easy matter.”

So why would you consider supporting the film projects with social causes? When that last day comes you can, with a peaceful heart, say that you have accomplished your mission on this Earth; you helped other people who were less fortunate than you, improved the lives of other people, aided people with different struggles and generally helped to make this world a better place.

Here are few examples of how other philanthropists supported films with different environmental causes that had a big impact on a global community:

Environmental films:

“The 11th Hour” Various themes

“Angry Inuk”  Seal hunting

“Ashes to Honey” Nuclear power: radiation

“Before the Flood” Global Climate Change

“Blue Vinyl” Pollution

“Chernobyl Heart” Chernobyl disaster

Each of these films demonstrates how different environmental causes can affect our lives and what we as a global community can do together to prevent or decrease environmental disasters.

Here are the different causes that you can choose from to support the cause that is closest to your heart.

Gun Control/Gun Rights, Corrections/Mass Incarceration, Domestic and Gender Violence, Children, Child Care, Educational equity/Educational access/Educational choice, Workers Rights (fair treatment), Human Trafficking, Immigration and Refugees, Healthcare/Healthcare Reform, Food/Health Access, Law Enforcement, Racial Equality, Gender Equality, Marriage Equality (LBGTQ Rights), Fair pay and Equal pay, Environment and Water, Religious Expression, Fair Elections and Voters Rights, Contraceptive (Women’s) Rights, Right to Life, Housing, Gentrification, Animal Rights, Immunizations.

Our world is far from perfect, however supporting various social causes can provide an opportunity for you to bring us one step closer to being a better world.

Partner with us and we will create a project that improve people lives.


People like YOU can change this world for the better! Whether you give money, time or both, it can be hugely satisfying to know that you’re doing your bit to help a cause close to your heart. While helping us to make a movie you will become a part of our filmmaking family, and the great Mutual Relationship we make with you will last a Lifetime! ACA Productions creates different film projects that support different causes such as: • to stop bullying in schools • bring attention to veterans struggles •  to build stronger families •  to stop suicides Making an impact on the global communities is what inspires us to create such projects. Working with you to change the world drives us. Do you want to make a significant difference and have the money to make it happen? We will work with you to make this world a better place.

People like YOU can change this world for the better!

People like YOU can change this world for the better!

Whether you give money, time or both, it can be hugely satisfying to know that you’re doing your bit to help a cause close to your heart.

While helping us to make a movie you will become a part of our filmmaking family, and the great Mutual Relationship we make with you will last a Lifetime!

ACA Productions creates different film projects that support different causes such as:

• to stop bullying in schools

• bring attention to veterans struggles

•  to build stronger families

•  to stop suicides

Making an impact on the global communities is what inspires us to create such projects. Working with you to change the world drives us.

Do you want to make a significant difference and have the money to make it happen? We will work with you to make this world a better place.