The American Film Market

The adventure of making my movie The Kindness of Strangers started two years in America when Toby Kebbell and I had a dream about making a road movie. I came full circle when I returned to the USA to sell it at the American Film Market.

With the first assembly of the feature tucked under my arm I flew to the event in Los Angeles. It was with bleary eyes as I’d been editing nonstop to get the assembly complete before I boarded the plane. I only had enough time to either make a trailer or do a first assembly, I chose the latter as a distributor wanted to see a full assembly.

Flying from London to LA on Virgin proved to be like a Raindance class. I was lucky enough to sit next to a distributor and a film producer who were both very generous with their time and advice. As this is my first time at the market with a completed film it was invaluable to get the inside track.

My many classes at Raindance taught me it doesn’t matter how big the budget is but what the production value is on screen. My movie is low budget by the standards of most films being sold at the market but the key I learned is selling the strengths of your project.

We filmed across Europe over the summer with locations like Amalfi, Rome, Monte Carlo, Cannes, the Alps, Paris, and the stunning English countryside so immediately we have a hook which appeals to the international market. Also with product placement from BMW Motorad, Ducati, and Aston Martin it feels very expensive.

Star Wars legend Dave Prowse, who played Darth Vader, in our cast is another element the buyers really liked. The rest of the cast are unknowns but have an international flavor, Tabatha Williams and Jason Stevens are from England, Josh Manning and Tim Seyfert are from America, and Alesandro Parello and Valentina Getti are from Italy. This range of nationalities also helps give the movie an expensive feel. Buyers like names but it won’t stop them taking a look at the film as everyone is looking for that next big indie sensation.

The business at the American Film Market takes place under the blue skies of Santa Monica. Filmmakers, buyers, distributors and sales agents came from all over the world with the determination to do business. It’s a whole different beast from the Cannes Film Festival which is a hybrid of parties, palm pressing and high pressure selling of the glossiest kind. Here at the AFM most of the action takes place in two hotels, Loews and Le Merigot. Companies take suites and turn them into offices to sell their wares. I found the bigger the company the bigger the suite and the glossier the posters. But you don’t have to have a big budget or suite to make the trip worthwhile.

The cost for a full badge to the AFM is $895 but it is possible to get a cheaper pass for the last half of the festival for $345 or a day pass for $245. The badge gets you access to all the offices of the sales agents, distributors, and film companies doing business. If you register in advance it is much cheaper.

As a film maker the advantage of being here is you never know who you are going to meet, and it is possible to get meetings with companies, especially American or overseas, just by virtue of being here.

I stayed at Le Merigot hotel, where the event is held which, although expensive, was worth it because it puts you in pole position for meeting people every moment of the trip. Where else are you going to meet buyers from Korea, Spain and German in the lift! One of the things I learned at Raindance is the importance of an elevator pitch, this became invaluable. On many occasions I was able to pitch a buyer, exchange cards and get an agreement for them to see a trailer for The Kindness of Strangers all between floors. The one thing you can’t be is shy when it comes to pitching or selling your movie at the AFM because this as the name states it is a market.

Apart from relying on chance it is important to have a plan. Often people come here with diaries packed so it can be tough to actually get a scheduled meeting, but if you plan ahead and contact companies well before the event then they will make time to see you, especially if what you send them on your movie wets their appetite. Even if you don’t have even one meeting in your diary when you land it’s not a problem. Every day the “dailies” which are the film magazines like Screen International, Hollywood Reporter and Variety, publish the news from the festival. This also includes contacts for all the companies attending the AFM so it’s possible to email or call people to get some time with them. The first four days are manic but as it slows down towards the latter end of the market companies are keen to meet.

Despite horror tales of how difficult it can be to find a sales agent to distributor I had dozens of meetings and was thrilled by the level of interest in the movie. Also I was impressed by how generous people are with their time and advice, especially other film makers. Most people get that making a movie is a huge undertaking and to get this far is an achievement in itself. Key advice I received was get a lawyer to check any contracts to make sure you have the right deal for you and your film. Also don’t be afraid to do your due diligence on someone you want to work with. If you choose a sales agent or distributer speak to other producers who have worked with them, make sure they got paid and the company kept their promises. I have a friend who got his first feature distributed on DVD but the company claims the 40,000 copies on Amazon weren’t sold by them as they’ve only sold 5,000 copies. It is a cautionary tale not to be ignored. He will never make the same mistake and it’s an easy mistake to make when you’re thrilled someone actually wants to buy or represent your movie.

One of the things to be aware of is jet lag. LA is 8 hours behind England and adrenaline did keep me going for a while but it can catch up with you. However waking in the early hours of the morning can be useful as it gave me time to catch up on emails and if your request for a meeting lands at 5am then distributors see it first when they start the day and they probably realize your English so if they have an early empty slot then you’re at the front of the queue.

I chose to stay at Le Merigot because I wanted the proximity and security of being on the spot. The hotel also has great facilities like a pool and spa which can revive you and keep you going in between the meetings. But Santa Monica does have something for every budget level from $30 in a local hostel to as much as you want to spend at luxury hotels like Casa Del Mar. Even if you’re staying at the youth hostel it’s possible to spend the day at the Loews and Le Merigot doing business and enjoying the spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean. I’ll never forget watching the sunset from the patio at Loews.

Food is the same you can pay $10 for a glass for orange juice or stroll into Santa Monica town and get a meal with drinks for the same price. Again a low budget does not have to be a barrier. There are parties and screenings but they are a low key affair, which is probably as well because 8pm LA time is 4am English time. But just like Cannes business does get done at the parties so it’s worth staying awake for.

My movie, The Kindness of Strangers, certainly wetted the appetite of buyers, sales agents and distributers which is the first step to getting a sale. I’m now armed with enough follow up meetings to find the right deal. It’s the right offer not the first offer which is the best deal. The thing I learned is I probably should have taken a trailer not a first assembly as few people have time to watch a full movie unless it’s in one of the many screenings. Even then one distributer let me into a secret, he and his colleague attend different screenings, ten minutes into the film they text each other to check which is the best movie and then they only watch that one. I remember Eliot explaining how important the first ten pages of a script are, well that translates to the first ten minutes of your movie so it never stops being true so you have to land them at the beginning and keep them.

The other great advice I got about marketing at the AFM was the nature of the trailer to bring. A vey kind producer explained that a market trailer is not like a theatrical trailer. A theatrical trailer needs to tease, a market trailer needs to tell the story, show the stars and clearly show the genre and the production value.

I would say as a film maker its well worth the cost of the trip to visit the AFM as it really gives you an insight into the sales side of the movie business. If you can understand what buyers are looking for you can find the right route to your audience.

This for me also means taking the next step to my next movie Not Only Angels Can Fly. The producer, Risaria Langley and I were also at the AFM looking for distribution and finance for that film. Again another key lesson I learned at Raindance from Dov Siemens, is making movies is show business so if you want the privilege of continuing to make films you have to find a way to do the business part too.

One of the realities of the business is sometimes if you don’t strike when the time is right you lose the chance. Two years ago I didn’t have everything I needed to make the movie but I had Toby Kebbell. By the time I had everything I needed I’d lost Toby to big budget movies like Prince of Persia, and Robert Redford’s The Conspirator. Toby encouraged me to go ahead without him and supported my vision of what the movie could be so if ever I have a big enough budget I know we will work together again and next time I won’t hesitate.

The lesson I gained was there is actually never a right time to make a movie it’s vital to just go out and make it with whatever you can get your hands on as you never know when the magic will happen. And really all that matters is that you finish the movie. The buyers and distributers here aren’t interested in how you made a movie just what it looks like and if it’s a good sellable story.

Another great piece advice that I learned at Raindance but that was underlined by several experienced producers here is that festivals like Raindance are a vital step to getting a movie sold. If you get selected for a high profile festival then the buyers take notice and will come to the screening as they want to know the movie can play in front of an audience. So a festival can be a great marketing tool too. Even if buyers haven’t attended a festival they are impressed if your film has been selected as it tells them about the quality of the movie.

For me the blue skies of LA are certainly a great place to do business and I have just about coped with the time difference and stayed awake long enough to enjoy it. For The Kindness of Strangers what comes next is getting a trailer so I can follow up with all the distributors and sales agents. The post-production process is underway so hopefully I can get selected for the Raindance Festival next year.

Stills by Adam Cornwell.