Overview

This standard is about approaching distributors and sales agents at the earliest opportunity to assess the business viability of projects.

It is about understanding the distribution process and being able to work collaboratively with those who will be selling projects. It is important to know what distributors and sales agents do and the differences in selling a product to a market and to an audience. The more prepared you are in production, the more able the distributor and sales agents will be able to act on your behalf once post production is completed.

It is about understanding that marketing the production is part of the concept generation and not outside the stages of filmmaking.

You will need to be aware of when you have approval rights and when you will have consultation rights.

This work goes through distribution to delivery of the final production.

This standard is for those working with distributors and sales agents for productions.

 

Performance Criteria 

You must be able to:

  1. approach distributors at the earliest opportunity to assess content and stories for business potential
  2. demonstrate how content can recoup on any potential investment
  3. research information and data on exhibition statistics for similar projects and genres
  4. approve marketing campaigns, trailers, tasters, behind the scenes materials and posters when required
  5. provide distributors with assets throughout the production process
  6. contract cast and crew to accommodate distributors promotional requests
  7. attend markets with sales agents to promote projects to potential distributors

 

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand:  

  1. how to identify the story, content and potential audience
  2. how content can potentially create return on investment
  3. how to research exhibition data to ascertain viability of projects
  4. how to consider short- and long-term business implications
  5. the role of marketing at stages of production including concept generation
  6. how to ensure all contractual deliverables are met
  7. how to ensure best possible promotion for productions
  8. what distributors and sales agents do
  9. the differences in selling products to a market and an audience
  10. how to work with distributors to approve marketing campaigns
  11. when you will have approval rights and when you will have consultation rights
  12. how publicity works and what it can and cannot achieve
  13. how trailers work and how they should be structured for maximum effect
  14. how to create assets including behind the scenes and electronic press kits for distribution company use
  15. how to contract cast and crew to accommodate distributors’ promotional requests
  16. how sales agents work and how to identify which markets will be best for productions to attend