Film Sales and Distribution Masterclass | Filmmaking Series

Discover how licensing shapes Hollywood's business, from license rights and merchandise to turning films into amplifiers via the value over volume approach.

Discover a cash-flow driven distribution model that treats a film as an elixir for license exploitation, emphasizes value over volume, and targets audiences with licensing packages to fund future projects.

Use a fan film as a launchpad to build an audience and promote a $100 product, driving 500 transactions through a strong call to action and affiliate links.

Navigate the increasingly saturated film market by leveraging niche genres, standout concepts, a strong teaser, originality, and targeted appeal to attract buyers.

Learn where indie films with sub 100k budgets are found—markets, festivals, and savvy media coverage—and how a cross-coast team uses articles and submissions to guarantee sales.

Explore how budgets and projections shape a film's viability, focusing on genre quality, standout production value, and distribution potential across the U.S., Europe, and beyond.

Choose a shooting format your systems can handle, favor a compressed but high-quality format like pro res, and pick something you can manage to maximize value without breaking the bank.

Learn to spot common pitfalls in distribution deals, negotiate fair terms, cap promotion expenses, and secure performance guarantees while focusing on targeted audiences for indie films.

Use a limited theatrical release to build buzz and secure reviews. Run a one-city, one-week engagement because a week in theater attracts top critics and legitimacy.

Discover today’s film distribution landscape, from major markets to internet platforms, and how to navigate sales agents, producer reps, and aggregators to secure revenue.

Navigate theatrical distribution by examining studio and service models, do-it-yourself releases, and strategies to open films in cities while maximizing theater exposure.

Discover how modern film distribution uses windows such as electronic sell-through, Blu-ray, and simultaneous releases, including pricing and the importance of pedigree, reviews, and festivals.

Explore VOD distribution and revenue splits between cable/telco and internet on-demand, and learn to allocate marketing budgets, run Facebook ads, and drive viewers to where the film is available.

Explore television distribution through premium and basic cable networks, domestic and international sales, and presales, with a hybrid do-it-yourself approach. Exercise due diligence and negotiate contracts with an entertainment attorney.

Explore how success in film distribution evolves from traditional deals to digital and self-distribution, weighing platform placement, advertising, and upfront costs against the old model.

Explains how to build a transactional VOD release strategy for film sales, comparing Netflix and Amazon Prime, and detailing licensing fees, windows, and SVOD opportunities.

International markets are going digital, with growing dvd sales and new streaming players; weigh subtitles and artwork costs against potential gains from hybrid domestic and international rights.