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Mar 16, 2023 · Producer Data: The Numbers Don’t Lie (The Truth about Independent Film Revenue) Last fall, desiring information to aid our own filmmaking careers, we launched an experiment to see whether we could obtain hard data on independent film revenue. Having experienced firsthand how difficult it is to get this information, we created a Google form ...
Jun 29, 2022 · Independent film producers make money by: Knowing their market. Building and maintaining trusted relationships with investors. Being smart about the budget on the front end of production. Getting their films sold to distributors. Negotiating a good back-end deal. Knowing and avoiding expensive pitfalls.
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- Movie Budgets and Costs
- Ticket Price Revenue
- Merchandising Dollars
- Foreign Sales
- Television Rights, Streaming, and VOD
- The Bottom Line
In general, major studios don’t disclose the full budgets for their films (production, development, marketing, and advertising). This mystery arises in part because it costs far more to make and market a movie than most people expect. For example, the production budget for a summer blockbuster like Marvel’s The Avengers is estimated as $220 million...
Theater attendance has been challenging over recent years, making it even harder for studios and distributors to profit from films. Usually, a portion of theater ticket sales goes to theater owners, with the studio and distributor getting the remaining money. Traditionally, a larger chunk went to the studio during the opening weekend of a film. As ...
It all started with Star Wars. Since the George Lucas sci-fi saga began back in 1977, the franchise has made billions in revenue from toys alone, not to mention licensing income from other third-party companies. In 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakensbrought in $700 million in retail sales. This strategy obviously doesn't work for every film. You don...
When a producer cobbles together the budget for an independent film, selling the distribution rights in foreign territories is crucial. It helps to cover the film’s budget and hopefully brings in revenue. Independent filmmakers can actually make money if they have a great foreign sales agent who can sell their movies in key overseas markets. Produc...
Once upon a time, it was all about DVD sales. Now, it’s far more about television rights, video-on-demand (VOD), and streaming. For some producers, selling TV and international rights is a significant source of profit because the producer doesn't have to pay for marketing and P&A costs. Films have to leave the theater at some point, but they can re...
As the saying goes, nobody knows anything in Hollywood. The film industry is in flux, and ticket sales alone don't drive revenue. There’s merchandising, VOD, streaming video, foreign sales, and a plethora of other distribution channelsthat can help filmmakers, producers, and studios turn a profit. So who knows, the little indie that you invest in c...
- Dina Zipin
Jun 22, 2019 · Ben Berman (“The Amazing Johnathan Documentary”): What I do when I’m not making films is mainly question what I do for a living. So at least we’re on the same page about that. I’ve ...
- Chris O'falt
Sep 28, 2018 · Development Fee. A development fee is what a producer might get paid for their pitch and thoughts during the time that the studio is filling other key roles, such as screenwriters, and figuring out if the project is worth greenlighting at all. As mentioned, many project pitches are abandoned by studios before they can move from development to ...
May 3, 2018 · Entrepreneur- producer Friedkin made waves when he gave Ridley Scott $10 million for reshoots on All the Money in the World. That cash came through Imperative Entertainment, which Friedkin founded ...
Apr 19, 2024 · Honestly, most indie filmmakers manage to survive by doing any and all kinds of side gigs, street hustles or carny scams they can muster. And if that means a life detour to go to law school, become an airline pilot, or appear on a reality TV show in your underwear eating bugs, then go ahead (yes, I know indie filmmakers who’ve done all of those).
