The 3 Main Independent Distribution Models

We all know there’s more than one way to distribute a film.  What we might not think about is that there’s also a lot more to your independent film distribution choice than the self or traditional binary pervasive across many online forums and social media groups.  Here’s a breakdown to help filmmakers better understand the companies that are involved in distributing their indie films, and the broad business models they operate under so you can make a more informed choice.  

High Touch / Prestige Releasing

What we all want, A24, Sony Pictures Classics, Focus Features, etc.  These are the companies that release at most 1-2 films per month and generally have some degree of limited theatrical baked into the deal.  They give a lot of time and attention to every release, and they’re exceptionally picky about what product they take.  Most of the time you’ll need strong recognizable names or a top 5 world film festival to capture their attention.  Even then it’s far from a guarantee that you’ll be able to attract this level of attention. Sometimes you can sneak in through a sales agent who has a relationship but even then you’ll need a superior product to have a shot. 

The pros of this should be obvious.  Getting a distribution deal from one of these entities is a game changer for both you and your film.  If you can say that a major studio released your last film, you’ll be in a much better position to fund your next film.  They’ll put lots of time, effort, and money into promoting it as well, or at least more than every other type of company on this list.  You’ll probably even get a reasonably sized minimum guarantee out of the deal. 

There are downsides though.  The downside on the filmmaker side is that more than likely the MG is all you’ll ever see.  Even the Blair Witch Project had to go to court with a copy of Time Magazine proclaiming the film to be the most profitable film of all time to receive royalty payments from their distributor.  Unfortunately, most of us are not Blair Witch.  

On the distributor side, this model is extremely risky if you don’t have the backing of another revenue source or deep institutional investment.  Essentially, if you don’t have either of those forms of backing it only takes one flop to through the company into financial disarray.  Unfortunately, this means that we probably won’t be seeing too many companies enter at this level in the near future unless they’re spinoffs of larger tech, media, or maybe even retail companies.  

Hybrid Releasing / Producer Boosting

In this model, the distributor or sales agent relies on producers to handle the legwork on marketing providing assets and support in getting the film out there.  The key here is to view the work as a partnership, with the distributors handling assets, access, and amplification of the producer’s efforts while the producers handle the grind that’s involved with engaging the core niche audience of a film without doubling the production budget in ad spends.  

The benefits of this model on the filmmaker's end are that it allows the distributor to offer a much lower commission and significantly lower recoupable expenses.  If the company is extremely filmmaker-friendly, they’ll also pay out the filmmakers on a distributor gross corridor so that the filmmakers will receive money from the first dollar in.  This is the model I personally developed and implemented at Mutiny Pictures.  We paid filmmakers in line with the Mutiny Commission at the same rate as the Mutiny commission.  The only things that came out first were uncapped expenses for things like DCPs, special delivery costs, and legal expenses.  As such, the vast majority of our filmmakers received a check in their first report.  

For distributors, the upside of this model is that it allows the distributor to run a leaner operation while releasing 2-3 times more films than the high-touch model.  This allows distributors to take bigger bets on a-typical releases as they’re more likely to have their bases covered by the fact that statistically at least 1 in 10 films will break out when they’re properly managed.  A well-run distribution company that’s out of its initial revenue lag will be able to support itself on one breakout every two or three months, so long as they don’t overstaff.  

The Drawback of this is that it’s less likely a distributor or sales agent will be willing to offer a minimum guarantee on this model.  There are a few reasons for this, the primary being that the only companies really pursuing this model are smaller and younger and thus don’t have the backing of a large catalog consistently churning revenue.  Given that situation, it would be too big of a risk for them to offer an MG they would not be able to cover with a guaranteed sale.  The secondary reason may be that if it really is a partnership, filmmakers receiving a check early on may limit their willingness to help promote their own film.  I’ve had that happen a lot.

This model is my personal favorite, but it’s not ideal.  In an ideal world, filmmakers would be able to focus on making their next film after they deliver their first one for distribution.  Unfortunately, that’s not the world we find ourselves in.  

Shlock-Gunning / Aggregation++

Throw it out there and see what sticks.  This would include aggregators, and companies like indie rights or Filmhub, but also could include other indie labels that put out too many films a year with relatively high expenses that don’t put too much effort into selling them.  Basically, they, throw everything at a wall and see what sticks.  

I want to be clear that in the case of some companies like IndieRights or FilmHub, this model is not necessarily a bad thing for filmmakers.  Filmhub would probably not like that I’m saying this, but in general, I use them as an alternative to traditional aggregators like BitMax, Quiver, or even Distribbr.  Of any company on the shlock-gunning list, I’d say my favorite is Filmhub as they’ve found an ethical and economical way of monetizing their wide access to AVOD, FAST Channels, and TVOD platforms.  

The issue with this model is when it’s not properly disclosed.  If your distributor is giving you the high touch or the hybrid pitch but then unceremoniously dropping your film it’s a problem.  To be clear, platforms don’t always tell distributors exactly when a film will show up, so sometimes there’s a bit of this that’s unavoidable.  I would share some names of companies I know that use these tactics, but they can get a little nasty at markets given most companies would take umbrage at this sort of accusation.  One way to suss them out is their volume of releases.  If they distribute more than one film per week, you might well be dealing with a schlock-gunner.  

I might discuss the matter in future unrecorded live streams, and if you want access to those check out my mailing list, Patreon, and sub stack, all linked below. 

Thanks so much for reading, and check back next week for more.

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9 Essential Elements of an Independent Film Community Screening Package

If you’re making a film with an extremely niche audience, it can make A LOT of sense to consider hosting some community screenings in place of a more traditional theatrical run. While this tactic is most commonly used for documentaries that have a strong social message, it’s also a tool that can be quite effective when utilized by narrative films targeting a very well-defined niche.  Here’s what goes into the package you’ll be selling to anyone who might want to screen your film.

Essentially, what you’re selling is an event kit that includes pretty much everything that an event organizer will need to create an event around your film so both of you can make money. 

1. The rights to publicly screen the film

You can’t legally screen a film to a gathering of people without a special kind of license.   Many times, this license is more of a handshake agreement, but if you’re doing anything at scale you need a special agreement.  Since if you’re doing this effectively, it’s probably going to be something that’s replicated across many screens across the country, it’s best to plan in advance and include the full license as part of the community screening agreement.

2. Questions to facilitate conversations after the film

Most of the time, the goal of a community screening is not just to show the film, but to build community around it.  Starting a conversation around the film when it’s over can be a great way for people to begin to understand not only the film, but the other people in the community watching it.  As such, providing a list of sample questions to anyone who would be hosting the event is a great way to make sure that the community building around your film is likely to go well. 

3. Art Assets for social media

Not everyone is good at social media marketing.  I would recommend that you create a set of art assets that can be easily modified to include the host and location for each of the following.

• Facebook (general)

• Facebook (event)

• Meetup

• Instagram

If you think I missed one, leave it in the comments. ​

4. A Pricing Plan

If you want to attract good event hosts, they’ll need to know what they need to pay.  Generally, it’s best to structure this as a hard cost plus revenue share, with the potential to add consumables like DVDs to the list. If you do a Revenue Share, you need to insist that you host it through your Eventbrite. 

Another couple of add-ons you could consider is Skyping or zooming in after the screening to take questions.  You could also include the ability to fly out, but that would be a MUCH higher price point that includes travel. ​

5. Easily printable standard page size flyers in both black and white and color

You should include easily printed and customizable flyers in black and white and in color for your event hosts to put up around town and use for promotion.  You do need black and white and color separately, as color is more eye-catching but black and white is more cost effective.  These should be print-ready pdfs based on a template you created.  Here’s an example i made for a masterclass I recently did in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  (it’s a .jpb it displays in this blog.)

6. Easily printable quarter page size flyers

This is the same sort of concept as the full-page flyers but sized so they can be given out or left somewhere. 

7. A Sample Press Release/EPK

This might be the most important item on this list.  One of the biggest reasons that you want to do these screenings is to increase the profile of the film.  If you get a significant amount of local press coverage, you’ll end up getting a significant boost to your SEO.  You should also make sure you include a few quotes from you about the film, and a few images to make the job of the local reporter as easy as possible. 

8. Testimonials

You should get some quotes about your film from any notable person you can that’s seen it.  If you’re past your festival run, you should consider looking at any of the reviews you got about the project. 

9. General best practices for marketing events

Not all community organizations are great at marketing events. So, an electronic file delivery of best practices for marketing a screening like this would be very useful to them.  Having recently worked with a few arts organizations, I wish I had made a template with more detail to better get the word out and get a few more people to show up.  

Thanks so much for reading! Next week I’ll release a blog about how to actually market this package.

This is a service I provide for my clients, so if you’d like me to consider taking yours on, use our services button below. if you want more content just like this, sign up for my email list to get monthly blog digests segmented by topic as well as some great film business resources.

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How to get Short Film Distribution

I get A LOT of questions about how best to make money with short films.  It’s something that I think is inherently appealing to most filmmakers, to start making a little bit of passive income from every project they make.  Unfortunately, while possible, it’s not that easy, and the reasons why are relatively simple.

The root issue of why it’s hard to make money with shorts lies in basic economics.  There are far more shorts created o an annual basis than there is demand from those who are willing to pay for them.  Think about it, when’s the last time YOU paid to watch a short?  When was the last time you WATCHED a short on its own outside of a film festival or before a Pixar movie?  I might be wrong for you individually, but I’d bet that for most of you, there are crickets in the background while you try to remember when it happened.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably more likely to consume shorts so than a member of the general public.  According to the best available estimates I’ve been able to find, there are around 131,000 shorts produced every year in the US alone.  (The source for that is in a whitepaper in my resources section.) There just aren't enough people willing to spend money on these sorts of shorts.  That said, shorts have their purposes.  They can help you network, build your skills, or build your brand.  So with that in mind, here are the 7 ways to.

Also, yes.  I'm aware that there are a few sales agents who license shorts.  However, they're few and far between, and I don't see many people.  flocking to them.  

1. Use it to build your brand and your skills.  

First off, almost none of these ways to make money with your shorts are exclusive.  You can likely use more than one of them at the same time.  In fact, in many ways the more of these tactics you use the better it’s likely to be in terms of building your brand, as in order to have a meaningful brand, you must first have awareness of yourself and your work. 

Part of using your shorts to expand your brand is submitting it to festivals to see if you get in, and attending those festivals to get the most out of it. ​

Skill building is slightly outside the purview of how to make money with your shorts, but since you won't make money from a poorly executed feature, it's worth mentioning.  Shorts are great practice for you to grow your skills in whatever position you want to grow into.  

2. Use as a proof of concept for a feature.

One example of this working is the film Slingblade, which started with Billy Bob Thornton giving a riveting performance as the title character in a single location and largely a single shot.  That short then got into some major festivals, and was picked up and turned into a feature film.   

That said, this is much more the exception than the rule.  Most of the time people try to expand their short into a feature by approaching sales agents or studios, it doesn’t work.  The reason it’s as high as it is on this list is purely that when it does work, the value of it is huge. 
What would mean a lot more is if you can prove that there’s an audience for your work, which really ties back into #1. 

3. Sell it to a shorts program

PBS and a few others have short programs that will actually pay to license your short.  There are also several channels on youtube offering you “Exposure” for posting your video.  They keep the ad revenue of course.  There are brand-building advantages to doing this, as it can expose you and your work to an audience it would otherwise be difficult to reach, however, there’s not as many brand advantages as you might hope there are.  Additionally, you should not give these people the exclusive right to your short under any circumstances.

4. Put it on Amazon Prime and put considerable effort into promoting it.

As we mentioned earlier, it’s unlikely people are going to pay for your short.  #SorryNotSorry.  That said, if you can give them a way to watch it for free, then you might get something.  So you might want to try Amazon Prime. Sure you only get paid 6 cents per hour viewed, but if you happen to strike a chord and get caught up in their algorithm, it can lead to more money than you may be expecting.

Edit from the future: this sadly isn’t possible anymore.

5. Use it as an email capture giveaway.

If you’re starting to get a brand behind you, then you might want to keep some of your early shorts behind an email capture on your website.  This might also be a good place to keep some special features from your feature-length DVDs as few people tend to actually buy physical media anymore.  Using this as an incentive to join your email list can be a good way to grow your email list and expand engagement with your burgeoning community.  That being said, this is generally only advisable if you’ve already got some work and a brand under your belt. 

6. Put it on Youtube and put considerable effort into promoting it.

Starting a youtube channel is quite a lot of work. (I have no reason to know that mind, you) So doing it for a single short film isn’t going to give you a lot of traffic other than the traffic you specifically drive to it.  However, while you’re building a brand, it’s an absolute must to have it easy to find.  Vimeo has a much higher quality player, but the social features on YouTube are better.  That said, there’s not a lot of reason not to do both of them, as well as putting the film on Amazon Prime.  You probably won’t make much, but having it available in multiple places can help you build your brand more than you may think it would. 

7. Get your friends together, license their shorts, and sell your shorts as a package.

A huge drawback to marketing a single shot is the low return for the amount of effort it takes to capture the attention of people considering watching your project. So, it might make more sense to try to package your shorts with others to make the effort more worth your time. That being said, buyers at film markets have less than no interest in anthologies. As a result, neither do Sales agents. So if you do this, you’re likely in it on your own.

Thanks so much for reading!  If you enjoyed this blog, you should consider joining my email list for lots of free goodies including templates, an ebook, a whitepaper, and more. If you’re looking for direct guidance to take your project to the next level, Check out the Guerrilla Rep Media Services page. Links for both of those in the buttons below.

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One HUGE Don't When Dealing with Film Distributors

As with nearly anything in life, there are dos and don’ts when you; ’re dealing with your independent film distributor.  Also as with most things in life, there is (at least) one thing you can do that will irreparably harm your relationship with that distributor and might even result in legal action taken against you.  What is it? Read on to find out.

DON’T GO AROUND YOUR DISTRIBUTOR OR SALES AGENT TO SELL YOUR FILM

Once you sign with a producer’s rep, sales agent, or Distributor for your project, they have the right to negotiate on your behalf.  Many buyers won’t deal with filmmakers directly, so the point of contact will either be your producer’s rep or Sales agent. 

While most buyers will appreciate the filmmakers helping to push the film, they will not be so grateful for reaching out to the buyer directly about reports, or any other form of unapproved contact. 

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t help promote your film in ways that it makes sense to do so.  See the blogs below for reasons why. 

Related: WHY you should help your distributor MARKET your MOVIE

Related: HOW to Best COLLABORATE your Distributor MARKET your Movie

The biggest takeaway for how to market your movie that you can take from the blog above is to only post approved links.  If you’re smart, you’ll also include Vimeo on Demand and Vimeo OTT as a holdback for you to sell the film through your own website.  Distributors tend not to utilize that right, so it’s generally something that you’ll be able to negotiate.  It’s included as a holdback in my standard template contracts for the filmmaker’s country of origin.  I do stipulate that it’s generally subject to advisement regarding the timing of the release.  

Another thing that you should be fine “selling” is whatever you need to fulfill any crowdfunding obligations like DVDs, Blu-Rays, and TVOD Screeners.  Although again, you should make sure to negotiate this into your distribution agreement.  That said, it’s never been an issue, although it might be subject to the same sort of advisement on timing as the Vimeo on Demand example above.

If you distributor does not agree to either of the stipulations above, you should consider walking.  Here are some tips on vetting your distributor/Sales agent, and producer’s rep.

Related: How to vet your distributor/Sales Agent

Related: How to Vet Your Producer’s Rep

The biggest thing you need to keep in mind is that no matter how much you disagree with the choices on artwork and marketing made by the distributor, you should not post any unauthorized sales links.  If you do, you could be putting yourself in a pretty massive legal liability. 
​
This one came out a little short, but thanks for reading anyway.  If you like it and want to see more content like this, you should join my mailing list.  You’ll get monthly blog digests segmented by topic, it’s like a short e-book in your inbox every month FOR FREE! You’ll also get access to my resources packet, which includes an actual e-book, whitepaper, several templates, and more!

Finally, if you’ve got a project you’d like a guiding hand through this process, I offer individual consultation, as well as consideration for my distribution, marketing, business planning, and financial services packets, use the submit your film button.  Thanks, and see you next week.

5 Rules for Vetting Your Producer’s Rep

The term producer’s rep has been given a bad name.  A lot of people think that Producer’s reps are just money-grubbing middlemen (or middlewomen, or middlethems) who don’t add any value to your project.  As a producer’s rep myself, I’d like to take issue with the narrative that producer’s reps are slimy con artists who will overcharge you without adding value.  Unfortunately, I can’t.  For the most part, the rumors exist for a reason.

So with that in mind, here are 5 ways to vet your producer’s rep. If you want to sign up with me, do the same.

​Ask what their upfront fees are.

If you’re simply looking for a rep to broker your completed film, then the upfront fees should be very low, or nonexistent then they’ll take a piece of the pie for the length of the deal. There are producer’s representatives who operate on a service basis, I.E. they’ll be paid a few thousand dollars with half up front, half on success. In theory, you end up paying less this way, but the incentives are not always in line with the filmmaker’s best interest.

I’ve heard stories of other reps charging 5000 dollars to represent a film to various sales agencies.  If the Rep got you a deal, the rep would then retain 35% of all money from that deal.  This is without even negotiating for a better deal with the sales agency, essentially just making a few calls and writing a few emails.  

Not all service deals are bad, but you have to do extra diligence if that’s how your rep operates.

Also, it should be noted that if you want your rep to do anything other than basic brokering, you should expect to pay them. When I work with filmmakers at an early stage to guide investment decks, help attach talent, write business plans, or any other consulting-oriented services, you should expect to pay some not-insignificant fees. Nobody on a film shoot should be asked to work for free, including us. We still have bills, and it took a lot of investment for us to develop our skills and contacts.

Related: What Does a Producer's Rep DO Anyway?

For straight representation/brokerage services, I charge nothing upfront, and as of this writing, I don’t even charge recoupable expenses.  I charge 10% for connection to sales agents, and 18% if I sell directly to buyers.  (Generally only domestically.)  I also negotiate with sales agencies and buyers to get you/us the best possible deal. 

That being said, brokerage tasks for completed films are the only thing I don’t charge upfront for.  For other tasks, I either charge by the hour or by the job, sometimes with performance bonuses or deferments. ​

2.   Ask them if they watched your movie.

If they’re offering to represent your movie, they had better have watched it.  If they try to say that they don’t remember the film because they watched 8 last week, they’re probably lying.  I watch 5-8 a week.  If I’m making an offer I’ve probably watched it all.  If I don’t think I can sell it, I stop after 20 minutes. ​

Most sales agents and Producer's Reps have a similar system.  If they can't say some specifics about your film, they're probably lying about watching it.  

3. Look them up on imdb.

You want someone who’s not all talk.  You want to see some associate, co-, and executive producing credits on their IMDb.  I generally ask to be credited as an executive producer because it’s the most accurate credit for the job I do. 

If you want to check out what I’ve done, here’s my imdb,

VISIT MY IMDB

4.  Ask them who they have direct relationships with

Any good rep will have existing relationships with some sales agencies.  That’s why you would want to hire them in the first place.  Great reps will have direct relationships with buyers.  If they can’t list out a few sales agencies that they’ve worked with in the past off the top of their head, then they’re probably not going to do their job very well. 

While I won’t list the ones I’ve worked with here, I will tell you if you ask me when on a call or after you submit your film below.

5. Call 3 of their previous clients

This is true for both Producer’s Reps and Sales Agencies.  You’ve GOT to call the clients of your rep and ask for a reference.  If you ask for references and your rep gets upset, then it’s likely a sign you shouldn’t use their services.  Honestly, It’s better if you just look up those filmmakers on IMDb and call them yourself. You can find all the necessary info on imdbPro.

Thanks so much for reading! If you’re looking for a producer’s rep, you should check out my services page. If you’re not quite there yet, but want to more know about the film biz, you should join my mailing list and get my FREE Film market resource package. Links below in the buttons.

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What’s the Difference between a Sales Agent and Distributor?

As a Producer’s Rep, one of the questions I get asked the most is what exactly do I do?   The term is somewhat ubiquitous and often mean different things to different people.   So I thought it might be a good idea to settle the matter.   In this post, I’ll outline what a producer’s rep is, and how we interact with sales agents, investors, filmmakers, and direct distribution channels. But first, we need a little background on some of the terms we’ll be using, and what they mean.   These terms vary a bit depending on who you ask, but this is what I’ve been able to gather.

Would you rather watch/listen than read? Here’s a video on the same subject from my Youtube Channel.

Like and Subscribe! ;)

​DISTRIBUTOR / BUYER

A distributor is someone who takes the product to an end user.   This can be anything a buyer for a theater chain, a PayTV channel, a VOD platform, to an entertainment media buyer for a large retail chain like Wal-Mart, Target, or Best Buy.  The rights Distributors take are generally broken up both by media type and by territory.  

For Instance, if you were to sell a film to someone like Starz, they would likely take at least the US PayTV and SVOD rights, so that it could stream on premium television and their own app which appears on other SVOD services like Amazon Prime, or Hulu. They make take additional territories as well. 

Conversely, it’s not uncommon to sell all of France or Germany in one go. It should are often sold by the language, so sometimes French Canada will sell with France. This is less common as of late.

Generally, these entities will pay real money via a wire transfer, and almost deal directly only with a sales agent. Although sometimes to a producer’s rep, and VOD platforms will generally deal with an aggregator.   The traditional model of film finance is built around presales to these sorts of entities, but that presale model has recently shifted.   

Recently, more sales agents have begun distributing in their territory of origin. XYZ is a good example of this. Some distributors have branched out into international sales. This is something that we did while I was at the Helm of Mutiny Pictures, to allow us to deal with filmmakers directly in a more comprehensive way.

Sales Agents

A Sales agent is a person or company with deep connections in the world of international sales. They specialize in segmenting and selling rights to individual territories. Often, they will be distributors themselves within their country of origin.   This business is entirely relationship based, and the sales agents who have been around a while have very long-term business relationships with buyers all around the world.   That’s why they travel to all of the major film markets.

Examples on the medium-large end would be Magnolia Pictures international, Tri-Coast Entertainment, and Multivissionaire. WonderPhil is up and coming as well, as is OneTwoThree Media.   Lionsgate and Focus Features would also be considered distributors/sales agents, but they’re very hard to approach. They also both focus on Distribution over sales.

​Generally, these sales specialists will work on commission. They may offer a minimum guarantee when you sign the film but that is not common unless you have names in your movie. Generally, they will charge recoupable expenses which mean you won’t see any money until after they’re recouped a certain amount. In general, these expenses will range between 10k and 30k, with the bulk falling between 20 and 25k. If it’s higher than 30k without a substantial screen guarantee, you should probably find another sales agent. There are ways around this, but I’ll have to touch on this in a later blog [or book].

​A sales agent commission will be between 20% and 35%, this is variable depending on several factors, but generally 25% or under is generally good, and over 30% is a sign you should read more into this sales agent. Lately, this has been trending towards 20% with a slight uptick in expenses.

Aggregators

​Aggregators are companies that help you get on VOD platforms.   The most important service they provide is helping you conform to technical specifications required by various VOD platforms. This job is not as easy as you would think it is, which is why they charge so much.   Additionally, they have better access to some VOD platforms than others. These days, it’s very difficult to get on iTunes or most platforms other than Amazon’s Transactional section without one.

Generally, aggregators charge a not insubstantial fee to get you on these platforms, and they offer little to help you market the project. Companies like this include Bitmax and arguably filmhub or IndieRights.

There are merits to going this this route, but they can be expensive, often costing about one thousand USD upfront and growing from there. If they operate on a commission like Filmhub or Indierights, they won’t help you with marketing so you’ll have to spend a decent amount there in order to get your film seen.

Producer of Marketing & Distribution (PMD)

​In the words of Former ICM agent Jim Jeramanok, PMDs are worth their weight in gold. A PMD is a producer who helps you develop your marketing and social media strategy, your Festival strategy, and your distribution strategy.   They’re also quite likely to have some connections in distribution.   They’re there to give your film the best possible chance at making money when it’s done.

Generally, they’re paid just as any other producer would be, but if they’re good, they’re worth every penny. With a good PMD on board, your project’s chances for monetary success are exponentially better.   

​If you’re an investor reading this, you want any film you invest in to at least have access to a PMD or Producer’s Rep, if not a preferred sales agent or at least domestic distribution. (Not Financial Advice)

Executive Producer (EP)

In the independent film world, these are producers who are hyper-focused on the business of independent film. They either help raise money to make the film, or they help bring money back to those who put money into it in the first place. As such, the traditional definition in of an indiefilm executive producer is someone who helps you package projects by attaching, bankable talent, investors, or other forms of financing.    They’ll also help you design a beneficial financial mix, [I.E. where can you best utilize tax incentives, presales, brand integration, and equity, and gap debt.] in order to help your project have the best chance of success. They can also play a significant role in distribution. The latter is where most of my EP credits come from.

Often, they’ll take a percentage of what they raise or what they bring in. sometimes they’ll require a retainer, but most of the time they should have some degree of deliverables such as business plans, decks, or similar as part of that.   These fees should not be huge, but they will be enough to give you pause due to the amount of specialized work involved in doing these jobs.

Producer’s Reps

I’ll go into this much more deeply next week, But Producer’s Reps are essentially a connector between all of these sorts of people and companies.  Producer’s Reps will connect you do sales agents, aggregators, buyers, and investors. But more than that, a good one will help you figure out how and when to contact each one. Most often, they’re credited as an executive producer or a consulting producer as the PGA does not have a separate title that applies to this particular skillset. For a more detailed analysis of what exactly a Producer's Rep does, Check out THIS BLOG!

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