Beyond the Distributor (Feb 5 IDAinsight): Key Takeaways

The following Glossary and Key Takeaways, organized as answers to 5 specific questions, were collected from the February 5 IDAinsight titled “Beyond the Distributor: Theatrical Exhibition for Independently-Released Films.” Below, find information you’ll need if you choose to distribute your film independently. Learn how to book your own films in theaters from professional film bookers who share their best practices, or find out what’s needed to work with a film booker when the time is right. 

The recording is available to the public until March 5. From there on, it will only be available to IDA Members on the IDA Video Library.

Glossary of Useful Terms
 

• Film buyer, circuit buyer, & film programmer: they all represent the theater when booking films. A film buyer considers the commercial opportunity to play a film. A circuit buyer plays a similar role as a film buyer, but is “buying” the film for a chain of theaters. A film programmer usually agrees to play a film for curatorial or cultural reasons. All consider the audience in subtly distinct ways. 
• Circuit: a chain of theaters (ie, Landmark is an independent theater circuit vs AMC is a commercial circuit), usually programmed by one contact.
• Rental coordinator: the representative from the theater you coordinate with for 4-walling or renting a theater.
• 4-wall: renting a theater (usually on a per-screen basis) for an upfront cost, which results in keeping 100% of the box office revenue.
• X% Box office split: the percentage of box office revenue split negotiated by the theater for the film (X% goes to the theater, the rest goes to the film).
• Minimum Guarantee (MG): a minimum guaranteed screening fee that goes to the film, if there is no split, or if the % split is lower than the MG.
• Reviewable terms: when a film asks the theater to keep its split under reviewable terms. After the first few showings, if the box office numbers do well, then the rights holder can negotiate a higher number or a split.
• Theatrical window: the period of time when the film is available to play in theaters but can’t be found anywhere else, like on a streaming platform or broadcast.
• Wide release: when a film opens wide (in every available market, such as on 2000+ screens across hundreds of markets) at the same time, usually for big studio films.
• Limited release/run: playing the films in theaters for one night, a weekend, or up to a week at a time.
• Platform releasing: a strategy of releasing the film as a limited run, and then growing the release over time to more markets. Usually starts with limited runs in NY and LA theaters, and then other key markets, including arthouse theaters. 
• Transactional Video On Demand (TVOD): a model that allows audiences to pay rental or purchase fees for a specific film on a platform and watch it from home. 
• Transactional platforms: a variety of platforms that play TVODs, or allow the filmmaker to sell tickets for a screening/event. Transactional platforms can include in-person screenings. 
• Publicists: often part of the team helping to release the film. They also understand regional differences, but specifically have relationships with journalists and film critics.

Key Takeaways
 

What is a film booker/theatrical booker in this context?

• A film’s theatrical booker creates a strategy to ensure the film’s successful theatrical rollout. 
• A booker should have relationships with certain theaters and know the circuits
• Bookers should understand your film. Not just know the contents of the film, but understand its place in the market and the larger implications of its story within the culture, so they can advocate for your film to a theater.
• Film bookers use their knowledge of the film industry and theatrical exhibition to place your film in particular theaters at specific times of the year. 
• Film bookers know how to identify your film’s target audiences and reach them.

Why would you decide to use a film booker or become your own film booker? 

• You’ve had a healthy festival run, but you have still not found a distributor.
• Distributor feedback about the film itself is positive, but they don’t see a market for it.
• Only 50% of documentaries do a theatrical run. This is a missed opportunity. One screening can bring you more eyes and resources than months on a streamer.
• Whether you hire a film booker or do it yourself, the decision will likely be based on the production’s budget and/or time constraints.

What makes a successful film booker? How can you become successful at booking your own films? (Different strategies)

• Understand that theaters are businesses, so contact them with an understanding of their business models and audiences. Generally speaking, theaters operate by making three different types of deals: 
  • Bookings with studio films are usually for weeks-long runs. The studio handles most of the marketing and earns the majority of the box-office revenue.  
  • Book an independent film for a one-off weekend run or a full-week run. Usually referred to as limited runs. Depending on whether the film team or the theater brings in the audience, both will split the box office revenue. 
  • Rentals for birthday parties or other individuals who may want to play a film in the theater, but these folks are not often professionals. There is no box office share.
    • There are times that professional filmmakers may choose to use this option, usually referred to as 4-walling. They essentially buy out the theater and keep all the revenue.
• Know the language to share strategic information about the film.
  • Approach the theater with as much information about your film as possible to establish its theatrical value. That means listing your awards and nominations, any positive press and reviews, and past box-office numbers at other theaters. It’s also helpful to include tangible marketing deliverables (posters, trailers, pull quotes) as well as the strategies you’ll deploy to reach audiences (including Q&As and community partnerships).
• Know the theatrical calendar year. There are certain times of the year when it’s most advantageous to book your film in theaters.
  • Understand the time of year and how it affects theaters:
    • Specific holidays can highlight a topic of your film (ie, an environmental film on Earth Day)
    • Summer and winter holidays are not great for heavy or dark films 
    • Theaters are usually booked by studios during the fall for Awards campaigns
    • Oscar shorts often take a slot from theaters in February
  • It’s recommended to have a longer theatrical window to afford you the flexibility to wait for the right dates to pitch your film to theaters.
    • Traditionally, theatrical windows close once the film is made available on an online platform. But this is no longer a strict rule for all theaters. 
• Understand how to identify and market to audiences:
  • Determine the audience for your film. Use any opportunity you have to create and foster audience awareness. For instance:
    • A local audience may have a vested interest in the film (i.e., the film is about a historical event that affected that particular local community) 
    • Eventizing screenings: create an event around your screening so that people have more reason to leave their house. It can be as simple as a Q&A with the director or as big as putting on a concert. It should be relevant to your film. 
    • Find partners for events/screenings: documentaries often cover a pertinent social issue or historical event. There may be non-profits or other interest groups in the area that can bolster audience attendance through a partnership.
    • Get people to contact theaters on your film’s behalf. It proves you have an audience that’s willing to come out. 
    • If you have social media followings, the comments can prove that you have an audience in a certain area
• Understand that the distribution landscape is changing:
  • The outdated traditional theatrical windows for independent films used to be (generally): 
    • First week: open in NY and LA
    • Second week: open in a handful of other key markets 
    • Open everywhere else 
    • After that, add to a streaming platform
  • Now, some films are choosing to open first in a region or market where the film will perform well. 
  • Other strategies include mixing some theatrical runs with TVOD opportunities to encourage a wider audience engagement.
  • Eventizing film screenings encourages people to leave their homes in a post-COVID world

What do film bookers consider before taking on a film? How can people find film bookers? 

• They need to believe in your film. They will spend months trying to place your film in theaters and convince them to use their limited windows to screen it.
• They need to see a market value for your film; whether or not it’s obvious, they need to feel confident they can make a case for your film.
• Film bookers are at festivals, meeting filmmakers. Say hello!
• Word of mouth: recommendations from shared contacts or previous films
• It’s more likely for a film to reach out to a film booker than the other way around. The team has to know that it’s the right time and the right approach for their film, so film bookers seldom try to convince a film to use their services
• Other film bookers will reach out to a publicist to let them know that they could see them working with their film once they figure out their distribution plan. This is usually the case for films that either did well at a film festival or the film booker has a special connection to the type of film.

How are the financials split up?

• With theaters:
  • Box office splits/percentages for the film
    • Studio titles often receive 70% (30% split for the theater)
    • For indie films/small distributor titles, sometimes there’s a 50/50 split if you are providing the audience and speaker for a Q&A
    • Can go down to 35% or 40% to the film if the theater is doing the heavy lifting of publicizing the film and getting local audiences (60 or 65% split for the theater)
    • Flat fee vs. minimum guarantee: A flat fee is a pre-screening, negotiated amount that the theater will pay the film. A minimum guarantee is a negotiated amount the theater will pay to play the film; if the box office clears the split, they will pay more. 
    • The most common term is 250/35: the theater will pay the film $250 or 35% of the gross, whichever is greater
• With hired film bookers:
  • Booker paid on retainer vs. taking a percentage
    • A retainer, or monthly retainer fee, is any amount the film booker negotiates to be paid. The box-office gains go directly to film producers/the film itself. This number is often determined by how much work it takes to get a film placed, how many screenings it has, and the length of the theatrical window.
    • The film booker is part of the team you are assembling. They can handle publicity, social media, and other advertising channels, similar to the other vendors you bring on. Fee-based, but box office goes to filmmakers.