Top10tipsfromMeettheBuyers–Encounterssession2014

We were at the Encounters Film Festival in Bristol in September and one of the sessions we attended was about advising filmmakers on how to sell their shorts to buyers.

The speakers were Fred Joubard (Ymedia Toronto), Dawn Sharpless (Dazzle Films) and Derry O’Brein (Network Ireland TV).

We've summarised their top 10 tips below:

Festivals are an immediate route for recognition and are key for the first year of a film’s life. Being selected for a major festival is a huge achievement: only about 10% of submissions to a festival can be screened, e.g. 2000 submissions = 200 screenings. Lots of films fall through cracks in programming, so don’t get disheartened. Only 25% of films get picked up at major film festivals. Start with bigger festivals domestically and try to target festivals where films can qualify for Academy selections. Don’t forget the Asian and Middle Eastern markets. Research where best to send your film and develop a festival strategy according to what you want your short to do for you. Consider premiere requirements when you are doing this planning. Watch films at festivals to work out your level and to see what else is being made, this will help to keep your style and stories current. You can’t know whether your ideas are original without having seen what else is out there. At festivals be ready with your card, DVD or private link that can take a potential buyer to see your film. Be as pushy as you can and let any buyer that you're talking to know if and where you have submitted your short. Fewer TV stations now buy and broadcast shorts so competition is even tougher than it was in the past. The first question that a broadcaster will ask a buyer is "where has it been shown?" So… Don’t put your short on YouTube! No-one can buy it if you do. A trailer for your short is useful though. Views on free viewing platforms do not make the same impact compared to TV. 100,000 views on YouTube is less than a single TV broadcast audience figure. 17 minutes is normally the maximum length for a short that broadcasters will consider so bear that in mind if you want your short to be TV-friendly and consider making two versions if your completed short is longer than that. Buyers can also advise on how to make a short more TV friendly.