ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

11 years, 10 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

If it's anything like Cannes, without accreditation, you're not going to get near anyone you want to get near. At Cannes there are thousands of star-spotters littering the streets unable to get into the festival or market, all they do is get in the way when you're trying to get to the train station ;-)

11 years, 10 months ago - Arthur C. Stubbs

Hi Heather,
IMHO, this is a conf about selling your project. All the right people are there and rready to deal. However, you must have a plan and a package and the energy to cut through the layers of BS :-) My advice, buy an industry pass which gets you into all the lectures/roundtables. More importantly, it gets you onto the upper floors where all the distributors, pre-sales agents, etc are. Also, this is a "relationship business", so your pass gets you in the loop for all the parties, where you're ready to pitch. It's a worthwhile experience because it's a microcosm of what you must go through to get your project from the "talking" stage to the greenlight discussion stage. Have fun...but raise your level of expectations with a real plan of action. I'll be there all week...Shoot me an email, if you think I can help. globomega2@hotmail.com

Good luck,
Arthur

11 years, 10 months ago - Heather Hampson

Hi Dan, I haven't come up with the plan yet, but I've been told by people who have been there it's possible to get to talk to some useful people. To be honest, I just read William Martel's blog on it a few years ago and it sounded so horrific that I've long harboured a desire to see it. Perhaps that sounds weird, but I have a few 'spare' days in the US so I thought 'why not'. It does sound kind of fun to lie anyway. It would be a good test of my b*llsh*t skills. I guess it depends on how much the whole thing is going to cost.
Yes, I have finished scripts and one in pre-production.

11 years, 10 months ago - Dan Selakovich

Hi Heather. So you're going without any sort of plan, passes, etc? You're going to promote your writing? That's a bit like going to an anti-gravity convention to promote anchors. To be honest, skulking isn't going to get you anywhere. Pay the money and get into things like The Producers Forum (tickets very limited and you have to pretend to be a producer). At least you'll be able to meet wanna-be types that might take an interest in your work. Do you have a finished script at least? Or work that's been produced?

Here's what AFM is about: PRESALES! Meaning you have a project, a budget, a prospectus, and any other goodies you can think of, like Will Smith is attached. You sell to distributors in territories around the world to raise money for said project. Make sure you bring along your attorney with contracts and Will Smith.

If you're just going out of curiosity, I can sum it up for you: It's a boat show, but instead of boats it's movies. If you truly want to network, forget staying near by. Stay in the hotel. Spend time in the bar. Get that pass badge and "forget" to take it off. Lie your ass off. Unless you're George Clooney, everyone is something they are not at AFM. "I'm a writer with 3 projects in development at Handmade films." "Oh, really? Do you have a script that's not in development that I might read?"

Have fun. Have zero expectations.

Dan