ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXMy Short Film was ignored by festivals but got International Distribution!
10 years, 11 months ago - Scott Vickers
So I made a film (30 mins long) called Advance to Contact. It got shunned by all the big festivals but an American Distributor gave me a distribution deal and its on iTunes (just do a search and check it out.)
It was based on experiences of a soldier I interviewed in 2010. He was suffering from extreme symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. His story was so unfathonable I had to make it into a film. During my research I found that there were so many misconceptions about Post Traumatic Disorder and I really wanted to get them out there to be challenged, and the best way to illustrate a message is by making a dramatic, narrative film, putting the viewers in the shoes of the person and not just telling them like a documentary. I think short films are a great tool for getting information out there.
I scrounged just enough money together by digging into my savings, borrowing money and working crazy hours and then asking film students to work on it for free. I put all the money into the equipment. It was important to make the film look good and sound good, otherwise it could lack credibility. Shorts films are perfect for taking time over the artistic side, go for all your creative cinematography and sound, but please have a good narrative. The script did attract some names to act in it, Frances Barber for one. (could not believe she wanted to do it). I was very lucky. She just said she liked the script. I do think because it was based on a true story it helped. And again it was topical.
The topic was very current and I got a lot of interest from charities wanting to screen the film to raise money which was great for many reasons. The topical nature also attracted the papers, but the festivals were just not interested. Shorts International were. They said they gave me the distribution deal because of a combination of things. It was current. It had a strong message. It looked professional and it had a name in it.
I think a short film must have a really strong message and theme. The more meaning it has the more chance you'll have when getting it distributed. So I say, make a political, cultural statement. Pass on profound information, unearth something, enlighten. The best way of doing that is with film. Watch Advance to Contact on iTunes. Here's the trailer. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xIfIeznW6Eo
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10 years, 11 months ago - John Lubran
Nice one Scott
It's lovely to have this example published here. It's too easy for other folk’s reality paradigms, no matter how grand that group may be, or believe itself to be, to be held as some sort of empirical science. Scott’s story reminds us of the limiting presumptions that taking one own case for a generality can lead too in a constantly changing and evolving World.
10 years, 11 months ago - Scott Vickers
Thanks for you message John, much appreciated and beautifully put. :)
10 years, 11 months ago - Scott Vickers
your* :)
10 years, 11 months ago - Daniel Cormack
One thought that occurs, is whether you can find another similarly themed feature-length film which is about to be released theatrically (or is even just in production). If you get in early enough, they might be interested in acquiring your film as a special feature for their DVD release. I nearly pulled this one off, but by the time I got in touch, the DVD had been finalised. With smaller windowws, it's harder and harder to get make this sort of sale.
10 years, 11 months ago - Scott Vickers
Thank you, great to hear from you. No, since it's a short they don't offer to pay production costs back. They basically offered me the bog standard 50/50 split profits deal with global rights for 5 years, but we all know that I won't see any profit, and that's fine because they have made my film an internationally distributed film. So that's it really, they pay you in credibility and marketing, and you have a calling card. I was over the moon with that since the festivals (the big ones) turned their noses up at it. The main reason apparently it was too long for shorts scheduling. I got some good screenings at some littler festivals but we all want to get in the big ones don't we. I had to make it 30mins, so much happened to the guy (the soldier).
10 years, 11 months ago - Charles Harris
Well done. There are many ways to reach an audience, and festivals are only one. As Daniel rightly says, 30 mins is long for festivals - but obviously right for your subject. Too many filmmakers make shorts without giving a thought to the audience - you've had a great success and good luck for the next one.
10 years, 11 months ago - Scott Vickers
Totally agree with you there, I think often the festivals enjoy a little snobbery and like to throw the word 'art' around to justify.... anything! Festivals are definitely over-rated. Great to hear from you. S
10 years, 11 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
Congratulations :) If you're speaking candidly about shorts sales and distribution, did your sale to the distributor make all your spend/deferrals back? Or a portion? It's so hard to juggle that, and it's very impressive to get a sale at all for a short! How long are the rights sold for? I know you probably won't want to go into financial detail much, but some broad brush strokes will give people some encouragement/context :)
10 years, 11 months ago - Daniel Cormack
Well done on the Shorts International deal and other accrued kudos!
I suspect the problem is that most shorts strands (and indeed dedicated short film festivals) would find 30mins quite long. Some of the shorts screenings are only 60mins long (or they may be screened before features) so there is a question of balance and length.
It's a shame because if a more imaginative approach were adopted then they could do all sorts of things like do a special screening - I dare say they could find 45mins to squeeze it inbetween.
30mins shouldn't be a problem in itself, but as a general observation I would say that short films of this length that I've seen, with a few exceptions, do tend to drag a bit and could perhaps have done with some more judicious editing. Hell, there are many 10mins films which could do with being cut in length by half!
I think the most important thing is that your film is finding an audience, both theatrical with the charity screenings, and via Shorts Intl. In some respects, I think festivals are overrated and you've found your sales agent / distributor so that's one major reason for festivals scratched off the list.
I've noticed that Shorts Intl pick up quite a few good shorts with name actors in which have, perhaps surprisingly, not been widely-screened at festivals. I wonder if there is a kind of inverse snobbery amongst some of the more snooty festival programmers. Ditto, to some extent, with so-called high-end formats and high production values.
Anyway, this is all only partially-informed speculation. For all you and I know, they might have really wanted to screen it, but not had the space and/or it didn't quite with the themes, strands and other films they were screening that year.
Go with the positives!
10 years, 11 months ago - Scott Vickers
Oh, I should have said. I was asked to do this discussion by quite a few shooters as its a question that always comes up. "How did I get my short distributed" :)