Symposium “How to Sell a Short Film” - Internationale Kurzfilmtage ...

suchasGoogle.TheDVDmarket,ontheotherhand,isverysmall.Theorganisationishopingforthecinemadistributionbusinesstogrow.Theorganisationhas5employees:1staffmemberforcinemadistribution,1foranimationand3forfictionalshortsandfortheacquisitionofnewclients.Especiallyinthesphereoftelevision,Premium Films has been repeatedly dealing with the same buyers since its inception. One isthereforealsointentonwinningnewtelevisionstations,whohavenotyetshownshortfilms.BuyingshortfilmsatcommercialconditionsisnotsomethingthatTVstationsareusedto,astheacquisitionofashortfilmincludesasmuchworkasthatofafeature.Itisthereforenoteasytolookfornewdistributionchannels,whichiswhyonetriestoofferextraservices,suchasalreadysubtitledfilms.Thebest‐sellingfilmsareusuallybetween5and10minuteslong.Premium Film secures world rights, as this is the easiest thing to do, even if the buyers areconcentrated on Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan. But the organisation is alsolookingforbuyersfromothercountries.In terms of the per‐minute price, the range is very wide and spans from 30 to 600 Euros. InFrance,thereareabout4to5broadcasters,whopay400to600Eurosperminute.ButtherearesubstantiallymoreTVstations,whopayonly30to60Euros.Whenacontractisnegotiated,asalesstrategyisagreeduponwiththeproducer,wherebythesalestohighlypayingTVstationsisgiventoppriority.Theinternetisnotdisqualifiedperse,butis only used when TV, cinema and DVD distribution channels have been exhausted – at theearliestafter1to2years.Simonenquiresaboutthefiguresofsuccessfulfilms.Jean‐Charles: A 15‐minute film that is successful earns about 10,000 to 12,000 Euros in thecourse of two years. Oscar‐nominated shorts earn substantially more, as they are bought bycertainTVstations:30'000to40'000Euros.Thefiguresrefertototalrevenues,fromwhich30%gototheagency.RoundTable2Simonaskswhatthemostimportantscreeningplatformforshortfilmsisapartfromfestivals.∙Olivier:festivalsofferthemostimportantplatformforshortfilms.Everythingelseisverydifficulttoattain.Thisiswhyfilmmakersshouldgotofestivals,meetbuyersandsuggesttheirfilms.∙Joke:fortheNetherlandsMediaArtInstitute,museums,galleriesandexhibitionspaces are also important, even though festivals remain the main screeningcontext.Theinstitutedoesn'ttakesubmissionfees,butitdoesaskforscreeningfees,ifafestivalwantstoscreenafilm.Artistsshouldbepaidfortheirwork!∙Jean‐Charles:theinternetandVoDarewelcomenewplatforms,toincreasethevisibility of short films, but they have to be controlled. The VoD website ofPremiumFilmsdoesn'toffermuchrevenueperse,butitisalsousedtoshowfilms