RESOURCES
AFM Bookstore
We’ve selected titles from Focal Press and Routledge on all the important topics including Production, Screenwriting, Post-production, Documentary and Business & Planning. Receive a 20% discount when you order online. Enter code AFM20 at checkout.
Sneak Peek
Get a sneak peek at the American Film Market 2024 with our exciting promo video, where creativity meets opportunity. Experience the energy of filmmakers, producers, and distributors coming together to shape the future of cinema. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this global film industry event, where deals are made and films are born!
How to Work the AFM – Video Replay
Want to know more about “How to Work the AFM?” Watch the recording of our recent online orientation to get greater insight into how to prepare, who should attend, as well as helpful tools and practical information. This discussion will help producers/ filmmakers, writers and others within the industry better understand how the market works and where to focus your time for the greatest success.
How to Work the AFM
The American Film Market is a great place to find partners for projects and films – if you have a plan. Use these steps to increase your chances of success.
FINANCE
The Film Finance Series: Where’s The Money? The Realities of Film Financing Today, Presented By Wrapbook Payroll
On August 27, IFTA hosted the first installment of the 2024 How to Film Finance Webinar Series presented by Wrapbook Payroll. This panel covered what assembling the financing for an independent feature film looks like today using Private Equity, Debt, Gap and Bridge Financing, Tax Incentives, and more. Watch the replay now!
Unscripted Production Incentives
When most people think about production incentives, they think about TV and feature films, but they are just as valuable for unscripted content. If you are a producer, knowing how to navigate domestic production incentives for your documentaries, game shows, and reality productions is essential.
How to Package a Film Properly
Properly packaging a film is crucial for attracting potential equity investors, while securing debt/gap financing. An effective film package communicates the unique selling points, market potential, cast/director attachments and creative vision of the project.
How to Use International Film Estimates & Pre-Sales as Part of Your Financing
On September 13th IFTA & AFM partnered with WRAPBOOK for How to Use International Film Estimates & Pre-Sales as Part of Your Financing.
– the second online session in the 3-part Film Finance Series.
How to Utilize & Secure Debt / Gap Financing
IFTA & AFM partnered with Wrapbook for this first online session in a 3-part Film Finance Series. Featuring finance experts, the 90-minute discussion covered identifying potential lenders, preparing a financing package, utilizing tax credits, pitching your project, negotiating loan terms, assembling your team, and more.
Trends in Hollywood Dealmaking & Sharing of Profits: A Look Back & Forward at the Risk v. Reward Model
GHJ’s Anita Wu and Peter Klass and Participant’s James Roiz discuss the evolution of profit participations and offer deep insights into the variety of profit-sharing deal types and the impact of streaming on legacy contracts. The conversation covers the rapid evolution of profit sharing in the new distribution ecosystem and points to consider from the view of a deal maker, as well as trends and predictions.
Film Financing in a VOD World
Schuyler Moore, Entertainment Attorney & Partner at Greenberg Glusker LLP, talks Film Financing in a VOD World. Offering expert insight into all the currently available options for film financing, he covers equity, debt, pre-sales, tax subsidies, funding from advertisers, Section 181, digital tokens, NFTs and more.
Do You Need A Star To Get A Film Into Theaters?
Casting a star significantly increases the chance of having a theatrical release. No surprise there. But the benefits vary a lot by genre so we analyzed 1,000 films produced in 2017 and their top-billed cast.
Is Hiring a First-Time Director a Risk?
Our analysis suggests that hiring a first-time director doesn’t have much influence on the likelihood of a film being profitable. Producers are generally smart in selecting first-time directors or in giving them the right budget to work with.
What the Data Says: Producing Low-Budget Dramas
Drama producers typically have low budgets and compete in a crowded market so any competitive edge they can get goes a long way. Good news: There is one factor which, above all others, correlates with success.
What the Data Says: Producing Low-Budget Family Films
Those looking to create films in the Family genre need to focus on how their audience will perceive their work. Not just with lack of negative content but with the inclusion of family themes such as roles models, religious messages and, of course, dogs.
What the Data Says: Producing Low-Budget Comedies
Making people laugh is a difficult art so we searched for common factors behind successful comedies. We learned that successful comedies aren’t dependent on a particular budget – making it a bit easier for independent filmmakers.
UPDATE: What Types of Low-Budget Films Break Out?
Our team reviewed the 100 most profitable feature films released from 2007 to 2016, budgeted under $3 million. We looked for common themes and found that breakout hits divided naturally into four types.
What the Data Says: Producing Low-Budget Horror Films
We crunched the numbers on horror films budgeted between $500,000 and $5 million that were released in North America between 2000 and 2016. Our data, statistics and modelling resulted in five important takeaways on the horror genre.
What Types of $10M – $20M Films Break Out?
Success is hard to predict but it is not random. We studied the 60 most profitable films, budgeted $10 to $20 million, released 2000 to 2016, and discovered that there are significant clusters of films that share the same audience.
What Types of $3M – $10M Films Break Out?
This budget range is an important part of the independent film landscape and includes some of the best indie films of the century so far – several of which earned Oscar glory.
What Types of $20M – $50M Films Break Out?
The sixty most profitable films, budgeted $20 million to $50 million and released between 2000 and 2016, all come from a small number of genres.
The Relative Popularity of Genres Around the World
The first step in understanding what a film or project is worth is knowing its “relative” value. That is, how does its genre perform in each territory relative to the global average? See our full analysis of six key genres across the top 11 territories.
Do Good Reviews Lead to a Higher Chance of Financial Success?
To find out the answer, we looked at 3,715 feature films released in US cinemas from 2000 to 2015 and analyzed the correlation between profitability and the views of film critics. The results were enlightening.
What Types of Low-Budget Films Break Out?
Our team reviewed every film released from 2000 to 2015, budgeted between $500k and $3 million, with at least $10 million in Producer’s Net Profit. The result: Breakout hits share a common DNA! Learn what makes each group so successful.
The Full Costs and Income of a £1million Indie Film
Grab a cup of tea – this is a long one. It’s rare for filmmakers to get a candid look at the books of someone else’s film but, thanks to the generosity of Marcus Markou, that’s exactly what you’ll get.
LEGAL
Choice Of Entity In The Film Industry
Prominent entertainment lawyer, Schuler Moore, has outlined the different types of legal entities you need to navigate in the film industry, including the basic business, legal, and tax distinctions between them. In his latest Forbes article, Moore helps filmmakers better understand each type of entity, including sole proprietorships, general partnerships, limited partnerships, C corporations, S corporations, and limited liability companies (LLCs).
PRODUCTION
Modern Horror: The Genre and What Scares Us Evolve
While low-budget, high-return Horror films have long been an independent industry staple, the genre continues to evolve for more sophisticated audiences. Industry experts discuss a new breed of elevated genre films that are drawing audiences and commercial and arthouse production and sales companies into the game.
What You Can’t Use In Your Movie
There are several categories of laws that impose important limits on what you can include in a film, and it is important to be aware of these categories, the differences among them, and the limits for each one. This article by renowned entertainment attorney Schuyler Moore provides a very simplified summary of these issues to help you best understand how to approach your film.
How Valuable Is Experience When Producing Films?
Experience usually means a higher level of skill and a greater chance of success. But is it true for Producers? Does the number of films a producer has made predict success on future projects?
Creating Content For Alternative Digital Media
Most producers focus on producing content for full-length films or television series, which creates a glut of producers (supply) compared to potential distributors of that content (demand). Given the bourgeoning means of distribution in this digital age, producers today would gain an advantage if they focused on creating content for alternative platforms (YouTube and TikTok, to 2D games, 3D virtual reality, the metaverse, and NFTs) as well as have more leverage in later creating film and TV content if that is their desire.
PITCHING
Advice for Filmmakers Trying to Navigate the Film Industry
Six areas of advice for filmmakers on how they can get into, and progress through, the film industry
20 Things You Should Never Do In A Pitch Meeting
It happens more often than you might think—a writer with a promising project makes a mistake in the room and “ breaks the deal”. Although you may already avoid most of these mistakes, one or two might be a wake-up call. Is it possible that you sabotaged yourself and broke a deal in any of these ways?
10 Tips for Pitching Your Film Successfully
Are you ready to walk “into the room” and pitch to a decision-maker such as an agent, financier, producer, distributor or studio executive? Here are the top ten pitching tips to help you in a high-stakes situation.
WRITING
Seven Things Screenplay Agents Really Want To See In A Screenplay
When agents read scripts, they think “How am I going to sell this?” The way they answer that question may influence your choices when writing your screenplay. So if you want to know how to get a screenwriting agent, consider these seven factors.
Screenplay Writing Explained In 7 Infographics
Screenplay writing is a visual art form, so here is a visual approach the topic: 7 of the most succinct and compelling infographics about writing screenplays.
How To Write A Screenplay You Can Sell
Here’s a different approach to how to write a screenplay. Stephanie Palmer’s goal isn’t for you to simply write a screenplay – it’s to write a script you can sell.
MARKETING
10 Tips to Make Your Content Go Viral
Shared online content is a powerful way to a promote film. When your fans tell others about your project, it’s a marketing success for you.
