An Insider's Advice on How to Work with A Distributor If you're a small independent, it makes sense to hook up with the right distributor, both because it is more cost effective and because the distributor is selling a variety of programs to a variety of buyers. The better informed you are, the better able you will be to find the right distributor and to evaluate his performance. As one public television executive said, "In the best of all possible worlds, every producer would attend one of the major international markets at least once, just to understand firsthand the international marketplace and the processes required for successful sales." We excerpted the following information from a detailed package that producer-turned-distributor Lise Romanoff, managing director of Vision Films in Los Angeles, provides to producers. We include it here not as an endorsement, but as an example of how one ethical, successful distributor works. Compare Romanoff's methods with any potential international distributor with whom you may consider working. Which Markets Do You Attend? With a stand, Romanoff attends NATPE (January), Monte Carlo (February), MIPDOC/MIPTV (April), LA Screenings (May), DISCOP (June), MIPCOM (October) and MIP ASIA (December). Without a stand, AFM (March) and VSDA (July). Romanoff sees participation in these festivals as a strong advertisement to potential buyers. Vision spends approximately $90,000 per year attending trade markets. It is listed in each of the trade show guides distributed to all buyers and participants at the shows. How Do You Promote the Products You Represent to Potential Buyers? Vision sends product listings sheet to more than 40 international entertainment trade publications for each of the markets they attend. These publications feature distributor programming offerings in their special trade show buying guide issues which reach buyers worldwide. In addition, targets programs to specific territories and buyers. Romanoff creates a specialized direct-mail list of available programming and faxes it to appropriate broadcaster/home video buyers in that territory. She estimates that, on average, they will send out approximately 750 faxes before each of the eight international trade shows they attend each year. What Promotional Materials Do You Use? Vision uses one-sheet flyers as the main print vehicle, but also likes to use a three- to five-minute promo at the trade markets as a sales tool. Romanoff sends out at least 100 VHS screening cassettes to prospective buyers over the first year. These dubs come directly from the master or submaster so that quality is high. How Long Will It Take to Make a Sale? Sales are made all year long, but Vision tries to focus sales efforts around the trade shows. Almost all of the rest of the business is maintained through faxed correspondence and telephone calls. It can sometimes take months to get a buyer to notice a program or close a single license. On average, Romanoff estimates that a sale may take three to six months from initial introduction to receiving the final payments. She tells producers that they will start to see a steady return on all the first sales after the first six months. Licenses are usually two to three years for TV and five to seven years for video. After the initial run, reruns may bring in 50 percent of the original license fee. How Much Money Can an Independent Expect to Make? Romanoff stresses that distributors will be reluctant to commit themselves. She says, "It is truly impossible to make accurate projections - anyone who does is talking generalities. If a program sells in the US to a major network or airs primetime on a major cable network, it will sell to major networks around the world. If a program sells to a niche cable channel then the average is somewhere in the low to middle of the listed prices. Of course, topical programs sell well even if they have never had a release in the US." All distributors use a list published by TBI (Television Business International) as a guide. It shows the average rates paid for each territory for one-hour programming. How Much Will an Independent Have to Pay to Have Work Represented? Most distributors work on commission, usually charging 25 percent to 35 percent in the international market and 15 percent to 25 percent in the domestic market. Most distributors will also deduct direct expenses, which can eat up a lot of revenue. If distributors say they will deduct expenses, ask them to itemize. Are Agreements Exclusive and How Long Do They :Last? Most distributors require exclusivity. As a former producer, Romanoff is sensitive to producers' fears of tying-up their show up with an exclusive distributor for a long time: But she explains: "We need exclusivity. There are a finite number of buyers and they will get confused if they are pitched the same product by more than one person. They will not buy the show." What Are Delivery Elements? Delivery elements are the materials necessary to fulfill the terms of the contract. Materials include videotape masters with separate music and effects track, dialog continuity transcripts, music cue sheets and slides cleared for use in advertising. What Is an International Master? Commonly called an M & E track. On BetaSp, Digital Betacam, and D2 there are 4 channels of audio. The best audio configuration for all international licenses is Ch. 1 = Composite mono-mix, Ch. 2=M & E or Music and Effects mixed track (no English), Ch. 3 = Mix minus narration (Original language on the interviews but no narration track) and Ch. 4 = Music full up (not mixed). This allows clients to have flexibility in the type of dubbed version they create: A full lip-synched dub in their country's language replaces all original language and makes each character appear to be speaking in that country's tongue; an overlay dubbed version allows the original language to start, the sound is turned low and the new country's language is laid on top of it. If you have any further questions, you can contact Lise Romanoff at Vision Films, 4626 Lemona Avenue Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. Her telephone number is (818)784-1702, her fax is (818)788-3715, and her email address is visionfilms@earthlink.net .