The term producer’s rep has been given a bad name. A lot of people think that Producer’s reps are just money grubbing middlemen (or middlewomen) who don’t add any value to your project. As a producer’s rep myself, I’d like to take issue with the narrative that producer’s reps are slimy con artists who will overcharge you without adding value. Unfortunately, I can’t. For the most part, the rumors exist for a reason. So with that in mind, here are 5 ways to vet your producer’s rep Ask what their up front fees are.If you’re simply looking for a rep to broker your completed film, then the up front fees should be very low, or non existent. With a bad rep, this will not always be the case. I’ve heard stories of other reps charging 5000 dollars to represent a film to various sales agencies. If the Rep got you a deal, the rep would then retain 35% of all money from that deal. This is without even negotiating for a better deal with the sales agency, essentially just making a few calls and writing a few emails. Related: What Does a Producer's Rep DO Anyway?For straight representation/brokerage services, I charge nothing up front, and as of this writing I don’t even charge recoupable expenses. I charge 10% for connection to sales agents, and 18% if I sell directly to buyers. (Generally only domestically.) I also negotiate with sales agencies and buyers to get you/us the best possible deal. That being said, brokerage tasks for completed films are the only thing I don’t charge up front for. For other tasks, I either charge by the hour or by the job, sometimes with performance bonuses or deferments. |
| If they’re offering to represent your movie, they had better have watched it. If they try to say that they don’t remember the film because they watched 8 last week, they’re probably lying. I watch 5-8 a week. If I’m making an offer I’ve probably watched it all. If I don’t think I can sell it, I stop after 20 minutes. Most sales agents and Producer's Reps have a similar system. If they can't say some specifics about your film, they're probably lying about watching it. |
3. Look them up on imdb.
If you want to check out what I’ve done, here’s my imdb,
4. Ask them who they have direct relationships with
While I won’t list the ones I’ve worked with here, I will tell you if you ask me when on a call or after you submit your film below.
5. Call 3 of their previous clients
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Good Evening,
I was wondering if you are still currently representing filmmakers as a Producer's Rep. I am developing the screenplay for an animated series, and I would like to know what your fees are upfront and during the process of the project?
Thanks in advance,
-Yakez Wilson
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Author
My name is Ben, I'm an Entrepreneur, Producer's Rep, and Author. I'm the founder of Guerrilla Rep Media, Co-Founder/CMO of ProductionNext, and founder of Producer Foundry. Together, the organizations seek to help make filmmaking a more economically sustainable endeavor. I am dysic, I have capitalization issues, and the blogs are often unedited. opinions all my own.
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