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We also talk to those in other creative industries to discuss their careers, the potential cross over with film production and practical tips for a successful and fulfilling career.
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The Honest Filmmaker
Was AFM worth it? - Two Indie Filmmakers Perspective with Henry Winnik & Lucas Rios
#filmmakingpodcast #afm #filmpodcast
With AFM (The American Film Market) having recently wrapped up in Las Vegas I thought it would be a good idea to speak to two filmmakers that went so I spoke to Henry Winnik and Lucas Rios.
Henry is an experienced filmmaker, having been Location Manager on big films like 'The Wrestler' 'Insidious: The Red Door'. Henry went over to AFM with his production company to look for finance for his feature film 'A Blaze in the Brooklyn Sky'. Lucas took over his feature film 'Till death do us part' (Hasta Que La Muerte Nos Separe) as he was looking to talk to sales agents and distributors.
I spoke to both filmmakers about why they went to AFM, I got their experience of the market, their tips for going for the first time and we also talked a bit about their individual projects and what their hopes are for the future.
Check out the re-release of Jim's first solo directing feature The Witches Hammer - out now on amazon
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HONEST, OPEN ADVICE ABOUT YOUR FILMMAKING CAREER
Are you about to leave Uni with a filmmaking degree? Or want to change careers and work in a creative industry? We want to give you the tools you need to enter the real world of production or freelancing. Honest and open career advice from people in the business.
We also talk to those in other creative industries to discuss their careers, the potential cross over with film production and practical tips for a successful and fulfilling career.
Join the community: http://www.thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk
[Music] hi Jim here and you're listening to the honest filmmaker podcast career advice from people in the business with AFM having recently wrapped up in Las Vegas I thought it'd be great to speak to two filmmakers who went so I spoke to Henry Winnick and Lucas Rios Henry's an experienced filmmaker having been location manager on big films like the wrestler and uh Insidious The Red Door Henry went over to AFM with his production company to look for finance for his feature film a blaze in the Brooklyn sky and Lucas took over his feature film till death to us part uh and he was looking to talk to sales agents and Distributors I spoke to both filmmakers about why they went to AFM I got their experience of the market their tips for people going for the first time and we also talked a bit about their individual projects and what their hopes are for the future first up here's my chat with director Henry Winnick so the reason we're chatting is cuz you've recently been to AFM so what why did you go what was your like impetus to go to AFM what was your main objective so our main objective is that for this film um we were looking for anything to bridge a gap to what we have raised to what we need to get to really make this a reality so we're looking at like foreign sales co-production opportunities stuff of that ilk and just networking in general um and and I will say uh looking back at it we I had a lot of fantastic meetings that I think knockr wood um will will flower into something very beautiful and something very much needed so yeah it was a it was a very good time I'm very happy to have gone honestly and did had you been before is this your first time this was my first time um and main reason for that because I had looked into it La for last year and the year before I didn't want to go unless until I felt comfortable that we had something to bring um and I think that was something very important to me I think it was also the smart move at the end of the day uh like because at the end of day you're paying for the ticket it's an expensive ticket you know flights hotels all this stuff and if I had gone before you I would have networked I'm sure I could have you know talk to some people whatever but no one would take me seriously you know I'm a firsttime fature director like all the shorts the awards screenplays whatever means nothing at the end of the day um so at least this time I'm coming with them with a film that is partially funded has a cast like the you number one through three on the call sheet are cast with decent you know act you know Bonafide actors um and you know we have our pitch deck our poster art our tra you know proof of concept um you know compar terrible film analysis return of investment and you know all this stuff that where I felt comfortable have you know going to these meetings being like this is all we have this is what we have and them to be like oh okay this is something like stable yeah where if I went before it it really wouldn't have gone anywhere and I think those meetings I would have taken would have meant nothing yeah no I agree and did you going into AFM so this is for PE somebody who's maybe not been before might be uh going into that position where they've got all of their bits together they want to go and meet a load of people who potentially get involved in their film had you set all your meetings up before you went or did you go is it knocking on doors at the conference center no no I spent the last like month or so maybe like three weeks three four weeks setting up meetings um you know when I bought my badge you have access to sonado and their resources and I you know they tell you to do the homework and you really should cuz I looked up all the companies and you know as long as there was some semblance that like this could make sense I just emailed them followed up and I must have sent out you know 120 emails or so and I got back maybe like 10 but you know that's it's funny because if you don't know that sounds like nothing if you do know that's actually a decent rate of return um and I was very happy and like I set up the meetings and then from there while you're there and you're shooting the [ __ ] at you know the the hotel bar talking to people this and now you can set up more meetings I did not want to go and just knock in on random doors because one thing I do know from other people I've spoken with is like a lot of those companies do not like that they'll they'll uh give you you know ear service I like okay yeah sure sure but they they said means they have a schedule and it's and the whole thing is very exhausting it's tiring so then for someone they don't know they haven't vetted they don't know anything about them to knock on their door it's kind you know I put myself in their shoes I would be like H all right what's this Yahoo want listen now Yahoo can be coming in with something great but you already had that you're you're walking in at a negative yeah and I do not want to start pitching when in the negative yeah yeah that's a good advice uh and just talking Logistics so how much is a badge because so for me I've not done AFM before always bit of a A can person always go to can because obviously it's closer to me uh when you go to AFM how much is the badge I'm assuming there's different levels of badges is there for different types of the people yeah there there's you can go for one day have like one day package two you know one through I think four or five day packages and then with the multiple Day Packers they have like pluses which means you get to go to all the sessions um some of the like mixing events networking events and so I did the three-day plus package and I think it cost me around like $530 um which you know is a chunk of change for an independent filmmaker and then you know again coupled out with the air for from Brooklyn to Las Vegas um you I was able to get a deal but it's still like it it all so I'd say between the badges airfare and hotel I probably paid around like a grand and do you think are those uh the mixes where you're networking the official AFM ones they are they worth attending were they did you get value out of those do you think yeah no no absolutely um you know I I really became friends with this other production coming from New York and they have a like six million Fe $6 million doll feature that they're almost like they're way closer than I am but you know with them they also introduced me to other companies like hey you should talk to XYZ actually that's a company I meant go blow over here and um you know they're really good they might actually dig what you're making you know talk to Allen whatever uh so stuff like that happened um and that was it was definitely worthwhile because again the nature of these markets is you got a Sho and you always got to be ar you never know I know like on Sunday which technically AFM ended Saturday but I had a meeting on Sunday with a company I was very excited for it was my last thing in the morning and I'm checking out of the hotel before I go to the meeting and this other guy who's wearing the badge is checking out and so I's like hey man do you have a good AFM he's yeah you know we had some good stuff like call me too we started chatting a little bit after checking out the hotel I'm like and I go I have one more meeting left he asked me who it was I said he like oh that's cool listen man after you do that I'm with you know blankety blank films I don't want to mention names uh come down to our our suite you know let's chat and so now I have two meetings um and I wasn't fishing I wasn't looking for it but you have to be open to it yeah absolutely and it's weird how those are the best that's the best way into networking isn't it asking someone a question about how we used to do it all the time be like oh how's your Festival going and then you're in you're not like trying to look at someone's badge and see if they're important enough for you to talk to you're just kind of chill having a nice chat with someone um so uh Logistics wise because is this is it it's sometimes in it it's in Las Vegas sometimes it's somewhere else is that right it sort moves all over the place is it this is the first year was in Vegas last I mean I think it's always been like I think San Diego where it's been um they moved to Vegas which I think they have a uh contract with the hotel that they're going to be there for the next couple years right so logistically um they're at they were at The Palms Hotel I stayed at the Gold Coast Hotel which is right across the street it was you know literally less than a FIV minute walk for me and a lot of people stayed there too so you saw a bunch of people with our red badges yeah I bet and is it um is it set up the same way as can is there like a conference centery bit with little booths or is it all hotel rooms um well I I think from the previous years there was more of a conference like a more of a conference center type of vibe uh with this it were all hotel rooms except for like small Conference Centers that's certain production companies had um but for the most part I would say 80% of the the meetings you would take were in these hotel rooms um which I'll say this anyone who's planning to go next year to Vegas um you do
it but if you have a meeting at 11:be ready at 10:45 at least because the lines to get to those elevators became exorb um and that became a thing it became an issue like even there's even like a Variety article about it uh which you know I have an old um assistant director friend who you know he's big in New York and he's like Henry there's no no such thing as bad weather just bad prep and that's something I always take to Harare like yeah there's no reason if you know an event if you prep for it there's no reason to be late get there early yeah I've seen the pictures actually of those cues um they look pretty bad and um looking I'm sure you probably as you walk around you're seeing posters of movies and you know things that happening is there anything I always enjoying can looking at some of the ridiculous things that coming out is there was there a sort of vibe was there anything you saw you were like oh okay there's lots of this type of film coming um I they had a big thing for a lot of like religious based films um and I mean there's a lot of horror genre films we're doing a genre film too so that's more that's it's a welcome sign um but yeah mostly I think I was there's a lot of like people leaving like pamphlets everywhere not they were in like posters so much MH it's like people leaving swag of business cards poster uh small like index card size posters and stuff like that all around yeah um okay so so you your tips I I'm guessing are obviously you want to book your meetings in advance which sounds like good advice because that's what we do for can um would you say it's worth if you can only afford it for a day is it worth going for a day or do you need to commit to that big the past so that you can go to those parties uh I mean if you can do the multiple day but if you can only afford the one day um at Le that at least is something as long as you you know you stack it up plan it out in advance so that you have a bunch of meetings to make it worth your while because if you're only going there for one day and hoping to meet someone and you know smooth and it's like you're setting yourself up to fail like it could be successful but like why you know mitigate the risk yeah and and I so I watched your proof concept thing which looks really cool um had they all watched it before you got in that meeting room or were you watching it with them uh so no I said you know the meetings I sent I you know I had sent my package of proof concept script pitch deck character bios all that stuff I don't think any of them really did they might have breezed through the pitch but that's about it um and I didn't I didn't show the pitch deck uh or not the pitch deck the proof of concept film just because it's a seven minute short and most I mean I want to be talking to the person um and showing them the artwork like you got to show them artwork you got to show them design stuff like that so we're doing that while I'm talking them through it and and I tell them like I do have a proof of concept there are you know still images from it in my Pips deck um and it's always with the follow-up email so you know like one thing that would happen that I was a stupid enough guy that I contacted a Vegas print shop had like a stack of scripts stack of posters stack of decks stack you know all this stuff cost me cost us more money and no barely anyone wanted to take it because they're flying out they don't want to put more stuff in their suitcase but they all said like y thank you for actually having because I would bring it out of my bag my messenger bag like I have this and I always say but I know you might not want to take it with with you I have digital copies and you're like that's fantastic that you have it here but yes please send to us digitally and that's where I'll send the proof of concept because now now they know me now they know what I'm doing now they're invested into actually watching it with a real critical eye yeah absolutely agree and I've myself the first couple of years we went to cam we actually so long ago we took VHS trailers with us a massive bag of VHS and I think we might have dumped half of them on the way home because no one wanted to take them once they've watched it they don't need to keep hold of a three minute VHS um so that was quite disheartening but yeah can having those digital assets is super important and do you think um so you spent money on this proof coner where you've shot seven minutes do you think that's paid dividends for you to do that do you think that's kind of going to pave the way for the film no I think absolutely you know like I said this is a uh I'm a first-time feature filmmaker so having that s minutes you know it's a proof of concept of the concept itself but it's a proof of our own production company skill to make this thing uh so it you know it's an investment that I think will alleviate a lot of investors and production companies like qualms with us um and I don't regret making it at all you know I'm and very proud of how it came out despite the fact that like like any filmaker when you the first rough cut you see you fall into a deep despair cycle you you're on the literally I'm on the floor just looking up at the seal and going what did I do I I don't know what I'm doing oh God and then my wife's watching who is not in film at all and she's like no this looks good this looks professional this looks for to go yeah no it's not you don't get it and it does take a while to get it from that first viewing to Polished enough to want to show it to professionals um definitely one thing I didn't ask you earlier about your badge was there any because with can you have to sort of prove you're a filmmaker was there any evidence you have to supply or do you literally go on and buy it I just my arm buy it okay and I I will say there are a lot of people who were had those badges who I talked to at you know on the floor like oh you I mean bless your heart but you're not there yet yeah you've just bought a badge you've just bought the badge so so you took so give me the you talked about some of the good things that happen with there what's the worst thing about AFM um I mean the the worst thing besides like the exhaustion of it um you know the it's the idea that I equated like if I was a video game character my Charisma meter just beep beep went all the way down at the end of every day and I was so fried and mentally exhausted um is is also like [Music] knowing that there are a lot of there are a lot of sharks um you know I met with I had a meeting with one guy it was you know whatever he wasn't someone that wasn't a meeting that I was like really looking forward to but I was like hey you never know and I met with them and in the first five seconds I'm like oh oh you're that guy and he you know talked my ear off all that stuff all the while knowing you're you're going to try to charge me 20 grand for services I will never go anywhere and there are a lot of people I'm looking around this room and there are a lot of people that are going to take that bait and that's something to look out for there are there are sharks in that water yeah definitely definitely and then last one I guess would be when we go to can loads of pies and it's a bit of a game trying to find out where they are and how to get into them because it's in that one Conference Center is it very much Hotel bar maybe some of these places have reception and are you the sort of person who because you know the value maybe of networking at those events are you trying to get into them or is it how's it work yeah no um I mean the couple parts I went to I I got them because I was talking to someone at like the hotel bar who where like some meetings actually took place it's um but they're like oh we're going to this company's hosting something you should come along here's the invite and then that then I meet someone there and like oh you should come to this one tomorrow and it's part of the networking thing um it's it's weird because because of the it's Vegas it wasn't that one big Conference Center you kind of you have to go to those things it it's part of the industry it's a social industry um you know it's it's one thing I read like on on Reddit people like I'm an introvert how do I break I'm like sorry man you're gonna really have to put yourself outside the comfort zone for this it's part of how this industry functions yeah definitely and that is a tough one because a lot of creative people can be introverted because you spend a lot of time in your own head and um going to this sort of thing can be quite intimidating because you don't know who you're talking to when you go up to somebody you don't know if they're important or like you say if they're just trying to fleece people or if they're they're all talk and they're not actually making a film they just want to be hang around with people who do um okay and is there anything else before I move on from AFM is there anything else you think a first time I should know about it um one thing I would I would recommend and it just from my own experience of something I got very positive feedback uh so the film I'm doing is there's a big like heavy metal Punk Rock theme that goes through it's a Revenge Thriller that delves into that world so what I did I made guitar picks that had our production company on one side with the with the website on the other side was the uh title font which is all black metal you know cool looking thing and I had like I had a 100 or so guitar picks and I'm tossing them out to people and people like this is a really cool thing um making swag for your film and your project that isn't typical would would help you stand out like if you're just having t-shirts or hats it's it a lot of people do that and also you want something that is easily uh transportable MH so it doesn't immediately go in the garbage just it will live in their pocket and then maybe this week when they are home they reach inside like oh I forgot these guys yeah I remember these guys let me check them out you never know but at least that also gives you a good impression so getting some type of Swag that's AR in brand to your project that will set you apart will will help leave a lasting impression and that's what you want you want people to remember you that's really good advice and the uh we did it one year can we made a horror fil film and in the horror film it's like women trapped in a uh underground place and there's like an alien in it all sorts but we done sort of gws with blood spattered all over it little pouches with the DVDs in and you just see when people get it they're like oh they they're waiting to show someone else and they kind of it gives them a bit more of a bit of a Sizzle and we've done little suitcases before so yeah couldn't have read more that that kind of unique way of presenting your film and having people being able to remember it and share it is brilliant really good really good and now here's my chat with Luca Rios so I've seen on your MDB that you've made a bunch of shorts I'm I right in saying this the feature you've just made is your first as your debut feature is that right yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah and what tell so I don't mangle trying to pronounce it can you tell me the actual title and the translated title please okay so it's that's in Spanish and it's a the the direct translation of um till death do us part yeah you know when when it's like a uh the marriage uh and the the the one who's like um marrying them he says that that phrase yeah so it's a thriller about a wedding editor that finds a murder in the footage uh and has to figure out who the Killer is before he becomes an ex victim so it's uh it's a fun movie it's a 85 minute movie uh that was uh on purpose uh just to I I figured it was a cool snack uh when you're like looking at something to watch and and looking for something to watch and you know 85 minutes Thriller mystery comedy I I thought it was a good a good mixture of uh to to make for a good product yeah well I've seen the trailer looks great and I'll put a link in it if I can on the description if I'm allowed to is it allowed to be released the trailer yeah yeah yeah we're actually premiering uh in I think less than two weeks on uh Mar Plata Film Festival that's a festival here in Argentina but it's the only I just found out uh it's the only a tier Festival in all of Latin America so that was like okay okay that's good and um so also you went to AFM this year and is that was that your first time going to AFM yes yeah and what was your going into it what was your main goals so as this as my my first feature uh I kind I'm kind of taking everything as a part of you know as like a film School even though I did you know the film school I told you about the best way to learn is just by doing and I thought to myself like as a director it's good to know all the areas that get involved in production especially when it when it comes to you know getting to know the market getting to sell the film making something that'll that'll you know catch uh Captivate uh people's imagination and um as I told you I I really want to focus on making films that people want to see um because I really want to say stuff and and and I really want to get to to all the people I can so at first you kind of think oh but you're you're you know selling out or or you're like uh losing your all tour side but in time you kind of you kind of figure out that if you want to have a healthy career in film making you really have to understand that it's people who put money into it are going to see it as a product and if they're going to see that if they give you five bucks you're gonna have to give back back 10 or something like that so you really if you want to have a healthy career you have to understand that and to to I I don't I don't think that looking at the market and making something based out of what you saw is a good idea because by the time you start writing and and develop it and shoot it and everything it'll be too late because the markets move to something else but it's good to see what people react to and what people are maybe yearning for um and and understand the business side of things I I think it's it's wise uh for me at least as a director and I also this is my first feature and the way I did it is I put all the money up myself like I I borrowed a lot of money and like in a lot of depth but um I found out that like to break the cycle of not doing anything I just needed to stop waiting for the perfect circumstances and just you know throw myself uh onto it uh a good thing that happened to me that kind of like made me click is that I found out I was going to be a dad so uh I'm actually she's asleep that's why I told you 1 p.m because I had to go pick him up right right my wife is off uh to work so we kind of take turns um but yeah when I found out I was going to be a dad I was like I'm not going to be the dad who didn't try you know so because I've been wanting to to to do this since like was like five six years old and I'm 35 now so I'm like what happened in between and you realize that you're always you know blaming other people blaming circumstances and when I found out I was going to be a dad I'm like I'm going to have much less time and it's going to be a lot more valuable what am I going to do with it and for me film making is non-negotiable so I was like I need to just jump on it and and you know bet on myself um so yeah I don't know if I answer your question or that's right no that was interesting I mean I what I take from that is so you self Finance your first feature which I know a lot of people have to do and I'd say if you're in a position where you want to learn everything about the process making a feature film is the way to go and unfortunately if you got to spend your own money they say never spend your own money but if you want to do that you I've done it you've got to do it um so I I uh wholeheartedly support that and I think from what I gathered there you're going to AFM because you want to understand the business side of sales distribution all that kind of stuff so you were talking yeah you're talking about like um uh seeing what's out there was there anything when you went were there was there a theme to AFM were there certain films that seem to be everywhere or did you notice anything like that what I did notice and it kind of like it made me feel good about what I was doing cuz a lot of you know the process right now is you're doing something that takes a lot of time a lot of money a lot of effort a lot of you know sacrifice and um you wonder if it's going to pay off and uh when I got to the market you realized that a lot of people go there like 70% of the PE of the films over there they're like looking for money like to to finance the film right 30% already have the film made or in process like in post- production stuff like that and of that 30% only like 20% are like of you know acceptable I wouldn't say acceptable but there's a lot of competition out there so the quality has to be like like I don't mean like on top but it has to be uh something that when you watch you're like oh okay this is not a student M um so I'm I'm very happy with the quality of my film especially for for the money I've made it and uh it was it was nice to see that I was like I had a good product so the reaction I got from you know the poster and the trailer and the pitch and stuff like that it was it was really good and um you realize that there it's what I said earlier there usually they're like um Trends going around and they're like okay they're looking for family films right now okay they're looking for horror films right now and um what gets people like really invested in in in in in they and you feel they react to it is when you do something um I don't mean original because my idea is like kind of blow up uh in the style of Edgar Wright but it's it's it's something that maybe wasn't made before in that kind of like mixture and people reacted to it really like uh with with a lot of energy so that was like okay so this probably will pay off yeah so it was good yeah yeah and um you were talk there about so you had a trailer you had like a I guess a book with a poster in that kind of stuff if you were to go again now what did you what would be your advice to like a filmmaker going on their first time I I I I actually wrote that down that was like my my wife's idea like on the plane on the way back just sit down and write what what you should I have done what shouldn't I have done and um basically if you're going on as a director having a completed film it'll be a lot better I haven't had the experience of going to [ __ ] to get money because I finally myself but if you do with a with a go with a final film um always um always have postcards a lot of postcards uh sometimes a good way to to get um there's like a wall you you you kind encounter when you're like trying to go to a24 or something like that because they're like the big guys and they're for sure not going to pick up my movie but um I wanted to see if I could get in you know because they had like this uh this um Hotel all booked up and they had like all the 10 floors booked up and a24 was the last floor and the previous floors you you could just go anywhere and you know knock on the door and they'll they'll see you and they'll they'll say oh we're not looking to buy anything right now whatever but uh a284 when you wanted to go you had security over there that'll stop you and say do you have a meeting and I was like no I don't have meeting so I um my wife works uh she she she makes something called alores they're like two cookies with dul Le inside and chocolate and everything and uh I I took a lot of alac Cotes over there to AFM so I had like a little bag with alores inside and I put the postcard uh for the film inside so I was like um um I was walking towards 824 and they were like do you have a meeting oh no no no I'm gonna give this to Vanessa who's like and I I I I search um it's a great thing when you when you uh when you buy a badge for uh AFM you get cando that's a really cool uh tool because you get to see uh like a24 neon whoever you just write it down and they it'll tell you who's working there and it'll tell you specifically who's going to AFM so a good thing to do is kind of study and and and you know make like a mental map of who's in charge and who's you know with Acquisitions and with the selling or whatever you're looking for and um that's how I found out like Vanessa was in a24 so I was like I'm taking this to Vanessa I wouldn't have had that information if it wasn't for cando so that's a great tool um also do your homework in that regard and also uh get an email like a cool email with a trailer with a poster with a pitch and everything send it out to uh to sales so whoever you're looking for like I think two months three months in advance because I I I send it like a month before and I get I didn't get any responses cuz they're already like all booked up they have no time so it's best to kind of like start talking um like long long long uh back I don't know if that said that correct that would do I get I get what you mean yeah yeah yeah yeah so book meetings what in advance yeah also uh what else Sit Close to the to the buyer Lounge there's a buyer lounge and there was like a pizza place right beside it there was someone I wanted to like meet and um I didn't realized that until I went to get some pizza uh which I should stop doing right away because I'm getting so fat but um I was sitting right next to the buyer's lounge and it's like one of those places you can't get into because you're not like Universal or Netflix or whatever but if you sit right beside it you start looking at faces and seeing who's there who's not and like try to meet them at the door you do have to be very careful of how you come off to people like they don't want to be attacked or you know here's my film and I feel like when you're there and you don't have any meetings booked up the best thing to do is just make connections and the place the best place to do that usually is like parties or stuff like that because people are like kind of like they're have their mind off work and they're like okay I want to get to know people just know people you know don't know I don't want to know what your film is whatever and if you see them the next day when they're like at AFM at work and stuff like that they'll they'll you know say hi and you can start a conversation they'll ask about your film but it's the best place to meet people is like when they're like relaxed same thing with Festival if you go uh it's better to just connect instead of attacking them and just you know trying to shove your pitch in their face it's best to just you know share what you both love if you're at a festival just looking at a film and say hey that film was awesome um what do you think and you know try to start a conversation like more on the on the human side instead of you know just work in your film because they'll they'll react you know defensively to that um so that's good advice no no no that's really good and then next year there's going to be 100 filmmakers sat in that pizza parlor that's a good tip that is a good tip because places like that pay pay dividends and it sounds you're making it being a filmmaker sounds a bit like an assassin you're trying to get in use cookies to get in you're scoping The Joint so it's good advice good advice um so what where are you with sales on the film what's your plan have you settled on anyone are you talking to people um I'm I'm actually focusing on finishing the film right now because I have like I'm doing the the VFX I'm shooting like the you know inserts I couldn't do when I while I was you know on on on set and um I'm kind of focusing on that right now because we are premiering that Festival I told you about it like less than two weeks on the 28th that's like two weeks from around yeah two weeks from now um so I'm focusing on that and as soon as I have the movie finished I have a lot of people like I I gathered a lot of contacts that I can send the movie to uh they're kind of some of them are waiting some of them I have to like you know hey I don't know if you remember me this is blah blah blah um but that's something like the the market for me was like getting to know people and and getting myself out there and just you know when I have the mve movie like totally finished and I already most of them I show the trailer to and they were like oh this is interesting I want to watch this um but I'm I'm I don't want to I don't want to make them wait too long but I do want to finish the film and send them off finished because it's G to make a lot of difference um but yeah actually I'm just waiting for the festival to see what happens I think that I have a lot of people that that kind of came to me and they were like hey your film was is really good I'm I'm thinking of are you interested of talking to you know Disney or and and stuff like that but it's like the first time I'm doing the walk so I don't know what's GNA happen but as soon as I have the film finished uh I don't know if it'll be they'll come to me first or I'll come to them but that that's when I'm going to start you know actually looking for you know to sign something um well uh best of luck with that that sounds sounds good and I look forward to watching the movie cuz I thought the trailer look excellent looks like a lot of fun um my last question was going to be about so yours is a foreign language film obviously I've got no experience of selling a foreign language film do you think you're speaking to different people to me and do you are there any barriers or is it easier to get into different places if you've got so it's in Spanish is it the film yeah yeah so is it how does that work with a foreign language I'm saying it's a foreign language when it's your yeah yeah yeah yeah totally well I've actually always wanted to just you know make films in English um but as I said before I I had to stop waiting for the circumstances and you know making the film here in spanish was like the right thing to do at the time and an interesting thing right now is that people are kind of like Breaking the Barrier of you know having films with subtitles versus films you know in English um they're a lot they have a bigger market now than they had like five years ago but it's still a smaller Market than what English is so what some people recommend is like you know dubbing the film which I'm not very fond of I would rather you know re-shoot the film in English um but I do have and this is like a um somewhat of of a of a a taboo subject right now but there there was a lot of people you know uh that came to me and and I know they were going to Distributors uh to trying to sell a service of dubbing with AI which basically takes the voice of the actor and you know makes it say it in English basically or yeah whatever language so that that looks like an interesting proposition to me but I I'd have to you know uh kind of dig in a little bit more I've seen it I've seen some tests and it is amazing so I've seen somebody i' I did a test of myself speaking French you wouldn't know I couldn't speak French I showed it to the kids they were like I didn't know you could speak French I'm like I can't speak French it is honestly it is perfect and I've also seen somebody translated to Mandarin and you wouldn't know it's so that hopefully obviously there's a lot of uh downsides to AI in Creative industry but I'm hoping maybe that's something that can be used in a positive way like you say to translate your film and I don't think it's you know I did a maybe like a a minute clip took about a minute to render and honestly you wouldn't you wouldn't know the difference so yeah that's something that to keep an eye on I think yeah there's a lot of Cool Tools right now with AI with animation and I come from that background it's kind of scary but I feel that if you don't you know find a way to use it uh in your favor I still think that whatever we give as you know individuals and as people versus what AI is doing I think there's a lot of value in what we do but we we do need to kind of understand what is the value we provide because you know just using tools or whatever it'll get it'll get you know it'll disappear in a while uh I think we need to understand what what the value we provide is um but yeah I'm definitely going to try the AI stuff for sure uh you you you said you're doing a film right uh are you doing a feature uh so I'm um I've got a film that's came out on Prime beginning of August uh so it's yeah so it's horror I'll send you a link to it's horror movie but I've done um that's my ninth feature film um so I've done a lot of it's all horror all low budget but um yeah so I've never been to AFM before I've only I used to go to can every single year which is very similar yeah um I went I went to the maray this year that's my first Co oh yeah yeah so I love can but never been to FM because it because it would cost too much for me um but yeah so I'm it's interesting how things have changed since I started because my first two film my first three films were shot on film um wow when there was a lot less uh content a lot less stuff out there so now it's um it's changed massively but I also yeah agree completely with the subtitled thing I think obviously someone like me who was a film student would easily watch a subtitle movie but I do think it's becoming more of a mainstream acceptable it's just it's not such a big deal that you're watching something with subtitles um so I hope hope that means your film gets a bigger wider release yeah that's hope so I am selling the Remake rights too so oh there we go yeah well you know what that was another episode we did on uh an interview we did with somebody at can one of the sales agents and they said that there's a lot of money in that is just selling the film to be made in a different language because it's kind of an existing property that they know works and that they can repackage and sell so definitely there's money to be made I hope you enjoyed that episode if you'd like to hear from more industry professionals how they got into the business and how you can do the same or you just want to listen to some cool stories from movie sets around the world then please do subscribe to the honest filmmaker podcast [Music]
