Rebirth Of TV movies + AFM Lift Off

These movies have been given a face-lift and are now replete with bigger budgets, more expansive genres, and even the big global TV distribution behemoths are getting into the movie business.

In my previous dispatch we called a wrap on MIPCOM and I gave you some of my personal take-aways. If you missed out on that you can check it out here… but one highlight I forgot to mention, which actually leads us right into today’s headline is that there’s been a major uptick in the humble TV movie.

BUT… with a caveat that in addition to the ol’ Lifetime low budget female-led thriller and Hallmark holiday movie… these movies have been given a face-lift and are now replete with bigger budgets, more expansive genres (horror, romantic comedies) and even the big global TV distribution behemoths like Fremantle are getting into the movie business and starting dedicated divisions.

I call this a win for us independent feature producers because hey, that means more outlets for our work. I’m in production right now on a mid-budget feature for a network and I have to say, they’ve been great partners so far. At this point, at least half my feature slate is geared towards the straight to TV/Streaming model, with budgets ranging from $1.5 million up to $25 million.

Got a movie for TV? Comment below and let me know if you have any thoughts or questions!

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AFM Kicks Off Today

Today marks the start of the first real in-person AFM market of substance in the last few years and whether you’re there in person, or following along in the trades, you’ll notice films being launched both of the TV/Streaming variety as well as solid Theatrical level product. How can you tell the difference? Usually level of stars and director is the first give away. From there you can deduce how the film is being positioned to the market.

I have a film I’m producing being pre-sold at AFM plus a handful of Distribution Consulting clients’ and FS Pro members’ films making their rounds so will be able to report back to you guys throughout the market with intel and take-aways.

For starters though, the word on the street is the market is ‘hot’ - big packages are launching, and genre films are center stage (as is always the case with AFM), but concerns remain around macro-economic factors. This article sums it up nicely if you want the low-down on the mood going into the market.

For those of you who want a friendly environment to meet fellow filmmakers, head to the annual Indie Rights wine & cheese happy hour on Friday at 6:30pm in Suite 520. Enjoy!

And on that note, I’ll wrap this up for today. But please comment below with any AFM-specific questions or thoughts and I’ll look forward to discussing with you!

To your success,

Stacey

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