Paramount Launches International Distribution

This past week Paramount Studios announced that it would launch it's own foreign distribution entity called Paramount Pictures International (PPI). Paramount formally used a third party distributor for all of their international releases...until they finally realized that most of the real
growth they can rely on in their theatrical division has to do with foreign distribution.

Now that foreign distribution means more than ever to the Studio's bottom line, PPI will start getting involved even BEFORE distribution happens...meaning Paramount development executives would approach PPI during development, and use their input on what would succeed in the various foreign territories BEFORE deciding what projects to take on and who to cast.

This was such a revelation to me because I've always been a proponent of figuring out what works with the distributors first, and THEN deciding the film you're going to make. It's called 'working backwards'...and if it's distribution you're after for your finished product, then you should be thinking about it from the very beginning of project development.

This goes for when you're making a business plan for your movie as well -- you gotta do your homework in advance on what projected revenues could be in international territories before you can present to investors and ask for their money. You have to prove to your investors that you've actually thought through how you will pay them back via sales and distribution.

So don't be caught unprepared!

If you're thinking of doing a business plan for your film, and would like a partner who knows the value of foreign sales revenues, then check out my Film Financing Secrets consulting package here:

http://www.film-financing-secrets.com/index1.html

We could work together to make a rock-solid plan for your film so when the investors start asking how they're going to be paid back over time, you can show them in cold hard numbers.

That's all for now.....oh, and I can't help but wondering if now that Paramount (and the other studios) are forced to work backwards from foreign distribution, does that mean the releases we'll start seeing from them will not be the same old U.S-centric fare we've become accustomed to? Will studio films become more 'international-ized'? Any thoughts on this?

Regards,
Stacey*
PS: If you haven't heard already, I'm putting on a series of Distribution Labs this year. If you'd like to work one-on-one with me in a small workshop setting,check it out here and let me know if you're interested....or if you're in a city that's not listed and would be interested, let me know:
http://www.filmdistributionlabs.com