Film Courage: Do you pitch distributors an idea for your screenplay before you begin making
them? Mark Harris, Filmmaker: No, never. What I do is if I have an idea for a movie I
let it play out over and over again and I actually I write the screenplay out I
have me a good solid first draft before I even talk to any distribution
companies or producers and what I do is once I have a solid first job which
people can read but I know that it's gonna have to I'm gonna have to make
changes to it it's when I decide this is when I'm
going to pitch to the to to a distribution company or producer but I'd
never ever pitched just an idea yeah just to see like does this sound viable
do you would you want to take this title on you've never know okay I've never Li
are people filmmakers who have done that before but I wouldn't feel comfortable
pitching just an idea to a producer or unless it's like a comedy show whereas
something that's unscripted yeah I've done that before but an actual scripted
narrative feature film no III really no I wouldn't feel comfortable just
pitching it out there like that you know I have to have something like when they
say yes I have something I can just cinema directly over to them you know
and so they can go ahead and read it so we can move forward yeah what are five
things a distributor once in a movie cast production value cast production
value and most importantly what goes into the production value is great sound
it really honestly is this is really they looking forecast and production
value cast you know longest you have a nice cast and you have good sound they
don't read too much care about the story to be honest with you they care more
about who's in it that's what they do really like who's in it that's the flag
when I'm talking to distributors and you know that's the first thing who's in it
and if they don't care they rarely asked about they were you know after after you
talk about who's in it what's the production what's the budget then they
may say okay what is it about but outside of that I mean I don't think
they're even five things that they look for I think they like okay you know long
as they can do a nice art artwork for the foot of film and put it out there
they're cool with that they don't too much care about the story unless it's
like you know they don't they don't know you know they want to make sure that the
production value is there and they want to make sure that the sound is great and
I want to make sure that they have a cache that they can they can sell but
one of the most important thing is a recognizable faces the cast more than
one or would one do it it depends on the one but I will say to be on the safe
side definitely to to but with some solid actors around but to to name
actors she should should do it yeah but like say for instance if you if you do a
film with asaji bow like you know I don't think that she was gonna she's
gonna do a film with there's nobody another somebody that's not recognizable
you know it's not she's not good it's gonna be just the only start in the film
because that's her value and she has so much value now say for instance if she
does say for instance she fries the scrip and the actors that's that I was
so strong and she said I want to do this I want to be the only face of course you
know that you can sell a feeling what's our jabo like that's with her long you
know that's you know that goes without saying so it just all depends on that
one actor
you