I heard the American Film Market in a great place to pitch a script. Does anyone have experience with attending AFM as a writer or a producr looking for content?
Financing / Crowdfunding : Afm by Michael L. Mizrahi
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No, it's primarily a market for completed films. However, if you have a hot "can't miss" script which can be easily pitched in a sentence or two and have taken the time to put together a "look book" , plus attached some "name" talent, then you might get somewhere if you wait till the last couple days of AFM, when companies aren't as busy, and make the rounds. At that point, a lot would depend on your own enthusiasm and salesmanship.
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They're hosting an online version this year, by the by: https://deadline.com/2020/07/american-film-market-shifts-online-2020-edi...
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I've been to AFM and I'm with Erik A. Jacobson. It's not a place to pitch scripts. They have some writer's workshops (at least they do when it's a live event - I don't know about this year's online version). And, when it's live (maybe 2021?), it's a good place to network, to meet producers (if done right and professionally) in general, rather than hawking one script.
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Even if it were happening this years, AFM is now almost a waste of time, in my experience. Due mainly to the organizers trying to ensure people CANNOT network or contact each other without having paid them dearly in advance. For instance, even if a distributor wants to see you, if you have not paid for an attendee badge, they have to go out to a third location to meet with you. Which means they REALLY have to be very interested in your work already... and their schedule cannot be disrupted on the day... etc. I
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Damian Lloyd Clearly missing the point again in his haste to imply something negative about others... So to make it clear, when I am at AFM and I have paid my substantial attendance fees as a distributor, I take it as insulting and gouging for them NOT to let me meet with anyone I please on site, and to try to charge them to get to see me when the whole purpose they sold me attendance was so that I can meet with potential content providers. This is a new policy of the AFM which is a simple cash grab. Damian seems to have only ever worked sound on undistributed shorts, so has never had to worry about distribution matters.
Haha Damian you are so cute when you try to be clever.
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Michael L. Mizrahi Writers who attend AFM - online or in Santa Monica - for the sole purpose of selling a script will be disappointed. If your focus is just transactional, you'll miss most of the benefits.
For producers and writers, AFM is about education (the sessions), marketplace intelligence (discovering what is working and what isn't) and most importantly making new connections. Our 2020 networking platform is amazing. Many attendees will make more new connection online this year than they would have in Santa Monica.
Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eShhM04siR4
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I concur with the above statements - AFM, is not for scripts. BUT - this year, with the low ticket price I think it is worth "attending" for the networking, relationship building and general feel for what is selling.
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Didn't attend AFM but did other film markets, and the concept is pretty much the same. Solely writer has no business there unless attending workshop or masterclass....as Johnathan mentioned, educational purposes.
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Thanks Johnathan Wolf. So much creativity and hard work has gone into moving the market experience online. If this AFM is anything like Cannes 2020, it will be worth the ticket price and then some.
If any of you are attending AFM, jump in on the thread for Stage32 members who are attending: https://www.stage32.com/lounge/producing/AFM-2020-Attendees-Comment-HERE