List of Essential Materials
There are certain obvious materials that are essential to releasing your film, and other not-so-obvious materials that may earn you gold stars and make your film much more attractive to potential distributors.Essential:
Feature film on HDCam or digital file
- Original aspect ratio
- Native frame rate
- Bonus points: 5.1 mix
- Bonus points: Additional versions: Clean output (no titles), DME separated
- 300 dpi
- Bonus points: separated art layers
- Channel 1: 5.1 track: Left
- Channel 2: 5.1 track: Right
- Channel 3: 5.1 track: Center
- Channel 4: 5.1 track: Lfe
- Channel 5: 5.1 track: Left Surround
- Channel 6: 5.1 track: Right Surround
- Channels 7+8: Full Mix Stereo L&R
- Channels 9+10: M&E Stereo L&R
Special note on audio channels: At
the very least, you’ll be expected to deliver a Stereo mix, as well as
DME separate channels. Preparing the audio configuration properly can go
a long way to getting around complications on promotional materials and
music licensing. Plan your audio mappings in your sequence accordingly
so it will be easier to output separate DME tracks, which can go a long
way to enabling clips to be used promotionally without out-of-context
music licenses.
- 4x3 pan and scan – does provide additional flexibility for certain outlets, although most now will accept the film letterboxed within a 4x3 frame
- Audio Commentary – standard for DVD release, easy enough to do on your own
- Closed captions & Subtitles – not unusual if CC not delivered with the film, but English subtitles may better your odds with distributors if the original language is non-English
- On set photography and behind the scenes footage/outtakes/deleted scenes
- Social media outlets & web presence (built-in marketing platforms and hooks)
- Pre-organized binder of all clearances, releases and music licensing information
Mental Checklist/Timeline
Pre-production- Check into grants and film finishing funds
- Start building and leveraging your own social media tools to start building an audience
- Think creatively about other parts of the process of making the film that might be useful
a) Casting tapes?
b) Story boards?
c) Notes on napkins? - Get all talent agreements in place
- Shoot behind the scenes footage and interviews, arrange on-set photography
- Post short clips or pictures for social media as the film progresses
- Hold onto other clips and material for later promotion and EPK construction
- Set up your project for ease of output for audio channels during assembly of feature and trailer
a) Narration
b) DME
c) Music - Save and organize for future use:
a) Outtakes/deleted scenes
b) Alternative Endings - Confirm all legal materials are in progress or finalized before you finish the edit
a) All talent agreements (promotion & appearances, approval, likeness and image grants)
b) Music cue sheet (with prioritized notes about out-of-content usage)
- Press and Marketing Handout Preparation
a) Press clippings
b) Premiere footage
c) Trailer
d) EPK
e) Promotional Clips
f) Continued social media presence - DVD Extras Creation audio commentary
a) Interview footage
b) Casting tapes/story boards/notes on napkins
c) Audio Commentaries - Distribution Preparation
a) Transcript
b) Closed captioning
Delivery Folder Structure
- Archival Clip Licenses
- Cast and Crew Restrictions
- Certificate of Authorship
- Certificate of Origin
- Chain of Title
- Credit Items
- E&O
- Literary Materials
- MPAA Documentation
- Music
- Other Agreements
Downloadable Documents
- Clip Cue Sheet Template (.xls)
- DOLBY License Information (.doc)
- E&O Tips (.doc)
- E&O Insurance Sample Application From AXIS (.doc)
- Fair Use Best Practices (.pdf)
- Master Use and Synchronization Music License (.doc)
- Music Cue Sheet Template (.xls)
- Paid Ad Screen Credit Template (.xls)
- Price and Service Comparisons (.xls)
- Restrictions and Approvals Template (.xls)
- Universal Release Template (.doc)
- US Copyright Application Instructions (.doc)
- Video Clip License (.doc)
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