How Much Money Do Independent Movies Make? - Glen Reynolds

Glen Reynolds founded Circus Road Films in 2006 to provide strategic advisory services to filmmakers. Circus Road guides filmmakers through the festival and distribution process and negotiates licensing agreements on their behalf. Glen has participated in the sales of over 900 narrative and documentary feature films with many of them premiering at Sundance, Slamdance, SXSW, Cinequest, Tribeca, Hot Docs, Fantastic, Telluride and Toronto. Distributors of these films include Fox, Sony, Warner Bros, Universal, Lions Gate, Magnolia, IFC, Strand, Oscilloscope, Drafthouse, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Showtime, Starz, Lifetime, ESPN and Syfy.
Some favorite films sold include the first films of some successful filmmakers such as Absentia, written and directed by Mike Flanagan (Midnight Mass); Pop Skull, written and directed by Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs Kong); and Newlyweeds, written and directed by Shaka King. (Judas and the Black Messiah).
Recent work includes Clean (Tribeca/IFC) with Adrien Brody, My Dead Dad and 18½ with Willa Fitzgerald (101 Films).
Glen has also co-produced twenty films to date including his favorite Conversations with Other Women which premiered at Telluride and stars Aaron Eckhart, Helena Bonham Carter, and Olivia Wilde. Other great production experiences include developing two projects with Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow) and co-producing five films with Ram Bergman (Knives Out, Star Wars: The Last Jedi).
Glen holds a JD from the University of Texas at Austin, a BA in English from NYU and is a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. He serves as a judge for the UCLA Screenwriting Competition and on the jury for the Woods Hole Film Festival.
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Пікірлер: 90

  • @clayaggeles
    @clayaggeles Жыл бұрын

    There’s no formula to this business, really. We made our flick for a Kickstarter (donation based) budget of $22k and have made over $15k in returns after waterfall. We actually said that our budget was $22k to our foreign distributor and he wants to help pitch our next idea. You don’t know what kind of relationships you’ll make in the endeavor. You just gotta care about making something that will matter to someone else. Let the money take care of itself

  • @filmcourage

    @filmcourage

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for posting Clayton!

  • @benjaminbailey9847

    @benjaminbailey9847

    Жыл бұрын

    Awesome! Thanks! Your words make me feel like this industry isn’t as hard to crack as it is 😄still we keep shooting!!

  • @cinemathequerouge317

    @cinemathequerouge317

    Жыл бұрын

    @@benjaminbailey9847 Keep shooting till they fall Benjamin! You can do it!!

  • @user-lh5li8ll7i

    @user-lh5li8ll7i

    Жыл бұрын

    Fair play to you, Clayton. And thanks for the advice

  • @Author_SoftwareDesigner

    @Author_SoftwareDesigner

    Жыл бұрын

    Am I missing something? You’re $7k in the hole, right?

  • @GTshortStories
    @GTshortStories Жыл бұрын

    My indie film “Pick A Side” has made its budget back and most of that was due to Tubi. I don’t know if the .15 cents of viewing is accurate because that means a bunch of people watched my film. I didn’t make the film for money but it is great to know that it made money especially when I hear the stories of how indie films aren’t making anything. Great interview as always

  • @lightbright8888

    @lightbright8888

    Жыл бұрын

    Did you need a sales agent or distributor to get your film on Tubi?

  • @noneofyourbusiness1114

    @noneofyourbusiness1114

    9 ай бұрын

    Got an Instagram?

  • @GTshortStories

    @GTshortStories

    9 ай бұрын

    @@lightbright8888 I went through Filmhub.

  • @RandomRouletteFun
    @RandomRouletteFun11 ай бұрын

    My independent film, Moorehouse Road, has done quite well on Tubi. As someone else mentioned, it has to be more than 15c per view, because I doubt my film has been seen by 150,000 people in just a few months.

  • @Shivadagjdfhjf

    @Shivadagjdfhjf

    3 ай бұрын

    Did it make any cash

  • @RandomRouletteFun

    @RandomRouletteFun

    3 ай бұрын

    @@Shivadagjdfhjf yes, around $30k so far

  • @hyperionkennels315

    @hyperionkennels315

    2 ай бұрын

    Tubi probably has strong organic growth. I heard about it from a friend, I've got 2 family members regularly using it, one being my dad watching movies at dialysis, nurses and patients will hear of it there. I live that I can find indies on it that are super niche and really fun.

  • @marissachabria

    @marissachabria

    22 күн бұрын

    How did you reach out to Tubi and how did you get them to acquire it? I work at Tubi but in a completely different department haha

  • @RandomRouletteFun

    @RandomRouletteFun

    21 күн бұрын

    I went through FilmHub

  • @Goldenera95
    @Goldenera95 Жыл бұрын

    Great series of Interviews with Glen 💪🏾💪🏾

  • @juliusvlogivas
    @juliusvlogivas28 күн бұрын

    This guy is very helpful and is def a good source for independent filmmakers looking to distribute.

  • @cinemathequerouge317
    @cinemathequerouge317 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Karen I appreciate you asking Glen so many good questions about Indy film numbers. We really need this info out here.

  • @dopetheadjective2020
    @dopetheadjective2020 Жыл бұрын

    "AVOD platforms" sound like something someone would say in a Kevin Smith movie.

  • @AlpsLifee
    @AlpsLifee Жыл бұрын

    Good to know, would have liked to have heard what makes the top earning indie films so special in comparison

  • @themanhimself5650
    @themanhimself5650 Жыл бұрын

    literally this channel always makes me smile. besides all the great knowledge gifted by all these professionals, the show has such a great selection of people to interview and the interviewer does fantastic job each episode 🙏 thank you for the great content 🔥🦾❤️

  • @filmcourage

    @filmcourage

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much! We appreciate you taking the time to send some love our way. Hope you continue to find helpful content here.

  • @VangelisFilms
    @VangelisFilms Жыл бұрын

    Such a valuable (and sobering) conversation. What I really want to know is what kinds of deals films are getting from the lionsgates, Sony digital and A24’s of the world. There are still films that are being “sold” outright in the traditional sense, in the low-budget range. Also, foreign sales (while dying) still can be viable as most of the world hasn’t caught up to streaming to the same level as US. The question is, how does the filmmaker make the lion’s share of the money as opposed to the distributors and sales agents. Everyone wants “all rights” these days when in reality each distributor tends to have particular areas they excel in. Parsing rights is the way to go to maximize earning potential in my opinion.

  • @naylaalkhaja7535

    @naylaalkhaja7535

    5 ай бұрын

    I'm going through this. No sales agency. Directly to exhibitors. Managed to get 9 countries in MENA, it's darn hard but I think it's possible if the film is solid and you find exhibitors who also distribute that is helpful. I have also used AI to dub the actors in 25 languages. Still early but I hope by 18 months. I squeeze the potential and maximize the deal. A sales agent offered me 150k USD for the entire world. It felt like I won't see a cent after that. Declined it and now swimming solo. The world has changed. With some push and the right contacts things are possible. Asia is not maximised well. There is a big appetite there.

  • @jonathangriffin8060
    @jonathangriffin8060 Жыл бұрын

    In my honest opinion, the studios need to leave the independent films independent. In my opinion, I think the studios are afraid that the old studio system is not as original as it was in the golden age of cinema...and they were apprehensive when independent film gained popularity in the 1990s and then, independent films became really popular, to the point that new filmmakers started making independent films because they felt that the studios were getting stale and boring. Hollywood has been making MCU or Marvel movies or remakes of classic movies for a long time and a majority of them are really not that great. Hollywood is no longer original and independent filmmakers are returning to the "independent" way of making films because they still don't have any faith in the studio system. The independent film might be making a comeback because of how unoriginal Hollywood has become and still is in some ways.

  • @toofy7253

    @toofy7253

    Жыл бұрын

    This type of business model Hollywood has appears to be similar to business models in many other fields. Companies get super large and bureaucratic. Certain things like innovation with a deep purpose and passion are lost. The founders are usually not present anymore, and profit is the main reason keeping the new people at the company. Cash cow just feeding all of those bureaucrats. The audience eventually gets it, just like what happened with game of thrones.

  • @jonathangriffin8060

    @jonathangriffin8060

    Жыл бұрын

    @@toofy7253 And that's probably why most indie filmmakers start up their own production companies and make the content they like and want to make. I am doing just that in my hometown.

  • @wheresmymoneyat2482

    @wheresmymoneyat2482

    Жыл бұрын

    @@jonathangriffin8060 what's your distribution model?

  • @jonathangriffin8060

    @jonathangriffin8060

    Жыл бұрын

    @@wheresmymoneyat2482 It's in the beginning stages. It is a New Jersey-based production company. I am in discussion with a few people and slowly building the foundation. The production company will be for the Generation X community and all of its productions will be for that particular community. Hopefully, we will get to the distribution phase sometime in 2023.

  • @toddkonrad2407

    @toddkonrad2407

    Жыл бұрын

    The old studio system has been dead for decades. When they were still independent entities ran by people who at least understood, and by extension, cared about making quality to distribute, it worked. They were all bought up by publicly offered conglomerates that see them as nothing more than a means to improve profits and stock value. As soon as they can’t, whoever is in charge is replaced until things turn around. Independents have room to operate but the competition and glut of available films now puts all the power in distributors’ hands, and they’re competing with everything from social media, video games, streaming and even KZread for eyeballs and money.

  • @egpthree2634
    @egpthree26344 ай бұрын

    If you had 10% of Tubi’s viewership (7.5 million) watching the majority of your movie, you’ve made 1.15 mil. What

  • @urbaintchoubou9065
    @urbaintchoubou90654 ай бұрын

    Any advice on how to get in contact with a distribution company? I've many films from South Africa 🇿🇦

  • @joaopaixao5499
    @joaopaixao5499 Жыл бұрын

    Great interview

  • @cobymarcum1442
    @cobymarcum1442 Жыл бұрын

    Low low numbers. Thank you for the warning. All the more incentive to make the best content possible to have better than average earnings.

  • @takingitonedayatatime7851
    @takingitonedayatatime7851 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the Video. Keep them coming 😌

  • @filmcourage

    @filmcourage

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for your continued support!

  • @chasehedges6775

    @chasehedges6775

    Жыл бұрын

    Their content is the best

  • @filmcourage

    @filmcourage

    Жыл бұрын

    Another one coming tomorrow!

  • @cinema1975
    @cinema1975 Жыл бұрын

    Since there is so much content put there we have under valued the art and commerce of cinema. The distribution company knows there are so many films that they can undervalue it.

  • @huddieentertainment
    @huddieentertainment Жыл бұрын

    Great interview. ! I have a few movies on TUBI. I was never sure how much each ad pays. I know it can vary and depending on how well the movie is doing. I was also looking into doing my own streaming platform doing AVOD. Stumbled across this while doing research. Great interview. Thanks. And I wish all the Indy filmmakers luck. It's tough doing alot of it on your own. Very few will understand the sacrifices , late nights, $$$ spent , hard work etc to finish a film. I know people who started films but never finished so finishing is a WIN in itself but if would be nice to see some good $$$ $$ 🙂 and I'm sure alot of filmmakers would love to do this as their primary source of income. How great would that be?

  • @edcano2293
    @edcano2293 Жыл бұрын

    It's interesting to know some numbers

  • @joshuajohnson3696
    @joshuajohnson3696 Жыл бұрын

    Great info

  • @foundvhs
    @foundvhs Жыл бұрын

    If someone offers you “points” instead of actual pay, run as far away as you can. This means you will never see a dime.

  • @sunlightpictures8367
    @sunlightpictures8367 Жыл бұрын

    Tubi supposedly does ad revenue shares. I'm being paid a lot more than 15 cents per view. How old is this interview?

  • @Jharperfilms

    @Jharperfilms

    Жыл бұрын

    Us too.

  • @huddieentertainment

    @huddieentertainment

    Жыл бұрын

    How much are you getting per view if u don't mind me asking?

  • @sunlightpictures8367

    @sunlightpictures8367

    Жыл бұрын

    @@huddieentertainment FilmHub doesn't break it down that way. The best month I did on Tubi so far was $94.

  • @huddieentertainment

    @huddieentertainment

    Жыл бұрын

    @@sunlightpictures8367 oh ok thx.

  • @filmcourage
    @filmcourage Жыл бұрын

    What did you like about this video?

  • @Hyplum

    @Hyplum

    Жыл бұрын

    Fantastic insight into realistic expectations

  • @cobymarcum1442

    @cobymarcum1442

    Жыл бұрын

    Real numbers help me estimate what budget I should stay below to break even or maybe earn enough to buy more equipment and pay cast and crew some thank you money.

  • @cinemathequerouge317

    @cinemathequerouge317

    Жыл бұрын

    Great questions about Indy film.

  • @stevegeorge7773
    @stevegeorge7773 Жыл бұрын

    Where is the accountability of digital distribution now? I think it should be compulsory for the online platforms to publish their viewership of films, product.

  • @AndreaClinton
    @AndreaClinton Жыл бұрын

    Did he describe 10-15% as AVOD when he meant SVOD? That's not how some agreements were explained to me. I was told the ad revenue is divided by company & filmmaker on a 60/40 and in some cases 70/30 basis, with the higher % going the streaming platform. Please explain -

  • @3211SD

    @3211SD

    8 ай бұрын

    Not percentage. $0.10 to $0.15 per view . Which means advertising is paying platform 2x to 3x that

  • @MammaApa
    @MammaApa Жыл бұрын

    Transparency about budget is however a very good idea if you plan to crowdsource making your movie. Backers will want to know where the money went. But I'm talking making the movie here, not distributing it.

  • @DronkenDrenthen
    @DronkenDrenthen Жыл бұрын

    I would love to make mockusters for 50 to 70k if i could turn them over for double that cost

  • @TheBlackbirdii
    @TheBlackbirdii Жыл бұрын

    15 cent for whole movie or for every ad watched ?

  • @sorenpx

    @sorenpx

    Жыл бұрын

    Sounds like for the whole movie.

  • @mikes5079
    @mikes5079 Жыл бұрын

    Amazon Prime is only 1 cent per view!??! That's almost as bad as streaming songwriting royalties except films cost way more money to make (usually). No wonder film and TV content is so bad these days.... what streaming platforms did to musicians has happened to filmmakers too. Spoiled people don't want to pay for their Art and Entertainment. So sad.

  • @robertruffo2134

    @robertruffo2134

    Жыл бұрын

    No, many people sell to Prime for much more - usually it's a money up front buy.

  • @KwasiAnimationStudio
    @KwasiAnimationStudio Жыл бұрын

    Glad to hear these things, but it's upsetting to see platforms take someone's hard work and give them pennies for it. Like what...

  • @toddkonrad2407

    @toddkonrad2407

    Жыл бұрын

    Music industry’s been doing it for generations. Film isn’t that much better, most of the time.

  • @idxstudios
    @idxstudios Жыл бұрын

    20k

  • @Daniel_Soto
    @Daniel_Soto Жыл бұрын

    I want to make great movies not expensive movies.

  • @starbright6579
    @starbright6579 Жыл бұрын

    I'm just trying to see when is the best time for me to sacrifice get up and say. "Okay, I'm ready to make this movie." And that's going to be hard, but I'm willing to take that step. I got to do what I got to do. I can't be scared forever because if I do I'll never become a film producer.

  • @ralphclark859

    @ralphclark859

    7 ай бұрын

    Today

  • @smelltheglove2038
    @smelltheglove2038 Жыл бұрын

    0 dollars, zero cents.

  • @scottslotterbeck3796
    @scottslotterbeck3796 Жыл бұрын

    Range definitely starts at zero. None of my films have made a dime. Of course, that's not why I make films.

  • @filmcourage

    @filmcourage

    Жыл бұрын

    Shorts and features?

  • @markaven5249

    @markaven5249

    4 ай бұрын

    Advertising money will rise to the top. I'd suggest with a 0 dollar budget get very very very ,'social'. Make friends, many many many friends of viewers, contribute your time to them and ask it back in viewership.

  • @foundvhs
    @foundvhs Жыл бұрын

    Plenty of distributors to rip you off out there. Be careful!

  • @gfxfilms2012
    @gfxfilms20128 ай бұрын

    Wtf. No numders given besides guessing

  • @perimetrfilms
    @perimetrfilmsАй бұрын

    Basically not worth making films is his opinion! But film makers should never make films for profit but rather information or art, or entertainment.

  • @theonicommittee8402
    @theonicommittee8402 Жыл бұрын

    F***in' A

  • @MrArtist1971
    @MrArtist1971 Жыл бұрын

    NOBODY cares how much you spent. Is it awesome or not - that's the bottom line. Awesome = MONEY Lousy = $0

  • @benjaminbailey9847
    @benjaminbailey9847 Жыл бұрын

    So glad I just so happened to come across this. We just released our music video (for anyone who cares I’ll post the link) kzread.info/dash/bejne/lImpqKNqk9q-Zdo.html And we’d like to do a KZread series on a short film that we’ve already started but don’t have the money to actually produce. This is really good info thanks!