Scott Kirkpatrick - Introduction to Media Distribution: Film, Television, and New Media

Introduction to Media Distribution offers a clear, direct and comprehensive overview of the entire film, television and new media distribution business, valuable to both students and professionals. In this book, author Scott Kirkpatrick draws from over a decade of personal experience in the distribution arena to explore what fuels the distribution process, and explains in real-world terms how the business works from beginning to endnot merely what happens to a film or television series after a distributor acquires it, but how distributors develop, pre-sell and broker deals on content before it even exists. Kirkpatrick covers deal structures, release strategies, acquisition approaches, rights sales, international co-productions, tax credits, audience research, global regulatory boards, and even behind closed doors monetization practices.

The book offers:

A straight-forward, clear and insightful approach to understanding the fundamental basics of how the global distribution marketplace works, and how distribution companies actually operate and create the content they need;

An insiders analysis of all levels of the business with an emphasis on the independent scene, the root from where development in the industry grows;

A comprehensive overview of how film and television markets and festivals work, and how buyers and sellers actually broker deals in the field;

Detailed explanations of how each media right is defined and windowed to maximize potential revenue;

A detailed overview of several major international territories, and how each operates within the context of the global media business;

Guidance and advice from an industry expert on how one can initiate their professional career in the entertainment industry, applicable to individuals in all roles;

A robust appendix containing in-depth studies of legal definitions, material delivery requirements, territory-by-territory financial projections, and more.

An accompanying eResource offers template contracts, sample agreements, and further resources for download.

Scott Kirkpatrick is the Senior Vice President of North and South American business development and global digital strategy for DRG, a London-based production, development and distribution company that manages over 1,000 media properties, including Channel 4s Shameless and ITVs Doc Martin. Previously, Kirkpatrick served as executive director of distribution for MarVista Entertainment, a Los Angeles-based production and distribution company that produces original TV movies and has managed international TV deals on major franchises, including Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Before shifting to the distribution side of the industry, Kirkpatrick worked behind the scenes on major studio productions, including Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Kirkpatrick has produced and directed TV series and feature films, including Eye for an Eye, Muslims in America and Roadside Massacre, and is the author of the book Writing for the Green Light: How to Make Your Script the One Hollywood Notices. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.

Scott Kirkpatrick

First published 2019
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2019 Scott Kirkpatrick

The right of Scott Kirkpatrick to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested

ISBN: 978-1-138-29734-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-29735-7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-09934-7 (ebk)

Typeset in Aldus Roman
by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK

Visit the eResources: www.routledge.com/9781138297357

For my wife, Soha

I would like to thank all the following individuals: Emily McCloskey and Jason Brubaker for providing an early kick-start toward the writing of this book; Simon Jacobs and John Makowski at Focal Press for their guidance and assistance throughout its evolution; my mentors Paul Rich and Akim Anastopoulo; Marco Fargnoli for his insights; my colleagues at DRG for all of their encouragement and eternal gratitude to my wife Soha Saleh for her support throughout the process of making this project a reality.

The content outlined in Introduction to Media Distribution is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for the expertise of a professional accountant, lawyer or other accredited advisor.

This book is meant only to explain and share the distribution trends Ive personally encountered during my career within the film, television and new media distribution business in a manner that is both informative and digestible regardless of the readers level of experience. All examples and inferences made herein are observations of standard business practices in the field and in no way reflect any trade secrets held confidential by any company, employer or entity with which Ive been associated.

I have tried to keep all information as up to dateor as evergreenas possible and encourage readers to further investigate any concepts or industry practices they find interesting to better educate themselves on the more granular details of the media distribution business.

I never intended to be working on the distribution side of Hollywood But now, after more than a decade of brokering distribution deals with some of the biggest companies in the business, I couldnt dream of a more fulfilling career in the entertainment industry.

I fell in love with movies when I was a kid; by age ten I was already writing and producing my own films with the family video camera. Years later, after graduating film school with a BFA in production, I packed up my car and headed to Los Angeles. I can still see myself as an overly confident know-it-all, ready to take on Hollywood by storm. In my back seat was a box full of everything I thought one needed to break in as a professional writer/director: sample spec scripts, DVD screeners of my award-winning shorts and a lengthy list filled with contact details for all the major Hollywood agents, production companies and producers.

When I arrived, reality hit HARD!

No matter how hard I triedor in what way I presented myself (or my work)I wasnt getting anywhere. It felt as if there was a giant invisible wall preventing me from gaining any real traction with legit Hollywood professionals. Everything Id learned (from books, film school, etc.) didnt seem to apply in the real world.