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8:00-9:00 a.m. Registration, Continental Breakfast, and video exerpts from 19 Latino independent films. (The 19 filmmakers have marketing packages for their projects in the hospitality room available to all interested parties). Warm welcomes by Bell Hernandez, Publisher of Latin Heat, and Elia Arquez Managing Editor and Contributor to Latin Heat, the producers of the event.
The conference is sold out, attendance is expected to top 400. Conference participants have come from Argentina, Denver, France, Mexico, Miami, New York, and Texas as well as the Los Angeles area. Not all attendees are Latino.
Conference sponsors are ABC, DGA, Disney, Fox, IFP/West, Overseas Film Group, NBC, Paramount, Sony Pictures, and the Entertainment Industry Dev Corp., among others.
9:00 Elia Arquez welcomes and introduces Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan who makes opening remarks.
Riordan. (Following report is paraphrased). I'm honored to be here today. "If you ever have a part for a demented mayor, I'd like to be in your film." (Welcome words also in Spanish which bring smiles and applause)...There is an emerging Hollywood renaissance and the Latino community is part of it. The New York Times pointed out in a recent article that there are so many production companies today and not enough space, the sound stages are all busy, and employment is at its highest in the history of Hollywood. And finally, the real Hollywood is starting to catch up with the mythical Hollywood, and so is the Latino community.
The Latino culture is the founding culture in the City of LA, today Latino roots are more and more evident in our economy. Univision and Telemundo, Phil Roman, Francisco Moran, and Fernando Sanchez have been leading the way in the Latino entertainment economy. Latinos and Asians have been leading the way for revitalizing businesses, they are entrepreneurs. The future of LA is in the hands of Latinos, hands like yours. "Please treat it well, we deserve it."
Followup to the mayor by Bell Hernandez:
"Welcome to the Latino explosion. We know what's brewing. We're dying to tell our stories. All of you who have scrimped and saved and taken it into your hands to produce movies and are here with them, we congratulate you on doing it!!"
Hernandez introduces Oscar Garza, editor of the Los Angeles Times daily Calendar section, who moderates the morning session with interjections of wry humor.
9:30 a.m - noon. Finance Panel. Oscar Garza introduces panel. Some background, remarks of panelists...... John Cones, Esq. Cones is a native Texan and author of several books on how to finance films. He said his practice serves low budget indie producers, and producers of special projects. What is best way to finance your film? Cones says there is no best way, there are at least 43 ways (as per one of his practical and useful books) and probably more. There are many considerations. Cones says you need to talk to people and determine who has the expertise to help you achieve your goal. Most people have narrowly focused expertise. Cones' area, for example, is investor financing from outside the industry. Active or passive investors? If you have passive investors you must comply with securities laws. With active investors securities laws may possibly be avoided. Cones suggests that filmmakers take note of all entertainment sites on the Web which are resources for developing and financing projects. Cones said he did a survey before the conference and determined there have been about 267 top studio execs over the history of the business, and only one was possibly Latino. He said there is no one to represent Latino culture, Latino interests, Latino stories and that the way to change that is for Latinos to work with other Hollywood outsiders, to create a movie power of their own, and then take the power.
He added that there is little need for more producers in the Latino community, but there is a great need for distributors. Someone who knows the numbers of Latino spending at the box office can study theaters, etc. and come up with a smart plan. Regarding film proposals: be businesslike, professional, focused. Have a top sheet with the budget, an industry overview page, a marketing plan (hook for theatrical distribution).
Lionel Ephriam. President, Percenterprises Completion Bonds. A former feature film producer and head of production for MTM where for 10 years he was a production executive on numerous TV series, MOWs, and features. Through his company he has provided completion bonds for films throughout the world. Read story about him in this Sunday's Los Angeles Times Calendar.
Ephriam says if a bank is involved, a completion bond is required. Bonds are designed for full-fledged features, they were not designed with low budget films in mind. With changes in marketplace and changes in insurance business, risks to cover bonding films became limited. Bonds are not insurance. A bonder has to be backed by an insurance company. The bonder insures his risk by purchasing insurance. The bonder is at risk for the entire cost of budget in case film not completed or delivered. Bonder is an active partner with producer (not creatively) but in analyzing budget and production. Only four companies in completion bond business, only four underwriters willing to do this.
Putting together a deal is the toughest part for any filmmaker, active production is the easy part. This is the reality. For the bond company, experienced people on your crew are paramount - line producers, dps, etc. "Please consider us a resource, not an enemy. We will try to help you see your vision. We receive and look at 30-40 indie projects per week. If funds for your film come from limited partnerships, you won't need a bond."
Wescott A. Guarino Controller/VP Trimark. Prior to Trimark, Guarino was Director of Acounting Columbia/TriStar Home Video, US and Canadian operations. He holds his MBA from UCLA.
Guarino works on the corporate side of Trimark, a company with less than 100 employees. He says the marketplace is changing, Trimark lost a lot of $$ last year. Is Trimark the last standing independent? Guarino says Trimark calls itself a mini-major. We try to produce, acquire and distribute films and make money from them, so we are not so different from the studios. We have 11 years of history, we are traded on the NASDAQ. We started in straight to video, then segued to international distribution, now we are in interactive arena. The straight to video environment is very competitive, too difficult now. Movies we produce today need to have theatrical hook domestically which will also drive the international. P & A $$. Need exploitable names (talent). Lots of scripts submitted to Trimark, but to get Trimark's attention the filmmaker must break through the noise - with heat from your agent and talent attached. The majority of Trimark financing is from bank loans, and a line of credit which is asset backed (library). We do production financing. We bond our films. To greenlight a film at Trimark, have to get through screening of production and/or acquisitions group + domestic and foreign sales team. Numbers are run, then it is go or no go.
Tawanda Lewis, Theatrical Businesss Representative, SAG. SAG represents 80,000 members. Lewis says SAG is revisiting its agreements to accommodate low budget filmmakers. October 1996 an agreement was implemented for films with budgets of $500,000 or less. Rates have been subtantially reduced. Day rate is $248, weekly rate is $864 which is a reduction of more than of our last two low budget contracts. Staff of 13, easy to work with. Filmmakers can request waivers. Whatever we can do to help you, please call us.
John Mueller, VP Bannon & CO. Mueller, a native of Minnesota, holds his MBA from Harvard. Prior to Bannon, where he specializes in investment bank and financial advisory services, he was Director of New Business Development for RKO.
Bannon works on the corporate side - primarily strategic planning and advisory work. Our clients are major studios, record companies, international and national conglomerates for whom we provide corporate restructuring, we also provide business plans for entrepreneurial companies. One of our most recent activities has been the merger of publicly traded funds for Overseas Film Group with a European group.
Best of times and worst of times for indies. We've been tracking the current state of independent film, its changing economics, and some of the financial issues for the future. With the advent of the Sundance Festival, the Independent Film Channel, the Sundance Channel and the breakout of big indie films, studios took note and are going after this product. Despite all the media exposure for indies, lots of smaller production and distribution companies are struggling. Some big talent splits rights deals have performed well in one market and maybe not in the other. Costs for production, talent and distribution have escalated. There is a decline in video sales potential. The good news is that foreign markets are continuing to expand. Foreign pre-sales are not keeping up with talent costs as they used to. Video unit pre-sales are down more. New technologies caused acquisitions of MCA, Viacom and Sony TV rights for Europe's digital channels, especially in Germany. Growth in number of theaters in Europe. Expanded satellite coverage worldwide. What does all this mean? Key to focus on low cost production with a point of view, artistic and commerical together, trying to minimize distribution fees, and look toward emerging markets. Movies might move in the direction of the record business with more specific labels for specific audiences. More gap financing (film's budget on potential of sales as opposed to presales). Banks want more overall deals for several pix with companies. Indies are the first in new markets, indies moving into Latin America more and more swiftly. Note to all indies: Regal Entertainment, a new entertainment entity, announced it will produce particular films and owning their own screens. Opportunity. Also, watch changing tide of regulations which indicate trends - i.e. more children's programming will be needed. Business plans will give you credibility. University of Texas Press, Austin is an excellent source of books about the movie business. At Bannon, advisors are told to sell a meeting, sell a book, sell an investment, a strategy recommended for filmmakers as well.
Brian Ungar. Assistant Exec Director, DGA, responsible for low budget and new technology interactive projects for the Guild. Prior to working for the DGA, Ungar was an International Representative for the IATSE in New York.
The Directors Guild of America is a guild of directors, upms, etc. We work with filmmakers and producers to structure contracts which can work for projects under $5 million. The agreement is tiered so there is tremendous flexibility in the under $1.8 million area. We will negotiate what the market will bear so fimmakers can use DGA talent. This is another way to bring new people into the guild. It is a great opportunity for new talent to get into the guild. There is an abysmal participation of minorities in guild, we are trying to address this, we are making a concerted effort to improve the numbers.
1:00-2:30 p.m. Luncheon to honor film director Alfonso Arau (LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, A WALK IN THE CLOUDS). Bell Hernandez and Elia Arquez present Arau with the first Vision Award.
Uncommonly lovely table settings, fragrance samples from Carolina Herrera, nicely prepared and presented main meal (atypical hotel food), and most of all, bright interesting and motivated groups of people exchanging cards and getting to know about each other and their projects.
2:30 p.m. Panel "How I Made My Film"
Carlos Amezcua. KTLA Morning News Anchor, Los Angeles. Moderator. (Amezcua has won 6 Emmy Awards for his coverage of news events). Lots of good energy.
Brief backgrounds, comments of panelists:
Norberto Barba. Director. Native of the Bronx, studied film at Columbia University and USC Film School. AFI directing fellowship. Directed CHAVEZ RAVINE for Universal TV's Hispanic film program.
CHAVEZ RAVINE, a short film, opened doors for me, I directed it because I took advantage of a Latino programming drive at Universal TV. I thought of 13 stories and chose Chavez Ravine because of what had happened there in 1950 - a family refused to be forced out during the building of Dodger Stadium. Use the AFI as a resource, there are books which tell you where money is for Ukrainian filmmakers, filmmakers who are orphans, etc. Take advantage of everything that comes your way. I was offered BLUE TIGER, a film with violence and an opportunity to direct my first feature. I had to be flexible so I did this action film. Then I was offered another action film. What I wanted most of all was a film without guns, which I've finally come to. It's important to relate to the material but I was flexible in order to prove myself to the industry. Try to be truthful when you tell stories. Agents are conduits to material and to relationships in the business, but you have to work as hard as you can yourself in order for things to happen. An agent is a tool, part of your team. The more they see us the more they want us.
Marcus de Leon. Director-Writer. MA UCLA Film School. Film noir meets La Bamba $600,000 movie entitled KISS ME A KILLER for Roger Corman was my first film as a director. Wrote BAKERSFIELD (HBO/Cineville), wrote SHOOTERS for Tri-Star, wrote and directed THE BIG SQUEEZE for First Look Pictures. Things do take time. Obstacles in real world - the request for violence, more action. Music problem on BORDER RADIO, had to delete scene because of a rights problem. Try Capitol library for music, or public domain music. BULLETS OVER BROADWAY Allen's film can give first time filmmakers some insights into this business.
Kamala Lopez Dawson. Producer-Writer-Actor. Started acting professionally at the age of 7. Studied Yale Drama School. Starred in HBO's THE BURNING SEASON with Raul Julia
Frustrated as actor, decided to be filmmaker. Wrote film, a satire about Latin actress and a nutty director. Got filmends for 9 cents a foot. Went to Cannes with this short film, got into the market, got good publicity off the title I KILLED MY LESBIAN WIFE..., leveraged that to interest in U.S., sold the short and was able to pay actors, got literary agent, and then sold feature script MR. HAWAII for $750,000 to Mandalay. I have made mistakes. If editing on AVID make certain you have film composer so your video transfer to film will make sense. If going to shoot in LA, make sure not to choose a mountain-fire safety zone because you have to pay for fire marshalls. If you like a song and your friends are going to sing it, you can't use it unless you pay for it. Agents are indispensible for me - I know it's a lot of hype, but they give you credibility when you walk into a meeting.
Michele Satter. Director Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute. Been associated with Institute since 1981 and has been responsible for spearheading the Institute's international initiatives in Latin America and Europe.
Experienced the development and production of over 50-60 films getting made each year. All very very different. Perserverance is what paid off in most cases. Nothing comes easily, no project is easy to find $ or an audience. Sticking with a project is key. You have to really want to tell this story really badly on screen. Passion does make a difference and being able to accept rejection. Sundance focuses on writing which comes from personal vision. Make sure to submit your best possible version of a script. I optioned a novel three years ago, EVA LUNA by Isabelle Allende, and I plan to stay with project as long as necessary to get it developed and produced. The biggest issue in film world is distribution. Glut of product and not enough indie distributors, so times are tough. In terms of first features, producers are key, agents come after the film is released.
How does a filmmaker approach Sundance? Sundance supports broadest base of indie filmmaking. Interested in diversity, new voices, independent vision. Only thing we don't look at is material driven by a concept. Also interested in material which breaks genre form. EL NORTE was first film which came out of the lab. We are open, twice a year. November 15 is final date for submissions to writers and filmmakers lab. Selection is not a science, its subjective. We are going to begin a screenplay reading series in New York and Los Angeles. Trying to support projects and connect projects with producers. Proud to launch careers. Applications from office (310)394-4662. Not all money is good money. If financiers don't see movie the way you do, there can be trouble down the road. You need support for financiers for your vision. This is where lawyers are important and where you really need to be protected.
WJC wrap-up: A day of high energy at a well-organized and well produced conference. Panelists lively, honest and offering wisdoms which were well received by the audience.
