Aggregator or Distributor? That is the Question…
By Phil Autelitano
This one will be short and sweet, I promise. If I had $1 for every filmmaker who contacted me with a film for distribution last week alone, I’d have at least $250 in my pocket right now, but I don’t. If was an aggregator however, I would.
It amazes me how many filmmakers shoot first then figure out distribution later. Ugh! They blow their whole was filming and once their project is complete, they’re scrambling to figure out how to distribute it. They quickly discover that getting their film to Netflix or Hulu or Amazon or anywhere else requires an aggregator or distributor.
An aggregator is great, they have the “connections” to get your film distributed to the platforms you desire, but all of that comes at a cost. A thousand here, a thousand there, five hundred here, another five hundred there, and your film is (hopefully) where you want it to be — although there are no guarantees, despite having paid them, in most cases.
A bona fide distributor on the other hand is a company with all the same connections that takes a genuine interest in representing your film. Good luck there as unless your film has some clout behind it, it’s going to be tough finding one willing to invest in it.
