The BUSINESS of animation

Can an animator submit to more than one distributor?

Of course an animator can submit work to more than one distributor, however once a deal is signed, then the distributor usually has exclusive right to exploit the product in the agreed territories and markets. All other offers come off the table at that point.

For example, you can license cable TV and DVD rights in the US to one distributor, Theatrical rights to another, broadcast TV to a third, and internet rights to a fourth and keep the podcast rights for yourself to self-distribute. And then do it all over again for every country in which you have a market. Or you can sell all rights for all media for all markets to one comprehensive distributor (just be sure they can deliver).

Where can an animator 'sell' his work instead of waiting for royalties? Do distributors pay any upfront fee or advances?

When a distributor "buys" a work, any money an artist receives up front is usually described as a non-refundable royalty advance.

E.g., you create a 45-minute animated film and strike a deal with a DVD distributor. As part of your distribution agreement you receive a check for $50,000. Lets say that you agreed to a royalty rate of 25% of gross receipts less distribution expenses plus P&A.
If the DVD wholesales at $8, and cost $2 to make and the marketing campaign cost $40,000, the breakeven point is 60,000 units sold. After this point, you would earn $1.50 per unit sold, assuming unchanging production cost and no additional marketing dollars spent (unlikely, but it keeps the discussion simple).

If the DVD sells, 5,000 units and no more, then you keep the $50,000. You don't have to return it, it's yours. Your distributor would have lost $60,000 in this deal ($50K to you + $10K printing + $40K promotion - $40K revenue).

This distributor might pass on your next project.

If you are "selling" your animation as a pitch for a series, or to expand into a feature-length movie, then pitching to a Production Company may make sense.

Otherwise, you want to pitch to a distributor to sell your animation short. Again with short-form product, the market is somewhat limited. It does depend on you audience, the quality of the product, etc. You'll be in competition with other short-form products although there are specialized markets for animation.

I ran across an excellent list companies that license short film & animation for theatrical programs, microcinema, and interstitial cable TV content. I'll try to re-trace my world wide web steps and see if I can find the site again.

Regards,
Andrew

If you do not register the copyright, you have no protection.
Forget about all that BS about the infamous "poor man's copyright"--by mailing a registered mail parcel to yourself with the material sealed inside--that's a myth.
Anyone can forge the stampings and markings on the envelope, thus it has no protective value.
Only way to guarantee the copyright is via registration with an official office.
Its worth the time and money.

The censor board stuff is necessary if you are going to use commerical broadcast transmissions; tv/cable networks. Broadcasting via internet has no such strictures, but its limits your content to as it is. If you get enough interest and it becomes a hot enough property to transition from internet to other media, then you'll have to undergo that process then
But for strictly internet, you have no strictures unless they are imposed by some national legislation.

With distributors, you can probably cut whatever deal they'll agree to. Its like any business arrangement. Both parties seek an outcome, if both are interested and both want that outcome to favour themselves. Otherwise one or both will walk away from the table. Seek out a entertainment lawyer to assist in this because they will likely have the experience in these kinds of negotiations. They can tell you if your idea is looney or savvy.

And don't consider this to be the ONLY source you have accessible to you. It might be the only source that's supplied answers thus far.
Rest assured there's plenty of info sources out there.
Consider searching for Animation consultants on the web etc. Such people do exist out there.

read:

Animation Business Handbook
Your Career in Animation

Good luck!

Two excellent books 'Moose.

I'd also recommend reading the latest Graphic Artist's Guild handbook and doing a little legwork: talking to an entertainment lawyer to ensure that your rights and intellectual property are protected.

If you do not register the copyright, you have no protection. Forget about all that BS about the infamous "poor man's copyright"--by mailing a registered mail parcel to yourself with the material sealed inside--that's a myth. Anyone can forge the stampings and markings on the envelope, thus it has no protective value. Only way to guarantee the copyright is via registration with an official office. Its worth the time and money.

I'll reiterate this. In the USA, the "Copyright Office" doesn't grant a copyright, it _registers_ YOUR copyright. That is it sets a start date for your claim on your original material. You still need to defend it in court, but with a properly registered copyright, the burden of proof falls to the other party. It's also very inexpensive, like less than $50.00.

With distributors, you can probably cut whatever deal they'll agree to. Its like any business arrangement. Both parties seek an outcome, if both are interested and both want that outcome to favour themselves.

RE: Distributors. - "Everything is a negotiation." It's a contract allowing another entity to exploit (i.e. make money from) your intellectual property, hard work, and prior investment.

The deal you are making with a distributor is this, "I think that you can sell my film more profitably than I can. From the revenues that you can generate, keep an amount equal to your expenses plus a percentage of the profit."

The distributor side of the deal is, "I think you can create marketable product more efficiently than I can. I will pay you a royalty for the right to reproduce and sell your product. I recognize that you have made a considerable investment so far and I may give you a non-refundable advance on royalties because I believe that I will recoup that advance quickly."

Hi, I couldn't for the life of me remember the site I visited that had a big list of short film buyers. Next time I'll bookmark.

As a consolation prize I saw this article.

It may help.

-Andrew