5 Cons Filmmakers Fall For

I have published various nuances and variations oif this article sinve I started Raindance in 1993, and always hope I never ever have to publish it again. But facts serve me differently.

 Filmmakers and screenwriters can be easy pickings for an alarmingly great number of fraudsters. With fragile egos, newbies are ripe targets for fraudsters preying on the hopes and dreams of new and naive filmmakers and screenwriters

My point is, there ar not shortcuts in film (or in life for that matter). These low-lifes pretend to know how to take you to the top via Easy Street.

Have a look out for these 5 favourite cons, and make sure you stay well clear of them. They are always easy to spot. The perpetrators of these frauds are always cocky, smarmy and insincere.

1. The So Called Festival Consultant

Raindance Film Festival

Who would ever think that you, a filmmaker, needs to employ someone to take you around to film festivals. You’ll be told that they have the necessary inside connections to get your film in, but at the end of the day, quality shows – if you’ve made a good film, it will get screened. If you think your film needs a consultant to get it in, and you’ve the money to spend on one – well, maybe it’s not such a great film (and why didn’t the money go into production?)

The Gambit: The festival consultant hangs out at a few film festivals, socialises and networks, prints up a business card and then opens up shop waiting for a naive newbie with money to wander past. They spring out, pouring hyperbole on the filmmaker’s work, and pretend to be well connected. They then promise a festival strategy which will virtually guarantee a filmmaker success, with the vague (and totally fake) promise of a distribution deal, and often an Oscar nod.

Another variation of this gambit is to hodwink a couple of film organisations into thinking you have a valid service and convince them to promote their services in a vain attempt to get publicity. Beware.

The End Result

After weeks or months of fruitless representation, and after lifting money from the filmmaker, the phoney consultant blames fickle festival programming policies for their failure to deliver.

Cut the grain from the chaff:

There are some really great producer’s reps and festival consultants out there. They have years of experience, and their CV’s and business cards are filled with testimonials from satisfied filmmakers and festival programmers. They specialise in the major film festivals like Sundance, Cannes, Raindance and Toronto. Don’t get stuck with an amateur. Check their credentials. Speak to past or existing clients. Call festivals to verify credentials – if they’ve worked with them before they’ll be happy to recommend them."

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