Why No One Wants To Invest In Your Movie - Jeff Deverett
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- Jeff Deverett is a producer, director, writer, and actor known for Full Out 2: You Got This! (2020), ism (2019), The Samuel Project (2018), Kiss & Cry (2017), Full Out (2015), King of the Camp (2008) and My Brother's Keeper (2004). Jeff's successful film and TV career began with distribution with New World Entertainment, Astral Communications, Anchor Bay Entertainment and his own company, Deverett Media Group. In this Film Courage video interview he talks about how to make a profitable movie and briefly touches on AFM [American Film Market], MIPCOM and MIPTV media markets.
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This guy seems very professional and compassionate. I cannot help but comment my appreciation for him wanting to help other aspiring film makers when others don't even allow some to go through the doors. Thank You for sharing this priceless knowledge and insight into the industry.
Yes. He starts from the bottom line.
Yes but he's not being completely honest. He contradicts himself about how he goes about getting distribution and getting investors. Listen carefully. And certain questions he doesn't answer with a real answer because he wants you to hire him to do that for you. If he tells you how he does it, you become his competitor.
No one who has a business, a skill, or a product is going to be “completely honest” about what the secret of their success. Come on man. Lol
Being a doctor myself, I think he makes a great point about mentoring. A good supervisor can make your learning progress go 10x faster. It's hard to be left in the cold and figure everything out by yourself.
By the way, it's not about asking someone to hold your hand, it's about speeding up your progress by learning from predecessors, and having them point out your mistakes.
Hell, that's what this whole channel is about!! You guys are a huge mentor to me
Great comment Jeroen, thank you for posting!
Not necessarily speeding up but simply not slowing down
@@bluezy710Can you do me a favor, take your finger on your scroll pad, or mobile device and click on the unsubscribe button slowly. And forever hold your peace.
Because its a-little hard to hear your message when you keep fighting to be correct or get the last word. You are coming off like a negative Nancy, when this channel and this video is focused on collective learning. #PSAOver
There's literally zero downside to the mentoring concept. It's not about saving lives, it's about preserving integrity, fostering best practices, and keeping people from getting ripped off and/or becoming so jaded that their creativity is stunted.
I didn’t listen to FILM COURAGE in 3-6 months THIS VIDEO NOT ONLY BROUGHT ME BACC but it got me TYPING & WRITING AGAIN 😁
Another classic from Jeff - I could listen to this guy talk all day - wonderful stuff!
Fantastic, glad you had time to check this one out. We think it is one of Jeff's best segments in a great multi-hour interview. The interview will be it's own masterclass when completed.
Haha, same! He gives me confidence in an area of the industry that I have no idea about.
Finally someone is sharing about the business of show business not just the show.
“Don’t bother going to an investor until you work out the distribution & revenue plan”.
Classical entreprenur advice - the investors doesn't care about art; they care about money.
So talk money.
@@andershjsted2989 A reliable 15% ROI over 2 Years IS Art.. Investors perform too- respect their Game, and respect the rules of that Game. Finding reliable Investments that returns a high ROI over a reasonable timeframe is difficult and an Art in and of itself.
He is not giving advice on the film industry only. He's giving advice on how to make business, and I personally think it's a very wise and well "oiled" advice. Happy to learn from him!
5 mins in and it's already a GEM 🙌
what i've taken from every video i've watched on this channel is to have connects that support you(usually financially) because it's impossible to do it alone. All the ideas, hard work, techniques and writing don't matter unless someone puts you under their wing with dollars to match.
Sure it’s hard to make progress without a network, but it’s not impossible
Hollywood’s infested with rich kids and nepotism, but at the end of the day, if you can outline something profitable then someone might be willing to finance it. And plenty of indie script competitions and festivals out there don’t need a reference for you to enter into them
Plus it’s not like 100% of Hollywood is sociopathic, either. My screenwriting professor was an established writer and journalist who still handed out industry secrets to us random students every week, probably because he was just exhausted by the muck and wanted to feel human again lmao
Jeff & the interviewer need to pitch a masterclass for Netflix.
we don't need to tell our T to all and sundry. a mssterclass here would be just fine
Love this channel. On the topic of "hand holding" though I feel that Jeff is right. Art is as necessary as Medicine, and in some cases acts like medicine for the soul, so ideally a little more "hand holding" would increase know how, confidence & ultimately success. Plus save people a ton of our most precious commodity.....time! Learning the hard way is possible but it's the least ideal way to learn and it hurts more people than it helps because sure, you eventually get the lesson, but you tend to resent the teacher.
True. Too many think that even a "little help" is too extreme, like the pendulum has swung so far one way that they need to retreat to the "hard knocks" argument which lands the those in need back at square 1 which only promises folks getting screwed some more without any mediation. And nowadays I think that currency of hand holding - or - apprenticeship/patronage suddenly rings even more loudly not just as a novel alternative but a necessity.
- take care, slainte chugat
So much practical wisdom!
I found the “devil’s advocate” questioning of mentorship at the end a little odd. The film world is built on apprenticeship in many places. Also, learning faster in no way spoils a person! And you learn faster working with someone more learned.
Otherwise, her questions are fantastic. She always gets at things you want to know, as a Filmmaker.
Great video.
I said the same thing. Very strange of her
Yeah, I think what she was trying to get at is the difference between someone who is lazy and wants someone to do it for them as opposed to the one who will actually put in the work. Some people expect mentors to do all the work not realizing that they need to fully bring themselves to the table. I think Jeff was automatically making the assumption that you are working with the latter and not the former.
@@ilm_seeker Ah ok.
First, thanks for the early access! This is a great interview with Jeff. No nonsense albeit wild to burn the candles at both ends. I appreciate these industry interviews because it gives us the scoop on the ROI that drives the business. It's something I do keep in mind as a screenwriter. Jeff delivers in another great interview (plus great questions!).
Thank you for watching and the early feedback. Great to see your interest in this one as a screenwriter. We think this is one of Jeff's better segments and look forward to sharing it with more people next week. Cheers!
This along with the video on distribution from the same guy is one of the best that Film Courage has ever done. I am a VC and have already forwarded this to a startup team that is involved in high-tech manufacturing .
While a filmmaker may not be opening up somebody's aorta, or switching out a piping system, filmmaking is still a business, and that business and its representatives are responsible for the livelihood of all involved. Because of this, I absolutely see his point about newbie filmmakers being paired up with someone experienced right out of the gate. It may not be as humanly vital as other industries where apprenticeship's are expected (if not mandatory), but that realization doesn't negate its value and necessity in having.
If I had known any of this info 30 years ago it would have helped tremendously...Thank you Film Courage and experts for doing these interviews. :)
The Voice Of Reason, To Balance Out The Essential Passion Of The Art. He does, in a round about way, say that you'll need to embellish the truth to all essential parties to encourage them to all meet in the middle. It's Optimistic Deception, or ACTING.
I can't express enough how good the questions are.
I really love him being so straightforward.
I'm feeling so inspired right now!
Thanks Graham, we appreciate your support. Hope you can put this into practice.
Excellent insight, Thanks Jeff! He hit the nail right on the head. Keep more of this kind of stuff coming. For your next video you folks should talk about how the SYSTEM works and how all these films get made from A to Z. If people understood the big picture I think that would go a long way.
Wow this is an important video bigger then just movies life lessons on how to do the dance 🕺 💃🏼
Investors don’t even want a script... sad but so true.
Why would they; I've produced a couple of films, just small shorts. But the only thing I was interested in was, can this film make money. That's 100% it. Nothing else.
They could say the same about you. If you are only interested in making art and paying for it yourself with nothing in return other than the art itself, any sensible investor would tell you that it’s just masturbation and sad. Try to look at thing from different perspectives. The world is big and complex. Investors want to turn their money into more money. Nothing sad about that.
@@viliamvacula8111 hit the nail on the head here
I would say "Filmmaker want's to be in the movie business doesn't want to know business. Sad but so true."
@@scottslotterbeck3796 so you are not a filmmaker. you are just a sales man
I've written the greatest script in the history of scripts its going to blow everyone away.
Good for you! 🤩
I really like Jeff. I like the way he bullet points key phrases in lists of "what to do" thanks for a great video.
Just got turned on to the channel, really enjoy the content. The insight seems to be invaluable.
These interviews are fantastic.
Exactly with the mentorship. The school system is corrupt and few teachers ever care about students. Many of my "digital media" professors had favorites and sabotaged projects and lacked knowledge of modern techniques and processes that are relevant in getting into the industry
This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.
Great to hear!
I'm learning so much here. Some facts also apply to other business areas. Thank you very much.
Very good, important,interview,one of your best and most informative.
Love is all we need. And distribution of course
this is awesome info! Even for other industries...
High value content!! Thank you!
Thanks Vinicius!
7:38 Truth. Great vid. This is why most filmmakers/artists fail. They start from the beginning and go to the end. But in reality, you must start at the end and work your way to the beginning. Or you will only be a hobby filmmaker/artist (like me). This is why TH-cam is a good platform for filmmakers to learn how to make films and make money. TH-cam is built on the concept of prioritizing distribution. The audience comes first, then the income. Attention must be acquired before major financing is acquired, because attention is the money. Once you have a sizeable audience following you, then you can start to get creative and make the movies that you want. It's a case of making nine movies for the audience, and one for yourself. TH-cam trains you how to think and act. It's kind of a poor man's mentor.
TH-cam is built on the concept of other people providing free content.
So helpful and inspiring, thank you Jeff.
Nice to see this one provide you value Kenny, cheers!
So good, thank you! How about a video about choosing between working with a sales agent and going directly to distributors....
This is some premium content 👏👏
Excellent show ! Thanks 😊
Very informative. Questions and the answers are absolutely spot on
Brilliant convo👌🏿
Amazing interview, thank you!
Thanks, we are glad this one found you!
He is positive and unflappable. And positive.
All the way, Great motivation and information . Invite him always.
We love this one. Jeff is great. When we finally publish this full interview it will be it's own masterclass.
Thank you for those videos !
interesting conversation Great work as always I think the helpful thing in this is just to look at your film as a business and how to relate to different types of people
Thanks for watching this one Jonathan!
@@filmcourage My Pleasure Thank you
Jeff Deverett is 100% correct and the interviewer is biased by "pick up your bootstraps" mythology. Most people are because of survivor bias. Apprenticeship/mentorship is ALWAYS the way to go. It doesn't matter that a doctor is opening an aorta. We choose the BEST form of training for doctors BECAUSE they are opening aortas. You can't mess around with the "pick up your boot straps" method when lives are on the line because it is INFERIOR. Only the BEST form of training will do. Otherwise what she's saying is, "We have to choose an INFERIOR method of training for doctors because it's too dangerous use a BETTER method." This doesn't make sense. Jeff Deverett is the man on this one. The interviewer is awesome because I love what Film Courage does but she's wrong and self contradictory here.
She always asks dumb questions and is actually quite awkward you can tell a lot of the people she interviews pick up on it too
Where do you get the information to make the forecast? That is an excellent question 🙋♂️!!
Great interview! ❤
Thanks!
Solid advice Jeff!
Excellent! Just shared this link with a pair of collaborators to form a better "Attack Plan" to get our current (and future projects going).
Love to hear it. Hope you can put this into practical use!
@@filmcourage Definitely. Thank you again, all of you at Film Courage.
How is this video helpful to you?
Extremely interesting Film Courage, as always.
I wanted to ask you if you know any book / course etc. that goes in-depth on the topic (economics of filmmaking and distribution). In other words how to learn about the key abilities Jeff describes here? (Especially now in the Covid-era. I remember the very interesting videos you did with Scott Kirkpatrick, but at the same time I wonder if those information are still up to date with the worldwide restrictions and the overall shift towards streaming).
Thank you for your excellent work.
Davide Baresi
Thanks Davide, we haven't done research on books on this topic. Funny you bring up Scott Kirkpatrick because last time we talked with him he was working on a book for distribution but hadn't finished it yet. Here it is - amzn.to/3auNq6e (affiliate link) We don't have any to recommendations but there may be related books that pique your interest.
Wow! This is what i needed. Thanks!
Hope you can put into practical use.
Beautiful.
I would love to have Steven Spielberg as a mentor.
Looks like hard and genuine guy.
Building a track record is the key. Start with a modest budget that will generate a good ROI and keep going 🎉
There is no guarantees on this business is kinda hard to build a track record in a unpredictable business
Roger Corman was the mentor for a bunch of directors in the 70s
How does he know how much revenue he will get by just talking to the distributor? Is there a formula to calculate the revenue? How do you determine the potential return of investment when you pitch to the investor? Is that estimated revenue information given by the distributor? This is what I want to know. Thanks a lot!
A distributor will tell you in most cases how much they are willing to pay for your content if you can get the right person on the phone or by email and you have all your ducks in a row. No real formula to it other than making sure you will be paid more than the movie was made for. Let your investors recoup, plus an agreed upon interest on their ROI and you guys split the rest 50/50 if possible.
@@JayCarver Thank you for your explanation. I really appreciate it. It really helps me a lot to understand the process. Can I have a follow-up question, please? Does the payment from the distribution company happen after the movie is shown in theatres? I'm thinking if the movie flops then I'd assume the losses will be shared by all parties - distribution co and the investor, and the production company. Am I right? Thanks for your time, Jay!
@@leonorrivera6379 no prob! In terms of payment this all comes down to the type of deal you have with the distributor, but generally speaking if you have a standard deal then you will sell the rights to the distributor, they will then hand you an agreement where it lays out how you two will split the profit AFTER they have recouped their marketing and advertising costs. At that moment you probably shouldn't hold your breath for any money because there are a million ways distributors can use "hollywood accounting techniques" to make sure they never actually recoup their investment. If you have a rare but honest distribution company then they will pay you quarterly in most cases. But generally speaking whatever you get as an advance is pretty much all you will see in terms of payment. So think long and hard if your deal does not include any type of advance money. If the movie flops then of course you will never see a dime as well. Whatever money exchanges hands it will be up to you to repay the investors, not the distributor. But when you get a chance google "Hollywood Accounting" to get an idea of how studios and distributors can make almost any movie "unprofitable".
@@JayCarver Thanks a lot! Wow, "Hollywood accounting" is a nasty way of defrauding producers and investors from getting money that they should get. So it means net profit participation is equal to nothing at all. I'm an accountant myself and used to be an auditor and yes, there are a hundred ways to make the bottom line a net loss. This makes me think that the advance money a production company should ask from the distributors should be "production costs plus desired profit", at least amount above the production cost, otherwise, how can you move on to the next project? Gotta make the investors happy and have that extra money to pursue the next project and continue to operate as a production company. From what I have googled, the keywords that should be in the contract are "gross receipts participation" and never based on the "net profit". I think I should learn how to self-distribute as well. Now I understand why Spielberg put up his own studio. Famous filmmakers refusing to get fixed compensation in order to get a percentage in the gross receipts. I've read somewhere there is also a term called adjusted gross receipts - I don't even know what that means. Thank you so much Jay for opening my eyes to the business side of making movies. I realize it's also important to be on top of everything in the process of making movies from writing to selling your final product - the movie. If I may add, I guess selling your work to streaming sites like Netflix is a surefire route to recoup the investment because Netflix can't say "oh i can't give you money bec your movie is a net loss" - there's no way of knowing that. The only advantage of a movie releasing in theatres is the unlimited gross receipts if your movie turns out to be a box ofc hit. Thanks again, Jay, for sharing your knowledge!
Everyone needs a mentor! You had one. Don’t forget that lady lol
I like his residency idea. When you're dealing with other people's money making a film, you better grab a hand! 😂😂😂
Big difference between mentoring and handholding. If I had gone to film school, I would expect to be given access to a network of alumni who are working in the industry at least one of which would see me as a mentee. Why else would i go to film school? Anyone can make a bad movie and put it in front of a small audience. How many of the best filmmakers ever graduated from film school? But mentoring? Almost everyone in the industry gets that except indie filmmakers. Set dressers, grips and makeup artists all receive mentoring or they don't stick around.
Jeff for President.
Excellent.
Thanks so much!
Knows exactly what he's talking about.
We have a string of ideas they're called intellectual properties and some are in packaging phase all are still in Development. Ooohhh investors! We've got something for you...
Does Jeff make time for meetings in New Jersey? For business of course. Like to kibitz with him about several deals specifically for Distribution.
A filmmaker can mess things up, for their investors, their family, their cast & crew, etc.
A very informative video. Thanks!
We appreciate it. Glad this one found you.
Wow...... ❤
If you must have a mentor? Only the best in the business will do. If Hitch, George Stevens Jr., George Pal, or Stanley Kubrick were still alive? I'd want them to mentor me.
Film courage, how do you find investors to pitch to?
I cannot imagine any distributor saying this in an email.
One element he did not elaborate on is his blackbook of investors he has. The list. We really need to hear that.
you wont you need to build your own personal one .because even if you had his they would most likely only relate to him because he is a known commodity to them.
Animator post-graduation 4 year residency... interesting concept.
- getting distributor
- getting investors
Interesting. Need to listen more
Yes, it's the business end of film making . If you can't do it, find a partner who can " talk the talk"
I wish I had a mentor. I'm a 21 year old college student. A little help would definitely come in handy.
Learn everything you can about business. Watch a millions videos on the art of negotiating. There you go.
@@NotAnnaJones I know that's what I've been doing. Since, no one can help me all I can do is help me. I'll be alright. Just taking baby steps.
You only need one thing to have a business: customers willing to pay you. Focus on your audience and half the job is done.
14:33 great idea. Let's do it.
My parents invested in Disney films 15 years agoml. It was a pure investment, with tax advantages, all spelled out. Those were large films, obviously. They did well.
Wild that they had that opportunity. Imagine seeing that pitch. Great lessons on the movie business there.
Provide a list of Investors. I know they can be and prefer to be, elusive, often for privacy but let's have a list please?
Ha ha hah!
Mentors, Senseis, Gurus, Rabbis, Guides--all are archetypes of the Teacher. One cannot not grow properly without the Teacher. Learning and acquiring experience is the individual's responsibility. Without the Guide to "spot" and critique, the rough stone cannot be made smooth.
It is ironic that you question the need for mentoring when the very purpose of this channel (and thank God for that) is to show that without MENTORING, becoming an effective storyteller is impossible.
How do you get in front of an investor?
Hi James, here's one answer - th-cam.com/video/3ADgrqi_-d4/w-d-xo.html If you would like a deeper dive here are two playlists - bit.ly/3T1XB7M & bit.ly/3A8ksWw
How do we find distributors that can offer us these projected sales and details? And how much does something like that cost?
There is the missing piece isn’t it? He knows how to do the projections and we don’t, so how do we start the parallel “dance”?
This is also happening in video games industry too right?
He’s right tho! In an artesian craft, traditionally there is a minimum 3 years of working under a mentor. Journeymen, crafts people, doctors. Honestly, interning is _not_ about handholding; it’s about learning and practicing a craft efficiently and with the utmost skill. We’ve lost the connection with the value of learning something, *anything* proper. Especially since the downfall of the industrial revolution. Just my two cents.
I like his apprenticeship idea but the problem is there is no incentive for a pro to help along a new filmmaker who may one day become their competition.
Entire industries in entire countries corrode due to this
Ok, so can we see a video of a fake, but otherwise, realistic negotiating session between Jeff and knowledgeable actors acting the part of a distributor ?
This reminds me of shark tank!
He's produced more than 10 films, so...
Great interview. 100% agree with Karen's rebuttal about mentoring and too much hand holding. There can be a balance but it's the journey and mistakes you make along the way where you gain the real experience and knowledge.
Thanks Jay, appreciate the comment and you taking the time to watch this one.
@@filmcourage you're welcome. Keep up the great work! Love the topics on distribution, investors, etc :)
You definitely found the right one here with Jeff Deverett. This is the deepest we have gone on this topic.
Yes, mentors are a great way but unfortunately apprenticeship is no longer happening in Cinema these days. Francis Ford Coppola was a mentor to George Lucas. Roger Corman was a mentor to countless filmmakers although he wasn't always there one-on-one for them, Jim Cameron is one Roger mentored.
Does Jeff mentor?
There are many reasons why young movie makers won't have mentors.
Jeff, will you mentor me?
What is an R.O.Y. ?
Maybe R.O.I.? Return on investment?
"I don't dance".
Great interview until she disagreed with him towards the end 😂
It got very weird and off-putting. Jeff was making a great point about mentorship.
If you are nothing without this mentor then you shouldn't have it? I didn't like that either. Then why are you making this video?
But he avoided answering the question about forecasts, which was a great one. The interview was great but I was disappointed by his answer here. I agree that mentoring can be great, but he could have answered that question in a more helpful (to others) way (I got the impression he was trying to pitch his services…)
16:26 Damn Karen, that's an excellent question and Jeff knows it as well