Development
You have an idea or a script and don't know where to start. Jeff covers script analysis, budgeting, and the question most first-timers skip: who the film's core audience is, and how the film will reach them.
Development in detailIndie film consulting with Jeff Deverett
Indie Film Consultant
Jeff Deverett is an independent film consultant. He spent 35 years on the business side of the film industry, buying and selling more than 500 independent films, and has financed and produced nine features of his own, three of which Netflix picked up for worldwide release. Indie filmmakers book him one on one, on Zoom, for straight answers about developing, financing and distributing a film.
500+ films bought and sold/35 years in distribution/9 features produced/3 picked up by Netflix
The short answer
What Does a Film Consultant Do?
A film consultant is an experienced industry professional who advises independent filmmakers on the business side of making a movie: development, budgeting, financing, distribution and marketing. Filmmakers usually book a consultant by the hour, bring a specific problem or document, and leave with a plan. You keep control of your film. The consultant's job is to tell you what works, what it costs and what to avoid.
Indie film consulting with Jeff follows a film through the three stages it actually moves through.
Financing
Your film is developed and now you need the money. Most indie films are financed by high-net-worth private investors. Jeff covers how to reach them, the investor pitch deck they expect, equity or debt, revenue forecasts and film tax credits.
Financing in detailDistribution
Your film is finished and now it has to sell. Jeff has negotiated hundreds of indie film deals. He covers distributors, sales agents and aggregators, what a fair offer looks like, the terms buried in the contract, and self-distribution if no fair deal comes.
Distribution in detailIn the session
What a Film Consultation Covers
Every film consultation is one-on-one with Jeff Deverett on Zoom, for 30 or 60 minutes. Filmmakers most often ask about financing, distribution, budgeting and legal questions, but you can ask about anything related to your project. These are the things people bring most often:
- A script in development, and whether it can be financed
- A budget, checked line by line before investors see it
- An investor pitch deck, before it goes out
- A distribution or sales agent offer, before you sign it
- Which film tax credits the project qualifies for
- A self-distribution plan: which platforms, and how to market the film
Bring the real document. For a 60-minute session, reply to your confirmation email with materials beforehand and Jeff will have read them before you meet.
Pricing
How Much Does a Film Consultation Cost?
Enough time for one real problem. Most people bring a script they're developing, a financing question, or a distribution offer they're unsure about, and leave knowing what to do next.
Room to work through the whole picture: a budget, a pitch deck, or a distribution agreement, read closely and talked through line by line.
Payment is taken when you choose your time. If you want the work done for you, such as a budget, an investor pitch deck, a distribution and marketing plan or a negotiated distribution deal, start with a 30-minute consultation and Jeff will quote it.
Experience
Why Filmmakers Hire Jeff
Jeff has been on both sides of the deal: 35 years buying and selling films as a distributor, then financing and producing his own.
- DistributionVP of sales for Astral Media and HIT Entertainment. Founded KaBOOM! Entertainment, which was sold to eOne. More than 500 indie films bought and sold worldwide.
- ProducerNine feature films financed and produced. Full Out, Kiss & Cry and Full Out 2 were acquired by Netflix worldwide. IMDb
- TeacherProfessor at San Diego State University, Film and TV Department. Lecturer at UCLA Extension.
- EducationLaw degree with an intellectual property emphasis, Osgoode Hall Law School. Finance and economics, University of Toronto.
- PodcasterIndie Filmmaking: Truth & Reality
- InterviewsWhy Filmmakers Get Ripped Off, Film Courage
- ReferencesWikipediaAbout Jeff
In their words
What Filmmakers Say
“Without Jeff's guidance and mentorship, I wouldn't have had the confidence to raise the money for our film, shoot our film and ultimately sell it. He is knowledgeable, kind and an honest guy, I cannot recommend him enough.”
“Somewhere during the talk Jeff made a small comment which made us think: why would the distributor give us two different company names? We started looking into it and within hours found a waterfall of comments, podcasts & articles about how predatory this distributor actually was. We feel like we just dodged a bullet.”
Straight answers
Hiring a Film Consultant
How much does a film consultant cost?
Film consultants usually charge by the hour or by the project. A one-on-one film consultation with Jeff Deverett is $150 for 30 minutes or $250 for 60 minutes, on Zoom. Bigger jobs, such as a budget, an investor pitch deck or a distribution and marketing plan, are quoted separately after a 30-minute consultation.
When should you hire a film consultant?
Before money or signatures are on the line: before you lock the budget, before you pitch investors, and before you sign with a distributor or sales agent. Distribution planning should start in development, before the script is written, because a film's core audience decides how it can be sold.
What is the difference between a film consultant and a sales agent?
A sales agent sells your film's rights to distributors and is usually paid a commission plus expenses out of the film's revenue. A film consultant advises you and is paid a fee for that advice. A consultation with Jeff Deverett is a flat fee for advice, not a cut of your film.
Can a film consultant review my distribution contract?
Yes. Jeff Deverett has a law degree with an intellectual property emphasis and has negotiated hundreds of indie film distribution deals. In a 60-minute consultation he goes through the agreement with you line by line and points out the terms that cost filmmakers money. If you want the deal negotiated for you, he will quote it after a 30-minute consultation.
Does Jeff work with first-time filmmakers?
Yes. Most of the filmmakers Jeff Deverett advises are independent producers and writer-directors on a first or second feature. Some have a script and no money, some have a finished film and no idea who buys it.
Where do film consultations take place?
On Zoom, so filmmakers book from anywhere in the world. You pick the date and time when you book, payment is taken then, and your calendar invite and Zoom link arrive by email.
Get a Straight Answer About Your Film
Thirty or sixty minutes, one-on-one with Jeff, on Zoom.