| The
Cannes Film Festival is the most famous of all the film festivals.
For the newcomer, the festival and market atmosphere at Cannes can
and often does more resemble a circus than the single most important
annual international conflux of major stars, directors, international
sales agents, bank executives and film business entrepreneurs. For
the experienced Cannes attendee, however, the frenzied environment
is more likely to produce an adrenaline rush than an anxiety attack.
Consider using and/or modifying a number of these techniques to
navigate other film festivals as well.
1.
The Pinball Method
Perhaps
the whole point of your Cannes trip is the sheer number of face-to-face
business opportunities you can create. The market and festival offer
such a range of companies, dealmakers and personalities that a well-planned
and executed Cannes stay can benefit your operations for years to
come. For the budding dealmaker there are two basic philosophies
when trying to make the most out of your trip. The first is “the
pinball method,” which means allowing yourself to roll with
the action by putting yourself in places -- be it the MTV party,
marching the steps of the Palais at the hot premiere, taking drinks
at the bar at the Majestic, moving through the crowded halls of
the Carlton Hotel and its many sales offices, dining on bouillabaisse
at Tatou while people-watching, belting out a Karaoke tune at 4:00
am at La Chunga, or perhaps mixing with dignitaries at the Toronto
Film Festival beach party -- where at each venue you will literally
bump into the people that you need to get to know or catch up with.
Remember though, Cannes is a marathon, so pace yourself.
2.
The Mohammed Method
A
second approach -- allowing “the mountain to come to Mohammed,”
if you will -- has been perfected by Cannes veterans like Buckley
Norris and Brian Kingman of AON/Albert G. Rubin Insurance, and literally
consists of taking a table at the Majestic Hotel bar, across the
street from the Palais out on the patio, and simply sitting there...all
day long and well into the evening. Eventually, every person who
you want to meet, you want to do business with, or who you want
to catch up with, is going to pass through the Majestic Bar, and,
if you’ve set the stage properly, will sit down at your table.
Of course, the bottles of Perrier, the chilled champagne, the playing
cards, the backgammon board, and a recognizable bevy of attractive
performers, associates or executives help reel in future business
contacts.
3.
Have A Plan
As
glamorously casual as Cannes may seem to an outsider, the successful
insiders always go into each year’s session with a set strategy
in place. Always have a plan. It certainly helps to make a list
(and if possible, prior to Cannes to set meetings with) -- the appropriate
sales companies, the producers, the actors, the directors, the distributors,
the bankers, the financiers, and the insurance guarantors that you
need to meet to make your project a reality.
4.
Put It In Writing, But Be Brief
Further
to this goal, and regardless of what you’re pushing, have
something in writing. Make it short, make it smart, and whatever
you do, do not bring a treeload of scripts or a boxload of tapes
of your completed film to hand out at Cannes: nobody wants to take
it, nobody wants to carry it, nobody has time to read it or view
it, and nobody wants to have to pack it in their luggage when they
pack up to leave. Instead, be prepared to pitch your project or
completed film on the spot and hand somebody one or two pages with
the critical information (synopsis, attachments, estimated budget
or glossy one-sheet with artwork of your completed film and the
like) clearly presented. Then follow up with a script or tape stateside.
Nevertheless, if you do have a trailer, some sales agents or distributors
will take the time to watch (but not carry back) a 2 or 3 minute
trailer of your completed film
5.
Remember: Sellers Are There To Sell
The
international sales agents at Cannes are there to sell movies to
buyers, not look for new projects, and unless the company has a
special acquisitions department, they usually don’t have the
time or the focus to hear pitches until very late in the market
when the key foreign buyers have left, perhaps during free time
at the end of the day, or early in the day. Don’t pester sales
agents for meetings to pitch a project or completed film. Instead,
be flexible, and take a meeting when you can get one. Nevertheless,
make sure you follow up with them at after Cannes.
6.
The Pavilions: Where To Meet & Greet (And Rest Your Feet)
Of
course, to pitch and to meet, a newcomer needs to know where the
action is in the first place. We recommend spending time at the
American Pavilion, the German Pavilion, and the various European
Pavilions, and taking the opportunity to meet other filmmakers,
directors, writers, producers and the key international dealmakers
who are becoming more and more a force in the independent world.
You’ll also run into agents, managers, lawyers -- they’re
all there. The Pavilion circuit runs numerous panels on everything
from film financing, to the a roundtable of French directors, to
digital filmmaking techniques and a one-on-one conversation between
Roger Ebert and Harvey Weinstein. With non-stop events, the luminaries
who attend Pavilion programs run the gamut. The other advantage
to the Pavilions is their status as the office away from home for
so many Cannes attendees. Of course, you’ll want to take full
advantage (for a nominal fee at the American Pavilion) of the meeting
tables, computers, mailboxes, Internet access, telephone services,
fax machines and other business services which may prove essential
when a deal pops up out of nowhere and requires immediate action.
It also doesn’t hurt that at the American Pavilion the Starbucks,
Seattle’s Best or Peet’s Coffee (or whoever is the sponsor
for that particular year) -- and accompanying insider chit chat
-- is top drawer. The availability of the trade papers and the L.A.
and New York Times and a constant stream of information also distinguishes
the American Pavilion: keeping connected to what’s going on
both at the Festival and in the business in general is the key to
Cannes.
7.
Casual And Comfortable
And
while we’re on the subject of Cannes essentials, here’s
a note on attire: make sure you have great (comfortable) walking
shoes or sneakers for that matter. Cannes may be the one place on
earth where everybody still walks everywhere, and, obviously, footwear
becomes important. Dress in casual clothes, except for the evening
premieres and official black tie dinners, and make sure you bring
a tuxedo or gown that actually fits comfortably. Don’t wait
until you get to Cannes to try it on. The shops on the Rivera are
tres cher.
As
a side note, make sure you make friends with the concierge at the
Majestic Hotel and tip him often. The Majestic is right across the
street from the Palais and you will inevitably have your briefcase,
your handbag, your dress shoes, your marketing materials, or something
that you may want to leave at the concierge’s desk. You definitely
don’t want to be walking up the red carpet of the Palais with
a bulky suitcase. The gendarmes will embarrassingly refuse to let
you enter in front of all the paparazzi and TV cameras.
8.
The Hotel Du Cap
A
trip to Cannes is not complete without several stops at the Hotel
Du Cap, but bring plenty of cash, as they accept no credit cards.
Be sure to schedule and make reservations for lunches and late night
rendezvous at the “Du Cap.” This is where the major
players play. The A-level industry movers, be they producers, directors,
stars, executives, bankers, or sales agents are all there. Make
friends with the Du Cap’s Maitre D’ and tip him generously
so that you are given that strategically placed sunny table when
you want to be in the sun next to this year’s hot director
and a shady table when you want to be in the shade near the starlet
who is protecting her complexion.
Cannes
in general and the Du Cap in particular follow “European Time,”
with the serious action starting at Midnight and continuing until
4 am or 5 am each morning. Even deep into the night, it has become
increasingly difficult to gain access to the Du Cap bar. A new technique
is to arrive early for dinner and spend the entire evening once
you’ve gained access. When you run into a connected colleague,
it’s always a good idea to have him put you on the bar’s
invited guest list, or in the alternative, bring enough francs to
“tip” the gendarme at the gate.
9.
Make Friends With A Publicist
Cannes
being a world most visibly driven by hype and heat, it is the Cannes
publicists who rule the Festival, control the A-level events, the
private black-tie dinners, the guest lists and the other hot tickets.
While there is usually a lot of pressure on these hard-working professionals
to find tickets and place settings for unexpected additions to the
entourage, sometimes they really do have extras. Be particularly
nice to any publicists you meet and you might get lucky.
10.
Bring Your Entertainment Lawyer
Wherever
you go, add one more important party to your entourage. Always make
sure your entertainment lawyer is at your side at all times. In
addition to the key business contacts and introductions that your
entertainment lawyer is likely to furnish, negotiations at Cannes
tend to take place everywhere, and you never know when that napkin
will become a deal memo, and you don’t want that ink to smear.
Enjoy Cannes and make it a successful and profitable trip for your
career.
...Read
More Excerpts from the Book
|
