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Buried was the group’s most high-profile deal to come out of Sundance 2010
many ways, not only in identifying value but also by being more innovative on the finance strategy of the film for the producer.” Klubeck points to a new breed of financier,
mainly high-net-worth individuals. “We seem to be discovering new people every time we go out with a project,” he says, adding that UTA introduced Wes Anderson to entrepreneur and Indian Paintbrush founder Steven Rales, who is now financing his third Anderson film, Moon- rise Kingdom. Now, more than ever, the name of the game
is assembling quality product at a price and ensuring that the creative collaborators know what to expect. “The market’s back,” Klubeck says. “The
important thing is that we’re very current on the trend and guide film-makers on what they’ll need to do to get the film made. We bring them into the numbers and the market dynamics, and when we ultimately arrive at a budget they understand exactly why that level was reached. That’s important for their comfort in making the film and confidence that they’re still making the film they set out to make.” “There’s no easy money any more,” Ronson
notes. “That’s not to say funds won’t be put together again. There seems to be less immedi- ate interest right now with slate deals, and [financiers are] experimenting more with one- offs. I think that will change, but only because they’re making smarter moves on the initial investments.”
Renewed hunger Both Ronson and Klubeck point out that the wide range of buyers at the last few North American festivals indicates a renewed hunger for product, and that the studios have also been on the prowl to fill their vast international pipe- lines. “IFC, Magnolia and SPC had clear sailing two years ago,” Klubeck says. “This year at Sun- dance the buying pool was much deeper, with the Weinsteins making major acquisitions,
UTA secured a deal with Paramount for Like Crazy at Sundance 2011
Paramount back in buying with its partner, Indian Paintbrush, Summit pursuing more movies than [it has done] historically and Searchlight active after a quiet Toronto.” Deal-making with buyers has evolved, too, as
acquisitions executives make more p&a com- mitments than they did in the past in the fight to get titles in an increasingly aggressive mar- ket. Agents need to understand the value of marketing potential in all areas. “It’s no longer just about an MG and some
back-end,” is how Ronson puts it. As the industry looks to the ever-shifting dis-
tribution landscape and the gradual erosion of the notion of theatrical primacy, Klubeck acknowledges the challenges. “The issue with VoD we all contend with is
the degree to which it restricts the theatres you can play in,” he suggests. “If you have a VoD premiere, you are now outside the main theatre
n 44 Screen International at the Cannes Film Festival May 13, 2011
‘The market’s back. The important thing is that we’re on trend and guide film-makers on what they need to do to get the
film made’ Rich Klubeck, UTA
chains and you’re now only going to play in cer- tain chains. VoD can be a positive thing for the economic life and profile of certain films, but there’s a trade-off. The trickier thing is valuing digital distribution. That’s what people are try- ing to figure out — how much you can generate if you premiere your movie digitally.” Cannes, for the team, is about relationships.
“We’ll have significant sales titles, but it’s equally about meeting film-makers,” Klubeck says. “Cannes is where our team spreads out and covers all bases, because it’s where we can identify new film-makers and talent, and where we meet and stay current with our buyers over- seas.” “We have an average of 10 meetings a day
where we find out what’s working, what’s not, what people are looking for and hopefully fig- ure out ways to marry great projects with finan- ciers and distributors.” n
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