Page 52 - AVN February 2016

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WORK IN PROGRESS | |By J.C. Adams
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How to Make ‘Seed Money’ Grow
Filmmaker explores traditional distribution vs. build-it-yourself model
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iTunes and Apple takes their share and then you split
the rest with your distributor, it’s a good deal (only)
if the distributor is going to bring a lot of audience
to you.”
Stabile realized his five-year hustle to finance Seed
Money, which overlapped his established career in
adult, already provided him with the tools he needs.
“I had a distributor who was really interested in
bringing Seed Money to Showtime. But on top of it,
he wanted distribution rights to everything else
as well,” Stabile recalls. “I know my audience. I
know who they are and because I work in the adult
industry, I know how to reach them. And if someone
like Showtime were to look at it and decline, I’m
still stuck in a distribution contract (giving away) 50
percent of whatever else might come along. So now
I’m trying to figure out the probability of getting a
big payout from one of these companies that is worth
risking my (remaining) percentage on the rest of it.”
Independent filmmaker Mike Stabile is fascinated
with the parallels between the adult industry—
where he works as a publicist—and the quixotic
world of independent film. His acclaimed
documentary Seed Money, while profiles Chuck
Holmes, the legendary founder of Falcon Studios,
is wrapping up a whistle-stop tour of the festival
circuit. Stabile is now faced with the daunting task
of puzzling out the best method of distribution for
a project that has consumed five years of his life.
“We’ve played about 50 festivals in the past six
It’s smart because he has
an audience that a lot of
mainstream companies
would really like. You’ve
got an audience of primarily
gay men who are willing
to put down a credit card
for media. Traditionally,
that audience is ignored by
mainstream advertisers—
they can’t be associated
with our product. But
NakedSword has figured
out a way to broaden their
audience. We’ve certainly been talking with them.”
industry, you realize how
”Coming from the adult
much similarity (we have)
with independent film
regarding distribution. It’s a
very DIY model.
Stabile has taken a few lessons from the subject of his
film. “I picked up a few tips from Chuck Holmes and the
Stabile realizes he can drive his own traffic. “It may
just make sense to do this myself. It’s a new world.
months,” he says. “We had sold-out crowds at the
Castro (in San Francisco) and for Outfest down
here. The reaction has been amazing. It’s been
really positive and we’ve had a lot of press. We are
still wrapping up festivals; I just got a call from
someone in the U.K. who wants to show it.”
The film’s high profile—it was named by
Advocate.com as one of the ten best LGBT
documentaries of 2015—means a number of
suitors have come calling. “I’ve been approached
by different distributors who are interested in
taking it to a broadcast network,” Stabile says. “I
have other people who want the whole project—
everything from Netflix to university libraries.
Coming from the adult industry, you realize how
much similarity (we have) with independent film
regarding distribution. It’s a very DIY model,” he
says. “What I’ve always liked about the adult industry
is we’re used to doing it ourselves. We’re used to
trying to figure out how to get that audience and
looking outside of traditional outlets to reach them.”
He singles out VOD membership site NakedSword,
led by Tim Valenti, as a company that is looking for
new ways to expand their existing audience base.
“Tim has been really interested in having Seed Money
as an exclusive,” Stabile notes. “NakedSword has
always been really (invested) in the project. They
came in with a good amount of money just for
people that worked with him in the industry in the early
days. The idea is appealing—not selling your rights (but)
instead figuring out eighteen ways to Sunday to sell this
or make money from it. The last thing you want to do
is sell your rights to somebody who does nothing. Then
you’re stuck. You see that so often with independent films.
And, coming from an adult background, I see examples of
people who have really made it work in unconventional
circumstances by finding an audience where other people
wouldn’t.”
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And then some people who are just interested in
looking at DVDs or online distribution.”
How does he find the best audience for his
pet project without giving away the farm?
That’s where Stabile finds parallels with the
adult industry. “As a content producer and as a
filmmaker, I’ve got a lot of distributors who are
looking for a percentage of every sale (in exchange
for access) to Netflix and Amazon and everywhere
else,” explains Stabile. “If you get something on
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presenting rights, to be able to say ‘NakedSword
Presents’ so that when it plays at all these festivals
and when it eventually gets distribution the
NakedSword placard is there.
“For Tim, this is something that’s been part of his
business that’s growing. He produced I Want Your
Love a few years ago and that got a lot of attention.
It drove a lot of people who would not normally
come to NakedSword to come to that site. I know
he’s producing a number of other independent films.