Negotiating with George Clarke

I recently worked at the 2011 Freakshow Horror Film Festival, which was a great opportunity for me to sit down with a large group of filmmakers and talk about the industry and what being an independent filmmaker is really like. One of the filmmakers, George Clarke, had flown all the way from Ireland to screen his latest film "The Last Light", which took home a best actor award. We became friends and spent a day at Universal Studios talking about negotiation techniques and different aspects of film making.


We first started talking about what is was like when he brought his first screenplay to the United States in search of a production company. He told me that when he sat down with the executives, they all loved his script and talked very highly about it but when it came down to business they wanted to give him small cash for complete control over the entire production. George used his BATNA, which was the fact that he knows his craft and could easily do the film on his own, to try and get more money and more control over the production. However, the executives didn't want anything to do with that idea, so George took his script back home to Ireland and filmed the most media covered film in Irish history.

He told me that when negotiating it is important to have a solid idea of what you want out of the deal, and not to stray far from that idea. Standing your ground is the most important part of any negotiation, and when the other side doesn't budge, you simply move on. He looks at Hollywood like one giant ocean full of big fish and sharks that won't hesitate to swallow you whole and end your career from the start. George said his best advice would be to find whichever company will give you the most and then consider their offer.

Sometimes it is very difficult to seperate the people from the problem, but according to George it is best to know who you are talking with, do your homework, and go in prepared to fight for your art.

-Michael