product fee

Contributed by Glen Berry

Could you give me an idea of what to charge sponsors for product placement? How is the cost determined? Should filmmakers guage it by how many seconds the product is in view; how close the shot is; whether the lead character uses the product throughout the film, ie. brand-name clothing, and cheaper rates for minor characters being connected to product?

Is there some sort of advertising industry standard or guideline for product placement in films, or is it all negotiated between the producer and each individual sponsor? Thank you.

Unfortunately, there are no formalized rules that I am aware of. I'm sure that because the Hollywood Studios do product endorsements so often they have a good idea of what they can ask.

However, you're in a wide open game if you're doing an indie film. This is a difficult area to obtain hard cash from but easy to barter. Getting car rentals, catering, costumes, locations is your surest bet. Talking large corporations (Coca-Cola) out of endorsement dollars is very slim. You won't even appear on their radar in most cases unless you have an inside connection.

Good luck with your film.

Berry is the founder of the Northwest Film School and the creator of Film Underground, a popular and successful network of Moviemaking web sites that includes Cyber Film School.

A former member of the Whatcom Film Association Board of Directors, he also has twice served as the director of the Northwest Projections Film Festival. An award-winning filmmaker, Berry specializes in post production and is currently employed as an editor and post production supervisor on professional independent productions. Berry has written for “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Filmmaking,” “MovieMaker Magazine,” Cyberfilmschool.com and Filmfestivals.com. He also has served as an expert source for international newspaper and radio media outlets.

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