Introducing BidSlate®: a new platform for easy buying and selling of media content rights.  We focus on the underserved indie film community – and have over 50 titles available already.  As a content distributor, and/or exhibitor, why jet off to every film festival and market to scout for content rights to purchase, when you can conveniently, and securely purchase distribution rights from the comfort of your office chair?

Keep those cameras rolling!  It’s time to jump on the BidSlate® bandwagon.

Film talent isn’t just located in certain pockets of Hollywood and NYC – it’s everywhere.  But due to the state of what is a very antiquated industry, it all too often goes unnoticed.  Most all actors, writers, and filmmakers get their start on the independent film landscape.  However, indie filmmakers also have very few effective options in terms of getting the word out about their projects, let alone selling their film’s distribution rights.

Traditional (limiting) methods include:

Hiring a sales agent (pricey, takes too long);

Attending numerous film festivals (difficult to be accepted);

Organically through social media (doesn’t yield great results);

Relying on networking (many don’t have the connections).

In a very “handshake” industry, controlled by sales agencies, that’s expensive and unreliable for the smaller players, there’s a huge need for a platform that makes transactions easier.  There are plenty of powerful entities (buyers) with money to burn – now, we just need a source to bring everything together.

Just call us the “Cupid” of the filmmaking industry.  We’re making beautiful matches…and getting deals done.

BidSlate® is a cutting-edge online marketplace catering to B2B entities in the entertainment industry.  It allows global content distributors and exhibitors, i.e. theatrical/home video distributors, VOD/digital platforms, and film festivals, to purchase territorial distribution rights to media content directly from the source. Our platform greatly simplifies every step of the transactional cycle – from prospecting to negotiations to finalization.  And, we eliminate the middleman from the transactional equation.

Part of the beauty of our platform is that it’s closed – meaning only those verified to be serious buyers and sellers can access it.  Our wheelers and dealers don’t have to worry about outsiders, biased third parties, or advertisers raining on their parade. We also cater equally to both the buyer and seller side – providing no additional benefits or favoritism to either side or to individual users.  It truly is a free-flowing marketplace that guarantees maximum return on the filmmaker’s work.

Here’s a look at how our transaction, cost-reducing, incredibly efficient, process works:

Browse. Buyers can easily verify their status as an approved distributor and immediately gain access to our content.

Search. Our comprehensive search engine that allows for targeted purchases. Easily break down searches by territory, rights availability, genre, language, year, cast, etc.

Connect. From the first buyer/seller connection on, we offer full transaction capability directly on the platform.  Make bids upfront…without flying to a festival.

Negotiate. Our direct messaging feature allows for easy negotiation and counter-bidding without wasting time on travel and other expensive activities.

Agree. A dynamically-generated distribution agreement is available to both parties once a bid is confirmed.  These agreements outline every negotiated term in detail, and follows industry standards.

Pay. Once the bid is finalized, the buyer has five business days to submit payment (either through credit card payment, or escrow).  Once the payment is confirmed, the seller sends the content.  Funds are then released to the seller, minus our transaction fee.  We use a globally recognized escrow partner (Escrow.com) to oversee, and ensure a secure transaction, as well as the asset delivery process.

Support. We’ve secured partnerships with several post-production companies to serve as resources for deliverables to our customers.  These resources help the buyer and seller execute all agreed-upon terms that have to do with the content (3D rendering, colorization), including catering it to a certain geographical area (dubbing, subtitle).

The bottom-line benefits of using BidSlate include:

Convenience and accessibility for both parties;

Security for both the buyer and the seller (encryption of assets; transaction protection via Escrow.com)

Value maximization through the offering of “a-la-carte” rights;

Time, travel, and cost-cutting when it comes to negotiations;

A great opportunity for indie filmmakers to display and sell their work;

Complete elimination of excessive expenses charged to filmmakers by the current industry model;

A fair, level playing field for both parties.

At BidSlate®, we’re incredibly excited about the future.  We have an excellent opportunity to shift the film sales landscape in the entertainment industry and make a true positive change.  But, we haven’t forgotten what’s gotten us this far.  Some of the most prominent milestones that have brought us here include:

Launched, tested, and now perfected.  BidSlate® was originally launched in 2014 at the American Film Festival, based on user experience and early hiccups, we decided to re-tool.  We’ve rebuilt a much more user-friendly version and relaunching this November.

We’re collecting content.  BidSlate® currently has 40-50 titles on its platform, and adding more by the week.  A number of global content buyers are anxious to see what new titles come onboard.

Intellectual property protection.  We’ve been granted a Trademark on the BidSlate® name, and logo.  All intellectual property is solely owned by BidSlate®, Inc., a registered C Corp.

We’re making our partnerships work.  We’ve secured reliable partnerships and have successfully woven them into our service model.  Providers like Escrow.com, TunnelPost, and Simple DCP are ready to help buyers and sellers.

We’re active in the film community, and we’re getting the word out. “Dukale’s Dream”, starring Hugh Jackman — and which is available for sale on our platform — is just one of the big-name movie premieres we’ve sponsored as part of our marketing efforts.

Impressive, yes – but we’re not resting on our laurels!  We’re very forward-focused here at BidSlate®.  For more information on what the future holds, please request access to the Business Plan portion of this profile.

Our ultimate vision is to serve as the world’s premier online marketplace for buying and selling global media rights.  From our corner office here in the Big Apple, we certainly believe we have the team to get that done.  Just like the transactions our platform completes, our two-man executive team is a great match.  Their combined experience in the finance and entertainment industries is really what makes BidSlate tick.

Roland Rojas, President and Founder
He’s a finance expert by trade, with 23 years’ experience in various capacities including Institutional Equity Sales and Investment Banking  However, his true passion is in the entertainment industry, which culminated in him co-founding production company Hand in Hand Entertainment in 2007.  Here, he helped secure financing for production projects like “Hesher” (featuring Natalie Portman and Rainn Wilson) and “A Late Quartet” (featuring Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman).  For BidSlate®, he’ll head up day-to-day operations, marketing, financial management, and partnership management.

Jesse Scolaro, Vice President and Founder
Jesse is a seasoned producer with over 25 feature-length films and documentaries under his belt.  He founded production company The 7th Floor back in 1999, working with talents like Kristen Stewart, Kevin Pollack, and Hugh Jackman.  Being in-tune with the business end make the Jesse & Roland combination vital to BidSlate®.  He’ll head up content sourcing, strategy development, and compliment in the marketing function.

Board of Advisors

We’re also supported by a Board of Advisors that lends a helping hand towards operations when needed and do a great deal for us in terms of networking.  The first member, Iddo I. Arad, is a Partner in the Frankfurt, Kurnit, Lein, & Selz PC Entertainment Group.  He represents a number of key industry players and has significant experience in terms of transactional media and IP matters.  Alan Paorounds out the Board.  He founded 3am Pictures, a boutique production company specializing in corporate industrials and web streaming technologies.  Some of his more recently-produced titles include “November Man”, “It Follows”, and “Kid Cannabis”.