TriCoast Studios
A Force to be reckoned with
By Debbie L. Sklar

For the past two decades, TriCoast Studios has been in continuing production mode and it isn’t quitting any time soon.

Founded by husband and wife duo, Strath Hamilton and Marcy Levitas-Hamilton, TriCoast is a full-service production studio, specializing in post-production and film finance. TriCoast Studios is associated with TriCoast International for sales and TriCoast Worldwide, which is a worldwide distribution company led by Ami Artzi.

Since its inception, TriCoast has conceived more than 22 feature films, two successful TV pilots that turned into series -- one of which became the biggest selling TV series of all time: The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. And that’s not all, TriCoast also developed four Emmy nominated made-for-TV movies, four direct-to-DVD features, two lines of Special Interest craft DVDs, and more than 500 coming attractions movie trailers including Oscar winners Titanic and Crash.

Located in sunny Santa Monica, California, TriCoast has a new Special Visual Effects division, DIGITAL EFFECTS GROUP, which has completed digital effects work for Lionsgate, Sony, Universal/Vivendi, and Magnolia Pictures. This family-run company says it is committed to creating quality films and entertainment.

The Indie Fest recently spoke with the CEO of TriCoast Worldwide, Levitas-Hamilton, about the company, as well as what it’s like being a women in this typically male dominated industry.

Q: What kinds of independent films, documentaries and television programs is TriCoast Studios seeking to represent?

A: TriCoast Worldwide distributes films/docs/TV shows that have the potential to stand-out and break-out, either by subject matter or star power. All product needs to be well crafted with good production values and compelling stories or subject matter. Since we are a worldwide distributor, we look for genres that will perform well in the international marketplace, as well as US domestic; this includes action, thriller, suspense, Sci-Fi, romantic comedy, family, kids, Westerns, and horror. It does not include US-only sports (like football or baseball, etc.), religion, or intensely Americana urban/rural stories.

Q: Tell us about how the company started.

A: My background is graphic art, production and editorial (an A.C.E. Editor); 21 years ago my husband (Strath Hamilton, D.G.A. Director) and I started TriCoast Studios, which caters to the Indie filmmaker; with services from casting (we have a casting director on-site) to editorial, sound design mix, special effects, color timing, main/end titles and 2K Digital Intermediary or HD output.

Q: What are some of the other things TriCoast does?

A: We also create marketing materials, trailers/posters/one-sheets; we’ve worked on campaigns for wonderful films, Studio and Indie, and won many awards along the way. We have also made feature films, several TV pilots and hundreds of hours of filmed entertainment for commercials, music videos, television, internet, etc. Two years ago, we teamed with Ami Artzi, a 36-year veteran of international distribution (21st Century Film Corp.), one of the dozen or so true ‘market-makers’ of foreign film sales. He can accurately assess the value of a film in each of the 30-plus territories around the world based on his knowledge of the buyers and market conditions in each territory and their distinctive likes/dislikes of genres, star-power, price restrictions, local economic market fluctuations, genre saturation, and local censorship laws/moral influences. And, he has the client relationships to support and realize his estimates.

Q: What is the scope of your sales to buyers (domestic, international or both), and the kinds of rights you want to represent (theatrical/television/DVD/digital)?

A: TriCoast Worldwide represents product in the international and domestic marketplace for all rights: theatrical/television/DVD/VOD/digital/mobile. Our relationships in the domestic marketplace are vast; we deal directly with studios and independent distributors and negotiate deals from an ‘insiders’ position where consistency of product assures us preferred consideration and prompt payment.

Q: What are the current films and documentaries you are showcasing and what are some you are most proud?

A: We are very selective about the product that we choose to represent. Currently, our exceptional, award-winning slate consists of 15 films/shows in various genres and budget ranges and can be viewed at www.tricoastworldwide.com Our latest acquisition is April Showers, a dramatic rendition (on its 10th anniversary) of the Columbine High School massacre; an event that shocked the world. For the first time, this tragedy is told from the inside, in a harrowing new film written and directed by one of the young survivors.

Q: What are the specific terms you tend to offer independent filmmakers? What is the percentage of sales revenue they share with the filmmaker?

A: Our sales commission is 25 percent.

Q: Please share which specific expenses are deducted from revenues before the filmmaker begins to see shares of revenue.

A: For each film we represent, there is a preset, capped marketing participation fee. Depending on the budget of the film, the fee ranges between $50,000 to $100,000 and includes expenses to create all marketing materials, such as trailer, art work, one sheets, duratrans, ads, screening DVDs, as well as participation fees to attend all of the major film/TV markets around the world: Cannes Film Festival, MIPTV, MIPCOM, EFM, World Content Market, AFM. The marketing fee also includes multiple, personalized e-mail campaigns to nearly 3,000 of our buyers worldwide and screenings at markets.

Q: What is the procedure for an independent producer who wants to send a screener in the hope they maybe represented?

A: We are pleased to accept and review all submissions. Please send your DVD screener to: TriCoast Worldwide, Attn: Acquisitions, 1547 10th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401. Be sure to include all of your information, including phone and e-mail. Please do not send masters/originals as we will not be able to return materials.

Q: Is there specific background information about the film should be included with the screener? How long should the filmmaker wait before doing follow-up with the and in what form should the follow-up be made?

A: With submissions, we like to know if the film has won any festivals, has received any rave reviews, has any potential supporting PR promised (i.e.: the city of XYZ, where the film was shot, has agreed to ...), any future related events that might help promote the film, any ‘star’ and executive producers that may want to lend their name, etc. We’d also like to know the budget and how much you need/expect to pay back to your investors. I would recommend a follow-up e-mail to us at films@tricoast.com to make sure we received the screener and then, if you haven’t heard from us, another e-mail in about 2-3 weeks.

Q: What's it like being a woman in the industry? Have times changed?

A: I believe the film business is pretty much gender-blind. I started in the creative areas of graphic arts and editorial and the pre-requisites were all about talent and delivery; I never felt prejudice just because I was a woman. Having said this, in the early 80s, I was hired as an on-line video editor, specializing in high-end motion graphics and there was only one other female editor in the field in all of ‘Hollywood,’ yet there were dozens of men. But, I think the reason for this is that few females at that time trained in those highly technical fields. Now, my experience is that all areas of production and distribution are equally male/female.

Q: How many women work at TriCoast?

A: We are 50-50! We have nine women and nine men.

Q: What's the best part about what you do?

A: I love my job! I love discovering new talent and new films, networking, negotiating deals, researching and implementing new digital opportunities, traveling worldwide and meeting with our international partners (as well as developing new ones), producing films/TV shows/DVDs/product and just generally managing and juggling from the micro-detail to the macro-deal. I love that I get to use both sides of my brain, from top to bottom. And, I have a partner that I get to share all of this with 24/7/365.

Q: The most challenging?

A: Every step of every project has its challenge! The fun is to be so FOCUSED on the edit, the-deal, the-graphic, the-shoot, the-casting, the color-timing, the what-ever-it-is-that-is-challenging-you, so INSIDE of it, that you tap into the ZEN of the task and are able to let ‘the magic’ and the solution come through to you.

Q: How about some words of advice to other women who might want to follow in your footsteps?

A: To women and men, I’d say, be friendly and have a GREAT attitude. It all starts and ends with that, no matter what level you are at. It’s a crowded world and a crowded field and too easy to say ‘PASS’ if someone is arrogant, rude, egotistical or overly negative. Alternatively, we have given opportunities and gone out-of-our-way to people just because they have an earnest, positive, hardworking, generous, patient and friendly approach in their dealings with us.