What does the voting process look like?
When you submit your project to Angel Studios, it will first be reviewed to ensure all Guild content and formatting rules are being followed. After passing the review process, there are two steps to the actual Guild voting process: first is the Angel Guild Defenders and second is the General Guild. The job of the Defenders is to identify which projects have a potential fit with Angel and which projects do not. This is determined by whether or not a project reaches a score of 50. Submissions under 50 are rejected and do not advance forward. Submissions that receive a score of 50 or higher are advanced to the General Guild to receive more exposure and more votes. Projects that pass the Guild defenders but receive a score lower than 70 will qualify for free resubmissions so they can make changes and attempt to raise their score above 70, which is the number needed to pass the Guild voting process and qualify for distribution with Angel.
Why do I need to have my film voted on?
Angel allows members of the Angel Guild to be the gatekeepers for what films and series are allowed to be viewed on Angel's streaming platform. All projects must first be voted on and approved by the Angel Guild before they can partner with Angel.
Do you show it to all the guild members?
Your submission will be available to all Guild voters, but only a small portion of them will watch and vote on it. Voting is done by self-selection, meaning Guild members can choose when they would like to go into the voting process and cast votes on new submissions. When a Guild member goes to vote, they will be served up a random submission out of one of the voting categories.
Do you show it to a unique group of people for every showing or is it the same people watching each time?
When a project is revised and resubmitted, the new edit will be circulated to a brand new group of voters. Past voters may be notified of new submissions, but the voters on new submissions will for the most part be new.
How long will my project be in voting for?
General patterns indicate that your submission will take up to 1 week to be reviewed and up to 2 weeks for voting. So the process should be finished in less than 3 weeks, depending on voting activity and reaching statistical significance. On average, voting takes about 1 week to complete, but can be completed in as little as 1 to 2 days.
How many people voted on my submission?
We don't share the exact number of votes per submission; however, we gain a big enough voting sample size to reach a statistically significant result.
What questions do you ask members of the Angel Guild when they vote?
We ask two main questions: Does this project amplify light? How would you feel if this never became an Angel Studios movie/series? We also ask Guild members to give ratings for 3 different aspects of the submission. We also ask Guild members the minimum age they would recommend the submission to.
What are the Guild Defenders?
All submissions to the Angel Guild first get voted on by the Guild Defenders. Any Guild member can opt in to becoming a Guild Defender for free through their account settings. If a submission receives a score of 50 or higher by the Guild Defenders, it will advance to the next round of voting and be made available for all Guild members. If a submission receives a score lower than 50 during the Defenders stage, it will be rejected and will not be voted on by the rest of the Guild members. Failing the Guild Defenders means the project is not a fit for Angel at this time unless drastic changes are made. Passing the Guild Defenders means the project has shown potential with the Angel Guild audience.
What does it mean if I fail the Guild Defenders?
Failing the Guild Defenders means that the project is not a fit for Angel at this time unless drastic changes are made. If a project that fails the Defenders wants to resubmit, they will need to pay again the $250 submission fee.
What does it mean if I pass the Guild Defenders?
Passing the Guild Defenders means the project has shown potential with the Angel Guild audience. If a project passes the Guild Defenders but does not pass the overall Guild voting process because their score is lower than 70, that project will receive unlimited free resubmissions. The filmmaker can make changes to the film and resubmit to try to increase their score.
What score do I need to pass the Guild?
A score of 70 or higher is a passing score in the Guild. Keep in mind that the first step in the voting process is the Guild Defenders. You only need a score of 50 to pass the Guild Defenders. Your final score needs to be 70 or higher for an official Guild passing designation.
What percentage of projects pass the Angel Guild voting process?
We do not expose this number publicly, but historically more submissions will fail the Guild voting process than will pass. Passing the Guild is a difficult achievement.
What does passing the Angel Guild mean?
Passing the Angel Guild is the first step towards receiving a distribution or licensing agreement with Angel Studios. Angel will not consider distributing any projects without them first receiving a passing score from the Angel Guild. However, a passing score from the Guild does not guarantee distribution or licensing from Angel Studios. After passing the Guild voting process, Angel will internally discuss the project and consider all factors to see if it makes sense to move forward with an agreement. Generally, submissions with higher Guild scores will be prioritized when offering distribution and licensing agreements.
Can you have the Guild watch and vote on my episodes in order?
Yes, we have the ability to force Guild members to vote on your episodes in order. We will ask you when you submit a series if the episodes need to be watched in order.
Do all of the episodes of my series need to be approved by the Angel Guild?
Yes, every episode in your series will need to be voted on and approved by the Angel Guild.
What are the demographics of the people who are voting on my movie?
Unfortunately, we do not give demographic data on voters at the moment. Other important data such as the scoring graph, voter retention graph, ratings, and Guild voter comments can be found on your filmmaker dashboard.
Is there a way to distinguish what audience should be watching and voting on my submission?
We have three audience categories: young kids, teenagers, and adults. When you apply to submit your project, you will be asked what audience should be voting on your submission.
Can I still shop my project around while it's being voted on by the Angel Guild?
When you submit your project to the Angel Guild, we ask that you give Angel the ability to negotiate a deal with you in the event your submission passes the Guild. This does not restrict you from exploring other options, but it does indicate that you will hold off on signing any other agreements until you have discussed the opportunity to move forward with Angel. If you already have agreements in place, there is no need to adjust those agreements before submitting to the Guild.
If I submit to the Angel Guild, will I be obligated to only work with Angel Studios from that point forward?
Submitting to the Angel Guild does not lock you into any contractual obligations. The submission agreement does state that you will allow Angel the opportunity to negotiate a deal with you in the event you pass the Guild, but no contract is established at this point. In the event that you do pass the Guild, Angel would review potential distribution or licensing options with you, including potential third-party deals, before moving forward.
Is there a way to work with Angel Studios on my film without having it voted on by the Angel Guild?
No project is allowed to go onto the Angel platform without first being voted on by the members of the Angel Guild.