There is a better mousetrap.
One of the problems with the old way of making a film — with the belief that someone would buy it – is that the apparatus only applied to a few select films aimed at the widest audiences. Yes, occasionally a filmmaker hit the lottery and everything aligned perfectly to engineer a sale, but by now we see that clearly as the exception and not the rule. Some of the beauty that is being revealed during The-Collapse-Of-The-World-As-We-Once-Knew-It (COTWAWOKI), is that new experiments bring a wider selection of work to a wider selection of community.
Reading the NY Times recent article on how music labels are taking they DIY approach that they had for bands, are applying it to films too, frankly warmed my heart — or whatever that is when you get the warm wave from the top of your head down through your toes. [...]
Film Independent sent out the following email:
We have spent the last ten years making the Film Financing Conference an invaluable experience for filmmakers, and as the industry is swept by very significant changes, we want to rise up to meet those changes with programs that meet filmmaker needs at this moment. With that in mind, the Los Angeles Film Festival has created Seize the Power: A Marketing and (DIY)stribution Symposium, a new program specifically designed to help filmmakers navigate marketing and distribution in the growing age of new media and to promote an open dialogue on the impact and exciting possibilities the changes in our industry bring. [...]
It was a busy week. Jeff Lipsky, distributor turned filmmaker, has returned to his distro roots and wants to work with you! I got an email from him and have been meaning to post but my To Do List is a bit unruly. I need an extra hand. Now I was beaten to the punch, but better late than never.
Jeff’s email states: [...]
Again today we have a guest post from Mynette Louie and Tze Chun, the producer director team behind CHILDREN OF INVENTION. The film opens this weekend in New York and their whole journey through DIY/DIWO distribution has been fascinating to watch and a learning experience for us all. They have been truly brave and really generous sharing a lot of information along the way. I really love this film and truly admire both of them. Please support their film.
Yesterday they shared their Top 10 Reasons Why They Turned Down The Distribution Offers They Received. Check it out.
Top 10 Things We’re Glad We Did
1. Didn’t take an all-rights distribution deal. For reasons enumerated above, but most of all, for freedom!
2. Played as many film festivals as possible, and traveled to as many of them as possible. We were one of the smallest films at Sundance. It’s a great festival to premiere at, but the press does give most of the attention to the star vehicles and bigger films. So, it was really over the course of the entire festival circuit that we got our buzz, awards, and reviews. It was also great to interact directly with audiences, who essentially act as focus groups for your film. We were able to discover what people respond to in the film, and which demographics respond best. Building a relationship with your audiences is really important.
[...]
Jason Brubaker has “Prepping Your Film For Distribution” in current edition of The Independent. It’s all good advice and the equal attention paid to self-distribution demonstrates the reality-check that has finally seeped through the layers of denial most indie filmmakers have held on to for too long. I wonder why “getting pick up” is even looked at on even ground with the DIY approach. Let’s face it, the odds are practically 1 in 400 that your film will be picked up by a major distributor. The time to start to prep for self-distribution is now, not later.
another guest post today from filmmaker Jon Riess
At the urging of Jeffrey Levy Hinte – my wonderfully supportive producer on Bomb It (he’s leaving the business folks so don’t bother calling him!), I have started writing about my experiences self distributing Bomb It for Filmmaker Magazine. These articles will form the basis for the book that I am writing Reel World Survival Skills: Everything I Wish I Had Learned in Film School.
The first one just came out titled MY ADVENTURE IN THEATRICAL SELF-DISTRIBUTION, PART 1 While the article is subtitled “Or how I “invented” the two-month window and spent six months wanting to kill myself every day.” it was a positive experience overall It was gruelling – but I think the film was helped tremendously by the release. This has been confirmed by our video company Docurama/New Video.
The next article will cover DVD distribution – self distribution and working with a distributor.
Let me know what you think of the article!
Jon
This site could not have been built without the help and insight of Michael Morgenstern. My thanks go out to him.
Help save indie film and give this guy a job in web design or film!
