Filmmaking Stuff Filmmaking Stuff provides resources for independent filmmakers. The website includes articles on how to take a story idea from script to screen, including articles on scriptwriting, producing, finance, shooting, editing, directing, marketing, distribution and how to build an audience. Filmmaking Stuff also has articles detailing how to make money making movies – including interviews with Hollywood Producers, Directors, writers and other filmmaking professionals.

Los Angeles based independent producer Jason Brubaker is going handheld.

Earlier today, his company announced a new filmmaking app that will help modern movie makers take action and get their movies made.

“In an effort to create useful iPhone apps for filmmakers, www.appsForFilmmakers.com is being launched today. The site will help take filmmaking out of Hollywood, and put it into the hands of filmmakers, literally.”

To visit apps for filmmakers, and to get the official Filmmaking Stuff app, click here.

Posted under STUFF

Quiet please…we have speed…ACTION!

A new website is being launched today that will help take filmmaking out of Hollywood, and put it into the hands of everyday, creative people so that they can combine their life’s ambition of being a filmmaker with owning their own business.

makeyourmovienow.com is the brain child of Jason Brubaker, a Los Angeles-based independent filmmaker and an expert in Video On Demand distribution. He has hosted another filmmaking website, Filmmakingstuff.com for years and is taking his experience to the next level.

“makeyourmovienow.com is focused on helping YOU make, market and sell movies more easily,” he says. “The ways movies finally make it to market has changed. makeyourmovienow.com is specifically designed to help grow your fan base, build “buzz” and create community around your title.

“If you want to make a living making movies, you need to realize that your library and the subsequent audience you source (over your career) are your major assets. And, as a result, your most important filmmaking focus (aside from doing good work) is to acquire and keep a customer,” he emphasizes.

For filmmakers in need, makeyourmovienow.com covers the four key areas of film production: screenwriting, film financing, filmmaking and distribution.

Tell your filmmaking friends!

Posted under FILMMAKING

If you’re already a seasoned feature filmmaker, take a moment and think back: Do you remember when the idea of making movies seemed like a far away dream?

Do you remember when you first got the idea for your movie? Do you remember Your first day of production? Do you remember your first screening and how well everyone loved your work?

That happened to me with my first feature. Like you, I thought our movie would get into Sundance, play well, build buzz and if we were really lucky, we had hoped the movie would garner us a 3 picture deal. But that didn’t happen.

Sure, we got some offers, but they were not “deals.” (A deal actually pays money!)

So instead of exchanging our movie for an empty promise, we decided to try selling our movie on the internet. Little did I know, this one decision has changed the course of my movie making life. That was five years ago…

And since that time, the internet as evolved. If you’re a filmmaker with a movie, you need to get it selling in all the popular internet marketplaces, including Amazon and iTunes.

You don’t need a middle-man to make this profitable. I am going to show you my internet marketing secrets…

You can check out my “How To Sell Your Movie” system by visiting the website here.

Posted under DISTRIBUTION

Image via Wikipedia

As a filmmaker, you are expected to make a product (your movie). The money invested to create your product should be less than the eventual sales of your product. If you can not figure out how to achieve this goal, you do not have a business. You instead have an expensive hobby and probably a good demo reel.

There are a lot of filmmakers who attempt to raise money without first considering how their movie will recoup the initial investment. These filmmakers say things like “I have a vision” or “I’m going to make this for the love of filmmaking. Then I’ll get into festivals, get noticed and garner a great distribution deal!” And while it is true that passion, tenacity and blind optimism play an important role in getting your movie produced and seen and hopefully sold, this alone is not enough to drive the masses to your screenings.

This happens in Hollywood all the time. A filmmaker creates a typical business plan that focuses on film festivals as the most viable distribution strategy. And played out, the filmmaker gets the money, hires a crew, makes a movie and then enters the festivals. But months after wrap, well into the festival circuit, these filmmakers realize that the market has changed. The days of awesome DVD acquisitions deals and huge upfront advances are over. And when the last frame flickers off the silver screen, these filmmakers take their dashed-dreams back to their day job.

The veterans of the industry tell us that all this distribution deal disappointment is a result of improved technology. They optimistically tell us that our lost DVD revenues will be recouped by Video On Demand. Some refer to this as simply a market correction, implying that someday, somewhere, someone will figure out how to once again pay the big bucks for movies. But this is a pipe-dream.

Here is the flaw. Most filmmakers depend on DVD distribution for a return on investment. And with deteriorating DVD sales channels, filmmakers are currently left with iTunes, NetFlix and Amazon as the most prominent VOD sales options. My question is this. Who on earth is going to pay a major advance to get your movie into a marketplace that YOU can easily access without the middle man?

This approach to the marketplace changes everything. Your business is no longer dependent on production and capital gains. Nope. These days, the focus for the filmmaker lies in creating multiple streams of movie income over the long term. And if you want to make a living making movies, you need to realize that your libary and the subsequent auidence you source (over your career)  are your major assets. And as a result, your most important filmmaking focus (aside from doing good work) is to acquire and keep a customer.

Like it or lump it, filmmaking has become a small business. The same rules now apply.

- – -

Jason Brubaker is a Los Angles based independent filmmaker and an expert in Video On Demand distribution. If you are one of the many filmmakers seeking movie distribution, you might want to check out The Independent Producer’s Guide To Distribution.

Posted under FILM FINANCING

Have you ever known a filmmaker who sent their demo reel into the Hollywood abyss? Maybe they sent it to an agency or a production company in hopes someone would discover their talent and hire them. Similarly, many screenwriters and aspiring actors have been known to employ this strategy too.

Why?

Can you think of any other industry where culture dictates you must first garner permission before you “start your own business?” What are you waiting for?

Here is a simple solution for all you actors, screenwriters and filmmakers.

STOP asking permission!

Instead get together and start your own production company. Write a screenplay that you can produce this year and grab a camera. In this scenario, the writers write. The actors act. And the filmmakers stop talking and start doing.

This is a far better use of your time than waiting for someone to open your mail, read your query letter or watch your short film… If you’re a Modern MovieMaker, you already know what I’m saying. If this is new for you, and you like it, welcome to the filmmaking world of Jason Brubaker. Get on my mailing list here.

Posted under SCREENWRITING

Jason Brubaker Got Punched-Out!! (Wii)

When I published my article on leveraging VOD sales to finance your movie, I had no idea that a simple internet marketing formula for filmmakers would be such a polarizing issue. I can’t tell you how many Los Angeles based movie producers responded negatively through email.

One guy even told me my grammar sucked.

So to clarify, I was not trying to ruffle any feathers. I was simply applying a standard internet marketing ROI formula to a product available through video on demand. Nothing more.

All of this was based on the premise that selling movies on the internet is no different than selling any other downloadable product (where you are lucky if you convert 1%)

This is based on experience. I learned how to market and sell movies on the internet when our first feature did not garner a traditional distribution deal and we ended up selling on Amazon. Back then I personally knew a bunch of filmmakers in a similar situation – all had titles but no deal. Since that time, even more filmmakers have flooded the market with titles. Couple this with the decline of various DVD sales channels, and suddenly a crappy $25 backyard indie can now share virtual self space with $25M movies.

For those of us who produce features without any sort of pre-sales, instead of telling prospective investors “If we are lucky, we might get into festivals and garner a distribution deal.” We can finally reach our audience without asking permission. And to me, this makes the indie movie business like any other small business… Produce a product and then market, sell and distribute your product.

This said, I totally agree with one of the readers who said my equation for returning a 1M dollar budget was preposterous. He was right. Anybody who thinks you can magically generate the mass amount of sales needed to recoup even a 1M dollar investment without a substantial outlay of cash towards advertising is mis-guided. Which is what those formulas reveal.

I wasn’t trying to present an indie movie panacea. We are all trying to find profit in business competing with (what I think is the indie movie equivalent) of sweat shop labor produced goods. So in terms of the person who said I’m trying to seduce “starry eyed producers,” I would say that finally having non-discriminatory VOD sales channels like Amazon, and especially iTunes finally gives us producers something to get excited about.

Whether or not we can find the marketing formula to justify our budgets remains the ongoing challenge. I for one am working my butt off to find the balance between budget and the amount of marketing needed to recoup the money – and hopefully create an ongoing stream of revenue.

My model of moviemaking isn’t for everyone. In fact, many of you have great relationships with distributors and are still making money in DVD and theatrical. Awesome! But if you are a filmmaker still relying on the “Sundance Dream” to recoup your budget – or if you are a filmmaker with a title collecting dust in your bedroom closet, I hope my article offered a little optimism.

At the same time, feel free to share your own thoughts on VOD distribution.

And spelling an grammatical tips are welcome from filmmakers too.

Posted under DISTRIBUTION

Do you want to come meet and ask questions about Video On Demand and internet marketing for your movie?

On November 11th, I’ll be speaking and participating in the 2010 Indie Film Finance And Production Conference in Los Angeles.

When: November 11th.

Where: Writers Boot Camp
2519 Michigan Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90404

To register, go here: http://www.iffpc.com

Posted under Filmmaking News

Carole Lee Dean is an industry legend. As an entrepreneur, producer and supporter of independent film, her influence has had a positive impact on filmmaking around the world. Most notoriously, 30 years ago, Carole took a $20 bill and created the $50 million a year short end industry. Her company was instrumental in the birth of the Hollywood independent film community because she offered film to Indies at prices they could afford. Customers like Cassavetes took chances with her raw stock and succeeded.

In 1992, she created the Roy W. Dean Grant Foundation in honor of her late father. To date, Carole’s grant and mentorship programs have provided filmmakers with millions of dollars in goods and services and have played an instrumental role in creating important documentary films. She is the author of The Art of Film Funding: Alternative Financing Concepts and The Art of Manifesting: Creating your Future.

in the following podcast, Los Angeles based indie producer Jason brubaker interviews Carole Dean about non-profit filmmaking, her thoughts on the new model of modern filmmaking and in the process, learns a lesson or two about The Art of Manifesting.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Posted under FILMMAKING

Independent Hollywood Producer Reveals Secrets On How To Sell Independent Movies For Maximum Profit – Without Middle-Man In New Book That Tells Movie Distribution Companies To Take A Hike!

(Press Release – Los Angeles, CA) Independent filmmaking has been considered one of the riskiest businesses in the world. This is because independent filmmakers traditionally relied on 3rd party movie distributors to acquire, market and reach the audience through tried and true sales channels. But thanks to modern Video On Demand distribution, independent movie makers can now reach their audiences through popular VOD marketplaces without the middle-man.

Video on demand distribution provides filmmakers with easy access to the major online marketplaces such as Amazon and iTunes. Once a title is submitted, filmmakers can then share virtual shelf space with mainstream Hollywood movies. While video on demand distribution represents a easy way for independent filmmakers to enter mainstream marketplaces, this change in distribution represents new challenges.

According to Los Angeles based independent filmmaker, Jason Brubaker, “Filmmakers now need to become comfortable with internet marketing, social media and audience list building… And for most modern moviemakers, this is a huge learning curve!”

Based on his own experience, Jason Brubaker has completed a new system for helping moviemakers get their movies seen and selling. Called The Independent Producer’s Guide To Digital Self-distribution, independent filmmakers can now utilize a step-by-step Action Guide to help sell movies in popular internet marketplaces as soon as possible.

“When our first feature failed to garner a traditional distribution deal, I had two choices. I could have given up and just let our movie collect dust, or I could try to sell the movie.” Luckily for Jason Brubaker, the experiment paid off. Five years later his first feature film is still selling and as a result, he is still cashing checks, prompting some traditional movie distribution companies to take notice.

“Yeah. They called me on the phone and finally offered a traditional deal. But since we were doing so well on our own, it was decided that the deals just weren’t worth the headache. So we told them we would have to pass at this time. Which is funny, because that’s what distribution companies usually tell filmmakers.”

The Independent Producer’s Guide To Digital Self-Distribution provides filmmakers with an easy to follow Action Guide as well as a a built in step-by-step workbook. Once filmmakers work through the action guide, marketing and selling independent movie via internet marketplaces becomes a very simple process.

“I wanted the Independent Producer’s Guide To Digital Self Distribution to be an easy to follow, valuable guide. Once you know this stuff, you’ll probably never consider a crappy distribution deal again.”

To find out more about the Independent Producer’s Guide To Digital Self Distribution, check out www.HowToSellYourMovie.com

Posted under DISTRIBUTION

LA Based Indie Producer Jason Brubaker

If you’re a filmmaker, I don’t need to tell you that the world of filmmaking is changing. And if you’re one of the many filmmakers with a feature film, but no ROI, then you probably already figured out that traditional distribution is no longer profitable.

My questions:

1. Do you have a feature collecting dust?
2. Or do you know someone who failed to garner a traditional distribution deal?

If so, then I want to help.

For those of you visiting Filmmaking Stuff for the first time, my name is Jason Brubaker. I’m an LA based indie producer and an expert in modern VOD distribution. In a nut-shell, I help filmmakers get their movies listed, seen (and selling) through popular VOD outlets, like iTunes.

To find out more about me, pick up this month’s Movie Maker Magazine. “The future of Movie Making 2010.” On page 38, you’ll see my article on how to market and sell your movie on the internet. You can also check out my other movie distribution articles here.

If you are interested in discussing ways I might help YOU get your movie seen and sold through various Video On Demand channels, please feel free to email me here: Jason(at)FilmmakingStuff.com

Happy Filmmaking!

Sincerely,
Jason Brubaker
Filmmaking Stuff

Posted under DISTRIBUTION