I have been writing a filmmaking book. It outlines the whole modern moviemaking philosophy – and originally I thought I would stay with the modern moviemaking theme, and possibly call it “Confessions of a Modern Moviemaker.” While I like the idea because, historically books that begin with the word “confessions” seem to intrigue readers… I also fear the title might be a little too gimmicky. I need your help…
I get excited about Video On Demand and the various popular internet marketplaces like iTunes and Amazon, is because movie distribution is no longer discriminatory. This means that you can actually control your own business and marketing plan.
YOU are now responsible for marketing, promotion and distribution of your movie. And inline with this strategy, you must view regional and second tier festivals as an opportunity to build your audience list. But instead of handing out postcards to other filmmakers, your marketing strategy will be smarter.
While it’s safe to provide projections – any investor with any business experience will understand that each project carries it’s own risk to reward ratio. Your goal as a filmmaker is to help mitigate these risks as best you can.
I believe video on demand distribution represents freedom for filmmakers. While there are many great sales agents and distributors, I am totally bothered by the sales agents and middle-men who have taken a bottom-feeding approach to VOD. These jerks make a living trying to sucker unsuspecting filmmakers into long term video on demand deals that suck. I put together the following video to express my disgust and also provide a new hope. As a modern moviemaker, there has never been a better time to make, market and sell your movies without the middle-man.
There was a time when filmmakers needed to ask permission to make movies. There was a time when filmmakers had to find some sort of gatekeeper with access to distribution and, subsequently, an audience. But things have changed.
