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.

If you’ve been reading Filmmaking Stuff for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed I talk a lot about “sourcing an audience.” And after having a discussion on the topic with one of my clients, it occurred to me that most filmmakers have no idea what I’m talking about.

So let me break it down.

In the old days, making, marketing and selling your movies required that you knew someone in Hollywood and had a gazillion dollars. It also meant that you waited around forever for some traditional distributor to validate your existence and hopefully pick up your movie (with something other than a crappy deal.)

But that was then. These days, you don’t need to know anybody in Hollywood. You don’t need a gazillion dollars. And (thankfully) you no longer need some traditional movie distributor to give you permission to make, market and sell your movie. And while these changes make this an awesome time to make movies, the new challenge is finding people willing to pay money to watch your movie.

So how do you a source an audience? I’ll give you one word: Crowdfunding.

What is crowdfunding? According to Wikipedia, “crowdfunding describes the collective cooperation, attention and trust by people who network and pool their money and other resources together, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations.” In short, this means filmmakers finally have a new way to raise money.

Filmmakers can set up profiles at various crowdfunding websites and then easily promote their movie project via their social networks and ask for money. In exchange for money, filmmakers offer tiered incentives to prospective sponsors. For example, in exchange for ten bucks, you might offer a promotional t-shirt and and a DVD. For five-hundred bucks, you might offer a flight to the premiere.

Crowdfunding in this context is not the same as seeking equity investors. Which makes this a very uncomplicated way to find sponsors and raise money. But outside of this obvious use, the little known secret of crowdfunding is this – Let’s say you’re a filmmaker with an idea for a movie. And let’s suggest that you aren’t sure how many people would be interested in your movie… So you set up a crowdfunding campaign.

If successful, your crowdfunding campaign will allow you to raise money – but as an important ancillary benefit, your campaign will also allow you test your movie concept with a built in, responsive focus group. Assuming you reach your funding goal, you will not only generate your initial buzz – but you will also source the early adopters for your movie… And these early adopters will grow into a group of fans who will help you spread word of mouth about your movie.

Depending on the scope and scale of your movie, once you have successfully completed a crowdfunding campaign, you may choose to leverage this success to seek out traditional investors. But instead of having an untested movie idea, you have a little POC. What’s POC? Proof of concept. (I credit writer Craig Spector for teaching me about the importance of POC.)

Crowdfunding helps you prove your concept. In the unfortunate event your campaign is not successful, this knowledge will help you go back to the basics and refine your concept before you take the next steps in you movie making process.

Here are 3 crowdfunding sites that are worth investigating:

1. www.IndieGoGo.com
2. www.KickStarter.com
3. www.Invested.in

Happy filmmaking.

—

If you like this idea , why not sign up for the official filmmaking stuff newsletter? It’s full of filmmaking tips and tricks. To gain access to the filmmaking stuff newsletter, click here >>

Posted under FILM FINANCING

“Chasing the Monster Idea” is a book by Stefan Mumaw in which he identifies seven questions that will help you determine whether you have a “monster” idea rather than just a good one (or a bad one).

These questions also can help you figure out whether your movie idea is a monster.

The first one: Does it evoke an emotional response?

People go to movies not just to see something, but to feel something. Horror fans want to feel fear, thriller fans want to feel suspense, comedy fans want to feel amusement, and so on. It’s obvious, but not every movie or every script makes that happen. There are three main reasons some fail:

1) We don’t identify with the protagonist. Especially in horror, thriller and drama we experience the feelings vicariously via the protagonist. She’s scared and we’re scared. The more your script has done to help us understand and identify with her, the stronger our feelings.

2) We don’t believe the situation.Sometimes we feel these things because we know more than the protagonist–we know the killer is hiding in the closet, she doesn’t. In comedies we are just as likely to be laughing at the protagonist as with him. But if the situation you have set up obviously is fake, then we may not buy into it and we don’t feel what you want us to feel.

3) We feel used up. If there’s not enough emotional variation–for instance, in a horror film if the horror is unrelenting–we may feel emotional fatigue and stop responding. That’s why the films of Hitchcock, for instance, are so good: he gives us moment of suspense interspersed with moments of comic relief, high drama mixed with low drama (a guy named Shakespeare understood this, too).

If your screenplay allows for these factors, it will have the emotional intelligence to give viewers the experience they crave.

—

Jurgen Wolff has written more than 100 episodes of television, the mini-series “Midnight Man,” starring Rob Lowe, the feature film “The Real Howard Spitz,” starring Kelsey Grammer, and as been a script doctor on projects starring Eddie Murphy, Michale Caine, Kim Catrall and others. His books include “Your Writing Coach” (Nicholas Brealey Publishing) and “Creativity Now!” (Pearson Publishing). For more tips from Jurgen Wolff, also see www.ScreenwritingSuccess.com

Posted under SCREENWRITING

The other week I went on a minor rant about filmmakers hellbent on streaming movies from their movie website. And after some very thoughtful feedback, the truth is (as much as I hate admitting this) I realized I may have made an error.

In my article, I mentioned that most customers will feel more comfortable watching movies on established platforms, such as Hulu, iTunes, Amazon and NetFlix. At the same time, I totally discounted filmmakers presently testing ways to stream from their sites. And as any great marketer knows, ALL marketing decisions (assuming they make financial sense) have to be tested.

What works with one movie, may not work with every movie.

With that said, a lot of filmmakers (who do not have website traffic) are being fed the idea that “content enablers” will magically source an audience. They will not. So if your website does not have a lot of visitors, before you worry about where to stream your movie, I suggest you work on increasing your traffic as well as building your audience list. Then later, when you reach mass, you can focus on directing folks into your sales funnel.

The other tip is this: DO NOT stream a movie from your own hosting company server. That is silly. Let someone else handle the bandwidth and content delivery issues. Here are two resources for selling your movie (both of which are affiliates and pay me to promote – so research each before you make any purchase):

1. Movie Sales Tool – www.MovieSalesTool.com it’s my special link for distribber. They help you get your movie onto iTunes and other popular marketplaces.
2. Dynamoplayer -  www.dynamoplayer.com – OK. This is not actually an affiliate of Filmmaking Stuff (yet), but maybe by the time you read this, the CEO Rob Millis will finally return my call and I will be promoting this one a lot more. UPDATE: Rob just got back to me and we will chat next week. (Looking forward to it Rob.)

Again – while both of these companies provide great services for filmmakers, it is important that you remember the major, key aspect of the brave new world of modern moviemaking – Regardless of platform – YOU are responsible for sourcing your own audience. Don’t forget that!

To help you out, I have created a step-by-step guide called the independent producer’s guide to digital distribution. If you need help driving targeted traffic to your website and selling your movie through VOD marketplaces, the guide offers some tips.

Posted under DISTRIBUTION

Since starting filmmaking stuff, I’ve noticed an increase in the amount of companies promoting new filmmaking technologies that allow filmmakers to stream their independent movies. While many of these companies have a cool concept, the truth is, I think many of these streaming solutions are a waste of time.

Why? Because most streaming solutions do NOTHING to assist filmmakers in sourcing an audience. Think about it: So what if you can stream from your website and charge your visitors a nickle per view? How many people are coming to your website? Where do you (and most people) shop for movies online?

I know where I shop for movies online. I shop at NetFlix, Hulu, Amazon and occasionally iTunes. I don’t go looking for random weird movies on random weird websites. And even if I did, the last thing I would do is enter my credit card into some weird website.

Maybe I’m wrong. Where do you buy your movies online? Are you seeking movie distribution?

Thanks!

Posted under DISTRIBUTION

As a filmmaker, I don’t need to tell you that things are changing. It seems like every day, the filmmaking community shares news of some new way to make, market and sell movies.

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.

Check out this video. If you like it, please click here to TWEET it. Thanks!

Once you enter your name and email address, check your email for a confirmation. Once confirmed, you’ll get your modern moviemaker tool kit, FREE. All of these tools will be available for instant download.

Again – if you like what I’m saying, please click here to TWEET it. Thanks!

Posted under FILMMAKING

Because of an eroding DVD market, the modern moviemaking model dictates that you (as a filmmaker) must treat your independent movie business just like any other small business.

YOU have a product (your movie) and YOU must sell your product. In order to sell your product, you must find a customer and convince them that your movie is worth more than their money. Obvious right?

But most filmmakers have no idea how to find a customer.  It’s not your fault. I blame the STUPID notion that filmmakers should concentrate solely on making movies without considering how to source their target audience.  Think about it. Filmmakers traditionally depended on some sort of middle-man distributor to come in deus ex machina style to provide a big fat cash advance. But that was then…

Now, as a result of DSLR technology, you have a whole world of filmmakers flooding the market with awesomely good-looking backyard indies.  It’s an example of supply and demand. There are too many movies! And there are too few traditional deals. And sadly, most filmmakers have no idea how to get their movies seen and selling. As a result, the entire world of indie filmmaking is belly-up.

The only way modern moviemakers can compete and succeed is to learn from traditional small businesses. Filmmakers must focus on finding creative ways to produce movies inexpensively and spend tremendous effort (and little money) sourcing an audience. Which, when you compare the filmmaker’s need for customer acquisition to other businesses, it’s really the same thing.

Welcome to the new movie business!

So who wins? Filmmakers who can source an audience for their movies are in better shape than those who can not. Period.

How do your source an audience: In two words – Internet marketing.

I got news for you. Selling a movie online is no different than selling an eBook! But not everybody knows how to sell things online. That is OK. I explain this in my book. And for those of you not ready to get my book (so you can discover my mad movie marketing methods) – here is a tip as well as an actionable item: Crowdfunding.

By now you’ve heard of crowdfunding. But the little secret that nobody is talking about is this – Not all movie projects will get fully funded by the crowd. BUT, by creating a campaign, you essentially get the word out about your movie. You increase your YouTube hits (because you presumably embed your trailer into your campaign)… And even if your campaign is not successfully funded, anybody who did donate is now part of your future audience. Hmmm.

I know I’m on a bit of a rant today. So I’m going to slow-my-roll. If you like this filmmaking stuff, make sure you click here   >>

And if you want to see me speak or attend any of my workshops, telephone your local film festival and leave this message on their answering machines –> I WANT TO SEE Jason Brubaker LIVE.

Feel free to comment below.

Posted under DISTRIBUTION

Nathan Wrann is a talented, experienced and enthusiastic filmmaker. While his movies are still considered underground, his filmmaking philosophy is universal.

This is a man who goes against the odds, makes the movies he can make – without asking permission. Nathan Wrann’s drive and ambition has enabled him to get some features under his belt.

I interviewed Nathan because he serves as a good example for any filmmaker who ever wanted to make movies without making excuses. In our talk, we cover down and dirty tips for no-money productions, promotion, marketing and distribution. This is a man who doesn’t care about reviews. This is a filmmaker who wants to do meaningful work that is unique.

Originally, I thought I would break this interview in two parts – but I ended up posting it in it’s entirety.

Download The Interview Here   >>

After listening to this podcast – If you like Nathan,

1. Read his blog:   nwrann.wordpress.com
2. Watch His Second Feature: www.burning-inside.net
3. Watch His First Feature: www.huntingseason-themovie.com

Posted under FILMMAKING, INTERVIEWS

No matter how awesome you think your movie is, there are always a gazillion ways to improve it. Yesterday we had a screening of Career Courier. It’s a movie by Kenton Hoppas.

I’m a producer on the flick, with a lot of my duties falling into the range of what Jon Reiss calls a PMD (producer of marketing and distribution). Part of my responsibility is to help Kenton (and other filmmakers) make the best (and most marketable) movie possible. Here is a brief guide on how to have a screening party:

1. Find a location spacious enough to fit at least six people, plus the filmmaker. Obviously you will need a BIG television.
2. Invite friends with passion for movies. Explain that the screening will be a rough cut – and the goal is to provide constructive feedback.
3. Make sure you have snacks and drinks on-hand. And if you’re getting pizza, make sure you get the delivery prior to starting the movie.
4. Make sure everybody has a pen and notepad. The goal is to take notes.
5. At the conclusion of the screening, people will have a tendency to be overly polite. While this is very nice, it isn’t helpful to the filmmaker. So it is your responsibility to ask some very tough questions.

Once you share some constructive (but not always ideal feedback), the ball will start rolling. From there, other members of the audience will come up with a lot of great feedback. While some of the feedback might suck, as a filmmaker, you need to write these ideas down and keep an open mind.  The objective is NOT to settle for a good movie. The goal is to settle for a GREAT movie!

If you like this filmmaking stuff, please spread the word by CLICKING HERE   >> (The link takes you to DIGG – I’m trying to find out if DIGG is any good for filmmaking type articles. Thanks a lot!)

Posted under DISTRIBUTION

Image via Wikipedia

Some of my independent filmmaker friends consider independent film to be sacred and they avoid the studios like the devil. Other friends think studio movies are the ONLY movies that count. And they discount indies as a passing fad or a calling card to simply get noticed by the studios. But for me, I don’t care if my movie is produced by my team of indie producers or a studio – as long as my movie gets made.

Let me tell you a story: A few years back, long before I lived in LA and before I produced my first feature – I had written a screenplay with my friend Jared Tweedie. It was this coming of age comedy about bowling called Seven-Ten-Split. I was still living back east at the time. Anyway, after writing the script, I sent it to my actor buddy Jimmi in Los Angeles.

Weeks went by and I didn’t hear anything.

Then one day I got this call. It was Jimmi. He read the script. Loved it. Jimmi offered to get a bunch of his actor friends together for a reading. Asked if I would like to visit Los Angeles. (Twist my arm.)

So the next thing you know I was flying across the country. At the time, it was only my 2nd time in LA and I was super excited. And on the day of the reading, Jared and I walked into a room full of “known” actors we had only formerly seen on TV. (Jimmi is one of the most talented actors I know – and he’s in a lot of movies and TV shows.) Anyway, to say it was a surreal moment would be an understatement.

As these actors read the script and acted out the characters who had (up until this point) only existed in my and Jared’s imaginations – Well, during that time I was transported to a world full of possibilities… A world where my work meant something and had merit with people I respected. I envisioned myself flying all around the world to watch screenings of our movie. I envisioned flashbulbs and fame and fortune… (Come on, you’ve had these thoughts too. Admit it!)

Having someone appreciate your work is a drug. Having some “known” Hollywood players appreciate your work is a better drug, offering a higher high. And when this happens, intense idealized imaginings of success can be your biggest addiction. That was 2003. And I was hooked on getting my movie made.

So what happened to the project?

Nothing.

The truth is, I was too inexperienced. I had a business plan and a private placement memorandum. I had an initial breakdown and a budget… I was even good enough to cold call rich people and get meetings. At the time, I was trying to raise a mere 250K – and my prospective investors kept asking me the same question:

“How do you plan to recoup our money?”

I didn’t have an answer. Back then, the only distribution strategy I could offer was something like this: “My friends are actors on well known TV shows. When we make this movie, we will take it to festivals and because we have name actors, our probability of garnering a distribution deal is pretty good. If we get into festivals and create buzz and get noticed by a distributor, we might have a chance at recouping the investment.”

So why have I decided to share both the good and the not-so-good?

Because, unlike 2003, thanks in part to companies like iTunes and Amazon, you can now incorporate both a marketing plan and a solid VOD distribution plan into your movie business planning. You do not need festivals, name talent or some 3rd party distributor to give you permission.  You can make your movie now! And just as importantly, you can sell your movie now, too.

Does this mean your movie is guaranteed to sell? NO WAY! But it does mean you can finally have a solid business conversation with a prospective investor – in his or her language.

Does this new era of filmmaking mean filmmakers are now responsible for their own marketing, distribution and sales? Yes it does. And while this extra responsibility adds another heavy hat for most of us, it is also extremely liberating to the entrepreneurial filmmaker inside of you.

Think about it – if you can create a plan and answer the “how are you going to recoup my money” without depending on traditional distribution, then talking the talk just got easier. And that should be super inspiring. Because under all the glamor and promise of fame and fortune, the most important part of this process for all of us is the work. And speaking from experience, making movies is a lot more fun than talking about making movies.

And just in case you’re wondering – every-so-often I pick up Seven Ten Split, read a few words and once again experience the “high.” And that is all the motivation I need to pick up the phone, make another call, get another meeting and cultivate another relationship.

- – -

Jason Brubaker is a Los Angeles based indie producer and an expert in Video On Demand Distribution. If you like his articles, you’ll love his book – which you can grab for free by going to www.FreeFilmmakingBook.com

Posted under FILMMAKING

Independent Movie Distributors are great if they offer you a deal. The problem is, many filmmakers do not get a great deal. Instead, many filmmakers end up with a lot of empty promises.

Now, thanks in part to a shrinking DVD market, many traditional distributors have shifted focus to partner with, or become a  movie aggregator. For those of you new to the concept, a movie aggregator exists  to collect a whole bunch of movies, and then serves as a middle-man between YOU and the marketplace.

The result of this DVD to VOD distribution transition has created a new sales pitch for filmmakers:

“Give us your VOD rights for a gazillion years and we’ll get your title onto iTunes.”

If you’re like a lot of filmmakers, this pitch is all you need to hand over your VOD rights for many years. The result of which allows you to tell all your friends: “Our movie was picked up by [insert bottom feeding aggregator here] and now we are on iTunes.”

Any time I hear this, I want to PUKE.

Why? Because treating VOD distribution like DVD distribution is the difference between lighting and lighting bug (I think that is a quote from Mark Twain.) But you get my point. It can’t be treated the same.

WHY DO I SAY THIS?

I say this because many traditional DVD distributors will add NO VALUE to your VOD strategy.

They will simply get your movie into the marketplace and suck your profits for the extent of your contract. And since most traditional distributors can not monopolize the VOD marketplace (like retail DVD), they will grab any title they can and hope for the best.

Think about it. It doesn’t cost them anything. All they gotta do is get your movie encoded and uploaded into the market – and if it makes money, they make money. If it doesn’t make money – OH WELL!

Like I said. That makes me PUKE.

You see. The problem isn’t your ability to access a VOD marketplace. Your problem is SOURCING an audience.

In retail DVD distribution, it was different. Retail DVD was a predictable sales channel. In the old days, you licensed your retail DVD rights to a distributor. Then your distributor made a few phone calls and got your movie into video stores. People drove to video stores and walked around the store. So if your DVD was on the shelf, your odds of making money increased.

But with VOD? We are talking about people sitting in front of their computers. The marketplace changes at the click of a mouse.

So far, we know that iTunes, NetFlix and Amazon are popular. You should get your movie into those marketplaces. But that doesn’t mean you should give up your VOD rights to get there.

“In this modern era of moviemaking, YOU can get your movie into all the popular marketplaces without locking up your rights!”

Yesterday I sat in on a conference call hosted by Adam Chapnick over at distribber. Many of the modern moviemakers from filmmaking stuff were on the call. There were a lot of good questions.

For those of you who don’t know, distribber is a movie aggregator. But unlike the bottom feeding variety mentioned earlier, distribber works on an upfront payment model. This means YOU pay a little over a thousand bucks and you can access iTunes and many of the other popular marketplaces without locking up your rights!

Now I know what you’re thinking – why would any filmmaker pay to get a movie distributed? It’s a good question. But I think the better question is, do you think your movie will garner more than $1300 in VOD sales? If so, then you might consider distribber or a service like it. Otherwise, you’re going to end up paying a LOT MORE to a traditional bottom-feeder.

And if money is the only issue, you’re in luck there too. Since Distribber is part of indie gogo, filmmakers are encouraged to create a crowdfunding campaign to cover their distribber fee. Creating an indie gogo crowdfunding campaign will not only allow you to raise money, but you’ll also benefit from the social networking aspects of the site – Your contributors will tell their friends. And this inturn will will help you source your audience.

[IMPORTANT: If you do not think your movie will make more than $1300 dollars in VOD sales, distribber is NOT a good fit.]

In full disclosure, I have an affiliate relationship with distribber. They pay me to promote them. But I would still recommend them or any companies like them even if I wasn’t getting paid. The reason for my passion is this: I have watched too many of my friends get burned by crappy distribution deals. And I want to help you avoid this.

The secret that traditional DVD distributors don’t want you to know is this: Getting into the marketplace is easy.

The TOUGH part is getting people to watch (and buy) your movie. For that I recommend The Indie Producer’s Guide To Digitial Distribution or at the very least, read some of my other articles on movie marketing and distribution.

And if you’re just getting to know me, make sure you grab a FREE copy of my filmmaking book. Click Here   >>

In a future article, I’m going to show you how to leverage VOD distribution for your business plans. Stay tuned.

Posted under Uncategorized