While this chart represents iTunes song sales, it is clear that the sale of VOD iTunes movies are on a similar trajectory. Image via Wikipedia

Thanks to HDSLR technology, any filmmaker with passion and a story can make a feature film. And unlike years past, these backyard indie filmmakers are not prohibited by cash or creativity.

Yet despite this movement, many of my high profile “professional” friends in Los Angeles, have made a conscious effort to ignore the rise of backyard indies. Why?

Because inexpensive HDSLR filmmaking doesn’t count!

I mean, with these movies, common questions asked by Hollywood hot-shots are: Who signed the SAG agreements? Who contacted the Unions? Who notified the MPAA that another movie will need to be rated? Who paid enough people to call this a “real” feature film?

Nobody.

Guess what? Audience word-of-mouth doesn’t care if the movie was an official union indie or a backyard indie made for pocket change. And thanks to the demise of traditional distribution and the increased market domination of iTunes, Amazon and Netflix, the big difference between a $10,000 back yard indie and a $2,000,000 dollar indie isn’t the budget, it’s which filmmaker gets the most clicks on his or her “BUY NOW” button. And to break even on a 2M feature, the filmmaker is gonna need a lot of clicks!

As a rough example, to recoup 2M dollars, the filmmaker will need to to sell (roughly) 200,000 video on demand downloads at $10 a pop. These first sales will cover the 40% cost allocated to VOD providers (the real winners here), after which, the filmmaker will still need to sell an additional 200,000 downloads to repay the investors.

400,000 VOD downloads x $10 = $4,000,000 minus $2,000,000 in VOD fees = the initial $2,000,000

Meanwhile, the filmmaker with a backyard indie only has to sell 2000 VOD downloads to recover the initial 10K costs.

While nobody wants to make movies for pocket change, many filmmakers still believe we can somehow continually produce unprofitable (movie) products and expect the money and the subsequent jobs to keep rolling in. And unlike years past, filmmakers can no longer approach investors with the cliche pitch: “Filmmaking is a risky investment – if we are lucky, we might win Sundance and get a deal.” Now, with transparent distribution options availabe to all filmmakers, that line of give-me-money reasoning is reckless, no longer applicable, and in my opinion, unethical.

Aside from the initial challenge of sales and marketing, the ripple effect reveals an even greater conundrum: How will you raise enough money to pay your cast and crew AND still pay back your investors? I mean, what’s the new sweet spot? How can we once again make independent filmmaking profitable?

“SO NOW THAT I CAN’T AFFORD TO PAY MY CAST AND CREW, WHAT DO I DO?”

Here is the Jason Brubaker model on how to save the movie industry. Ready?

To survive in this ever changing world of indie filmmaking, we have to change our strategy. Instead of making that one big awesome indie, we now need to focus on building a genre specific movie library and spend all of our downtime building a ginormously targeted audience list.

Step 1: Find your top-ten closest filmmaking collaborators. Form a company.

Step 2: Write a business plan, but instead of putting all of your focus on making one movie, concentrate on making 3-5 feature films.

Step 3: Make sure that you include a sales and marketing plan. To do this, take your proposed budget for all movies and work backwards. And start asking yourself, “How many downloads do we need to sell to recoup our investment?”

Step 4: In this model, instead of paying freelance day rates, you’ll have to hire long term employees and provide each with a salary and back end points (sort of like stock options) on each title.

Step 5: When the title wins, you all win. Over the years, your titles will add up. And the real compensation will come back in the form of residual movie income.

While this is not a fully refined model, it’s a start. It’s better than ignoring the fact that backyard indies are being sold right next to Union Indies as well as mainstream Hollywood movies. This is a time of change. This is the indie movie distribution equivalent of the automobile replacing the horse drawn wagon.

You can choose to ignore this movement, and you can probably succeed for a few more years. But there will come a day when all entertainment will be on-demand and cheap to consume. The question is, will you ignore the backyard movement and continue to play your distribution lottery ticket in hopes of winning the dream deal, or will you  join the movement and help us filmmakers figure out a way to make indie movies profitable?

- – -

Jason Brubaker is a Hollywood based Independent Producer, PMD (Producer of Marketing and Distribution) and an expert in digital self-distribution. He is focused on helping you make, market and sell your movies more easily by growing your fan base, building buzz and creating community around your title. To learn more about Jason and grab over $100 dollars in FREE filmmaking Tools, CLICK HERE

Filmmaking has come a long way since this picture. But one thing hasn't changed - Filmmakers Need To Make Movies to prosper. Image via Wikipedia

If you’re filmmaker seeking practical filmmaking tips you can use TODAY, I’d like to share some thoughts with you.

The world of filmmaking is changing. Producing content is getting cheaper. And distribution outlets are becoming increasingly accessible. While these changes have not fully hit mainstream Hollywood, you can rest assured that it’s only a matter of time until the ripple effect has a leveling impact.

And when these changes hit, will you be ready?

Here are my 5 filmmaking tips on how to prepare for these changes.

1. Filmmaking Tip #1 – Build Your Fan Club. Like any business, in order to prosper, you need to create, build and keep customers. For filmmakers, this means building an audience of people who like your work. (If you like this website, you can sign up for my fan club by going here: http://www.FreeFilmmakingBook.com)
2. Filmmaking Tip #2 – Create content. If you’re serious about your filmmaking future, you need to have a YouTube page and you need to be making creative short movies at least every month. Why YouTube? Because I believe the site will become a hub for Video On Demand movies, they are owned by Google and YouTube allows you to create community around your work.
3. Filmmaking Tip #3 – Create new products. Every business needs to sell a service or a product to survive. As an independent filmmaker, your primary product is feature films. To make this business viable for yourself, you need to fill your file cabinet with story ideas. Then you need to figure out how to turn those stories into feature films, ready for sale.
4. Filmmaking Tip #4 – Surround Yourself With Talent. You can’t do everything yourself. Find a group of 10 other filmmakers who have complementary talents and an equal level of passion and enthusiasm. Then join forces and create some (movie) products!
5. Filmmaking Action Tip #5 – Learn how to sell. You will need sales skills on two fronts. Firstly, you should know how to sell, so you can raise movie money. And secondly, you should know how to sell so that you can accelerate sales of your movies. Once you learn the basics – stop fetching coffee and take a sales job outside of the industry, selling something tough. If you can master sales skills, you will start cold calling heavy hitters with no hesitation. This make pitching your ideas or (independent movie) products a cinch.

Anyway, I hope these filmmaking tips are helpful.

As always, if you have thoughts or ideas or questions, feel free to comment or email.

Super 16mm was once used in most every independent filmmakers. Image via Wikipedia

In case you haven’t noticed, filmmaking is changing. With the emergence of awesomely great DSLR technology, making a movie is getting cheaper.

In years past, the cash threshold necessary to propel a project into production was cost prohibitive. This alone served as a major obstacle to most every aspiring independent filmmaker. Add the need for complex technology and the skilled professionals necessary for the equipment, it’s it’s easy to understand why most would-be feature filmmakers never took action.

For example, in years past, if you wanted to create an awesome picture (on a budget), you shot Super 16mm – And later, if the film was picked up, you could easily blow up Super 16mm picture to 35mm. And, I repeat – these steps were once considered an affordable option.

And let’s say you decided to follow this “economic” filmmaking route – if so, you had to raise enough money to not only cover the film and equipment, but you paid for your DP, your camera operator, someone to pull focus, someone to load the film, someone to lay dolly track and someone else to push your dolly – and once the film was in the can, you paid to get the film processed, create dailies, get it color corrected, transferred to video, edited and blown up to 35mm.

Then you crossed your fingers. . .

“UGH! Can you imagine trying to make movies like that? It makes very little sense. Especially now.”

Everything has changed. It’s been almost a decade since I’ve heard anybody in the filmmaking community seriously consider shooting their first feature on film. And why would they? These days, if you want to make a great looking movie, you grab your $2,000 DSLR camera and you start shooting.

That’s it. No film stock. No silly processing costs. No silly blow up costs. You simply take your camera out of the bag, point and shoot.

Then you edit on your computer and upload to several of the video on demand websites and that’s it. You’ve created a product (your movie) and you have taken your product to market (via digital self distribution).

AMAZING! (Or is it?)

Seriously. For producers, the evolution of DSLR is totally awesome. For all below the line crew working to make a living – this isn’t so good.

Using my previous example, let’s compare shooting Super 16mm to shooting on a DSLR. Take out an eraser and eliminate 80% of everything I just mentioned.  No more need for heavy dolly track and a dolly. No more need for the person pushing the heavy-duty dolly. Eliminate your focus puller and your film loader. Eliminate a few production assistants. And totally eliminate film processing. Not necessary.

This shift in filmmaking technology is going to create more and more projects. And unlike years past when making a movie required a gazillion dollars, the modern filmmaker can now produce viable projects “out of pocket.”

And yes, while many of the screenplays will continue to suck, rest assured that the picture will look good.

“OK. What’s the downside to modern film production?”

Producers no longer need a million dollars to make a good looking picture. Simply put, this is bad for the freelancer community.

Let’s say you’re a filmmaker looking to hire a sound guy. Normally you would have to pay him $500 dollars or more per day (which is a low figure for some, I know). Well if you’re a filmmaker shooting your first feature on a budget, are you really going to pay that day rate?

Probably not.

You’ll probably find a sound guy and get him to bring his own equipment, and you’ll offer to pay him peanuts. And if he doesn’t take the job, you’ll find someone else to replace him.

And this is the problem with modern filmmaking. There is an overwhelming supply of product in the marketplace, a glut of manufacturing – and revisiting economics 101 – your production (AKA, your indie film) can now be produced cheaply. (Sure, your product might be junk? But I’m not debating that here.)

Think of it this way, in years past, producing goods in an assembly line required hundreds of man hours. But as technology evolved, many of these jobs were replaced by robots. Well, the same can be said for many freelance production professionals. More movies, minus less budget money and something’s gotta give.

“So why don’t indie film producers just raise more money?”

Distribution.

Couple an ever growing glut of movie products coming into the marketplace with a measurable erosion in traditional distribution deals, and you can understand that the indie movie industry is saturated with an over supply of movies and less outlets.

So given these unfavorable odds of a big payday, why would any filmmaker risk a few million on a budget with increasingly less opportunities for a traditional deal?

In this regard, the only option is for producers to keep their budgets low. That way, in the event these filmmakers do not garner a traditional distribution deal, they can at least recoup some of the budget through digital self distribution.

So how can freelancers make a living making movies?

First of all, I’ve been talking about low budget indie feature films. Freelancers can still find work in the corporate, industrial, BIG budget and commercial world. And if you’re going to make a living working solely on low budget, independent pictures, I suggest you consider tweaking your strategy.

1. Get a job to pay the bills and then start producing your own movies. Seriously. I’m sure you’ve probably worked with a few morons and thought “I should be making my own movies.” So DO IT! (I’ll now plug one of Jason Brubaker’s products.)

Go to http://www.GetMovieMoney.com and get your hands on “The Indie Producer’s Guide To Financing Your Movie.” I wrote it. It’s a step by step guide to help you start thinking like a producer.

2. If you don’t want to produce your own movies, then do this. In addition to your day rate – or whatever deal those producers try to throw at you. . . Ask for back end points and at least an associate producer credit.

For clarification, what I’m suggesting is different than deferred pay. I’m suggesting you get your hands on a piece of the action. You’ll want to get a lawyer to draw up the paperwork – but imagine owning one percent and a producer credit on 100 movies. Some of those movies will hit. And when they do, you could potentially get a nice stream of cash.

Think about this – what if you got $50 dollars a month from 25 movies (25×50=$1250per month) – for life? In this regard, you would have an extra 12K per year in addition to your other work. Not great, but better than nothing, right?

- – -

I don’t know if this sounds impossible or not to you. But with all these changes, including DSLR technology as well as digital self distribution, we can only expect things to change even more.  The future of filmmaking is a broad topic and I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Netflix is Now Available for Indie Filmmakers on The iPad. This Image via Wikipedia

A few years back traveling the festival circuit with a newly produced movie seemed to offer and air of excitement and promise for a great career making movies.

If you think about it, as a filmmaker, getting a movie financed and actually produced was (and still is) an incredible achievement. However, as you probably noticed -- things are changing quite a bit in the world of distribution.

And while it would be nice to get a grandiose distribution deal, or even the validation of seeing your movie somewhere in the local Blockbuster, the reality is -- this will probably not be a reality for many filmmakers.

However, if you’re ready to face the future of independent movie distribution, you’re in good shape. With the release of the iPad, and the new NetFlix application, we now have clear indication that Video On Demand has arrived in a majorly portable way. And while many of you will argue that the iPad is not the most ideal way to watch a movie -- few of us can argue that the future of movie delivery has arrived.

Check out the following iPad clip featuring the NetFlix application:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpJ98u0kIKI

So as movie distribution becomes more and more portable, what is a filmmaker to do? Here are five digital self distribution tips I have for you:

1. Know your target market. Just because there are more tools that can instantly deliver your movie to millions of people doesn’t mean every one will like your movie. In fact, only a small percentage will. Your job is to find that small percentage and market accordingly.
2. Build a fan base. Over time, having a few thousand people on your mailing list who like your work and are always up to date on your productions will help you sell more and more movies. Think of bands building a fan base. You have to do the same thing.
3. Stick out from the crowd. As you can guess, the market will soon be flooded with a whole ton of movies. This doesn’t mean every movie is worth watching. In fact, you will have to figure out a way to make your movie better. What is your unique hook?
4. Don’t be afraid to make people hate you. Seriously. There should be two types of audiences for your work. The audience that hates you and your work. And the audience that loves you and your work. Anybody in-between will not be profitable.
5. Your website is a hub to help your prospective audience find your movie, buy your movie -- or at least get on your mailing list. Make this easy for your prospective fan -- or suffer the loss of independent movie revenue.  And please, please, please ask for the order.

And in case you’re wondering how I learned this stuff -- Like YOU, we got a few bad deals and a lot of rejection with our first feature. But thankfully, digital self distribution allowed us to find our audience (In an AWESOME way!)

As a result, our first feature is still selling like crazy over the internet -- And believe me, waking up with an email that reads “You Got Money!” (without a middle-man) goes really well with coffee. In fact, it goes a lot better than the months I spent watching our first feature collect dust on a book shelf.

So, if YOU have a feature film that flat-lined, don’t worry! Your time to resurrect your title(s) is coming! Stay tuned -- in a week or so, I will have a digital self distribution surprise for you. . .

ALSO: I am gearing up to share my digital self movie distribution tactics all over the country. So if you know of a workshop or a festival that could benefit from this kind of information, let me know.

A 1987 Video Disc -- Image via Wikipedia

Over the holiday season, I spent some time back east with family and friends.

Aside from shoveling snow and fighting the cold winter in Pennsylvania, getting outside of Hollywood for a few weeks provides a time of relaxation and reflection. And at the same time, spending time with friends and family almost always reveals coming trends in the movie industry.

Let me explain.

Based on some popular entertainment oriented Christmas gifts, it’s evident that changes in the movie industry are upon us. Thanks to VOD innovations like the the Roku HD Player and some new television sets that directly link to the internet, I predict that 2010 will be the beginning of the end for movie rental kiosks, movie rental stores and as a result, studios will experience further decline in physical DVD sales (including Blue Ray.)

While my prediction may be a little ahead of the curve, I think it’s important to prepare your movie business accordingly. These innovations (over time) will eliminate traditional, physical movie sales channels – Diminished revenue may result in less production and you might experience a decrease in movie production work.

Conversely, streaming, down-loadable movies on demand will also create a enormous opportunity for filmmakers wishing to reach the global masses without asking permission. For the right producer, this is an exciting time!

But in order to profit from these innovations, let’s analyze the ripple effect. Here are some things we might expect:

5 (possible) PREDICTABLE movie business DECLINES

1. Decline in traditional home video channels (video rental business, video delivery business and home video purchases will decline.)
2. Decline in traditional hardware like DVD Players and Blue Ray Players.
3. Decline for dub houses, DVD manufactures and DVD shipping boxes.
4. Less pre-sale predictability. Tell your investors that you’ll put the movie on iTunes and then try to project potential revenue. Have fun.
5. Less investor cash means there will be two motion picture tiers for your day rate: micro budget features and mid-to-high budget studio features (with theatrical outlets for distribution.) Budget ranges in-between are becoming increasingly too risky to finance.

7 (possible) PREDICTABLE movie business OPPORTUNITIES

1. Providers of VOD and digital down-loadable content will increase.
2. Innovations in hardware (TV Sets, Roku Devices and TiVo type products) will increase.
3. Instead of getting your day rate, more professionals will be forced to take back end points. (This is the movie making equivalent to getting start-up stock options.)
4. State movie production tax incentives will influence production of higher budget pictures.
5. Distribution channels will be many. Look for more and more indie production companies to create in-house marketing arms and PR firms to promote movies across the globe.
6. Additionally, movie internet marketing experts will become an asset to your production. (OK – a little self serving. But after successfully producing and marketing one of our movies on the internet, this is something I’m passionate about.)
7. This is totally optimistic: but we might also expect more outlets for TV content. HDTV accessible website will spring up where you’ll post your content, build a VOD following and leverage your following to increase targeted advertising revenue. (Check out Hulu.com for an example.)

Great. What does this mean for you?

Save your money! Speak with a financial adviser and learn how you can make a financial plan for your future. Seriously. Learn how to make your money work for you. Then -

If you want to produce movies: these industry changes mean you should cultivate relationships with “name” actors and join forces with all the folks you’ve been working with for years and years. Start to create your own micro-budget projects and get super creative on the financing end. Find folks with equipment. Work out deals and see if you can pay in both up-front money and back-end points.

Additionally, if you go this route, you should become friends with movie producer marketers, PR professionals and sales consultants who have successfully sold movies over the net. These folks will help you create a plan for ROI – And while nothing is guaranteed, if you can create 5-7 movies in your career that supply your bank account with cash each month, it’s a nice place to be.

If you make money working as a freelancer – you may have to change some of your focus (as is very common) to television commercial work, corporate video work and high-end music video work. These avenues seem to have more frequent production instances… And you don’t have to give up months for money.

Surviving the Movie Industry in times of change is similar to surviving other industries going through change. Necessitated by the need for cash (survival), many of you will be forced to see the world as an entrepreneur. Even if you aren’t ready, you may have to learn how to produce your own profitable movies.

The world of motion picture distribution is changing at an amazing rate. Video on Demand and internet outlets like CreateSpace and iTunes are opening up opportunities for independent filmmakers in ways never-before-seen. I have said it before, but it is only a matter of time until all motion pictures (both studio and independent) will be available globally, whenever there is a demand.

Richard Abramowitz is president of Abramorama, a consulting firm specializing in the production, marketing, distribution and representation of independent films. Earlier this week, Richard took a few minutes to answer some questions regarding the current state of independent movie distribution.

Jason Brubaker
Hello Richard. Thanks for taking time to chat with us today.

Richard Abramowitz
It’s my pleasure.

Jason Brubaker
Could you tell our readers a little about what you do and how your business works?

Richard Abramowitz
I do a variety of things related to independently made movies. Most of my day is devoted to marketing and distributing features – both narrative fiction and documentary – theatrically and semi-theatrically.

I also consult with filmmakers during all parts of the process: development, production, distribution, etc., to help them navigate the constantly changing environment and get their films seen.

Jason Brubaker
Where do you find most of your material? Festivals? Submissions? Recommendations?

Richard Abramowitz
I go to quite a few festivals to stay current with what’s being made – and because watching 5 or 6 movies a day is my idea of heaven – but most of the films I work on come to me from recommendations, usually from filmmakers I’ve worked with in the past.

Jason Brubaker
What do you look for when selecting a movie to represent?

Richard Abramowitz
Quality, which is subjective of course; the filmmaker, which is to say, someone who understands the distribution process, or is willing to learn, and participate actively; and, marketability, so that we can define the audience or audiences and determine how to reach them.

I’m interested in a distinctive voice, a filmmaker who’s looking to collaborate, and a film that has an audience or audiences that can be defined and addressed in a cost-effective way.

Jason Brubaker
OK. Let’s say you’re a filmmaker, setting out to make a first feature. What sorts of things do distributors look for when they pick up a movie? For example, over the years we’ve heard countless stories of filmmaker who got a deal based on the DVD cover art or poster. Is this stuff just a myth?

Richard Abramowitz
That kind of thing may have happened some years ago when the video/DVD market was thriving but it doesn’t happen anymore, at least not with any frequency.

I’m interested in a distinctive voice, a filmmaker who’s looking to collaborate, and a film that has an audience or audiences that can be defined and addressed in a cost-effective way.

Jason Brubaker
What format should filmmakers stick to? In the past, it seemed like you had to shoot film or it wasn’t a real movie. Is it now acceptable to shoot HD?

Richard Abramowitz
The technology is the least important aspect of the process at this point. Five or six years ago I released a film that was shot on Super8 and blown up to 35mm. The material worked – thrived – with that look. So I’d say you can use anything that makes sense.

Jason Brubaker
When a filmmaker is deciding on a first feature, based on your experience, would you say there is a genre that seems to have more sales potential?

Richard Abramowitz
As I’ve said, films with definable, addressable audiences are a good place to start. But, to answer more directly, horror films have worked in that way historically, and I’d say gay films, as well.

Jason Brubaker
In sales 101, friends always buy from friends. When representing a movie, how much do your personal relationships with buyers influence a deal?

Richard Abramowitz
I wouldn’t necessarily use the word “friend,” but it certainly helps to have known and worked with people over the years. And, even if you don’t know everyone personally, the reputation you develop over time, combined with a broad scope of associations, makes it easier to reach out to people you need in order to do the right thing on any particular project.

Jason Brubaker
There is a lot of talk in the film community about Video On Demand and how services like CreateSpace and iTunes are altering the distribution model. Do you also utilize these services as an option when working with filmmakers to recoup the investment?

Richard Abramowitz
It’s clear that VOD, et al, are becoming absolutely essential sources of revenue so, yes, that’s part of the equation.

Jason Brubaker
How has VOD affected traditional straight to video outlets?

Richard Abramowitz
VOD, along with a number of other factors, has substantially diminished the value of traditional straight to video outlets.

Jason Brubaker
I know it happens. But these days, how often do independent films get picked up for theatrical distribution? Is this even worth dreaming about?

Richard Abramowitz
It still happens. IFC Films alone must pick up 50 films a year, many of which get some degree of theatrical exposure, but it ain’t like it used to be. I suppose it’s worth dreaming about but I would caution filmmakers to be aware that the dream can turn out to be a nightmare. It’s important to consider how much you’re willing to give up in return for some of those deals and to consider alternative approaches to getting the film out and returning money to investors.

Jason Brubaker
Every so often I receive questions from documentary filmmakers. Given your background, how should a documentary filmmaker approach potential distributors VS those of us who typically focus on narrative features?

Richard Abramowitz
One of the great advantages of documentaries is that each one usually has an obvious, defined audience. If it’s a dance film, demonstrate how the dance audience can be reached. If it’s an environmental film, define that audience so that the potential distributors understand how it might be reached. And look at what other filmmakers have done, for example the folks who make KING KORN or any number of other films.

Do the research. Hand it to them. No one’s going to hand it to you.

Jason Brubaker
And one last question. To help our new filmmakers avoid some serious pitfalls – What do you know now that you wish you knew then?

Richard Abramowitz
Don’t wait for permission.

An example of a Movie Poster -- Image via Wikipedia

In the past, I’ve written about the importance of having a good movie poster.

And while making a movie poster is essential for certain aspects of independent film funding, as new and exciting options for independent movie distribution become available, the need to print a physical poster may seem secondary to the broader focus of building an online film marketing presence.

Still, even if you target all your filmmaking marketing efforts towards getting people to your website and converting these lookie-loos into a paying audience, it doesn’t mean you can totally forgo your movie poster.

Designing a movie poster movie poster still helps…

Even if your movie never screens theatrically, a movie poster design is a good starting point when establishing the overall brand of your independent movie. The colors, logo, font and art will be used in creating your website, film festival postcards and other promotional materials. Additionally, should you decide to create a DVD, the art will be utilized on the box cover as well as your DVD menus.

OK. So how do I make a movie poster?

If you’re seeking more filmmaking tips related to movie poster design, the following resources should get you thinking:

1. Movie Poster Design Companies (Directory.)
2. How To Design a Movie Poster
3. One Sheet Design (Service)
4. How To Design a Great Movie Poster
5. 35 Photoshop Tutorials for Designing Your Own Posters

And while I sill believe the day will come when iTunes film distribution becomes an option for all filmmakers – Video On Demand has arrived. As such, a scaled down version of your movie poster is still essential for your thumbnail image.

I’ve written quite a bit on the subject of Independent Film Distribution. Over the last ten years, there have been a gazillion changes in the ways movies are made. But the one area I’m most excited about is Video On Demand. I frankly don’t remember how I lived without the technology.

As a filmmaker, this technology offers us enormous opportunity to not only make our movie – but with a couple clicks of a mouse, we can now reach a global audience — well, sort of.

Unfortunately there are still a few limitations to our global reach. I’ve mentioned CreateSpace quite a bit in the past. In fact, their advertisements seem to pop up frequently on this site. I love it that you can upload a VOD movie into the Amazon marketplace. But I think a few things still need improvement. Let me explain.

1. Lag time – For one of our projects, it took CS around six months to get our movie into the Amazon marketplace.
2. Marketing – Once in, there was tremendous lag time in getting our information correctly placed on the Amazon detail page. (I’m still getting this worked out.)
3. Trailer- And instead of presenting your movie trailer, the Amazon preview plays the first 2 minutes of your movie. So you better hope you hook em’ fast.
4. Audience – With CS/Amazon VOD, you are limited to a US only audience.
5. Reporting Sales – The sales reporting is not even close to real time – There is at least a 30 day wait to find out if your movie is selling.

Still, all of this aside, the tremendous upside to CreateSpace is having your movie featured in the Amazon Marketplace while carrying NO inventory. When people buy or rent your movie, all you gotta do is collect the cash.

In a more-perfect world of Independent Film Distribution, iTunes would open the flood gates and allow all feature filmmakers to upload their work. However, at the time of writing, getting your finished feature film into iTunes is still a pain in the butt. With few exceptions, the company seems to favor traditional distributors over the indie producer. So if you one day dream of having your movie viewed on someone’s iPhone, you’ll still have to find a middle-man and ask permission…

If you want more information on Independent Film Distribution, check out the book The Independent’s Guide to Film Distributors. In it, you’ll find many of today’s top indie distributors are included and profiled. In the spirit of full disclosure, you’ll also find an article written by me.

A few years ago, I got myself involved in a Zombie movie. It was my first feature. And right out of the can, the movie garnered a lot of buzz and attention. In fact, it even made it’s way into one of the popular movie magazines. Agents, producers and distributors called. For awhile, it seemed like everyone in town had heard of our movie. But then… nothing. The Hollywood buzz had fizzled. There was no deal.

Yet, because the movie was specifically targeted to a zombie loving audience, demand for the movie increased. Eventually the demand grew so great that the producers decided they would self distribute. To many of you new filmmakers, you probably don’t know this. But long before the internet and Amazon Video on Demand, self distribution was for losers. Of course, if you have to travel the route of self distribution – these days, reaching a global audience is as easy as the click of a mouse.

My suggestions (based on profitable experience):
1. Put your trailer on Youtube, with a link to your movie website.
2. Also, post your trailer on your movie website. How is your traffic? If it’s good –
3. Upload your movie to CreateSpace (which opens you up to the Amazon marketplace.)
4. Then take everything off your movie website that could potentially distract your customer from buying the movie. (Pictures, behind the scenes stuff, stupid IMDB links that nobody cares about, etc…)
5. Replace that old stuff with “BUY NOW” links to your site. These links should re-direct your site visitor to Amazon.

The good part about VOD through CreateSpace is, you don’t have to keep any inventory. It’s like iTunes for indie movies. But the bad part is, they take a huge chunk of your profits. And you have to wait 60 days for your sales reports. You can sort of tell if you’re selling or not based on your movie’s popularity. For example, if you’re in the top 100, you’re probably doing pretty well. If your movie is not selling, consider re-working your poster, art and website to emphasize the best selling points.

If you want to get ahead in the crazy industry of movies, you would be best to follow the following 5 tips for movie industry success:

READ

1. Read every business book you can, even the ones not related to movies. In fact, focus on business books not related to movies. Why? For many of you, most of your potential investors will work in other industries. You’ll want to know how to frame your movie project in such a way that it sounds like sound business!

Get a Job

2. If you have to take a job to survive, you may as well learn how to sell. I say this because no matter what you do, your success will depend on your ability to sell yourself and your projects. Plus, as an added bonus, professional sales people sometimes make more than doctors and lawyers.

Set Clear Goals

3. Have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish in your movie career. So many people are clueless. They go around and around, always saying things like: “This is going to be the year I really get focused.” Twenty years later, they are saying the same stuff. If you haven’t written down your filmmaking goals, you run the risk of becoming one of those people. Don’t do that.

Greenlight Yourself!

4. In the event you are between industry jobs, create your own project. These days, making short movies and uploading to YouTube is super inexpensive. There is no excuse not to make skits and try to gauge audience reaction. No good responses, then make another movie. Try to learn how to make things happen on the small screen, and the big screen will follow.

Become  a Marketing Machine

5. Finally, in ways akin to learning how to sell, you must also learn a thing or two about internet marketing. Distribution is changing. And in time, everything may well be video on demand. You need to prepare for this shift… In the future success will belong to the best marketers. (You still need to do good work!)

Hope this helps. And if you haven’t signed up for the free course offered by www.filmmakingstuff.com, what are you waiting for?