Filmmaking Stuff

Filmmaking resources for indie filmmakers, including, screenwriting, financing, producing and film distribution

Header Right

Main navigation

iTunes

What is Your Filmmaking Niche?

by

In movie marketing, there is this phrase I really like: “Marketing to everybody is marketing to nobody and niches will make you riches.” And while not every movie is guaranteed success, it is much easier to find your audience when you choose a filmmaking niche.

What is a filmmaking niche? It’s making a movie for a small slice of a larger audience. For example, let’s say you were making a horror movie. Horror is a very broad genre. But a subset of the horror genre is zombie movies. So in this example, making a zombie movie for a zombie loving audience would be your filmmaking niche.

So this is where you start. Will you make a horror movie, romantic comedy, action movie or a girl with a horse movie? (By the way, a girl with a horse movie really does well internationally.)

filmmaking niche

What is Your Filmmaking Niche?

Knowing your filmmaking niche is important because in order to make non-discriminatory distribution channels, such as iTunes and Amazon profitable – It is required that YOU market your movie on the internet. This means that you must work on sourcing your target audience and then drive those folks to your point of sale.

Having spent the last few years working in distribution, I can tell you that most filmmakers screw this up. They make a movie for everybody. And it is frankly too expensive to market to everybody! So before you even think about making your movie, answer these filmmaking questions:

  1. Who Is Your Target Audience?
  2. How Large Is Your Target Audience?
  3. How Will You Reach Your Audience?
  4. What Is Your Marketing Strategy?
  5. How Many VOD Sales To Break Even?

Since both iTunes and Amazon are internet, transactional marketplaces, it makes sense that most of your sales will come via the internet. And as a result, you must create a web presence that speaks to your audience. In other words, you need to make sure the right people know your movie exists.

Who are the right people? People who love your type of movie.

Your Movie Website

When it comes to designing a movie website, most filmmakers never think about their filmmaking niche. They know they need a website for their movies. The problem is, most filmmakers put way too much crap on their site. And none of it speaks to their audience.

Goals

It’s essential to have goals for your movie website. When people come to your website, what action do you want your visitors to take? Do you want them to Tweet about the site? Join you on Facebook? Get into your audience list? Or buy your movie?

Distractions

Once you know your website goals, you need to determine if your website architecture and design is inline with your goals. To do this, install Google Analytics and monitor your traffic. If you find people are getting lost in a bunch of silly pages, remove those pages. Keep what matters.

If you like these tips, you’ll love the Independent Producer’s Guide To Digitial Distribution

How To Sell Your Short Film On iTunes

by

If you’re wondering how to sell your short film on iTunes, you’re not alone.

As you know, iTunes is one of the most prestigious platforms for selling movies. And when you think about it, aside from putting your short film in festivals, you might be wondering what to next.

It is at this point when many filmmakers either decide to put the movie on YouTube or put the movie in a closet. Distribber (where, in full disclosure, I work full time) is a video on demand aggregator that allows you to access premium video on demand platforms like iTunes, without giving away ownership of your content. Bottom line, you now have the option for selling your short film on iTunes.

sell_your_short_film_on_itunes

How To Sell Your Short Film On iTunes

Before you fully decide to sell your short film on iTunes, it is important to know that getting on iTunes is more involved than simply uploading your movie on YouTube. There is no direct upload process. Getting your short film onto iTunes will involve putting your movie through the submission process.

This means that in addition to investing few hundred dollars to cover the submission, your movie will have to pass a rigorous, manual quality control process. This is because iTunes is very particular about the technical quality of the movies they accept.

It helps if you start the process by getting all of your deliverables in order.

You will need the following deliverables:

Video:

– Apple ProRes 422 HQ
– QuickTime .mov
– 1920×1080
– 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97 fps

Audio:

– 16 or 24-Bit depth
– 8CH (5.1 + Stereo) or 2CH Stereo
– 5.1 Surround audio (if available) – L, R, C, LFE, Ls, Rs
– 2.0 Stereo – Left Total, Right Total

STEP TWO: Once you meet the technical specs, you will also need to make sure you have closed captions. For acceptance into the US iTunes store, the closed captions file must be in the .scc file format. If you do not have closed captions, Distribber offers an additional service to create them.

STEP THREE: The next step is to submit your short film to Distribber. You will be asked to select the type of movie you’d like to submit. You obviously want to choose “SHORT FILM.”

Sell Your Short Film On iTunesDistribber is a filmmaker friendly company. You simply pay them a one-time up-front fee. From there, they either get your movie into iTunes or they give your money back, minus a processing fee.

For some filmmakers, showing the world that you can complete a project and also get it onto a prestigious platform feels pretty dang good.  To get started, go here. And as part of my promotional agreement, use this Distribber discount code at checkout: filmmakingstuff.

How To Sell Your Movie On iTunes

by

If you are asking yourself “how do I get my movie on iTunes?” you’re not alone. In the past, the process of getting your movie on iTunes was challenging. But that has changed. Gone are the days when you need to ask for permission to access iTunes.

If you spend time in film festivals, invariably some distributor will offer to “pick up” your movie and put it on iTunes. So before we get into the self distribution mechanics of answering your “how do I get my movie on iTunes” question, it’s important to understand traditional film distributor shenanigans.

how-do-I-get-my-movie-on-iTunes

How To Get Your Film On iTunes

Getting a film on iTunes represents a very low risk for a distributor. Unlike the DVD days, film distributors do not have to invest money for manufacturing, shipping or holding physical inventory.

The only real expenses are the hours it takes for ingestion, encoding, quality control, review, delivery and accounting. Additionally, if you plan to release in the US, you’ll need closed captions. In most traditional deals, these expenses are simply passed directly to the filmmaker!

Because this process has become somewhat commodified, many distributors typically brag about a “direct deal” with iTunes and how this will possibly garner you “special placement.” While most distributors can get you on iTunes, there is no guarantee that any distributor can get you special placement.

While it feels good when someone offers to pick up your movie, there is a difference between “feeling good” and getting a good distribution offer. So my suggestion is to evaluate every offer. And look for something in the pitch beyond simply getting you special placement on to iTunes.

Prep Your Film For iTunes

If you decide to sell your movie on iTunes without the assistance of a traditional middle-man, you will still need to utilize the services of an iTunes approved aggregator (or a sub-aggregagor who works with an iTunes approved encoding house.) There is simply no way around this. At present, iTunes is not set up to do business with individual filmmakers.

With this said, just because you are required to utilize a 3rd party iTunes delivery service does not mean you need to sign over a percentage of your movie ownership. In full transparency, I currently serve as the director of business development at Distribber (so do your own due diligence.)

If you’re not aware, Distribber can help you get your movie onto iTunes. You simply pay an upfront fee for the service. If Distribber is successful in getting your film onto iTunes, you get to keep your movie revenue. And if Distribber is unsuccessful in getting your film picked up by iTunes, they refund most of your money.

After doing your own research, if you decide the service is a good fit, make sure you use this Distribber link and then type “filmmakingstuff” on the checkout page for a discount. From there, Distribber will then provide delivery instructions and help get your film from your hard drive into iTunes.

Here are the current iTunes deliverables:

For a High Definition iTunes Delivery:

HD:

  • Apple ProRes 422 HQ
  • QuickTime .mov
  • 1920×1080
  • 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97 fps

SD:

  • Apple ProRes 422 HQ
  • QuickTime .mov
  • 720×480 or 720×486 (NTSC) 720×576 (PAL)
  • 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97 fps

Audio:

  • 16 or 24-Bit depth
  • 8CH (5.1 + Stereo) or 2CH Stereo
    • 5.1 Surround audio (if available) – L, R, C, LFE, Ls, Rs
    • 2.0 Stereo – Left Total, Right Total

You can find out more about the Distribber service here.

Promote Your Film on iTunes

Getting your film on iTunes does not guarantee success. Unless you take time to plan out a marketing and distribution strategy that makes sense for your movie, your odds of a marketing miracle happening are diminished.

The first step of marketing your movie involves defining your target audience. Then you need to figure out where these groups congregate online. Do a Google search for blogs and websites that cater to your target. Then reach out to the editors of those top 50 blogs and websites. Make an introduction. See if they will review your film.

Your goal on iTunes is to sell enough units of your film so you rise in the sales rankings. When this happens, more and more iTunes shoppers can potentially discover your work. And that’s where the real magic happens. While I don’t know the secret sauce, make a goal to sell 200 units in the first two days.

If you’re wonder how to get your film on iTunes, you don’t have to wait for some middle-man to give you permission. If you’d like more detailed info on Distribber and other video on demand platforms, check out these film distribution resources.

7 Lies Film Distributors Like to Tell Filmmakers

by

Film distributors are great if they offer you a decent deal for your movie. And having spent the greater part of my career in distribution, I can tell you there are (still) many great film distributors out there, working to do the right thing.

The problem is, distribution also has a fair share of sleazy, fast talking hotshots more concerned with selling you the dream, versus actually promoting your movie. And as a result, many filmmakers give away their movie rights in exchange for false hope based on empty promises.

film distributors

7 Lies Film Distributors Like to Tell Filmmakers

In order to help you figure out if you’re talking to a great film distributor or a bad distributor, I am going to share 7 very common lies film distributors like to tell filmmakers. Utilize the following as a guide before you talk with film distributors. Having this knowledge will help you avoid common pitfalls.

1. “It is expensive to take your movie to market.”

Getting a movie into the digital marketplaces is not expensive. Unlike the days of DVD, there are no manufacturing, warehousing, shipping or physical retail costs. A distributor simply has to pay for encoding, closed captions and an errors and omissions policy. And most times, these costs are passed to directly the filmmaker. This model eliminates overhead and risk for the distributor.

2. “We are not an aggregator. We are a distributor.”

For those of you new to the concept, a movie aggregator is simply a volume distributor. These film distributors gobble up as many movies as they can and then throw them into the digital marketplace to see what sticks. And while it was once cost prohibitive for most indie film distributors to pick up more than a few movies per year, due to the inexpensive nature of digital, film distributors can now pick up dozens of movies per month!

Many filmmakers have wised up to how the “aggregation model” works. In response, and to increase the perceived value of the service, most aggregators now describe their volume business as distribution. (See how that works?)

3. “We can get you special placement on the platform!”

With a gazillion movies being delivered to popular platforms like iTunes, Amazon and Hulu (and others) each month, it is increasingly difficult for customers to discover new titles. So it behooves any distributor to ask the platform gatekeeper for special placement. While personal relationships certainly help, due to limited real estate, no distributor can guarantee special placement.

4. “We are direct with the platforms.”

While not a full-blown lie, touting a direct relationship with any platform can be misleading.  A direct relationship simply gives film distributors access to sales data and also, a point of contact. But having a direct deal does not necessarily guarantee the success of your movie.  And when it comes to actually delivering your movie to platforms, most film distributors utilize the same half-dozen approved delivery labs! Make sure you ask how the direct relationship will help you.

5. “We will market your movie.”

Outside of trying to get you special placement on the platforms, many film distributors will not market your movie. And while it’s true that some tout the wonders of their email list (we have 50,000 people on our list!), many of those people are other filmmakers – not necessarily your target audience.

Whenever a distributor talks about marketing your movie, make sure you find out exactly what they plan to do. A good distributor will disclose a P&A (prints and advertising) budget and explain exactly how promotional money will be spent. A shady distributor will not.

6. “Focus on making movies. Let us handle distribution!”

While this set it and forget it mentality may have worked back in the DVD days, those days are long gone. During the launch phase of your movie, a good distributor can help you make money. But sooner or later even the best film distributors need to focus on new projects.

Since your deal with the distributor will last for at least five years, you want to make sure you know what’s going to happen with your movie after the honeymoon. A good distributor will sell your movie over and over again to various outlets. A bad distributor will forget about your movie. In both scenarios, you will need to have an a promotional plan to assist film distributors for the long term.

7. “All of our filmmakers are happy with us.”

Really? Prove it. Good film distributors will happily put you in touch with their best clients. (After reaching out to the clients and getting permission first, obviously.) Bad film distributors will avoid putting you in touch with any past clients. In both instances, I highly recommend doing your own due diligence. As long as you’re professional, there is nothing wrong going on IMDB and telephoning past filmmaker clients on your own.

The thing to remember in all of this is, your ability to access popular marketplaces is not necessarily the problem. Through companies like Distribber, (where, in full disclosure, I do a lot of work) getting your movie seen and selling is easy. The real problem is getting enough people to buy your movie over the long term.

It is never too early to learn about distribution. If you’d like to start planning your distribution strategy I recommend accessing my film distribution training and learn everything you can.

Warning: DVD Distribution Is Dead

by

Do you remember retail DVD distribution? Do you remember walking into a video store and renting a video? Newsflash. Those days are gone. And the demise of retail DVD distribution means that you can no longer depend on some video rental chain to buy 5,000 copies of your DVD.

The rise of streaming film distribution means that your movie is no longer a physical product. It is data. Yet despite these changes, filmmakers still talk about the difference between traditional film distribution and self-distribution. And that is just silly…

dvd-distribution

Warning: DVD Distribution Is Dead

I have news for you.

If you mention the words self-distribution around me, I will whip you with a wet noodle. (Actually, I won’t really do that. I just used “wet noodle” to get your attention.) But the reason I am adamant about removing “self-distribution” from our filmmaking vernacular is because there is no such thing.

Most filmmakers don’t get it.

Whenever I give talks about film distribution, someone invariably shares a story about some traditional distributor (previously focused on DVD distribution) who pivoted into a VOD aggregator, promising to get their title into iTunes and Amazon and Hulu. And I’m like:

“So what? Any filmmaker can access those platforms. Why do you need a middle-man?”

Blank stares.

Aside from getting your film on iTunes, Hulu and Amazon, unless your “traditional distributor” is conducting verifiable and measurable marketing, there is no additional value.

Just because you can access the popular film marketplaces does not guarantee success. Think about it. There is a reason big movie studios spend millions marketing studio produced features. But most film distributors do not have millions to spend on marketing.

Here are THREE essential filmmaking skills you need to master:

1. Become an Internet marketer: Or team up with someone who is. Why? Because there will come a time when there is NO delineation between the Internet and your television. Or your mobile device. As a result of these changes, you will need to drive targeted Internet traffic to your desired point of sale (AKA buy now button) and convert these visitors into customers.

2. Find Out How To Crowdfund: Running a successful crowdfunding campaign requires social networking, real-world networking and Internet marketing. Aside from raising money, your goal is to test all your movie concepts before you dive in both feet first. And if successful, your goal is to snowball your supporters into one giant mailing list so you can gain their support for your next projects.

3. Your Audience Is Your Business: Marketing nerds have a saying, “The money is in your list.” It is now no different to filmmakers. Your ongoing goal is to create work that encourages people to sign up for your mailing list and become a fan of you and your films, for life. Then with each project, your ongoing goal is to continually grow your list.

For some filmmakers, mastering film distribution is easier said than done. I get that.

If you are like most filmmakers, you have probably spent your whole filmmaking career imagining that your movie would get “discovered” and you would be propelled into instant fame and fortune. And while I would never discourage you from thinking BIG…

It is equally important to have a pragmatic approach to your work, complete with manageable expectations. But do me a favor… despite any emotion you have towards distribution, please stop using the words “self-distribution.”

It makes you sound old. Instead, repeat this mantra: “If my filmmaking success is meant to be, it’s up to me.” And if you like this stuff, you can always grab your copy of the indie producer’s guide to digital distribution.