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Some Practical Thoughts On Distributing Your Film Digitally

Distributing Your Film Digitally

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.

The Minimalist Guide To Marketing A Movie

marketing a movie

Filmmakers aren’t like normal business people. Marketing a movie is not considered part of the normal day-to-day process. But in other industries, marketing is just an aspect of business. This makes a lot of sense. In the old days, your success as filmmaker depended on your ability to create an unproven product. And if your product (or in this case, your movie) did well with audiences, it was picked up, marketed and sold.

How Not To Get Screwed By Filmmaking Partners Who Suck

filmmaking partners

A long time ago, I worked on a short movie with a guy. Long story short, I found out the guy was being untruthful about money. He had hired one of my friends to build our movie website. When confronted, he told me some sort of story that was completely stupid and untruthful. Because he was a “friend,” I gave him the benefit of belief and dropped the subject.

Are Film Festivals Worth It For Serious Indie Filmmakers?

are film festivals worth it

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.

The Minimalist Guide to Internet Marketing For Filmmakers

internet marketing for filmmakers

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. . .

Use This Secret Filmmaking Strategy So You Can Get Your Film Made

get your film made

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.

The Shocking Truth About VOD Sales Projections

vod sales projections

Because distribution was once discriminatory, many first time independent feature filmmakers had to hold their breath in hopes their movies would get into a film festival, buil buzz, and (hopefully) garner a great distribution deal, complete with a cash advance. But that is an outdated model.

How To Optimize Your Movie Website For Sales

movie-website

If you’re like most filmmakers, you have a website for your movie. And odds are good you are trying to fit too much into it. So the first thing you need to do is remove all the distracting crap. Whenever I mention this at a talk, invariably someone asks me how to determine what’s distracting? It depends on your website objective.

My Film School Talk On Making a Movie

I spoke at the UCLA film school and I got the impression that the next generation of filmmakers are open to new ideas, and new ways of making movies. Thanks to familiarity with YouTube as well as access to affordable production equipment, many modern filmmakers are embracing accessible, non-discriminatory distribution channels without hesitation or excuses.

Filmmaking eZine and Free Tools

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.

Filmmaking Seminar Los Angeles

For Los Angeles based fimmakers looking to take their show to business, I recommend checking out the next Norman Berns workshop. In this full-day, hands-on instruction, you will gain experience on scheduling, budgeting, business plans, ptiching, fundraising and distribution.

Filmmaking interview with Nathan Wrann

I interviewed Nathan Wrann because he serves as a good example for any filmmaker who ever wanted to make movies without making excuses. In our talk, you’ll get 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.

Make Filmmaking Your Next Small Business

“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.

Screenwriting How To Protect Your Material

Stop screenwriting rip offs

Since starting Filmmaking Stuff, many screenwriters have written me, asking if I could provide advice on how they can protect their screenplay from theft. I usually tell screenwriters that most producers will not go through the process of raising a gazillion dollars without compensating the screenwriter fairly.

Filmmaker David Allen Talks Modern Moviemaking and VOD Distribution

Earlier this week, I caught wind of an indie production company based in Australia called Rapidfire Productions. This is a production company that operates as a self sustaining modern moviemaking business. They develop movies, get money, make their movies and through their own distribution arm, the company reaches the masses.

7 Step Filmmaking Formula For Selling Your Movie Online

As a feature filmmaker, one of the biggest problems YOU have is finding a traditional distribution deal (that actually makes sense) for your movie. With each passing day, we get closer and closer to a world where DVD sales channels are being replaced by video on demand. And while we are not there yet, after spending the greater part of last weekend watching streaming content on NetFlix and Hulu, I am now of the opinion that the days of DVD distribution are numbered.

Leverage Your Following | Sell Your Movie PT 7

Leverage Your Following

One of the most important filmmaking strategies you must adopt in this era of modern moviemaking is a long term perspective. In years past, filmmakers focused on making one movie, selling it and then moving on to the next movie.

Increase Web Traffic | Sell Your Movie PT 6

Increase Web Traffic

One secret I utilize is frequent press release submissions. Years ago, it was advised that you only wrote and submitted press releases when you had something newsworthy to say. But these days, in addition to targeting traditional news outlets, most press releases are included in search engine results. Without getting overly technical, this means for a very small amount of money, submitting one press release complete with links to your website can increase your web footprint.

Movie Sales Funnel | Sell Your Movie PT 4

Filmmaking is changing. Like it or not, if you want to make a living making movies, you need to learn about the business side of independent movie making. And if this is your first time on filmmaking stuff, you are reading step 4 of a 7 part series on how to sell your movie How To Sell Your Movie On iTunes, Amazon and Netflix For Maximum Profit.

Movie Making Tools Update

If you’re new to Filmmaking Stuff, welcome. If you’re a frequent reader, then you know that my major mission is to help you make your movie now! For about the last six months, I have been working to update our Filmmaking Stuff sister resource – I wanted to create a storefront where I could offer more advanced information.

Indie Film Finance And Production Conference Los Angeles

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.