How Independent Filmmakers can THRIVE in the current distribution Marketplace.
To cap off my first-ever distribution month, I thought I’d talk a little bit about where Independent Film Distribution is heading. Markets are going to be a big center of commerce for the film industry for a few years, but they’re going to continue to wane for the truly independent filmmakers, which means one of the biggest areas for entry for filmmakers is likely to go away. With the fall of Distribber, and how Amazon looks like it’s going to scale back its filmmaker direct distribution programs there’s only one real path left for filmmakers. That path is to build an audience that’s highly engaged with your content and distribute not only your film to them but other products related to your Intellectual property (IP.)
BUILD AN ENGAGED AUDIENCE
The first step in this (as I’ve brought up in at least half of the blogs this month…) is to build a highly engaged audience and following. This is something that Youtubers have become fantastic about. You have to have lots of touch points with your audience and provide them a perspective that they emote with but can’t find anywhere else. By that I mean…
Create Niche Content that speaks to an underserved audience
With a massive glut of generalized content, You have to identify an underserved niche and start to make authentic, high-quality content that speaks specifically to a small niche of people. This turns the old TV model on its head, instead of being a 6/10 for 10 people, you need to be a 10/10 for 2 people, and budget your film in such a way that you can keep your business afloat on the revenue from that much smaller audience. Luckily, when you do this you’ll be able to successfully sell the film, as you won’t be competing as directly with outlets with huge, bland libraries.
Think less about the format
Movies don’t just have to be 90-minute feature films any more. If you can establish a following, keep content coming in the form of shorts, webseries, and features. Don’t spend more time on them than you have to, but make sure that you continue to release new content to engage with your audience.
Sell Merchandise
Once you have a dedicated following, think about ancillary ways you can monetize your brand and your content. Bands sell T-Shirts at their shows as their primary source of revenue, and film trends tend to follow about 5-10 years behind the music industry. You have to start building ways to monetize your Intellectual Property and your Brand beyond simply selling your movie at 3.99 a pop.
Community Screenings
Theatrical releases are not cost-effective for many filmmakers. Instead, you can focus on building community screenings that give your core audience a place to congregate, and if you organize them well they can also be a great place to sell merch. It’s also a great place for you as the filmmaker to Skype in and answer questions directly.
Create Custom Experiences around your IP
Mark Cuban (former owner of Landmark Theaters and Shark on Shark Tank) is fairly well known for saying this is the future of entertainment. It’s not always easy for Indies to commute in this space, but if you’re releasing a horror film you might consider a themed haunted house as part of a release or as part of a community screening. There are other ways to make this work in conjunction with your core IP, but it’s difficult to scale and tends to be a custom solution for each film.
Thanks so much for reading! This blog is something of a mix between a distribution blog and something to make you think a little bit more like an entrepreneur. If you like this sort of content, make sure you come back in February for Entrepreneurship Month. If you don’t want to miss it, make sure you subscribe to my mailing list or check out my Youtube Channel. If you want to be extra awesome, throw me a few bucks on Patreon. Links below.
