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Instead of spending tons of money trying to inspire boxoffice success or buying it, create “events” around screenings….have live performances, Q&A’s, invite big groups of people to bring their members, etc. Don’t be passive….fill that theater with everyone you know and you just might convince other people that there is a built-in audience for your film.

This does not have to happen via the traditional theatrical model though. That can be a small part of the release to get reviews, but the rest can be a sort of EVENT THEATRICAL or HYBRID THEATRICAL release and you can sell DVDs at the screenings and build your community list and dialog too. Companies such as Fathom, Screenvision, Cinedigm offer alternative theatrical bookings and event screening options in traditional theatrical chains such as AMC, Cinemark, and Regal. (Stay tuned for our next blog on this topic and we’ll cover services such as Emerging Pictures too).

Selling DVDs at festivals and event screenings is a key revenue stream and should not be overlooked.

Orly Ravid July 27th, 2010

Posted In: Film Festivals, Marketing, Uncategorized

Tags: AMC, Cinedigm, Cinemark, Emerging Pictures, Event Theatrical, Fathom, Hybrid theatrical, independent film, Regal, Screenvision, The Film Collaborative, theatrical distribution, theatrical release

It is no longer enough to just make a film, you have to create community and anticipation for your film as well. And social media and viral outreach takes a long time to reach critical mass, so build your social media presence into your production schedule.

Just this week a filmmaker asked us…”I’m in post-production, should I wait for a distributor or start thinking about marketing now?” The answer? — do not wait for anyone! By the time you exhibit your film at a film festival you should already have built a community so that you can make the most of your public exhibition and be best positioned to distribute your film effectively and as directly as possible… And it also so happens that distributors these days are looking at your number of facebook friends and your twitter followers to help them make acquisition decisions….as it helps them gauge interest in your film.

But even more pointedly, one’s ability to get onto Cable VOD will be impacted by perception of marketing and audience interest and that’s still the lions share of revenue stream in digital and very competitive, and for when your film is available on DVD and digitally, you’ll have a community to distributed to. Think of your film as a cross-platform story, and allow your community to access it from whatever medium they choose…that way when the film is finally finished they’ll be primed to see it. So don’t procrastinate….start letting people know about your film NOW.

Orly Ravid July 26th, 2010

Posted In: Facebook, Film Festivals, Marketing, Social Network Marketing

Tags: film distribution, Film Festivals, film marketing, independent film, social media, VOD

If your film’s subject/theme closely mirrors the mission statement/goals of an organization, you can reach out to them to lend promotional support to your film. For example, many documentaries deal with themes that non-profit orgs are fighting for in the REAL world, and a good film on these subjects can subsequently help raise awareness of their issues — making it a win-win for both the organization AND the film.

Many organizations are open to these kind of relationships…but the most common mistake filmmakers make is to get unspecified or “mushy” support from an organization, and nothing quantifiable ever materializes. You need to give an org something very specific to do….i.e. send an email blast about your screening at a festival, or organize a screening on their premises. If you are considering the latter option, consider organizations that actually have an auditorium or screening room. For this reason, museums and churches are often the best options as they are already in the exhibition business.

Orly Ravid July 20th, 2010

Posted In: Marketing

Tags: alternative theatrical, independent film, non profit organizations, The Film Collaborative

The quick answer is YES….well, maybe. It depends how sought after your film is, and who is representing your film. If you have a world premiere at one of the top film festivals like Sundance or Cannes or a handful of others, then Festival programmers will request to see your film.

The general rule is if a programmer REQUESTS to see your film and then accepts the film, you can ask for a rental fee (usually between $500 and $1,000 is a good place to start). If you SUBMIT to a Festival, then generally they will not pay you. However, if you are represented by a distributor or a producer’s rep, they may have more negotiating power and be better able to get you a screening fee. ALSO….niche festivals such as Latino Fests, Jewish Fests, LGBT Fests, Asian fests etc. are much MORE likely to pay you fees to screen your film, because there is less product for them to choose from, so they are more likely to NEED your film in their Festival.

Orly Ravid July 19th, 2010

Posted In: Film Festivals

Tags: Cannes, Film Festivals, independent film, screening fees, Sundance, The Film Collaborative

Just because a documentary doesn’t get a theatrical distribution deal doesn’t mean it can’t be considered for an Academy Award. Since many great docs don’t get distributed theatrically, many filmmakers choose to qualify the film themselves. But it’s not cheap. The least expensive option is the IDA’s DOCUWEEKS program (www.documentary.org), or you can four-wall the film yourself. It needs to run at least two times a day, for a week in New York City AND Los Angeles. Theaters that regularly cater to this kind of Academy-qualifying runs include the Laemmle’s in LA, and the IFC Center in NYC. Know in advance that you should expect to pay at least $30,000 to qualify this way. If you are considering this kind of run….TFC can help.

Are you a documentary filmmaker who has worked with a distributor for theatrical exhibition? Tell us about it on our Distributor Report Card.

Orly Ravid July 18th, 2010

Posted In: Uncategorized

Tags: Academy Award, Distributor Report Card, documentary, IFC Center, independent film, Laemmle's, The Film Collaborative, theatrical exhibition

Ask for revenue potentials and examine how many layers of middlemen there are between the distributor/aggregator and the stores or platforms that you most want to be on, assuming that you cannot go direct (which often is the case). Make sure distributors are not going through too many middlemen, or selling to themselves and double dipping, or simply offering to do something on your behalf that you could do yourself. And make sure you know what their deals are with key stores or platforms.