FILMMAKER SUCCESS BLOGS
Distribution vs. Marketing
Distribution vs Marketing
It’s always one of my bottom lines that I start my clients work by preparing for distribution. Why? Because most filmmakers I meet are not thinking about distribution, although they are often thinking about festivals. And over the years - as I have developed my ear for what filmmakers are actually saying - what I hear is: “I think I can get distribution by getting into festivals.” (If you want to learn more about how to actually get distribution, read my book Chapters 2 & 5. And the Intro. And Chapter 1. OK well read my book.)
But just as important as thinking about distribution from the very beginning, it’s also important to think about marketing from the very beginning.
Just this week, I found myself explaining to one of my clients what the difference is between distribution and marketing. Do you know?
Distribution is the putting the movie in places where people can access it:
Theaters
Available for purchase online
Available on a subscription streaming platform
Available on a free platform
Once the movie is available to be seen, next the filmmaker needs to market the film to tell audiences where to go to watch the film. This is marketing. So far, we’ve only begun to create places for people to find out about our movie, but we haven’t begun to attract, to drive people to go out and watch our movie.
Microbudget films are rarely marketed by distributors and the filmmaker is entirely responsible for their own marketing. I recently met the makers of a brilliant independent film with no names, that is receiving a $40,000 marketing campaign by its distributor. This film has won prestigious awards at top tier festivals so it is operating at a higher level. Once a film has a higher budget and recognizable name talent, then we can assume that the distributor will be responsible for marketing the film.
From the very beginning, the filmmaker needs to ask: “Who is the audience for my film? How do I reach that audience? What budget do I need to reach my audience? How can I access organic marketing?”
There are so many elements to your marketing campaign that filmmakers need to think about. The ones that are usually top of mind include:
A poster
A trailer
A website for the movie
A Facebook page for the movie
What else?
A way to capture email addresses to communicate about this and your next films
Build a presence on social media
Ad buys
I'm Joanne Butcher
Film Business Coach and Consultant
"Are you ready to take a leap of faith and make the film you've been dreaming of making?
Have you given any thought to how to make your films financially viable? Profitable?
Is it time to finally tell the story you were always meant to tell?
Make Movies. Make Money. Make the World a Better Place.
Filmmakers are the most creative people in the world. Whether you write, produce, direct, act, compose scores, storyboard (the list goes on!), I truly believe that you have a unique story to tell and that that story can change the world.
Where I most often see independent filmmakers (second and third feature filmmakers
not excluded) struggle, though, is in turning that creativity into a well-made, successful, and financially viable film.
And that's where I come in.
With my experience in marketing, fundraising, and producing, I have guided clients through writing Nicholl's award-winning scripts, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars, producing the films they've always dreamed of, and transforming their overall thought processes around creating.
My clients currently have 13 films in distribution, with 5 more on the way later this year. Others have nationwide programming on PBS, and many are working on internationally produced documentary and narrative feature films.
The struggle is OVER, after reading this book the path to funding your first Block Buster will be CLEAR!
Make Movies. Make Money. Make the World a Better Place.
Filmmakers are the most creative people in the world. Whether you write, produce, direct, act, compose scores, storyboard (the list goes on!), I truly believe that you have a unique story to tell and that that story can change the world.
Where I most often see independent filmmakers (second and third feature filmmakers
not excluded) struggle, though, is in turning that creativity into a well-made, successful, and financially viable film.
And that's where I come in.
With my experience in marketing, fundraising, and producing, I have guided clients through writing Nicholl's award-winning scripts, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars, producing the films they've always dreamed of, and transforming their overall thought processes around creating.
My clients currently have 13 films in distribution, with 5 more on the way later this year. Others have nationwide programming on PBS, and many are working on internationally produced documentary and narrative feature films.
My B.U.L.L.E.T.P.R.O.O.F coaching program helps you HEAL from a lifetime of NARCISISTIC ABUSE.
The struggle is OVER, after reading this book the path to
funding your first Block Buster will be CLEAR!
Do you want the secret to getting you film funded?
Inside this book I will reveal the answers to all your questions, the secrets to getting your film funded & distributed globally. After reading this book you will have the knowledge and tools the raise the money you need to make a film that sets the world on fire! This is my 'Film Box Office S.U.C.C.E.S.S Formula' Click the button below to start your journey to film funding success...
Do you want the secret to getting you film funded?
Inside this book I will reveal the answers to all your questions, the secrets to getting your film funded & distributed globally. After reading this book you will have the knowledge and tools the raise the money you need to make a film that sets the world on fire! This is my 'Film Box Office S.U.C.C.E.S.S Formula' Click the button below to start your journey to film funding success...
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