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.
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.
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.
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.
Or it may be that in the middle of my script things drag along too slowly–a common problem of first drafts. In that case, reminding myself that the traditional story model calls for escalating conflict can lead to better consideration of how I can add incidents that ramp up the tension and drama.
Your friendships with other filmmakers dictate the scope and scale of your movies. And while not everyone you meet in the movie industry is going to become your best friend, it’s always great to know who to call, to help you make things happen.
When your in the filmmaking process, getting a website up and running is one of those things that filmmakers oftentimes forget. Please don’t. Given the ways in which distribution is changing, having a great website for your movie is probably one of the most important aspects of your eventual movie marketing campaign.
Here is the official Filmmaking Stuff list of the top 3 filmmaking books! (I didn’t put them in order. Rather, I just listed the one’s that really resonate with me.)
Before you make a feature, you should create a whole bunch of short movies. This advice is nothing new for the up-and-coming filmmaker. …
MovieMaker Magazine has published a list of the “50 Best Blogs for Moviemakers.” And out of the gazillion filmmaking websites out there, Filmmaking Stuff made the cut.
Norman C. Berns is an Emmy-winning producer and director. Beginning as a stage director, the full scope of his production work includes features and documentaries, TV series and commercials. As a member of DGA, SAG and Actors Equity, Norman has been creating films and preparing budgets, schedules and business plans his long career. Today Norman stopped by Filmmaking Stuff to share his thoughts on filmmaking…
As a filmmaker, I assume your primary goal is to make movies. But as you know, making a movie requires many steps. So to plan your next movie as well as some of other big whoppers you wish to accomplish, I suggest breaking your goals into smaller and smaller chunks… And then finally break them into small enough chunks so you can include them in your list of daily tasks.
As you may or may not know, independent film funding can be a little overwhelming. If you’ve ever dabbled in the business side of making a movie, you know what I mean. The first time I heard people talk about writing a business plan or offering a private placement memorandum, I suddenly felt like I was on another planet. And if you’re like most filmmakers, you would much rather focus on actually getting your movie made, instead of cold calling rich and successful people to set up random pitch meetings…