If you've been reading filmmaking stuff for any length of time, you know how much I avoid the words “self-distribution.”
The reason I dislike the term is because it makes filmmakers lazy.
It implies that somebody else is out there, ready and willing to distribute your movie.
While this was the case many years ago, video on demand has changed everything.
Here is a quick question for you: What do Roger Corman, Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith and Stanley Kubrick have in common?
Through the course of their careers, all of them have built a platform. They have an audience.
Audiences know them and know their work. And the name recognition has created leverage in the marketplace. If you plan on getting your movies seen and selling, you need to start building a platform, so you can establish your brand and become a rockstar to your audience.