This month I will be appearing at the University Film and Video Conference which is being held at Champlain College in Burlington VT. Both presentations will center around the core Think Outside the Box Office (TOTBO) principles with an emphasis on how and why to teach this material to film students. I have a solo presentation on Wednesday afternoon and am on a panel with Linda Brown Dave Grotell and Andy Opel on Wednesday. I will focus on how the distribution and marketing landscape has shifted and that film schools must teach their students how to connect to audience: Teaching only how to make films is no longer enough. In addition I will focus on how filmmakers need to become more entrepeneurial, focus on career as opposed to project development and finally – of course – the creation of a new crew position – the Producer of Marketing and Distribution – and that we need to teach how to be a PMD in film school (and business schools) and what that curriculum might look like. If you are coming to UFVA – I hope to see you there!
Jon, I’m glad to see that you’re bringing this important message to colleges and universities. As a product of the NYU Grad Film program, I really wish I could have been exposed to these valuable marketing and distribution ideas back in school. I know that the heads of NYU are paying close attention to these new developments, and I hope that this movement catches on everywhere.