Guest Posts Start This Week
I am very happy to announce that this week I will start a guest posting program on this blog. We will hear from a variety of people that deal with audience connection and engagement of all types.
Ride the Divide Part 1: Set Your Goals, Identify and Partner With Your Audience
Tonight at midnight Hunter Weeks and Mike Dion launch a 2711 minute free access to their film “Ride the Divide” on You Tube to coincide with LiveStrong Day on October 2nd. The film is about three riders as they traverse the 2711 miles of the continental divide from Banff Canada to the Mexican border. I […]
PMD FAQ 2: What are the responsibilities of a PMD?
PMD FAQ 2: What are the responsibilities of a PMD? The responsibilities of a PMD are wide and varied. Not all films will utilize all of these elements (since every film is different and will have a unique approach to distribution and marketing), but each should be considered when strategizing and planning for the film’s […]
PMD FAQ 1: What is the purpose of having a PMD?
PMD FAQ 1: What is the purpose of having a PMD? The purpose of the PMD is for one person on a filmmaking team to be responsible for audience engagement (aka distribution and marketing). It derives from the recognition that filmmakers (filmmaking teams) need to own the audience engagement process and that this process should […]
Tip of the Week: How to Cope With Symposium Brain Fry
1. Focus on the Inspiration and Creative Potential One of the best uber-takeaways is how a symposium or workshop can inspire filmmakers to new creative opportunities. Allow these ideas to run through you and don’t get caught up with any of the specifics just yet – you can delve into those when the time comes for you to act.
Jon Reiss TOTBO Tip of the Day 35 – A Meta Stream of Tips
Today’s tip will be a meta tip. If you go to Twitter and search #totbo you will see the stream of tips, ideas, comments, suggestions etc from everyone who was engaged in the Totbo NY Workshop in the room in NYC or who virtually participated in distant lands! Kudos to all the participants at the […]
TOTBO Tip of the Day 34 When Booking Your Film: Make the Call
When calling the theater, ask for the person in charge of programming. These bookers are generally very nice people who love film. Why else would they be involved with small theaters that make no money? And remember, it is important to call first before sending an e-mail. An e-mail cannot express your passion, nor will […]
TOTBO Tip of the Day 33 When Booking Your Film: Do Your Research
Of course you have done your organizational research, but assuming you are still going to book some conventional theaters the first step is: Research. Most information you need to book your film is readily available online. There are already lists of theaters that book independent films available online. My distribution and marketing tools site: ultimatefilmguides.com […]
TOTBO Tip of the Day 32 Use Organizational Partners
If you have laid the groundwork with organizational partners, you can have them organize many of your screenings what Lisa Smithline calls DIFY – or Do It For You. This is one of the many added benefits of starting your distribution and marketing groundwork from the beginning. Even if they don’t do the actual screening […]
TOTBO Tip of the Day 31 Embrace Live Event/Theatrical
This week’s tips concern the re-born “theatrical” movement in the US and around the world for independent film. I’m a firm believer that film should be screened in front of live audiences – which is one form of our millennia old tradition of telling stories in a communal environment – usually in the dark (in […]