Jon Reiss at IFC this Tuesday, November 17th!

Just out from an amazing weekend at DOX:FORUM in Cophenhagen, I’ll be in New York this week at the IFC Center speaking about my new book Think Outside the Box Office (released on the 16th!).  Come check it out!  Call (212) 924-7771 for tickets!

Thinking Outside the Box Office

In a presentation full of practical advice and hard information, filmmaker Jon Reiss (Bomb It), the author of the recently released “Think Outside the Box (Office): The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing in the Digital Era” will teach how to create unique distribution and marketing plans for independent films, explaining both do-it-yourself and hybrid approaches. He will outline what filmmakers need to do to prepare for distribution while making their films. Finally he will lay out ways in which filmmakers can take back and redefine the theatrical release by playing a combination of conventional theaters, community screenings and festivals.

Ira Deutchman on a “Public Option” for Indie Filmmakers!

Check out this great post from Ira Deutchman’s blog.  Tyler Davidson makes an interesting comparison between the recent debate in health care reform and the effects of industry change on independent filmmaking:

After my last post about the “Indie Summit,” I began an email correspondence with indie filmmaker Tyler Davidson. I found his thoughts provocative and encouraged him to write them up so I could share them with the rest of the indie community. The following is from Tyler:

A PUBLIC OPTION FOR FILMMAKERS

Just as a few U.S. insurance companies have a stranglehold on our country’s healthcare system, so too do a few Hollywood studios on our film industry.  Instead of exploding healthcare costs and millions of people uninsured, our industry sees a once-flourishing independent film community decimated and a substantial swath of independent  filmgoers underserved.

Despite increasing efforts to more creatively and aggressively utilize new media and grassroots marketing to reach its more niche-oriented audience, independents simply can’t compete with the marketing spends of the major studios and lose market share by the day.  And without that demand — or rather, that opportunity for demand — low budget film investors continue to lose their money, subsequently disappearing in droves from the independent purview.  Independent producers who somehow endure in the business are forced to scale films to budgets that sacrifice the livelihoods of those who make the films possible.  This is today’s independent film industry, and it is not sustainable.

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Andrew Whittaker Mirrors Indiwire’s Coverage of Tribeca Indi Film Dist Panel

Indiwire’s coverage of my Tribeca panel was mirrored by Andrew Wittaker in a 3 part series. Here’s Part 3 but you can go back to part 1 & 2. I’m in tip 6 & 9. Enjoy.