First, a warning: DVD distribution is dead.
Despite the odd DVD rental store scattered around your home town, the days of physically sending your film to prospective buyers and industry influencers are over. Done.
Out of the thousands of films produced every year, only a handful will garner theatrical distribution. The rise in streaming and video-on-demand platforms allows people to watch movies anywhere, anytime. This makes getting your movie in front of a (paying) audience easier than ever.
What does this mean for you, the indie filmmaker? It’s time to start thinking like a digital marketer.
Reaching people in the vastness of the world-wide web can be a challenge, but taking these three things into consideration might be the first steps in grasping the exiting frontier of digital distribution.
1. Find your intended audience
If asked who their target audience is, many filmmakers’ answer would likely be “everybody!” But even though their enthusiasm is admirable, it would be wise to narrow this down. Start by asking yourself what type of movie you made. Is it a drama or a comedy? Is it about flesh eating zombies or the affable guy next door finding the girl of his dreams?
Taking the time to understand who your intended audience is will surely help you to refine your targeted video distribution strategy.
2. Reach your intended audience
Unless you’re a big Hollywood studio with a gazillion dollars at your disposal, chances are your marketing budget is, at best, limited.
That’s why finding your core audience – and reaching them specifically – is so important. This can prove to be difficult when distributing through video-on-demand services like iTunes and Amazon Prime. Start by reaching out to key influencers within your targeted audience group via social media and good old fashioned email marketing.
Create buzz. Get the right people talking.
But also, be strategic in diversifying your marketing efforts. Reach out to media outlets regularly visited by your core audience. Send online editors enticing material they can use, be it trailers, behind-the-scenes clips or interesting interviews with the cast.
Investing the proper amount of time in your marketing strategy will help you reap the rewards.
3. Find the perfect distribution platform
Yes, the shift to digital made it easier for indie filmmakers to get their films out there, but how do you go about choosing the right platform to distribute on? The brave new world of digital distribution can be challenging to navigate with pitfalls aplenty.
Things you’ll need to consider, are:
- Barrier to entry: does this platform accept all submissions or are they selective?
- The price you’ll pay: how much does this platform charge to host your film, and what percentage of the revenue will you receive?
- The platform’s popularity: how often do people visit their site? And how big is their catalogue?
- Encoding and formatting: does the platform need you to convert or reformat your movie to fit their specific needs?
A comprehensive list existing video-on-demand platforms are readily available, but remember to take everything into consideration before settling.
And if you plan on sending out screener copies of your movie, remember to check out these five reasons why it’s important to do that digitally too as opposed to physically.
