Pressing On Towards The Mark

Adjusting Goals

The goal for most, if not all, filmmakers is distribution. Distribution means many different things to different people but to most, if not all, it means getting your film seen. To many others, it means getting your film seen and being paid for your efforts in making the film.

It’s an uphill battle that requires constant adjustment and tweaking of processes. For me I’ve had to think on the fly, adjust my goals, shoot higher, shoot further, shoot internationally.

Lately I’ve been focusing on international film festivals because so many don’t require film submission fees. The caveat is that if your budget is low (or non existent) you might find yourself in a tough place trying get a professionally made script for subtitles. Or you can no-budget it and do it yourself, like I am doing.

The other half of my plan now involves focusing on 2010. This gives me a six months to get into U.S. film festivals before January when the process starts all over again. That means getting my film into as many hands as possible, sending it to festival directors even if the festival has closed for the season. The thing about The Broken Hearts Club is that I believe damn near everyone can identify with the stories. Love and rejection aren’t abstract things. For many of us the feelings surrounding these emotions are very concrete. With this I believe once the right person sees the film, the sky’s the limit.

You’ve got to think big and think small simultaneously. I’m shooting for the New York Film Festival. It’s a very competitive festival but acceptance guarantees qualification for the Independent Spirit Awards. A Spirit Award nomination has been my goal for many many years. Finally I have a film that I believe is worthy.

I’m also pushing my way through various inquiries by producer reps and distribution folk. This week I’ve sent copies to three reps, one of which found me on Mandy.com and apparently enjoyed the short film version of the film.  I’m also selecting folks at agencies and production companies like HBO and Focus Features. Again, it is my belief that once seen, the automatic rejection mode most studio execs and agents find themselves in will be quelled. I’ve been saying, “Give my film 20 minutes. If you’re not hooked by then, by all means, toss it.”

So the DVDs have been going out on the regular. It’s kinda tough when funds are low. Luckily I’ve found blank DVD’s here and there within my stash.  My preliminary goal is 50 DVDs. I think I’m at 20. Time to take a trip to Walmart for another spindle.

On another note, I’ve heard some information that has made me rethink my process for my web series. Simply put, I must shoot the entire thing again, from scratch, with new actors and new contracts. The goal of this web series is to be able to monetize it from the get-go. That’s kinda hard to do with SAG looking over my shoulder.  So I’m doing the entire thing over; I’m rewriting the script and recasting all the actors. Naturally this means that a July launch ain’t gonna happen. In the end, I’m thinking the film will be better.