1001 Positively True Stories of An Indie Filmmaker

Angelo Bell's Painfully Exhilarating Adventures in Independent Filmmaking

Posts Tagged ‘online distribution’

The Day Sucked, And Now It Doesn’t

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

Today kinda sucked. I was awakened to bad news, which set my mood off into a grumpy destination. I felt like a timebomb ready to explode. Like the Guns of Navarrone, Superfly TNT — then the lovely Nicole Sessions stopped by to pay me a visit and pick up a copy of the film, “The Broken Hearts Club” for her reel. Her smile always warms me. The my wife called me from work and her voice soothed me. Then my daughter smiled at me and I nearly wept.

Then I got an email about a ground floor opportunity at a new African-American and Latino-themed network TV station launch; I pounded out six DVD to ship to HBO, Showtime Networks, Focus Features and a new producer’s rep…and then, I got contacted by yet another distribution entity.

The day doesn’t suck so much any more :-)

DIY Distribution Companies

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

 WEBSITES TO HELP SELL YOUR FILM ONLINE.

This week I highlight a group of companies dedicated to assisting filmmakers in DIY film distribution. The following sites offer a wide range of services to help filmmakers reach audiences and simplify the process of selling their films.

IndieFlix

…IndieFlix is dedicated to providing a forum for filmmakers and their audience to interact, and to building a community that translates artistic vision into commercial success. IndieFlix promises to build a fair and open market to empower filmmakers to be the engine of their achievement and audiences to be a vital part of a movie’s success. IndieFlix is committed to encourage public opinion and power of choice while reinvesting in the independence of film, the people that craft them, and the organizations that support them. We believe that every movie has an audience, every filmmaker has a story to tell and each story has the right to be shared.

— INDIEFLIX | VISIT SITE

 

IndiePix

…IndiePix was founded in 2004 to bring film fans the very best of independent cinema. Today, IndiePix is proud to be home to the broadest online selection of indie films from around the world, including the latest award-winning titles from the festival circuit, popular indie classics, foreign, documentaries and more. Buy a DVD online or use our patented Download-to-Own technology for a professional quality DVD, without the wait.

— INDIEPIX | VISIT SITE

 

CreateSpace

…CreateSpace provides inventory-free, physical distribution of books, CD and DVDs on Demand, as well as video downloads through Amazon Video On Demand™. We manufacture physical products when customers order so no pre-built inventory is needed. Through our service, you can sell DVDs, CDs, and books, for a fraction of the cost of traditional manufacturing, while maintaining more control over your materials.

— CREATESPACE | VISIT SITE

 

Withoutabox

…Experiment with the cutting edge of new world distribution. We are seeking filmmakers, distributors, and exhibitors who are eager to find new paths to profit through technology and innovation.

Rightsholders, you don’t need to get permission from the big studios anymore. Withoutabox is opening channels to support direct distribution via Theatrical, Broadcast, DVD, VOD, Mobile, and more. Do It Yourself!

— WITHOUTABOX | VISIT SITE

 

B-Side

…B-Side Entertainment is an independent film distributor founded on the idea that there’s another side to film distribution. Our goal is to connect films and audiences. It might seem obvious, but if you’re here, you already know that it’s easier said than done. Today, 98% of independent films are never seen beyond festivals. The “lucky” ones get some sort of distribution deal, but if anyone sees any money, it’s not the filmmaker. At B-Side, we’re dedicated to changing that.

That’s why we created bside.com — the largest single network of film festival audiences — and a new online marketplace. bside.com is designed to help filmmakers sell their films to people who already love independent film. It’s that simple.

— B-SIDE | VISIT SITE

 

Breakthrough Distribution

…Over the past two years, we have built a network of partnerships and developed services, tools, and strategic frameworks to help filmmakers, publishers, and musicians maximize their revenue, retain ownership and control of their content, and build their careers. We offer a range of non-traditional and traditional distribution services in the self-, retail-, and hybrid-distribution spaces that allow content creators to simply and easily leverage new business models, technologies, and marketing platforms on a global basis.

— BREAKTHROUGH DISTRIBUTION | VISIT SITE

 

E-Junkie

…E-junkie provides shopping cart and buy now buttons to let you sell downloads and tangible goods on your website, eBay, MySpace, Google Base, CraigsList and other websites using PayPal, Google Checkout, Authorize.Net, TrialPay, 2CheckOut and ClickBank.

For merchants selling downloads, we automate and secure the digital delivery of files and codes. If you are selling tangible goods, we automate the shipping calculation and inventory management. Our shopping cart has a built in sales tax, VAT, packaging and shipping cost calculator.

— E-JUNKIE | VISIT SITE

 

Echospin

…It’s important to have your music and videos up on iTunes, no question about it. But when your fans come to your website or MySpace page to buy your content, there’s no need to send them away. Not when you can deal with them directly, right then and there. With the Echospin Delivery Wizard, it’s more than an utterly hassle-free experience. It’s actually much cooler, easier and faster than iTunes.

— ECHOSPIN | VISIT SITE

 

NeoFlix

Neoflix is an integrated solution for e-commerce, order fulfillment, and customer service created for filmmakers and distributors with multi-channel sales strategies. Whether a DVD is sold to a consumer, wholesaler, library, institutions, or any other outlet, Neoflix can handle the order processing and fulfillment. DIY filmmakers and distributors can set-up a self-branded shopping cart system and begin selling products without incurring a large upfront investment or protracted vendor search. Neoflix handles credit card processing, e-commerce security issues, customer service, and fulfillment for both domestic and international orders. NeoFlix not only gives your customers the confidence that orders will be quickly processed, but also that problems should they arise, will be quickly and professionally resolved. Neoflix also processes retail and purchase contract orders so clients can pursue simultaneously B2B and B2C sales strategies.

— NEOFLIX | VISIT SITE

 

Cruxy

…Cruxy provides powerful marketing, monetization and performance tools for digital creators, whether filmmakers, musicians or artists of any kind. Cruxy’s tools give artists the power to share their work on Cruxy or across the web using the Cruxy Social Player. Cruxy also gives creators the ability to sell their work as digital downloads. The artist chooses the retail price and the file format. Cruxy registers the work with search engines, generates thumbnails and previews and handles all aspects of the financial transaction. Cruxy also provides a robust set of analytical tools so that creators can track and improve their progress.

— CRUXY | VISIT SITE

Stalking the Mighty Indie

Friday, February 27th, 2009

I'm an Indie Stalker

I'm an Indie Stalker

One of the more important lessons I’ve learned in the quest to facilitate the distribution of my films is: look for someone who’s done it and is doing it and shadow them. That’s exactly what I’m doing. And to be honest it’s very simple. I go where they go. I post where they post. I solicit PR where they solicit PR. I blog when they do. I comment when they do. I appear when they appear. All this happens very easily on the Internet. And the answer is “No.” I’m not hanging around their houses at night like the indie-paparazzi.

Timeliness doesn’t matter this time around because I don’t have a film to distribute…yet. This is my walkthrough. My test run. My beta version. Everything I learn goes into the bank, gets refined and then prepped for when it’s my time. Soon.

shadowstandin

The beauty of this stalker/shadower process is that you can shadow big independent filmmakers or small independent film makers. Finding out where they live and breath is simple. You can arrange to get emails dropped into your inbox everything your stalkee filmmaker gets mentioned on the Internet. And if your chosen stalkee is procedural and professional (which he/she should be) you can find elegant traces of their whereabouts in their website’s “About Me” or “press” section.

I have a mentor and I have stalkees, i.e. filmmakers I keep a close eye out for. I monitor their movements and successes on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. One of my chosen stalkee’s has a model for filmmaking, community connection and film distribution that I’ve always envisioned for myself. They’ve achieve a respectable modicum of success, which I can emulate, but I have loftier goals. Achieving their business model is a first step for me. And they’ve laid the groundwork for me.

12 Steps to Self-Distribution

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Over the past few months I’ve been scouring the internet for knowledge and education about film distribution. I’ve read hundreds of blogs. I’ve looked at a handful of so-called distribution experts selling “how to” information for hundreds of dollars. I’ve found a mentor who’s actually doing it. I’ve read articles by the thousands. And guess what, “Houston? We have a problem!”

Many, if not most, of the articles and blogs I’ve read about film distribution come from people, companies and businesses in the industry that have banked on the current problematic distribution model.They have something to gain by keeping you, the filmmaker, locked in the choking grasp of hopelessness. Why? Their advertisers and business partners are film festivals, film studios, talent agencies, etc. The truth is, independent filmmakers are needed in this industry more than we realize. But I digress…more on this topic in another blog.

I’ve disseminated what I’ve learned and broken it down into ten steps independent filmmakers might want to consider as they consider distributing their films. These steps won’t guarantee a successful distribution (what is success?) but they will tip the odds in your favor…if your film is entertaining. In comprising these steps, I’ve assumed that you have a feature film in the can, ready to be burned onto a DVD at any time.

Anyone can learn these steps. It takes time. It takes education. It takes perseverance. 

 


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